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Print production is a technical expertise but not an exact science. The general methodology of putting ink on paper has not substantially changed since 1450 with the advent of the Guttenberg press. There are many things that affect the final result.
Kaleidoscope understands the parameters and achieves the desired results.
In order to familiarize yourself with the print process, listed below are a
few terms and
suggestions that will make your print project run smoothly and cost-effectively. |
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A Few Terms:
Line Screen refers to the number of lines or pixels per square inch. The line screen will determine the detail captured and is usually dictated by the type of press that the project is printed on. Most brochure work is litho printed at 133 or 150 line screen, while silkscreen work is usually printed at 85 line screen and will be courser than lithography.
CMYK stands for cyan, magenta,
yellow and black; these are the colours that make up photographs and 4-colour process printing. All images are developed using varying amounts of these colours.
RGB represent colours on a computer monitor and stand for
red, green and blue. Images that are RGB, need to be converted to CMYK before printing otherwise they will print in black and white. Either way, you can expect a colour shift with this transition.
Digital Outputs are
excellent for short runs or unusually large
posters. The colours are laid down with dry inks of cyan, magenta, yellow and black and are laminated to a plastic substrate.
Pantone is a colour matching system developed to ensure consistency of colours across numerous printers and processes. Corporate colours will be indicated as Pantone numbers and will indicate what that colour looks like on coated or uncoated stock. For example, the Kaleidoscope green is Pantone 2575C, where the “C” stands for
coated.
Half-tones are images that are black and white, usually used in
1-, 2- or 3- colour work.
POS or Point-of-Sale are large mounted posters used in stores to promote products or services.
Silk Screen is a process for printing large posters and
POS. The film is mounted to a screen and, using a squeegee, the ink is pressed through the screen to make the print.
Lithography is often called sheet-fed and runs one sheet at a time at a very high rate of speed. Larger presses will include aqueous or UV coatings, varnishes and special, or Pantone, colours along with the conventional 4-colour process.
Web is reserved for large print runs of 100,000 or
more. The paper is run to the press from a large roll of paper rather than individual sheets. The press will print, cut, fold and finish the final product.
Proofs are a representation of each individual film layer that will be printed so that you can approve exactly what the press will print. Proofs can be either be digital, dylux (blues), colour keys or laminated proofs, depending on the printing method and
Client preference.
FPO stands for “For position only”
and indicates the position of a high resolution
photo placed in the layout. Once the project is approved, the
"high res” image is placed in the layout – usually by the film house. Now that computers are high powered with memory, high resolution placement is usually used in the layout stage.
Finishing refers to the work done once the printing is complete. This could include die-cutting, folding, stapling, cutting and assembling of the final product. This is done in the bindery department.
FOB stands for "freight on
bulk" and indicates where the final product will be delivered to. On printing estimates, you will often see FOB and the address of your office. This means that the full shipment will be delivered to your office. It is always best to confirm this information in writing. |
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Suggestions
for a smoother print run:
Involve your print production team at the beginning of
a print project. There may be technical limitations that the art director is unaware of which will snarl the project later.
Ask at least three printers to quote a project to ensure that you get the best price, timing and flexibility in delivery.
Leverage the experience of your suppliers to make the most of your print project.
Be as clear as possible of the specs you give printers so that you understand what you will be getting. This also ensures that you can compare estimates accurately.
Ask the printer if this is the type of job
is appropriate for their presses. Good printers will let you know the types of jobs their presses are best suited for; knowing you will come to them for a more appropriate and, therefore, cost-effective
job in the future.
Ensure that all images have been modified to be CMYK from RGB, otherwise they will print as halftones on the final product. If the images are not converted, they will print as black and white.
Carefully proof the entire piece at film stage. Occasionally, things can corrupt during the conversion from file to film. These proofs exactly represent the final product.
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