THERMAL TAPE BOUND
c my k D SCREW BOUN
Printing Manual A GUIDE TO PRINT
PERFECT BOUN D
RGB
Printing Manual A GUIDE TO PRINT
contents chapter one
stock
chapter two
formats
chapter three
colour models
chapter four
print processes
chapter five
finishes
TYPES OF PAPER PAPER WEIGHT/ DENSITY
PAPER TYPES COATED
Paper with a clay or other coating applied to one or both sides is coated paper. Coated papers are available in a gloss, silk (sometimes called a satin) or matt finish and are used for projects requiring a fine finish, which is why coated paper is sometimes referred to as ‘art’ paper. Coated paper generally produces sharper, brighter images and has better reflectivity than uncoated paper. Coated paper is used to print brochures, leaflets and poster and a wide range of design for print formats, especially high volume print runs.
UNCOATED
Paper that does not have any kind of coating applied is uncoated paper. Through not having a coating this stock is not as smooth as a coated page. Uncoated paper is available in many different finishes, colours, and weights and is generally more absorbent that coated paper. Premium quality uncoated paper is used for business stationary, and commonly used in laser printers. Uncoated stocks are also used as an alternative or in conjunction to coated stocks in a wide range of design for print disciplines. Uncoated papers are available in a range of finishes:
wove
MATTE
laid
PHOTO PAPER
Paper made on a closely woven wire roller or mould and having a faint mesh pattern. Wove is a popular sheet for stationary and book publishing. Wove is a premium quality paper with a uniform surface, not ribbed or textured like a laid paper.
Laid paper is a premium quality paper with a textured pattern of parallel lines, similar to hand made paper, commonly used for business stationary.
bond
An economic, uncoated wove paper, often used for copyright or laser printers. A higher quality bond stock can be used for letterheads.
The most common type of printer paper, matte paper, is typically used for daily printing jobs. It has a white coating which dries quickly upon absorbing ink. This is usually sold commercially as multipurpose paper.
Photo paper is usually thicker than matte paper. This is to accommodate the significant amount of ink and toner used in printing photos and other rich media. A common type of photo paper is glossy. It has a shiny coating which quickly absorbs ink.
PAPER WEIGHT/DENSITY The paper density of a type of paper or cardboard is the mass of the product per unit of area. The term density here is used somewhat incorrectly as density is mass by volume. “Paper density” is more precisely a measure of the area density. Paper products that let little or no light pass through (e.g. poster board) are considered dense or heavy. Paper products that allow some light to pass through (e.g. tissue paper) are considered lightweight. When it comes to printing one of the first thing you need to decide is which paper you choose. The thickness of the paper is quite important. Thicker paper is more durable, conveys different message and of course in most cases more expensive. To find an optimum solution look at the list of the general usage of different paper density:
90 - 100 gsm -
used for stationery, text for magazines and booklets, flyers and brochures.
120 -170 gsm -
used for text for booklets, flyers and brochures. The heavier the weight, the more “upmarket” the feel.
200 - 250 gsm ideal and
for booklet
magazine covers
280 - 420 gsm -
used for cards of all sorts and book and booklet covers.
stock examples
STOCK SMOOTH
thin card
rough
Thick card
Smooth papers are manufactured to be without bumps and of uniform thickness. They are usually used for commercial purposes or in offices where uniformity in printing is required. Some examples are copy paper, paper for printing books and newsprint. Other types of smooth papers are tracing paper and wrapping paper of various types, such as coloured, printed or coated. Coated papers have a layer of colour or foil applied to them, and folding colour-coated paper can crack the colour or metallic finish.
Certain types of paper are made to feel rough. Craft paper, such as construction or brown wrapping, or heavier stationery, like bond-type, are strong and good for stenciling, hand printing and projects involving cutting. Woven paper has a mesh of slightly raised fibers. Embossed paper has a raised pattern, while engraved paper has a design pressed into it. More expensive than most paper types, handmade paper also falls into this category. Popular handmade papers include Japanese and Indian, which are manufactured with large pieces of wood pulp and fibers, making them hard to cut but often very pretty.
Card is produced in light and heavier weights. Thin card is flat and folds easily; this is what most greeting and note cards are made from, and it’s available in various thicknesses. Stencil card and oiled stencil paper are opaque and easy to cut, but not as durable as other seethrough craft materials, such as acetate. Bleached card (paperboard) is stronger than other thin card stocks and is coated with glaze.
Thicker card stocks include standard flat brown-box cardboard and corrugated cardboard, which also comes in lighter weights and different colours. Corrugated cardboard is strong thanks to its two rows of fluting, which allow it to be folded and cut fairly easily. Individual sheets of unlined chipboard are also available, but these are less flexible and crease easily. Double-thickness chipboard is heavier and must be cut with a sharp blade.
SPECIALTY PAPER
Other papers include the following: tissue paper (thin but strong, with sheen to it); glassine (heavy, coloured and glazed); crepe (soft, stretchy and puckered); mulberry (with long thin fibers running through it, this paper is best cut with water); and other flat but specially designed, fancy sheets, such as mottled, marbled, textured, stamped, stenciled or deckle-edged (ripped finish). Handmade paper can be considered specialty paper as well.
SELECTING PAPER If you’re creating a full colour document featuring photographs or colourful illustrations, you’ll get the most vibrant colours if you opt for a coated paper. Whether you choose a gloss, silk or matt finish is mostly down to your personal preference, although gloss paper will produce the most vibrant colour reproduction. Some people think that gloss is classy, others consider it to be a bit tacky. Something to consider if your document is being printed conventionally is that silk and matt papers should normally be machine sealed (a sealant is applied to the printed image to avoid it being smudged). This may add to the cost of printing – check with your print contractor. Uncoated paper can be used for full colour projects but colours tend to be less vibrant and unless you use a low quality bond paper, it could end up costing considerably more than if you’d selected a coated stock.
Due to its glossly finish, you should avoid using coated papers if your document is designed to be written on. You’re probably best opting for an uncoated stock instead. Letterheads, compliment slips etc are almost always printed onto uncoated paper – 100gsm is normal, 120gsm adds prestige. There are literally hundreds of different brands of paper to choose from and individual printing contractors will tend to stock and promote a handful of their favourite ranges. If you plan to overprint your stationery using a desktop printer, make sure the paper is inkjet and/or laser compatible. It’s also worth noting at this point that some printing and finishing processes are not inkjet/laser compatible. Ensure you double check before placing your order.
If you’re simply after something cheap and cheerful most people think that a low quality uncoated paper is going to be the most economical option. Not always the case! Printing companies tend to buy coated stock by the truck load and therefore get very good rates. If you’re after the lowest possible price, ask your printer to use his cheapest stock but ask to see a sample first to avoid any nasty surprises. Finally, be aware that colour reproduction will differ depending upon the type of paper the ink is printed on. If you need accurate colour reproduction across a range of different documents, you may wish to use the same type of stock throughout. For instance, if your letterheads and compliment slips are printed onto an uncoated paper, you will probably want to choose an uncoated board for your business cards.
Formats
chapter tw0
RA Series A SERIES SRA Series B SERIES C SERIES ENVOLOPES US Series BROADSHEET
A8
A7
A6
A5
A3
A4
A0 A1
A2
a series The dimensions of the A series paper sizes, as defined by ISO 216, are given in the table below in both millimetres and inches (cm measurements can be obtained by dividing mm value by 10).
a
The A Series paper size chart to the left gives a visual explanation of how the sizes relate to each other - for example A5 is half of A4 size paper and A2 is half of A1 size paper.
Paper Sizes Defined
The A series paper sizes are defined in ISO 216 by the following requirements:
Table of Paper Sizes From 4A0 to A10 Size
Height x Width (mm)
Height x Width (in)
4A0
2378 x 1682 mm
93.6 x 66.2 in
2A0
1682 x 1189 mm
66.2 x 46.8 in
A0
1189 x 841 mm
46.8 x 33.1 in
A1
841 x 594 mm
33.1 x 23.4 in
A2
594 x 420 mm
23.4 x 16.5 in
A3
420 x 297 mm
16.5 x 11.7 in
A4
297 x 210 mm
11.7 x 8.3 in
A5
210 x 148 mm
8.3 x 5.8 in
A6
148 x 105 mm
5.8 x 4.1 in
A7
105 x 74 mm
4.1 x. 2.9 in
A8
74 x 52 mm
2.9 x 2.0 in
A9
52 x 37 mm
2.0 x 1.5 in
A10
37 x 26 mm
1.5 x 1.0 in
The length divided by the width is 1.4142 The A0 size has an area of 1 square metre. Each subsequent size A(n) is defined as A(n-1) cut in half parallel to its shorter sides. The standard length and width of each size is rounded to the nearest millimetre. Note: For reference the last item is there because the root 2 aspect ratio doesn’t always give a whole number.
b series The dimensions of the B series paper sizes, as defined by ISO 216, are given in the table below in both millimetres and inches (cm measurements can be obtained by dividing the mm value by 10).
The B Series paper size chart to the right is a visual explanation of how the B paper sizes relate to each other.
B
Paper Sizes Defined The B series paper are in
sizes defined in ISO 216 the following way.
The B series paper sizes were created in order to provide paper sizes that weren’t covered by the A series, but also use an aspect ratio of 1:root2. B sizes are defined as size B(n) being the geometric mean of size A(n) and size A(n-1). The Geometric Means of 2 numbers being the square root of the product of the two numbers.
Table of Paper Sizes From B0 to B10 Size
Height x Width (mm)
Height x Width (in)
B0
1414 x 1000 mm
55.7 x 39.4 in
B1
1000 x 707 mm
39.4 x 27.8 in
B2
707 x 500 mm
27.8 x 19.7 in
B3
500 x 353 mm
19.7 x 13.9 in
B4
353 x 250 mm
13.9 x 9.8 in
B5
250 x 176 mm
9.8 x 6.9 in
B6
176 x 125 mm
6.9 x 4.9 in
B7
125 x 88 mm
4.9 x. 3.5 in
B8
88 x 62 mm
3.5 x 2.4 in
B9
62 x 44 mm
2.4 x 1.7 in
B10
44 x 31 mm
1.7 x 1.2 in
B8
B7
B6
B5
B4
B3
b0 B1
B2
C8
C7
C6
C5
C3
C4
C2
C0 C1
c series The dimensions of the C series envelope sizes, as defined by ISO 216, are given in the table below in both millimetres and inches (cm measurements can be obtained by dividing the mm value by 10).
c
Table of Paper Sizes From C0 to C10 Size
Height x Width (mm)
Height x Width (in)
C0
1297 x 917 mm
51.5 x 36.1 in
C1
917 x 648 mm
36.1 x 25.5 in
C2
648 x 458 mm
25.5 x 18.0 in
C3
458 x 324 mm
18.0 x 12.8 in
C4
324 x 229 mm
12.8 x 9.0 in
C5
229 x 162 mm
9.0 x 6.4 in
C6
162 x 114 mm
6.4 x 4.5 in
C7
114 x 81 mm
4.5 x. 3.2 in
C8
81 x 57 mm
3.2 x 2.2 in
C9
57 x 40 mm
2.2 x 1.6 in
C10
40 x 28 mm
1.6 x 1.1 in
The diagrams to the left show the size of each of the envelopes when compared to a sheet of A4 paper.
Paper Sizes Defined
C envelopes sizes are defined as the geometric mean of the A and B sizes with the same number i.e. C4 dimensions are the geometric mean of A4 and B4. This produces a size between the two that makes an envelope that will neatly hold the A series paper of the same size, thus a C4 envelope is perfect for an A4 sheet of paper unfolded. It should be noted that C format envelopes also have an aspect ratio of 1:root2 and because of this an A4 sheet folded parallel to its shortest sides will fit in a C5 envelope and folded twice will fit a C6 envelope.
C5
C4
DL C6
c series
c
The diagrams C4, C5 and C6 envelopes compared to A4 paper size (the envelope being shown in brown with the paper shown as grey) as can be seen in the first diagram the C4 envelope can contain an A4 sheet, the C5 envelope can contain an A4 sheet folded in half (an A5 sheet) and the C6 envelope can contain an A4 sheet folded in half twice (an A6 sheet). This is the reason that you will sometimes see these envelope sizes being referred to as A4 envelope size, A5 envelope size and A6 envelope size.
One of the most widely used business envelopes, the DL format does not fall under the C series sizes as it has a different aspect ratio. This envelope originated in Germany in the 1920’s and was known as DIN Lang, but DL is now more commonly expanded to ‘Dimension Lengthwise’. This size is defined in the ISO standards for envelope sizes, as the standard would have been remiss in omitting the most commonly used business envelope size. The dimensions of DL are 110 x 220 mm (4 1/3” x 8 2/3”) and as such the DL envelope will hold an A4 sheet of paper folded into 3 equal sections parallel to its shortest sides.
ra series ra sra Dimensions Of RA & SRA Series The RA and SRA paper formats are defined by ISO 217 “Paper - Untrimmed Sizes” and cover untrimmed raw paper for commercial printing. The RA and SRA sizes are slightly larger than the corresponding A series sizes to allow for bleed on printed material that will be later trimmed to size, often for bound publication.
RA stands for “raw format A” and is conceptually defined as being 105% of the A series size, thus as A0 has an area of 1 square metre RA0 has an area of 1.05 square metres. SRA stands for “supplementary raw format A” and is conceptually defined as being 115% of the A series size, so a sheet of SRA0 paper has an area of 1.15 square metres. In reality the sizes for RA0, RA1, RA2, SRA0, SRA1 and SRA2 are rounded to the nearest centimetre and sizes for RA3, RA4, SRA3 and SRA4 are rounded to the nearest half centimetre.
sra series Table of Paper Sizes From RA0 to RA4 Size
Height x Width (mm)
Height x Width (in)
RA0
1220 x 860 mm
48.0 x 33.9 in
RA1
860 x 610 mm
33.9 x 24.0 in
RA2
610 x 430 mm
24.0 x 16.9 in
RA3
430 x 305 mm
16.9 x 12.0 in
RA4
305 x 215 mm
12.0 x 8.5 in
Table of Paper Sizes From SRA0 to SRA4 Size
Height x Width (mm)
Height x Width (in)
SRA0
1280 x 900 mm
50.4 x 35.4 in
SRA1
900 x 640 mm
35.4 x 25.2 in
SRA2
640 x 450 mm
25.2 x 17.7 in
SRA3
450 x 320 mm
17.7 x 12.6 in
SRA4
320 x 225 mm
12.6 x 8.9 in
us series
US
North America, including the US, Canada and parts of Mexico, is the only area of the first world that doesn’t use the ISO 216 standard paper sizes, instead they use Letter, Legal, Executive and Ledger/Tabloid paper sizes and those that have been formalised in ANSI Y14.1M - Metric Drawing Sheet Size & Format.
Table of Paper Sizes From SRA0 to SRA4 Size
Height x Width (mm)
Height x Width (in)
Letter
216 x 279 mm
8.5 x 11.0 in
Legal
216 x 356 mm
8.5 x 14.0 in
Junior Legal
127 x 203 mm
5.0 x 8.0 in
Ledger/Tabloid
279 x 432 mm
11.0 x 17.0 in
letter legal junior legal
ledger
newspaper sizes Newspapers are printed in a variety of sizes with the most common sizes being Broadsheet, Berliner, Tabloid & Compact.
Broadsheet Size Dimensions: 750 mm (29.5" x
x
600 23.5")
The term broadsheet derives from single sheets of political satire and ballads sold on the streets, which became popular after the British placed a tax on newspapers by the number of pages in 1712. The broadsheet size for newspapers is becoming less popular and many titles are switching from broadsheet to tabloid.
In Australia and New Zealand the term broadsheet is used to refer to papers that are printed on A1 size paper (841 x 594 mm - 33.1” x 23.4”).
berliner Dimensions: 470 mm × 315 mm (18.5” × 12.4”) The Berliner format (also known as Midi) is commonly used by newspapers across Europe. Confusingly the title ‘Berliner Zeitung’, often referred to as just ‘Berliner’ is not printed in berliner size.
tabloid Dimensions: 430 x 280 mm (16.9” x 11.0”) The tabloid size is often referred to as being ‘half the size of a broadsheet’ however this is not strictly true as broadsheet is 750 x 600 mm (29.5” x 23.5”) Tabloid size is actually not very different from A3 and thus a transition to printing tabloids on an A2 sheet (remember that newspaper sizes are the size of the folded pages) would be sensible in the longer term.
The word tabloid when referring to newspaper sizes comes from the style of journalism known as 'tabloid journalism' that compacted stories into short, easy to read and often exaggerated forms. Tabloid journalism itself got its name from the 'tabloid pills' marketed in the 1880's, that were the first highly compacted and easy to swallow pills commonly available. The tabloid size is widely used across the globe these days, with titles in the US, Russia, China, the UK, Canada, Australia, Brazil and many other countries using this format. Recently many established papers have changed from broadsheet size to tabloid size as it has proved more popular with readers. This size is the same as tabloid. The term being coined when the ‘quality’ or ‘high brow’ press titles moved from the traditional broadsheet size to the smaller tabloid size, as they didn’t want to be associated with the sensationalism of tabloid journalism.
Colour Models
chapter three
pms spot colour cmyk rgb
halftone duotone
THE PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM A popular colour matching system used by the printing industry to print spot colours. Most applications that support colour printing allow you to specify colours by indicating the Pantone name or number. This assures that you get the right colour when the file is printed, even though the colour may not look right when displayed on your monitor. PMS works well for spot colours but not for process colours, which are generally specified using the CMYK colour model.
the pantone matching system
The first colour matching system for designers was developed by Pantone in 1963. The primary tool in the Pantone Matching System (commonly referred to as PMS) was the Pantone forumula guide. This guide was designed to allow graphic designers and printers to communicate colour by referencing a Pantone number. This was a huge improvement, as in the past every ink company had their own colour system and there was no way to correlate "Firecracker Red" from one ink company to another. The Pantone formula guide was also built around an ink mixing system, which made it much easier for ink companies to provide consistant colour accross multiple locations. Early versions of the Pantone formula guide had 747 different colours, on coated and uncoated stocks.
This concept, of colour consistency from designer-to printer-to ink maker-to client, is the real strength of the Pantone Matching System. If everyone in the process has a Pantone formula guide, they can look at the same 185 red, and they are all seeing the same colour. The designer specifies a colour, the printer orders ink in that colour, prints using that colour, and the client gets exactly what they want. This end to end colour control explains why Pantone has become the worldwide standard for colour since it's introduction.
Today's Pantone Matching System features 1,341 Pantone solid colours, printed on coated, uncoated, and matte papers. Each page contains 7 colours, with ink mixing formulas. Software developers have also made it easy for designers to incorporate Pantone solid colours in their design projects. There are some issues, however. The Pantone formula guides are printed using inks and pigments, while computer monitors reproduce the colours using Red Green and Blue light. This issue causes a lot of confusion due to the different appearance of printed Pantone colours and viewed Pantone colours (on a computer monitor). That’s why it advisable to only use a Pantone formula guide to specifiy or determine a Pantone solid colour.
spot colour
In offset printing, a spot colour is any colour generated by an ink (pure or mixed) that is printed using a single run. The widely spread offsetprinting process is composed of four spot colours: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black) commonly referred to as CMYK. More advanced processes involve the use of six spot colours (hexachromatic process), which add Orange and Green to the process (termed CMYKOG). The two additional spot colours are added to compensate for the ineffective reproduction of faint tints using CMYK colours only. However, offset technicians around the world use the term spot colour to mean any colour generated by a non-standard offset ink; such as metallic, fluorescent, spot varnish, or custom hand-mixed inks.
When making a multi-colour print with a spot colour process, every spot colour needs its own lithographic film. All the areas of the same spot colour are printed using the same film, hence, using the same lithographic plate. The dot gain, hence the screen angle and line frequency, of a spot colour vary according to its intended purpose. Spot lamination and UV coatings are sometimes referred to as 'spot colours', as they share the characteristics of requiring a separate lithographic film and print run.
Basically, an ink colour is ready-mixed to produce a particular colour So if you were producing a 2 colour card with, for instance, Black as the main colour for text then a 2nd PantoneŽ colour would be chosen from a colour swatch. To produce this job would entail making 2 sheets of film which would then be used to make 2 printing plates for the press. The more spot colours used, the more film and plates are needed, hence the increased costs. To keep costs down it’s possible to create tints of a spot colour without needing extra film or plates.
cmyk The CMYK colour model (process colour, four colour) is a subtractive colour model, used in colour printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four inks used in some colour printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). Though it varies by print house, press operator, press manufacturer, and press run, ink is typically applied in the order of the abbreviation. The “K” in CMYK stands for key since in four-colour printing cyan, magenta, and yellow printing plates are carefully keyedor aligned with the key of the black key plate. Some sources suggest that the “K” in CMYK comes from the last letter in “black” and was chosen because B already means blue. However, this explanation, although useful as a mnemonic, is incorrect.
The CMYK model works by partially or entirely masking colours on a lighter, usually white, background. The ink reduces the light that would otherwise be reflected. Such a model is called subtractive because inks “subtract” brightness from white. In additive colour models such as RGB, white is the “additive” combination of all primary coloured lights, while black is the absence of light. In the CMYK model, it is the opposite: white is the natural colour of the paper or other background, while black results from a full combination of coloured inks.
To save money on ink, and to produce deeper black tones,unsaturated and dark colours are produced by using black ink instead of the combination of cyan, magenta and yellow.
rgb Photoshop RGB Colour mode uses the RGB model, assigning an intensity value to each pixel. In 8‑bits-perchannel images, the intensity values range from 0 (black) to 255 (white) for each of the RGB (red, green, blue) components in a colour image. For example, a bright red colour has an R value of 246, a G value of 20, and a B value of 50. When the values of all three components are equal, the result is a shade of neutral gray. When the values of all components are 255, the result is pure white; when the values are 0, pure black.
RGB images use three colours, or channels, to reproduce colours on screen. In 8‑bits-per-channel images, the three channels translate to 24 (8 bits x 3 channels) bits of colour information per pixel. With 24‑bit images, the three channels can reproduce up to 16.7 million colours per pixel. With 48‑bit (16‑bits-per-channel) and 96‑bit (32‑bits-per-channel) images, even more colours can be reproduced per pixel. In addition to being the default mode for new Photoshop images, the RGB model is used by computer monitors to display colours. This means that when working in colour modes other than RGB, such as CMYK, Photoshop converts the CMYK image to RGB for display on screen.
There are many models used to measure and describe colour. The RGB colour model is based on the theory that all visible colours can be created using the primary additive colours red, green and blue. These colours are known as primary additives because when combined in equal amounts they produce white. When two or three of them are combined in different amounts, other colours are produced. For example, combining red and green in equal amounts creates yellow, green and blue creates cyan, and red and blue creates magenta. As you change the amount of red, green and blue you are presented with new colours. Additionally, when one of these primary additive colours is not present you get black.
gamut In colour reproduction, including computer graphics and photography, the gamut, or colour gamut, is a certain complete subset of colours. The most common usage refers to the subset of colours which can be accurately represented in a given circumstance, such as within a given colour space or by a certain output device. Another sense, less frequently used but not less correct, refers to the complete set of colours found within an image at a given time. In this context, digitizing a photograph, converting a digitized image to a different colour space, or outputting it to a given medium using a certain output device generally alters its gamut, in the sense that some of the colours in the original are lost in the process.
In colour theory, the gamut of a device or process is that portion of the colour space that can be represented, or reproduced. Generally, the colour gamut is specified in the hue–saturation plane, as a system can usually produce colours over a wide intensity range within its colour gamut; for a subtractive colour system (such as used in printing), the range of intensity available in the system is for the most part meaningless without considering systemspecific properties (such as the illumination of the ink).
When certain colours cannot be expressed within a particular colour model, those colours are said to be out of gamut. For example, while pure red can be expressed in the RGB colour space, it cannot be expressed in the CMYK colour space; pure red is out of gamut in the CMYK colour space. A device that is able to reproduce the entire visible colour space is an unrealized goal within the engineering of colour displays and printing processes. While modern techniques allow increasingly good approximations, the complexity of these systems often makes them impractical.
While processing a digital image, the most convenient colour model used is the RGB model. Printing the image requires transforming the image from the original RGB colour space to the printer's CMYK colour space. During this process, the colours from the RGB which are out of gamut must be somehow converted to approximate values within the CMYK space gamut. Simply trimming only the colours which are out of gamut to the closest colours in the destination space would burn the image.
There are several algorithms approximating this transformation, but none of them can be truly perfect, since those colours are simply out of the target device's capabilities. This is why identifying the colours in an image which are out of gamut in the target colour space as soon as possible during processing is critical for the quality of the final product.
halftone/duotone half duo Halftone is the reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of dots, varying either in size, in shape or in spacing. "Halftone" can also be used to refer specifically to the image that is produced by this process. Where continuous tone imagery contains an infinite range of colours or greys, the halftone process reduces visual reproductions to an image that is printed with only one colour of ink, in dots of differing size. This reproduction relies on a basic optical illusion—that these tiny halftone dots are blended into smooth tones by the human eye. At a microscopic level, developed black-and-white photographic film also consists of only two colours, and not an infinite range of continuous tones. For details, see film grain. Just as colour photography evolved with the addition of filters and film layers, colour printing is made possible by repeating the halftone process for each subtractive colour— most commonly using what is called the "CMYK colour model". The semi-opaque property of ink allows halftone dots of different colours to create another optical effect—full-colour imagery.
Duotone is a halftone reproduction of an image using the superimposition of one contrasting colour halftone (traditionally black) over another colour halftone. This is most often used to bring out middle tones and highlights of an image. The most common colours used are blue, yellow, browns and reds. Now due to recent advances in technology, duotones, tritones, and quadtones can be easily created using image manipulation programs. Duotones are grayscale images that overprint with a second ink to add a tint and extend the tonal range of the image. They are quite easy to make with Photoshop. Just keep in mind these guidelines when creating them.
The Printing Processes
chapter FOUR
flexography foil blocking digital printing pad printing
lithography rotogravure screen printing embossing/debossing
FLEX
Y H P A R OG RUBBER ROLL
PLATE CYLINDER
ANILOX ROLL
INK PLATE SUBSTRATE
Flexography is the major process used to print packaging materials. Flexography is used to print corrugated containers, folding cartons, multiwall sacks, paper sacks, plastic bags, milk and beverage cartons, disposable cups and containers, labels, adhesive tapes, envelopes, newspapers, and wrappers.
PROCESS OVERVIEW In the typical flexo printing sequence, the substrate is fed into the press from a roll. The image is printed as substrate is pulled through a series of stations, or print units. Each print unit is printing a single colour. As with Gravure and Lithographic printing, the various tones and shading are achieved by overlaying the 4 basic shades of ink. These are magenta, cyan, yellow and black. Magenta being the red tones and cyan being the blue. The major unit operations in a flexographic printing operation are:
image preperation plate making printing finishing
FLEXO
plate making Flexographic and letterpress plates are made using the same basic technologies utilizing a relief type plate. Both technologies employ plates with raised images (relief) and only the raised images come in contact with the substrate during printing. Flexographic plates are made of a flexible material, such as plastic, rubber or UV sensitive polymer (photopolymer), so that it can be attached to a roller or cylinder for ink application. There are three primary methods of making flexographic plates; photomechanical, photochemical and laser engraved plates.
printing presses
The five types of printing presses used for flexographic printing are the stack type, central impression cylinder (CIC), in-line, newspaper unit, and dedicated 4-, 5-, or 6-colour unit commercial publication flexographic presses. All five types employ a plate cylinder, a metering cylinder known as the anilox roll that applies ink to the plate, and an ink pan. Some presses use a third roller as a fountain roller and, in some cases, a doctor blade for improved ink distribution.
inks Flexographic inks are very similar to packaging gravure printing inks in that they are fast drying and have a low viscosity. The inks are formulated to lie on the surface of nonabsorbent substrates and solidify when solvents are removed. Solvents are removed with heat, unless U.V. curable inks are used.
finishing
After printing, the substrate may run through a number of operations to be “finished� and ready for shipment to the customer. Finishing may include operations such as coating, cutting, folding and binding.
foil Foil stamping, typically a commercial print process, is the application of pigment or metallic foil, often gold or silver , but can also be various patterns or what is known as pastel foil which is a flat opaque colour or white special film-backed material, to paper where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. Foil stamping can be combined with embossing to create a more striking 3D image.
Once the design is finalized, metal dies are created in the appropriate shape for each colour foil to be applied, and for embossing if a three-dimensional effect is desired – most commonly known as blind embossing. The dies are heated and then stamped with enough pressure to seal a thin layer of foil to the paper.
g n i k lb oc
Foil stamping is a specialty printing process that uses heat, pressure, metal dies and foil film. The foil comes in rolls in a wide assortment of colours, finishes, and optical effects.
the printing process Foil stamping is somewhat similar to letterpress and engraving, in that the colour is applied to paper with pressure. As a result, the foil process leaves a slightly raised impression on the paper.
foil
what is foil stamping?
foil pull heater
pre
ess
tips and advice As with any printing process, there are pros and cons. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you’re considering foil for your wedding invitations or personal stationery.
foil holder
pros Foil is an opaque medium. Unlike thermography, lithography and letterpress, foil stamping does not use any ink. As a result, the foil colour does not change based on the colour of paper on which you are printing. This makes metallic or lighter colour foil great for darker or coloured papers. Foil can be used for a variety of finishes, including metallic, matte, glossy, pearlescent and patterns such as marbling. There are also semi-transparent tint foils, if you do want to allow the paper colour to show through. Metallic foils have a shiny, lustrous finish. With thermography, lithography and letterpress, metallics can fall flat and don’t have much in the way of shimmer.
cons
foil
Because foil is applied by heat, it should not be applied near text or designs already applied by thermography. The heat will melt the thermographic resins.
foil blocking
DIGITAL HOW DIGITAL PRINTING WORKS Unlike offset or letterpress where printing plates are involved, digitally printed invitations are printed directly from a digital file on a computer. Digital printers transfer four colours of ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) to paper simultaneously, producing a full-colour print after only one pass through the printer – meaning that each invitation takes less time to print and is less expensive to produce than other printing methods. Unlike letterpress, which leaves a relief impression, and engraving, which produces raised text, digital printing produces a flat image without any texture. Digital printing is the most commonly used printing method because it’s fast and inexpensive. Since printing plates aren’t required, it’s a cost effective way to print a low number of pieces (like 50 invitations, for example), and you aren’t limited to the number of colours you can use in one piece. That means it’s a great way to reproduce scanned imagery (think collages, hand drawn illustrations, or paintings).
the printing process:
There are two common digital printer types: laser and inkjet. Laser printers use laser beams, electrical particles, heat, and a plastic particle called toner to create an image, whereas inkjet printers spray ink from cartridges directly onto the paper. Typically, laser printers handle type and graphics better than inkjets, and inkjets are better for printing photographs. If you’re purchasing a home printer, inkjets are less expensive up front but the ink cartridges can make them more expensive in the long term.
Speaking of home printers, there is a big variety in the quality of printers, as you’ve no doubt noticed! The printer you have at home probably isn’t as good as the on-demand printing company down the street, and that printing company may not have as high quality machines as a larger, professional printing company.
DIGITA KEY MAGENTA CYAN YELLOW
G N I T N I R P L
LI
Y H P A R G HT O
INK ROLLERS
WATER ROLLERS PLATE CYLINDER WATER OFFSET CYLINDER
PAPER IMPRESSION CYLINDER
litho The name lithography comes from lithos, stone, and graphia and was invented in Prague by Alois Senefelder around 1796. Lithography is best described as a planographic process; this is nothing more than a process for printing from a smooth surface, called a plate, to a substrate, generally paper. Lithographic printing is well suited for printing both text and illustrations in short to medium length runs of up to 1,000,000 impressions. Typical products printed with offset printing processes include:
General commercial printing Quick printing newspapers books Business Forms Financial and Legal Documents
PROCESS OVERVIEW 1 Lithography is an “offset” printing technique. Ink is not applied directly from the printing plate (or cylinder) to the substrate as it is in gravure, flexography and letterpress. Ink is applied to the printing plate to form the “image” (such as text or artwork to be printed) and then transferred or “offset to a rubber “blanket”. The image on the blanket is then transferred to the substrate (typically paper or paperboard) to produce the printed product. On sheet-fed presses, the substrate is fed into the press one sheet at a time at a very high speed. Web fed presses print on a continuous roll of substrate, or web, which is later cut to size. There is a total of 3 types of offset printing: non-heatset sheetfed, heatset, and non-heatset web offset. The difference between heatset and non-heatset is primarily dependent on the type of ink and how it is dried.
The printing plate has the image to be printed, in relief, on its surface (the image stands out slightly from the printing plate surface).
2
The printing plate is kept dampened. Ink is applied to the plate but it is repelled from the dampened surfaces which are the on-image areas.
3
. As the printing cylinder rotates the ink is transferred to the rubber blanket cylinder.
4
The ink, now on the rubber blanket cylinder, is pressed onto the paper or card as it is pulled through the machine. (The paper is trapped between the blanket cylinder and the impression cylinder - these pull the paper through the machine)
roto The layout of a gravure printing press follows an in-line arrangement where the required number of printing units is installed along a horizontal plane. In a conventional gravure printing press, each unit comprises of:
Printing cylinder: a seamless tubular sleeve or full cylinder, made from either steel, aluminum, plastic, or composite material, which is engraved with the image to be printed Doctor blade:
the device that removes ink from the nonengraved portions of the printing cylinder and also removes excess ink from the engraved sections
Impression roller:
a rubber covered sleeve that is mounted on a steel mandrel. Its primary purpose is to press the substrate against the printing cylinder
Inking system:
consisting of an ink pan, ink holding tank, and ink pump with supply and return ink pipes
Drying system:
consisting of a chamber which dries the ink once it is on the substrate and prior to it reaching the next printing unit. Drier capacities are determined based on the required printing speed, ink type (solvent or water based), and ink lay down volume
PROCESS
During the gravure printing process the printing cylinder rotates in the ink pan where the engraved cells fill with ink. As the cylinder rotates clear of the ink pan, any excess ink is removed by the doctor blade. Further around, the cylinder is brought into contact with the substrate, which is pressed against it by the rubber covered impression roller. The pressure of the roller, along with the capillary draw of the substrate, results in the direct transfer of ink from the cells in the printing cylinder to the surface of the substrate. As the printing roller rotates back into the ink pan, the printed area of the substrate proceeds through a dryer and onto the next printing unit, which is normally a different colour or may be a varnish or coating. Precise colour to colour registration is made possible via automatic side and length register control systems. For a web-fed printing press, after each colour has been printed and any coatings applied, the web is ‘rewound’ into a finished roll.
PROCESS ADVANTAGES
The process offers the ability to transfer ink consistently, across a wide range of densities, and at high speeds, making it suitable for applications which require high image quality, such as publishing, packaging, labels, security print, and decorative printing. The durable nature of the printing cylinders used makes gravure printing an ideal process for providing high quality print on very long or regularly repeating runs, delivering cost advantages over other processes.
ro
e r u v a r g to
printing cylinder (impression roller)
form cylinder
blade
ink tray
TING N I R P EN
SCRE
FILM positive used to expose and harden
light sensitive emulsion screen frame stretched tightly with fabric
emulsion attached to fabric, expose and wash away
ink squeezed trough makes print
screen what is screen printing? Screen printing (also known as silk screening) is one of the oldest methods of printmaking, with examples dating back to the Song Dynasty in China. The process involves creating a stencil of an image on a screen of porous mesh, traditionally made of silk. A roller or squeegee is used to pull paint-like ink over the stencil, forcing it through the mesh onto the paper being printed. Unlike the inks used in some other forms of printing, screen printing ink sits right on the surface of paper, resulting in incredibly rich, vibrant colour.
the printing process: The screen printing process has multiple steps, starting with the process of creating the screen. The screens are coated with a light sensitive emulsion, and exposed using a positive image. Your positive can be created in a variety of ways, from digitally printed film, hand-cut rubylith, or hand drawn with ink on acetate. The positive is positioned directly on the surface of the light table, and the screen placed over the positive, print side down. The emulsion hardens when exposed to light, and remains soft and water-soluble where the positive blocks the light.
After exposure, we take the screen to the wash-out sink, and rinse away the soft emulsion. Once the screen has dried completely, we lock the screen into hinges that are mounted onto our print surface. We align the paper for printing, and mark the location with registration tabs. Ink is applied directly to one end of the screen in a long bead, ready to be pulled over the screen with the squeegee. A nice, firm pass with the squeegee forces ink through the mesh, visibly showing on the print side of the screen. The screen is lowered on the hinges, and the squeegee is used to press the inked mesh flat against the paper, transferring a thin, even layer of ink to the page. The amount of ink transferred to the paper is controlled by the thickness of the emulsion, so crisp images need a fine, even coat of emulsion to maintain their detail. Mixing the second colour for this particular job was a challenge; we wanted to create the illusion of a 3rd colour in the print, so the second ink needed to be transparent and overlay the first colour to create a pleasing effect. We settled on a yellowish green that would create a darker green where it overlapped the blue.
tips
Like most hand-printing methods, screen printing has a very distinctive look. Even though the surface is flat, the velvety finish and extreme vibrancy of the ink cannot be replicated with any other technique. Screen printing can also be used on a variety of surfaces, so anything that has a flat surface can be printed; paper, chip board, fabrics, wood, leather and metal are all viable candidates! Like any other printing process, screen printing definitely has specific limitations, which makes it better suited for some projects (and not so well suited for others). Fine details or delicate text can be lost or broken up in the printing process, and large blocks of text can be difficult to print consistently. Light ink on dark paper works beautifully, but textured papers are out. Thin papers also present difficulty, as the ink could cause them to buckle or warp.
screen printing
pad the basic steps:
the ink
1
Padprintjng inks are just as versatile as the other elements in the process. Not only are they available in every colour imagineable, they also come in a variety of series which are specific to the type of substrate to be printed on. Different materials react differently to the various elements in inks. For example, the ink used for printing on certain plastics may not adhere to glass or aluminum. There are medical grade inks for use in the medical industry, as well as edible inks which can be pad printed onto candies or other food products.
The cliche' step - the image on the cliche' is inked via doktor blade sytern or inkcup while the pad travels to the image.
2
The transfer step - the pad picks up the inked image from the diche’ and travels to the subsbate.
3
The print step - the pad makes contact with the substrate using just the right amount of pressure to deliver the image.
The Cliche The desired image to print is etched into a plate called a diche. The cliche is usualIy made of a polymer coating on a metal backing or of hardened steel. Once placed on the printer, the cliche is inked by either an open inkwell doktoring system or by a ctosed inkcup sliding across the image.
the pad
After the cliche' is inked, the silicon pad then picks up the image and transfers it to the product. The pads are made of a silicon material which can vary in durometer (hardness). The properties of the silicon allow the inks to temporarily stick to the pad, yet fully release from the pad when it comes into contact with the product to be printed. The durometer of the pad dictates how the image molds to the product. For example, to print an image on a basketball, a harder pad will get more of the image into the textured surface. Likewise, a larger image to be placed on a flat (or nearly flat) surface would normally require a substantial amount of down pressure to print the entire image with a hard pad. By using a softer durometer, the image can be placed using less pressure and thus avoiding some complicatiorts associated with too much pressure.
ink cup pad metal plate the cliche
pad printing plate
print medium
blade
PAD PRINTING
embossing / debossing Embossing and dembossing are similar processes that create a different result. Both processes involve making a metal plate and a counter. The plate is mounted on a press and the paper is stamped between the plate and counter. This force of pressure pushes the stock into the plate, creating the impression. Embossing produces a raised impression on your paper stock, while debossing creates a depressed impression.
things to remember: Be aware that embossing is a mechanical process that manipulates the paper stock, so by default, it will also manipulate your design. Set your type with more space between letters than usual. If you put them too close to one another, they can merge and become one element once the embossing has been done. Embossing makes design elements look smaller and reduces the sharpness of smaller items.
There are two ways you can emboss your work at home: dry embossing and heat embossing. Dry embossing, also called relief embossing, is done by tracing a stencil with some paper over it with a special tool called a stylus to get the raised effect on it. Heat embossing, also referred to as stamp and heat embossing, is done by stamping an image on a piece of paper, sprinkling powder over the stamped image, and then applying heat.
embossing
debossing
Sculptured Emboss: A sculptured emboss actually refers to a hand tooled process. It is made from a photograph or a drawing with various levels of depth to make the image appear realistic and multi dimensional. Printed Emboss: In this kind of embossing, the embossed area registers with printed image. Depending on customer requirements and specifications, the bevel can stay inside the printed image or go outside it. Tint Emboss: This is a relatively new creation where pearl or pastel foil is used for embossing. The methodology is the same as other embossing but the technique is very much in demand and vogue currently. Also, for tint embossing it is best to use white stock because pearl and pastel foils are transparent.
TYPES OF EMBOSSING
Blind Emboss: A blind emboss is one which is not stamped over a printed image or with a foil. The colour of the embossed image is the same as the colour of the surface. You can also call it a self emboss or same colour embossing. Registered Emboss: This is an embossed image that exactly registers to a printed or foil stamped image. The printed image area is embossed to give is a raised look.
Single-Level Emboss: In this kind of embossing, the image area is raised to just one flat level. Multi-Level Emboss: In this kind of embossing, the image area is raised to multiple levels having different depths. This gives the embossed image texture and added relief and makes it all the more interesting.
Combo Emboss: This refers to an embossed image that is also foil stamped. Glazing: This refers to a polished emboss. Glazing is a popular technique used on dark coloured stock. The heat and the pressure when pressing the die are increased substantially. This adds shine to the surface. If a very high temperature is used, light colour papers can be scorched to change the paper colour. This provides for great contrasting designs if done properly.
Finishes
chapter five
binding folding
bind ing saddle stitch:
This very common binding technique is created by punching wire through the pages at the spine. This wire is then bent flat on the inside to grip all the pages. Similar to, but not the same as stapling.
screw bound:
In screw, stud or post binding holes are drilled through thr pages. A barrel post is inserted through the holes. A cap screw is then screwed into the barrel post which holds the pages in place. Often used in swatch books.
perfect bound:
Sections of folded pages (signatures) have their spines cut and roughed up to help them bond with the glue. All the pages are then gathered and glued to a cover which is wrapped around them.
spiral bound:
Holes are punched or drilled into the pages. Wire is then shaped and threaded into the holes. Each end of the wire is then crimped to prevent the wire slipping off.
thermal tape bound:
An adhesive tape is wrapped around the spine of several pages to hold them in place. It often incorporates stab stitching as well to give added strength.
loop stitch:
Similar to saddle stitching. The difference being that a loop is created with wire on the spine so that the document can be inserted into a ring binder
SADDLE STITCH
SCREW BOUND
PERFECT BOUND
THERMAL TAPE BOUND
SPIRAL BOUND
LOOP STITCH
SINGLE FOLD
FRENCH FOLD
GATE FOLD
DOUBLE PARALLEL FOLD
LETTER FOLD
ACCORDION FOLD
folding single fold: The simplest a standard down the
of
folds, crease middle.
french fold: Definition: The paper is folded with cross folds or right angle folds, often with a short first fold. The shorter portion or head in french folds may be folded to the inside (heads in) or outside (heads out). Eight-panel french folds with even panels (no short heads) are commonly called quarter-fold or 8-panel right angle folds (see cross folds).
gate fold:
letter fold:
Definition: In a gate fold the left and right edges fold inward with parallel folds and meet in the middle of the page without overlapping. The paper might be folded again down the middle so that the folded edges meet and a fold is created in the centre panel of the paper - also known as a double gate fold. Also known as: Window Fold.
This common fold, used for mailings and brochures, is much like a letter folded by hand for inserting in an envelope. The letter fold produces a self-contained unit, easily handled by automated envelope inserters.
double parallel fold:
Definition: In double parallel folds the paper is folded in half and then folded in half again with a fold parallel to the first fold. To allow for proper nesting, the two inside folded panels are 1/32� to 1/8� smaller than the two outer panels. Also fold
known as: Parallel / double fold
accordian fold: Definition: Typically, accordion folds are simple zig-zag folds with 6-panels and two parallel folds that go in opposite directions. Each panel of the accordion fold is about the same size. Variations include halfaccordion folds, where one panel is half the size of the other two, and engineering folds, where one panel is twice the size of the other two. Eight and 10-page accordion folds are also common. Also Z-fold
or
known zig-zag
as: fold