COLOUR CMYK The CMYK colour model is used for color printing It is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four inks that used in some colour printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). Ink is usually applied in the order of the abbreviation. As you change the amount of cyan, magenta, yellow and key you are presented with new colours. The ink reduces the light that would otherwise be reflected. Such a model is called subtractive because inks "subtract" brightness from white. RGB RGB is a colour model in which red, green, and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a wide range of colours. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three primary colours: red, green, and blue. The main purpose of the RGB colour model is for the representation and display of images on screen, such as televisions and computers. These colours are primary additives because when combined in equal amounts they produce white (unlike CMYK whereby CM and Y produce key (black)). Additionally, when one of these primary additive colours is not present you get black. Spot Colour Spot colours are pre-‐mixed inks that print as solid blocks of a specific colour. Colours printed using CMYK can vary somewhat between and even within a print run, causing inconsistency. Using a spot colour is one way of preventing this. A colour matching system ensures that the colour is an exact match every time. Big brands often use this to ensure the colour their brand uses is constant. Pantone Pantone is the company most renowned for it’s colour-‐matching system and is a catalogue of spot colours. It’s largely used within printing but also in the production of some coloured paints, fabrics, plastics, etc. The Pantone Colour Matching System is a standardized colour reproduction system. By standardizing the colours, different manufacturers in different locations can all refer to the Pantone system to make sure colours match without having direct contact with one another. Halftone Halftone is the 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. This technique is often used for the imagery in newspapers as it uses less ink and is therefore more cost effective. Monotone/Duotone A Monotone image is an image that has been created by using different tones of the same colour. Any colour can be used when using this printing process however in print terms it is more commonly used to produce grey scale images made from black ink.
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. FORMAT A sizes The system of 'A' paper sizes was created by the International Standards Organization (ISO) to standardize the dimensions of paper and is most commonly used in Europe. The smaller the number, the larger the sheet. So, for instance, an A1 sheet of paper is larger than an A2 piece, and A3 is bigger than A4. The sizes are all relative to one another. Each sheet is the equivalent in size to two of the next smallest size in the series. So, for instance, two pieces of A1 make up an A0 sheet, or two pieces of A5 make up an A4 sheet. 2A0 is the largest piece of paper measured by this system, and A7 the smallest. A4 size is the paper commonly used in computer printers. B sizes 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 series are not common in general and office use but is still often used in certain situations. For example, B5 is a popular size for books, and B3 is a popular size for posters. C sizes The C series is used for envelopes designed to take A series paper. For example, C4 envelopes are designed to fit A4 sheets paper. DL envelopes fit A4 paper when it’s folded into 3. C4 – The C4 envelope is used to hold an unfolded sheet of A4 paper. This can also be a sheet of A3 paper folded in half once horizontally. C5 – The C5 envelope is used to hold an unfolded sheet of A5 paper. This can also be an A4 sheet folded in half horizontally. C6 – The C6 envelope is used to hold an unfolded sheet of A6 paper. This can also be an A4 sheet folded in half twice: once horizontally and once vertically. As well as both of these it can also hold a sheet of A5 paper folded once horizontally. DL – This envelope is used to hold and A4 sheet folded into 3. It can also fit an A5 sheet folded in half. US sizes 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. Letter is effectively the equivalent to A4 size in the USA.
Newspaper Broadsheet Dimensions: 750 x 600 mm (29.5" x 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 x 315 mm (18.5" x 12.4") The Berliner format (also known as Midi) is commonly used by newspapers across Europe. 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 y 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. 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. 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 papers have changed from broadsheet size to tabloid size as it has proved more popular with readers.
STOCK Weights GSM is an acronym standing for ‘Grams per Square Meter’. Quite simply, it people to know exactly about the weight/quality of paper that is being ordered.74 gsm: Most often found in your everyday copy machine.90gsm: Generally multipurpose paper used in the office printer. Also the most popular business letterhead or stationary weight.120gsm: Perfect weight for. Excellent for 2-‐sided printing with minimal show through.145gsm: Often considered the lightest of the cardstock 175gsm: A sturdy stock. Great for postcards, menus and posters.215gsm: A heavy cardstock, your most conventional business card weight.260gsm: A noticeably heavier cardstock often used for invitations. Coated paper Coating is a process by which paper/board is coated with an agent to improve brightness or printing properties. Coated paper has a glossy or matte finish. It’s generally very smooth and can be either very shiny (high gloss) or have a subtle shine. Matte Coated paper is more resistant to dirt, moisture and wear. It’s generally used in the printing of magazines, book covers, glossy photos and art books. Coating restricts the amount of ink that is absorbed by the paper and how the ink bleeds into the paper. This is desirable for sharp/complex images as the ink stays on top of the paper and will not bleed reducing the sharpness of the printed material. Uncoated paper Generally more absorbent of ink than a coated paper, like its namesake, uncoated paper does not have a coating. It is generally not as smooth as coated paper and tends to be more porous. Uncoated paper is generally used for letterhead, envelopes and printed material that is aiming for a more prestigious or elegant look. College and University booklets, real estate brochures and menus for elegant restaurants are generally printed on uncoated paper to give them a prestigious feel. PROCESSES Digital Printing Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital-‐based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small-‐run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large-‐format and/or high-‐volume laser or inkjet printers. Digital printing has a higher cost per page than more traditional offset printing methods, but this price is usually offset by avoiding the cost of all the technical steps required to make printing plates. It also allows for on-‐demand printing, short turnaround time, and even a modification of the image (variable data) used for each impression. The savings in labour and the ever-‐increasing capability of digital presses means that digital printing is reaching the point where it can match or supersede offset printing technology's ability to produce larger print runs of several thousand sheets at a low price. Risograph
Risograph is a high-‐speed digital printing system manufactured by the Riso Kagaku Corporation and designed mainly for high-‐volume photocopying and printing. Increasingly, Risograph machines have been commonly referred to as a RISO Printer-‐Duplicator, due to their common usage as a network printer as well as a stand-‐ alone duplicator. When printing or copying multiple quantities (generally more than 20) of the same origin, it is typically far less expensive per page than a conventional photocopier, laser printer, or inkjet printer. Because the process involves real ink ,like offset printing, and does not require heat to fix the image on the paper, like a photocopier or laser printer, the output from a risograph can be treated like any printed material. This means that sheets which have been through a risograph may happily go through a laser printer afterwards and vice-‐versa. Risographs have typically had interchangeable colour inks and drums allowing for printing in different colours or using spot colour in one print job. The Riso MZ series models have two ink drums, thereby allowing two colours to be printed in one pass. Screen Printing Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-‐blocking stencil to receive a desired image. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials, which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-‐edged image onto a substrate. Basically, it is the process of using a stencil to apply ink onto a substrate, whether it be t-‐shirts, posters, stickers, vinyl, wood, or other material. Graphic screenprinting is widely used today to create many mass or large batch produced graphics, such as posters or display stands. Full colour prints can be created by printing in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black ('key')). Letterpress Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing using a printing press. A worker composes and locks movable type into the bed of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer the ink from the type which creates an impression on the paper. Digital Print Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital-‐based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small-‐run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large-‐format and/or high-‐volume laser or inkjet printers. Digital printing has a higher cost per page than more traditional offset printing methods, but this price is usually offset by avoiding the cost of all the technical steps required to make printing plates. It also allows for on-‐demand printing, short turnaround time, and even a modification of the image (variable data) used for each impression. The savings in labour and the ever-‐increasing capability of digital presses means that digital printing is reaching the point where it can match or supersede offset printing technology’s ability to produce larger print runs of several thousand sheets at a low price.
Risograph Risograph is a high-‐speed digital printing system designed mainly for high-‐volume photocopying and printing. When printing or copying multiple quantities (generally more than 20) of the same origin, it is typically far less expensive per page than a conventional photocopier, laser printer, or inkjet printer. Because the process involves real ink ,like offset printing, and does not require heat to fix the image on the paper, like a photocopier or laser printer, the output from a risograph can be treated like any printed material. This means that sheets which have been through a risograph may happily go through a laser printer afterwards and vice-‐ versa. Risographs have typically had interchangeable colour inks and drums allowing for printing in different colours or using spot colour in one print job. The Riso MZ series models have two ink drums, thereby allowing two colours to be printed in one pass. FINISHING Book Binding Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching a book cover to the resulting text-‐block. Foiling / UV Varnish 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 color 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. Embossing Embossing and debossing are the processes of creating either raised or recessed relief images and designs in paper and other materials. An embossed pattern is raised against the background, while a debossed pattern is sunken into the surface of the material (but might protrude somewhat on the reverse, back side). Often used in combination with foil stamping, embossing alters the surface of paper stock or other substrates by providing a three dimensional or raised effect on selected areas.