All the essentials you need to know about
Design Production for Print
- Sarah Pritchard
Contents A top ten manual with all the essential information you need to know in order to become a successful designer for print.
Rotary Printing Screen Printing
Stock
Digital Printing Pad Printing
Paper Format
Colour Systems
Printers Marks
Print Finishing
Saving for Print
Bleed
Glossary
Team Visit
In this process the image printing plates are wrapped around a cylinder. This is an automated print process and the material to be printed can be sheet fed or on a roll. The 3 main types of rotary printing, including offset lithography, rotogravure and flexography. Offset Lithography is etched aluminium plates wrapped around a cylinder transfer ink to an ‘offset’ rubber blanket roller and
then to print surface, sheet fed or web fed. Rotogravure is copper plates (with mirror image) transfer ink directly to print surface, usually on rolls. The advantage is that plates are more durable and so are good for long print runs. Flexography is positive, mirror image rubber polymer plate, on a cylinder, transfers ‘sticky’ ink directly to print surface, usually roll feed.
Printing Processes
Rotary Printing
Printing Processes
Screen Printing
Screen printing is a process that uses open areas of woven mesh to support an ink blocking stencil that is used to transfer ink through to create a sharp edged image onto uncoated paper or fabric. It is a stencil method of printing. The screen is made of a porous, finely woven fabric such as polyester or nylon, stretched on a frame constructed of wood or aluminum. It works by placing the screen over the stock/fabric
and using a squeegee to force the ink through the mesh of the screen and onto the surface. This can be repeated multiple times, and the screen can be re used as many times as it is needed before being cleaned off and starting again. This is a technique that is used mostly for printing on to fabrics, as well as applying certain print finished such as spot UV varnish.
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 the cost saving in avoiding all the technical
steps in between needed to make printing plates. It also allows for on demand printing, short turn around, and even a modification of the image (variable data) with each impression. The savings in labor and ever increasing capability of digital presses means digital printing is reaching a point where it will match or supersede offset printing technology’s ability to produce larger print runs at a low price.
Printing Processes
Digital Printing
Printing Processes
Pad Printing
Pad printing is a process that can transfer a 2D image onto a 3D object. It is considered to be an indirect gravure printing process, since similar to gravure printing, it works by using an etched plate. The difference is that the plate doesn’t come in direct contact with the substrate, instead it is transferred to the pad surface. How pad printing works is that the etched plate is inked up by a spatula, ensuring that any excess is wiped away, then the ink is picked up by a silicone rubber pad and transferred to the products surface. The pads are usually molded to
geometrically determined shapes that will work best for each tailored print job, and then when it is printing because it is elastic the pad shapes itself around the 3D object. The inks that are used within the pad printing process are designed specifically for this to ensure a quick application and drying time, which makes them easier to work with and are resistant to abrasion and chemicals. Common products that illustrate this printing process well include golf balls, syringe barrels, consumer electronics and many more.
Stock is the term used in the printing industry that refers to the material that is used for print. Choosing the best stock for a project takes some consideration, but is an essential element to know before any designs are produced: this is so that they can then be tailored for it. Adding thickness to the stock can lend credibility and esteem, and using special coatings can enhance a design by adding a layer of brilliance and protection. Sleek, smooth stock would benefit a sleek design, where as a soft matte would be a good choice for a more subtle appeal. Stocks with a gloss finish are well suited for grabbing attention and would help a colourful design to pop off the page.
Stock
Stock
Paper Format
Paper Format ISO paper standards are widely used, created by the International Standards Organisation to standardize the dimensions of paper. The A series is the most popularly used series, used for standard printing and stationary, the B series is used for posters, wall charts, etc. and C series is used for folders, post cards and envelopes. The sizes are relative to one another, where each sheet is equivalent in size to two of the next smallest size within a series. The smaller the number, the larger the sheet: for instance, an A1 sheet is larger than an A2 sheet, an A3 is larger than an A4 sheet. Large format printing works by using rolls rather than sheets of paper, this is due to the fact that most of the shelf display hardware for exhibitions, retail, etc are manufactured to take set poster sizes.
A
A8
52 x 74
A7
B
A6
105 x 148
B7
A4
105 x 74
B8
62 x 88
B6
125 x 176
88 x 125
210 x 297
B5
A5
210 x 148
A2
176 x 250
420 x 594
B
A3
353
420 x 297
A0
840 x 1189
A1
840 x 594
*measurments in millimeters
5 x 176
C8
57 x 81
C7
B4
Paper Format
C
B6
C6
114 x 162
C4
81 x 114
229 x 324
250 x 353
C5
B2
162 x 229
C2
458 x 648
500 x 707
C3
B3
324 x 458
353 x 500
C0
1000 x 1414
B0
917 x 1292
B1
648 x 917
C1
707 x 1000
*measurments in millimeters
*measurments in millimeters
Colour Systems
Colour Systems Understanding colour systems is technical, essential knowledge for better control over any design for print. It is an orderly system for creating a whole range of colours from a small set of primary colours. The two most common colour models are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK), which is a print based colour model, and Red, Green and Black (RGB), which is a screen based colour model.
CMYK Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black) are the four basic colours used for printing colour images by each separate colour being printed onto the stock in layers of dots that combine to create the illusion of more colours. Consequently, black (K) cannot be achieved by over printing CMY inks, which is why it is introduced in addition to these. CMYK is a ‘subtractive’ colour model, which is the result of reflected light meaning the colours get darker as they are blended together, as opposed to RGB which is an ‘additive’ colour model that is the result of transmitted light, meaning the colours get lighter as they are blended.
A spot colour is specially mixed coloured inks used in printing that are pre defined and can be reproduced at any time. It refers to a method of specifying and printing colours in which each colour is printed with its own ink as opposed to being printed using the CMYK process, and makes the use of metallic or fluorescent inks a possibility to be produced. It is an effective way to reduce costs of a print job if just one to three colours are being printed as it reduces the number of printing plates being used. There are different brands of spot colour inks, but the most widely used system that is used is the Pantone Matching System (PMS).
Black Unlike on a computer monitor, where there is only one way to represent black, when printing there is a variety of ways it can be achieved. The simplest is ‘plain black’, or 100% black ink (0C, 0M, 0Y, 100K). There is also a way to achieve a ‘rich black’ by also printing other inks within the black area. There are many possible ink combinations for this, but the most common contains a percentage of all 4 inks – 63C, 52M, 51Y, 100K. Other possible flavours of ‘rich black’ include ‘cool black’ – 60C, 0M, 0Y, 100K, and ‘warm black’ – 0C, 60M, 30C, 100K.
Pantone Pantone is a popular colour matching system used within the printing industry to pre define a specific colours used within designs. These are usually specified using the Pantone name or number, and assures that the right colour will be seen once it is printed and remains as consistent as possible. It keeps colours from varying across mediums, and is the best way to ensure in situations when a corporate logo/ brand colour is being used that the right colour is always achieved.
Colour Systems
Spot Colour
Colour Systems
Multi-tone Images
Monotone
Duotone
Tritone
Quadtone
Monotone –a greyscale image consisting of continuous tones and shades produced by using just one spot coloured ink to achieve a variety of shades, tones and tints of that colour. Duotone – a greyscale image that’s printed using two spot coloured inks to achieve a variety of shades, tones and tints of these colours.
Tritone – a greyscale image made up of the tones and shades of three spot coloured inks to achieve a variety of shades, tones and tints of these. Quadtone – a greyscale image that is printed using four spot coloured inks to achieve a variety of shades, tones and tints of these colours.
A quick way to gather everything together that has been used on a file in InDesign to save, you can use the ‘Package’ option. This gives a menu box which gives the opportunity to do one last check over the whole file to ensure that everything is correct, such as having all the images saved as CMYK and at 300dpi, as well as whether any unnecessary spot colours have been used and so on. Once all this’s been checked, the next option is an instructions box to specify any requirements to the printer, such as if a specific pantone colour has been used but it is to be printed as a UV spot varnish instead, as well as the address and contact details. By using this option, it means that every file that has been used within the document, including specific fonts and images, should be sent over to the printers. In order to send over any fonts that have been used
that aren’t software standard, permission must be granted from the source before it can be sent. A way around is this is to either convert all text that uses fonts that aren’t software standard to create outlines. That way the font file wouldn’t need to be sent. Another way would be to save the file as a PDF instead. This embeds all the information into one file and doesn’t need to be checked before sending. To make a PDF file, the whole document must be exported. Before this actually saves, there is a menu box – these are a lot similar to print options. The presets for this are very useful. The best option to select for print is the Press Quality preset as nothing should need to be changed then before clicking saving, and it will save the document to the best possible standard so that no quality will be lost once the printer comes to printing it.
Saving for Print
Saving For Print
Printers Marks
Printers Marks
Printers marks are lines and symbols that appear outside of the print area on a document. They are used because when printing a design that has more than one colour, it is vital to ensure the alignment of the colour separations is precise, and the colours are correctly calibrated to the correct ink density. There are three key elements to this: colour bar, trim marks and registration marks.
Colour Bars
Trim Marks
Registration Marks
The colour bars are printed outside of the trim area on prints and are used for quality control purposes by the printer. They are made up by squares of colour that are checked to ensure the colour density and consistency of the colours is maintained.
Trim marks are fine horizontal and vertical rules that define where the design that has been printed should be trimmed during the finishing process. They should display at the edge of each margin, and for most jobs not any more than 3 to 6mm from the design boarder. Almost every industry standard program will do this automatically but wouldn’t necessarily be seen until the exported file of the design is viewed, although there may be some exceptions where this may need to be done by hand.
The registration mark looks like a circle with a cross through, that when is printed should come out entirely black. This is made up of each of the colours within the printing process that should accurately overlap creating what would be ‘registration black’. If any of the colours are slightly offset, then they will be displayed showing that the job isn’t being printed correctly.
Printers Marks
Bleed The term bleed is used for all objects that overlap the boarder of a design. It determines the amount of artwork that falls outside of the trim marks and allows a margin of error to ensure that the ink is still printed to the edge of the design after the design has been trimmed down. The ideal size to set the bleed when setting up a document is 3mm, as this will allow enough room for error, but also ensures that not too much of the image on the design is lost. If a bleed was to not be used, then this may mean that the images wouldn’t be neatly aligned with the side of a printed design.
boarder bleed
Print Finishing
Print Finishing Print finishing is a term generally used to define anything done to a print after it has been printed. There are a number of reasons for using a print finish, some commercial, some personal.
Spot UV Varnish
Die Cutting
Spot UV varnish is generally a screen printed process where certain areas of design are ‘picked out’ and the varnish is applied only to these areas to make them leap off the page. On deep colours, it results in a stunning, almost wet appearance. The obvious matt and gloss options are widely used but you can also have textured and glitter varnishes too. This finish can be used to create some beautiful effects, such as patterns and shapes, or to highlight certain areas within the printed design to make it stand out.
Die cutting is when the shape of the print is altered or cut to enhance the purpose of the design to grab attention by straying away from the norm. It works by having a series of blades set into a block to create single unbroken but irregular edges and can be combined with scoring to create folds. For instance, rounded corners on a business card can denote elegance and superiority, whilst a fun die could be used to portray a certain theme or personality to a design.
Print Finishing
Embossing
Debossing
Foil Blocking
Embossing is a process used to raise areas of a surface above the level of the rest, making them stand out and receive more stunning results. There are two ways to emboss: dry embossing and heat embossing. Dry embossing is done using a stylus, stencil and a few other supplies. Heat embossing is done using special powder, ink and a heat source. Embossing is usually used to achieve a special surface texture, and can sometimes help to make a point or draw attention from what would be a flat printed document.
Debossing is a process that is used to create a depressed pattern in the surface of a design, enhancing the appearance of otherwise plain and boring prints. An electronic sealing machine is used to press a die into the surface of the stock, creating depressions, and is a technique that will never peel or flake of as it’s a permanent impression. It can be achieved with or without he use of ink or foil, and can be an easy way to make a design stand out from others.
Foil blocking is the process of applying metallic or ‘foil’ effects to a surface, where the application of pigment or metallic foil to a stock where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the surface leaving the design of the die on the print. The design for this can either be chemically etched or crafted by hand from supplied artwork, and creates effects, which are practically impossible to achieve using traditional ink printing. It can transform conventionally printed materials and make them shine, as well as add texture and elegance to a design.
Glossary
Glossary
Additive Color Color produced by light falling onto a surface, as compared to subtractive color. The additive primary colors are red, green and blue. Against the Grain At right angles to the grain direction of the paper being used, as compared to with the grain. Also called across the grain and cross grain. See also Grain Direction. Artwork All original copy, including type, photos and illustrations, intended for printing. Also called art. Bind Usually in the book arena, but not exclusively, the joining of leafs or signatures together with either wire, glue or other. Body The main text of work not including any of the headlines. Coated Paper Paper with a coating of clay and other substances that improves reflectivity and ink holdout. Mills produce coated paper in the four major categories cast, gloss, dull and matte. Color Balance Refers to amounts of process colors that simulate the colors of the original scene or photograph. Color Gamut The entire range of hues possible to reproduce using a specific device, such as a computer screen, or system, such as four-color process printing. Color Model Way of categorizing and describing the infinite array of colors found in nature.
Color Shift Change in image color resulting from changes in register, ink densities or dot gain during four-color process printing. Commercial Printer Printer producing a wide range of products such as announcements, brochures, posters, booklets, stationery, business forms, books and magazines. Also called job printer because each job is different. Composite Proof Proof of color separations in position with graphics and type. Also called final proof, imposition proof and stripping proof. Composition (1) In typography, the assembly of typographic elements, such as words and paragraphs, into pages ready for printing. (2) In graphic design, the arrangement of type, graphics and other elements on the page. Creep Phenomenon of middle pages of a folded signature extending slightly beyond outside pages. Also called feathering, outpush, push out and thrust. See also Shingling. Crossover Type or art that continues from one page of a book or magazine across the gutter to the opposite page. Also called bridge, gutter bleed and gutter jump. Dots-per-inch Measure of resolution of input devices such as scanners, display devices such as monitors, and output devices such as laser printers, image setters and monitors. Abbreviated DPI. Also called dot pitch.
Duplex Paper Thick paper made by pasting highlights together two thinner sheets, usually of different colors. Also called double-faced paper and two-tone paper. Flat Color (1) Any color created by printing only one ink, as compared to a color created by printing four-color process. Also called block color and spot color. (2) color that seems weak or lifeless. Flood To print a sheet completely with an ink or varnish. flooding with ink is also called painting the sheet. Format Size, style, shape, layout or organization of a layout or printed product. Gutter In the book arena, the inside margins toward the back or the binding edges. Imposition Arrangement of pages on mechanicals or flats so they will appear in proper sequence after press sheets are folded and bound. Ink Balance Relationship of the densities and dot gains of process inks to each other and to a standard density of neutral gray Layout A sample of the original providing (showing) position of printed work (direction, instructions) needed and desired.
Margin Imprinted space around the edge of the printed material. Opacity (1) Characteristic of paper or other substrate that prevents printing on one side from showing through the other side. (2) Characteristic of ink that prevents the substrate from showing through. Page One side of a leaf in a publication. Proof Test sheet made to reveal errors or flaws, predict results on press and record how a printing job is intended to appear when finished. Resolution Sharpness of an image on film, paper, computer screen, disc, or other medium. Scale To identify the percent by which photographs or art should be enlarged or reduced to achieve, the correct size for printing. Score To compress paper along a straight line so it folds more easily and accurately. Also called crease Spread (1) Two pages that face each other and are designed as one visual or production unit. (2) Technique of slightly enlarging the size of an image to accomplish a hairline trap with another image. Also called fatty.
Leading Amount of space between lines of type. Leaf One sheet of paper in a publication. Each side of a leaf is one page.
With the Grain Parallel to the grain direction of the paper being used, as compared to against the grain. See also Grain Direction.
Glossary
Color Sequence Order in which inks are printed. Also called laydown sequence and rotation.