Print Manual Qing Yuan GRC140/Fall 2017
Print Manual
02 Pantone & Trumatch Matching Systems 03 Raster vs Vector 04 File Formats 05 Typefaces 06 Lithography 07 Offset Printing
08 Screen Printing 09 Thermography 10 Dye Sublimation 11 Xerography 12 Gravure Printing 13 Flexography 14 Inkjet Printing
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Contents
01 CMYK vs RGB
Print Manual
The printing press is either the greatest blessing or the greatest curse of modern times, sometimes one forgets which it is. – E. F
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Lenticular
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Blind Embossing
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Foil Stamping
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Resin Printing
Schumacher
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Coil & Comb
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Perfect Binding & Saddle Stitching
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UV Coating, Spot UV and Aqueous Coating
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Lamination
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CMYK vs RGB R
GB stands for Red, Green and Blue. RGB is the colour mode that is usually associated with computer monitors and other displays. LCD/LED TV’s use the RGB colour mode, and so do the old-fashioned CRT televisions. Most cameras and digital scanners also use RGB. CMYK works in an entirely different way to RGB as instead of using ‘additive’ types of colour, it actually uses subtractive colours (i.e. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key). Key is simply another name for black. The main difference is this: when you combine all the colours of the RGB colour mode (red, green and blue) in varying amounts, you end up with the colour white (i.e. the most pure combination). With the CMYK colour mode, all of the colours are subtractive and therefore, the more colours you add together, the darker the colours are going to be.
Source: PetaPixel.com
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The “print is dead” challenge is not lost on Pantone and the company has developed products that speak to changes in technology, Instead of fearing or ignoring change, Pantone rolls with the times.
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Always show your true colors
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The accuracy of color is critical in design. Because what you see on your monitor is never what will appear on a printed sheet, desigvners need a standardized color key. It can be very frustrating to see the logo you worked hard to create look deep blue on the client’s letterhead, blue-greenish on his business card, and light blue on his very expensive envelopes. A way to prevent this is by using a standardized color matching system, such as the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM. Though PANTONE is not the only color standardization system, it is the most widely used and the one that most printers understand. Aside from being able to have consistency, PANTONE Colors allow you to use colors that cannot be mixed in CMYK. Different Matches for Different Color Lovers
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Pantone creates matching systems for more than graphic designers. For the purposes of this article, however, we’ll focus on those systems typical of print designs.
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aster Images are created with pixelbased programs or captured with a camera or scanner.
JPG, PNG and GIF images are all raster images and are widely used on the web. The image is made of pixels each with a single color. If you zoom in on a raster image, you’ll see a grid of colored squares that make up the overall image. These formats are best for photos and photo-realistic graphics as they can be compressed in a way that alters pixels by their nearest color while still retaining the same look at higher compression levtels.
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ector graphics are a series of shapes and lines that created with vector software. These image formats are made up of defined points, curves and solid shapes defined by shape, percentages, widths and hues. It can be resized without losing clarity, it’ll always look clear and crisp.
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All modern web browsers support the SVG file format for vector imatges. In most cases, an SVG file can be used like a standard image, though does not always support applied CSS filters. Since an SVG file is basically a text file similar to XML, you can target elements within the image for additional functionality by element ID. Cool stuff.
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.AI
.EPS Encapsulated Post Script (EPS) language file format can contain both vector and bitmap graphics (raster) and is supported by virtually all graphic, illustration, and page layout programs. The EPS format is used to transfer PostScriptlanguage artwork between applications. EPS files are the preferred format for design professionals to transfer an image or artwork into another application. Vector files are scalable to any size without degradation since the image software uses a mathematical technique called vectoring to create the image.
Native Adobe Illustrator source file format. The industry preferred, standard vector drawing program used by designers and commercial printers to generate files of different file formats and sizes. Since Illustrator image files are saved in a vector format, they can be enlarged without losing any image quality. Some third-party programs can open AI files, but may rasterize the image, meaning the vector data will be converted to bitmap format.
PDF is an open source, universal file format developed by Adobe Systems that preserves and embeds fonts, images, layouts and both vector and bitmap graphics of any source document. PDF files can be shared, viewed and printed by anyone with the free Adobe Reader software. Some PDF files can be used for commercial, digital, or desktop printing.
.SVG SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based vector image format for two-dimensional graphics with support for interactivity and animation. SVG images and their behaviors are defined in XML text files. This means that they can be searched, indexed, scripted, and compressed. As XML files, SVG images can be created and edited with any text editor, as well as with drawing software. All major modern web browsers have SVG rendering support.
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Print Manual
.JPG
.PSD
.TIF
JPEG or JPG is a standard format allowing the transfer of files between a wide variety of platforms, using superior compression techniques. The JPG does not support a transparent background, and the level of compression can vary in resolution with high-quality for desktop printing, medium quality for web viewing and low quality for email. When compressed repeatedly the overall quality of a JPG image is reduced. JPEG format supports CMYK, RGB, and Grayscale color modes, but does not support alpha channels.
PSD is the native Adobe PhotoShop file format and industry standard bitmap graphics program used by professional designers and printers. This file format is popular as it can be read by both Macintosh and Windows computers. For a logo to be used across a large spectrum of uses and applications, it must be created as a vector file. A common misconception is that the PSD is the master editable file source, but this is not true for logo design. PSDs are typically raster files made up of tiny dots, that when enlarged or reduced significantly in size, lose quality.
TIF/TIFF is the standard file format for high-quality images and is commonly used in professional environments and commercial printing. Designed to be independent of the hardware platform and operating system on which it executes, TIF is the most widely supported format across all platforms. Though large in size, TIF formats are considered to be the most reliable format supporting CMYK, RGB, Lab, Indexed Color, Grayscale, and Bitmap color modes. TIF is a flexible bitmap image format supported by virtually all paint, image-editing, and page layout applications.
FILE FORMAT – 11 –
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TYPEFACES A
typeface (also known as font family) is a set of one or more fonts each composed of glyphs that share common design features. Each font of a typeface has a specific weight, style, condensation, width, slant, italicization, ornamentation, and designer or foundry (and formerly size, in metal fonts). “You might have a box containing all the letters of News Gothic, box font of News Gothic Bold, and box font of News Gothic Light. Each box contains a font of News Gothic.” “The physical embodiment of collection of letters, numbers, symbols, etc. (whether it’s a case of metal pieces or a computer file) is a font. When referring to the design of the collection (the way it looks) you call it a typeface.” – Mark Simonson, designer
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ithography, planographic printing process that makes use of the immiscibility of grease and water.
In the lithographic process, ink is applied to a grease-treated image on the flat printing surface; nonimage (blank) areas, which hold moisture, repel the lithographic ink. This inked surface is then printed—either directly on paper, by means of a special press(as in most fine-art printmaking), or onto a rubber cylinder (as in commercial printing).
The process was discovered in 1798 by Alois Senefelder of Munich, who used a porous Bavarian limestone for his plate (hence lithography, from Greek lithos, “stone”). The secret of lithographic printing was closely held until 1818, when Senefelder published Vollständiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerey (A Complete Course of Lithography).
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Lithography Lithography from Ancient Greek λίθος, lithos, meaning ‘stone’, γράφειν, graphein, meaning ‘to write’. –wikipedia
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Offset Printing O
ffset printing, also called offset lithography, is a method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media. The print media, usually paper, does not come into direct contact with the metal plates. This prolongs the life of the plates. In addition, the flexible rubber conforms readily to the print media surface, allowing the process to be used effectively on rough-surfaced media such as canvas, cloth or wood. The main advantage of offset printing is its high and consistent image quality. The process can be used for small, medium or high-volume jobs. There are two types of offset printing machines in common use for publication today. In sheet-fed offset printing, individual pages of paper are fed into the machine. The pages can be precut to the final publication size or trimmed after printing. In web offset printing , larger, higher-speed machines are used. These are fed with large rolls of paper and the individual pages are separated and trimmed afterwards. Sheet-fed offset printing is popular for small and medium-sized fixed jobs such as limited-edition books. Web offset printing is more cost-effective for highvolume publications whose content changes often, such as metropolitan newspapers.
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Screen Printing
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creen printing is known by many names, screen printing, serigraphy, silk printing, but they all refer to the same thing — a millenary printing technique that requires three things: A screen. A squeegee. Ink. In this process, the ink is pushed through a mesh or stencil to print a particular design on the desired material, like your personalised t-shirt. Either by cutouts or by an impermeable material, the liquid only transfers to the areas the screen permits, allowing for great design potential.
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hermographic printing refers to two types of printing, both of which rely on heat to create the letters or images on a sheet of paper.
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The simplest type is where the paper has been coated with a material that changes color on heating. This is called thermal printing and was used in older model fax machines and is used in most shop till receipt printers. This is called direct thermal.More complex is thermal transfer printing that melts print off a ribbon and onto the sheet of paper.
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Thermography is also the name of a post print process that is achieved today using traditional printing methods coupled with thermography machines. Thermography machines consist of three sections with a through conveyor.
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D
ye-sublimation printing is a digital printing technology using full color artwork that works with polyester and polymer-coated substrates. Also referred to as digital sublimation, the process is commonly used for decorating apparel, signs and banners, as well as novelty items such as cell phone covers, plaques, coffee mugs, and other items with sublimation-friendly surfaces. The process uses the science of sublimation, in which heat and pressure are applied to a solid, turning it into a gas through an endothermic reaction without passing through the liquid phase.
Dye-sublimation printers allow you to print photolab-quality pictures at home. As the price of these printers go down, more and more digital-camera owners are choosing to take advantage of this technology. In dye-sublimation printing, colors are not laid down as individual dots, as is done in inkjet printers. Individual dots can be distinguished at a relatively close distance, making digital pictures look less realistic. If you looked inside a dye-sublimation printer, you would see a long roll of transparent film that resembles sheets of red, blue, yellow, and gray colored cellophane stuck together end to end. Embedded in this film are solid dyes corresponding to the four basic colors used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The print head heats up as it passes over the film, causing the dyes to vaporize and permeate the glossy surface of the paper before they return to solid form.
Dye -Sublimation – 21 –
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EROGA
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The xerography process is the dominant method of reproducing images and printing computer data and is used in photocopiers, laser printers and fax machines.
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The original xerography process allowed for reproducing or printing only grayscale images. Later, the capability to reproduce and print color images was developed. High-end grayscale and color laser printers can provtide hard copy nearly as good as that produced by an offset printer. Xerography may eventually supplant traditional printing for the production of books and magazines.
ARPHY
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XEROGRAPHY
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erography, also known as electrophotography, is a printing and photocopying technique that works on the basis of electrostatic charges. The term derives from the Greek words xeros, meaning dry and graphos, meaning writing.
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Gravure Printing T
he gravure process has its origins in the early seventeenth century when the intaglio printing process was developed to replace woodcuts in illustrating the best books of the time. In early intaglio printing, illustrations were etched on metal, inked, and pressed on paper. Gravure, still also known as intaglio printing, makes use of the ability of ink to adhere to a slight scratch or depression on a polished metal plate. Today almost all gravure printing is done using engraved copper cylinders protected from wear by the application of a thin electroplate of chromium.
Typical gravure printed products include: Food packaging Wall paper Wrapping paper Furniture laminates Paneling Greeting cards Magazines
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Publication flexography is used mainly in the production of newspaper, comics, directories, newspaper inserts, and catalogs. Packaging flexography is used for the production of folding cartons, labels, and packaging materials. Large quantities of inks are used during normal runs on flexographic presses; however, some printers are able to recycle a majority of their spent inks and wash waters. Flexography is a form of rotary web letterpress, combining features of both letterpress and rotogravure printing, using relief plates comprised of flexible rubber or photopolymer plates and fast drying, low viscosity solvent, water-based or UV curable inks fed from an “anilox” or two roller inking system. The flexible (rubber or photopolymer) plates are mounted onto the printing cylinder with double-faced adhesive.
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Flexographic
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lexographic presses are capable of producing good quality impressions on many different substrates and is the least expensive and simplest of the printing processes used for decorating and packaging printing. The use of flexographic printing presses is on the rise. There are two primary reasons for this: 1) it is a relatively simple operation; and 2) it is easily adapted to the use of water-based inks.
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nkjet printing is a type of computer printing that recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper, plastic, or other substrates. Inkjet printers are the most commonly used type of printer, and range from small inexpensive consumer models to expensive professional machines.
Inkjet P ri
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The concept of inkjet printing originated in the 20th century, and the technology was first extensively developed in the early 1950s. Starting in the late 1970s, inkjet printers that could reproduce digital images generated by computers were developed, mainly by Epson, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Canon. In the worldwide consumer market, four manufacturers account for the majority of inkjet printer sales: Canon, HP, Epson, and Brother.
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The process of preparing graphics for use with a lenticular lens is commonly called “interlacing”. An interlaced image is made up of repeating slices of multiple images that are either multiple views of one scene for 3D, or multiple frames of an animated or multi-image sequence. The interlaced image is then printed in register to the lenticular lens, and can have a variety of visual effects when viewed from different angles.
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enticular printing process utilizes a combination of specially prepared graphics and lenticular lens to create printed images that have the illusion of depth or motion. Lenticular lens is made up of repeating rows of convex lenses (lenticules) on the front surface of the material, and a flat surface on the back side of the material that can either be printed on directly, or have a pre-printed graphic mounted to it.
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Print Manual 16 Blind Embossing Printing – Print Manual 16 Blind Embossing Printing
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Blind 16 Embossing B
lind embossing and debossing leave an impression in the paper, using pressure instead of ink. Visual and tactile contrasts create text, images or patterns, playing with light and shadows on the surface of the paper. Whether going for a bold or subtle design, both the design and paper choice should be considered carefully: in particular, bolder type and large designs can be embossed more deeply, and heavier papers can achieve greater depth and detail. Simply by creating a raised area using a die, blind embossing creates a subtle paper coloured image that can be felt as well as seen. De-bossing uses the same technique to create an indentation. This can be as emphatic or delicate as the graphics or words dictate, and careful choice of paper (avoiding bright whites and very smooth materials) will enhance the effect.
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Foil Stamping
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oil 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 colors, finishes, and optical effects. Metallic foil is most commonly seen today – particularly gold foil, silver foil, copper foil, and holographic metallic foils – but foil rolls are also available in solid colors in both glossy and matte finishes. Early foil stamping was done using hand-set lettering or custom engraved dies. Because foil stamping was so labor intensive, early foil stamping was primarily restricted to book covers and literary titles. To print gold text on a book cover, printers used separate fonts of lead or brass type, with text assembled by hand, one letter at a time, or a custom engraved die with a single image. Once the text or die was assembled, it was loaded into a press, which then pressed thin sheets of metallic foil into a book cover or other material.
Foil stamping is somewhat similar to letterpress and engraving, in that the color is applied to paper with pressure. Once the design is finalized, metal dies are created in the appropriate shape for each individual color foil to be applied for a particular design. The dies are heated and then stamped with enough pressure to seal a thin layer of foil to the paper, and each color is applied individually through multiple runs of the press to create the final design. A final die may also be created if an embossed (raised) image or effect is desired for the design.
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he technology behind (most) resin 3D prints is known as Stereolithography. And here’s the one-minute explanation of how Stereolithography works: In the first instance, the roller of the printer spreads out a razor-thin layer of liquid polymer. Since this layer is liquid, it will spread out over the entire platform ensuring that each layer has a consistent thickness. The liquid polymer we use is UV sensitive. When struck by a computer-controlled UV laser, the resin will change from a liquid to solid state. Basically, the laser “draws” the outlines of the print onto the resin layer and hardens the parts that it touches. The parts that are not touched by the laser will remain liquid. These two steps are repeated over and over and over again. The model is lowered by a fraction, and the roller spreads out a new layer. The laser then solidifies specific areas of that layer, which will become parts of your 3D print. This is repeated until the model is finished. Once the printing process is completed and the entire object has been printed, the print is raised out of the resin tank. The excess liquid will simply flow away and can be reused for other prints. The prints then need to be removed and finished manually (i.e. remove support structure, smoothen surfaces, spray-paint surfaces, etc.)
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Coil
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oil and comb binding look alike because they are very similar. With both binding methods, one edge of every sheet (and covers) is punched with holes and then a piece of rigid material is inserted through the holes. This process secures the edge of the book while also allowing it to open and lay flat. There is no glue used in the process, only punching, inserting the binding material, and closing the binding.
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Importantly, both coil and comb binding can quickly make a book out of an ordinary stack of paper — they can bind paper that has already been printed on. This is not the case with many other binding methods, such as perfect binding and saddle stitching, where the project usually must be printed in a special way, the pages printed in a specific sequence, or a wrap-around cover created, in order to bind them.
Many of our clients choose coil or comb binding to “spruce up” a document for a presentation, proposal or event, often adding a clear cover and a black vinyl backing to finish the job. Coil and comb bindings also come in multiple colors, and matching colored vinyl backings are available. Both of these methods can also be used to bind books of different dimensions and thicknesses.
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he first difference between the two has to do with your ability to add or remove content. With comb binding, your book can be easily opened up to add or remove pages without destroying the binding. So if you have a document that changes over time, such as a marketing presentation that will be edited and re-used, comb binding may be the better choice. You simply open up the binding, replace pages, and then close the binding. While it is possible to make such changes to coil-bound books, the coil must be cut and destroyed when the book is opened up to replace content. The second difference is durability. We’ve found that coil is significantly more durable than comb. Coil is made of thicker, stronger material. It also feeds through smaller round holes which run the entire length of the edge, as opposed to the larger, more separated rectangle holes drilled in the comb binding process. Coil doesn’t have any moving parts, while comb bindings can come open. This means there is less wear and tear on the edge of a coil bound book. So if you need your book to last longer, coil is the better choice. The last difference — and perhaps the most important to you — is price. Coil (spiral) is slightly more expensive than comb — especially for very thick books!
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addle Stitching refers to a very popular book binding method in which folded sheets are gathered together one inside the other and then stapled through the fold line with wire staples. The staples pass through the folded crease from the outside and are clinched between the centermost pages. Two staples are commonly used but larger books may require more staples along the spine.
Advantages of Perfect Binding – Overall valuable look and appeal – Printable spine – Longevity – Ability to creatively interleaf pages. Use a variety of paper weights, colors and finishes nearly anywhere you like.
Why is it called Saddle Stitching? Saddle Stitching may sound like an odd name for a book binding process that places wire staples through sheets of paper but in the printing industry stapling is commonly called Stitching. Also, the collated sheets are draped over a Saddle-like apparatus during the stitching process, hence the name Saddle Stitching.
Limitations of Perfect Binding – Does not lay flat. You will lose design space in the gutter area. Not suggested for applications in which handsfree reading is important. – Recommended thickness: Minimum: .125 inch (if spine is printed) or .0625 inch if spine isn’t printed. Maximum: 2.25 inches – Turnaround time. Even though both binding processes are done automatically, allow an extra day for perfect binding.
Saddle Stitch
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PRINT Print MANUAL Manual
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erfect Binding is a widely used soft cover book binding method. With this binding method, the pages and cover are glued together at the spine with a strong yet flexible thermal glue. The other three sides of the book are then trimmed as needed to give them clean “perfect” edges.
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The many soft cover books that you see on the shelves at bookstores are good examples of perfect bound books. They have a square, printed spine and the cover is usually made from paper or cardstock that is heavier than the interior pages. Plus, the cover is often clear coated to provide durability and improve appearance. In addition to authors, businesses and organizations use the perfect binding method on a variety of printing projects because of its professional appearance and relatively low cost.
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UV coa tin shiny l g, or ultrav iquid c iolet c oa o surfac e and ating applie ting, is a ve c ry glos d u machin to a pr re sy, in e usin d on a prin g ultra ting pr ted paper violet ess or light. specia l
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Aqueous coating is a clear, fast-drying waterbased coating that is used to protect printed pieces. It provides a high-gloss or matte surface that deters dirt and fingerprints. An Aqueous Coating can be applied right on the press as we’re printing, or offline later. Either way Aqueous Coatings protect the ink from scuffing, smudging, offsetting (transferring to the other side of the sheet), and keep it looking nice.
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Lamination
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amination is the technique of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance or other properties from the use of differing materials. A laminate is a permanently assembled object by heat, pressure, welding, or adhesives. A laminate consists of a single or multiple layers, each having its own distinct function. The base is most often particle or fiberboards, then some layers of absorbent kraft paper. The last layers are a decor paper covered with an overlay. The lamination papers are covered with an inert resin, often melamine, which is cured to form a hard composite with the structure of paper. The laminates may also have a lining on the back side of laminating kraft to compensate for the tension created by the top side lamination.
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Cheaper particle boards may have only a lining of laminating kraft to give surface washability and resistance to wear.
Print Manual Qing Yuan GRC140/Fall 2017