www.godesignnow.

com

PRINT

PRODUCTION
By Rick McCawley

A Digital Renaissance Production

PRODUCTION PIXELS VS DOTS

Pixels - Dots and Lines Per Inch

Pixels per inch - PPI
PPI stands for pixels per inch. PPI
is a measurement of image resolution
that defines the size an image will
print. The enlarged photo to the
left is an example showing square
pixels that make up the image.

Dots per inch - DPI

Is the measure of dots of ink
in a one square inch area. The
number is the same of ppi instead
of pixels on a monitor, this is what
we call it once ink hit paper.

Dots Per Inch/

Lines per Inch
Newspaper 130 dpi/65 lpi

Print 300 dpi/150lpi

Photo 600 dpi/ 300lpi

Lines per inch

Lines per inch is the resolution in offset printing or
high volume printing. The more lines that can fit into
an inch the more detailed the image. Most press runs
use between 65 to 200 LPI depending on the paper.

Designed by Debra Guerrini and Erika Hughes

65 LPI

Setting up Resolution
Printing Resolution
Newspaper
Magazine
Art Publication

1 www.GoDesignNow.com

175 LPI

Effective- PPI
LPI
65LPI x2
150 LPI x2
175 LPI x2

DPI
130 DPI
300 DPI
350 DPI

The actual PPI reading tells you the resolution of the image at
100%, whereas the effective ppi tells you the resolution of the image
when printed at its current scale percentage. Therefore, if you
place an image at 100%, then both readings should be the same.
Scale the image down and watch the effective ppi value increase.

SCANNING PRODUCTION

Scanning and Resolution

7 inch by 5 inch photo
resolution 300 pixels
megabites 9.01

5 by 7 photo for print 150

Line Per Inch x 2 = 300 Dots
Per Inch. (9.0) mega bites

300

200
1500

2099

9.01 mb

photo by Rick McCawley

9.01 MB

Height x Width = Resolution

8in. x 8in. = 150 lpi x 2 = 300
8in x 8in @ 300 ppi =15.70

SCANNER WINDOW

How to Scan an image.

1

What size reproduction is the largest

dimension you would want to use for your
image.

Select - Source

First, place the photograph you would like

to scan into the lower right corner of the
scanner bed. Follow the orientation indicated by the icons on the template.

Under profile settings, you will be able to

select the resolution and color preferences.
For quality photos, remember to choose a
resolution of 300 dpi or higher for most
print except newspaper.

Click on file - Aquire

Click Scan.

it has scanned, youll find a

7 Once
dashed black line framing your photo,
indicating the adjustable cropping
area. Use your cursor to grab any
corner, and then drag your mouse to
adjust the size of the cropping area to
fit the photo. Only select the area you
would like to scan.
:
8 save your photos

Select your destination printer

9 You now have a high-quality print of
your scanned original.
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PRODUCTION

Image Adjustment
Why is image adjustment important?

RgB

To simulate the color, tones, highlights, and shadows of an

RGB image in a CMYK image, and in 4 color printing, adjusting an image with Curves, Levels, and the Unsharp Mask Filter
along with color correction, must be used. Image adjustments
compensate for dot gain and color casts or unwanted colors in
an image. These same strategies can be applied to each color
separation individually in order to fi lter out unwanted color
casts or stray color that will end up on a plate or negative.
Dot gAIN WILL DARkeN the Photo AN MAke
It APPeAR Less shARP As INk seePs INto
the PAPeR.
oN
sCReeN

Ink

Pixels
oN
PAPeR

CMyk

Levels
Neutralizes color casts and compensates for dot gain by
lightening the image

1. Image>Adjustments>Levels
2. Set the lightest color by selecting the white eyedropper
and clicking on the lightest part of the image
3. Set the darkest color by selecting the black eyedropper
and clicking on the darkest part of the image
4. Overcompensate for dot gain by dragging the middle
slider and dragging to the left, lightening it
2

Unsharp Mask
Detects contrast along edges and will sharpen the
photo to compensate for dot gain
1. Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask
2. Set Amount: 120, Radius: 1, Threshold: 3, for best
settings
3. Review differences by checking/unchecking preview box

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 PRODUCTION

What is Color Correction?

Color correction is the adjustment of the relationship between
process colors to achieve desirable colors. This is necessary
whenever converting from RGB to CMYK, since a wide
range of colors seen on-screen, which can only be mimicked
in CMYK, are lost during the conversion. There is more color
control in RGB (most fi lters work in RGB, rather than CMYK),
so any correction should be done while working in RGB.

Knowing where the file will be printed before

starting any design is highly important, since it
will affect what colors you can and cannot use.

Color settings:
1. Once you have the profi le needed
for your printer, or if you know what
workspace you want to work in, choose
Color Settings under the Edit menu
2. Choose the Work Spaces and
Color Management Policies that
will conform to your printer
3. Save in order to use them again or to
apply them to the rest of the creative suite
4. A preview reflecting these settings is
found under the View menu as Proof Colors

You can and should change your

color settings for all Adobe products
within the creative suite color
settings box of the Adobe Bridge,
which is under the edit menu.
4

Converting RgB>CMyk:

page designed by Phillip E. Hardy

1. Adjust Color Settings and Adjust

the image prior to conversion
2. Choose Image>Mode>CMYK Color
3. Click OK if you are content
with your current color settings

Converting to CMYK loses a

wide ranges of colors. Be sure
to convert only for commercial
printing, since many home printers
can successfully reproduce some
RGB colors lost in CMYK.
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PRODUCTION PHOTOSHOP PRE-PRESS

File Types
tIff Tagged Image File Format. Tiff has a loss-less compression

known as LZW that saves approximately half of a fi les size

without loss of quality. Alpha channels are saved also.

ePs Encapsulated Postscript, used in pre-press for color

separated images. Contains calibration compensation

information, and supports both raster and vector data.

PsD Photo Shop Document, the native Photoshop fi le format it

uses loss-less compression and retains layers, effects, type, and

alpha channels, as editable upon reopening.

Best foR PRINt

ILLUstRAtoR,
CLIPPINg PAths,
AND DUotoNes
stANDARD,
Not UseD foR
ALL PRINt

JPg Joint Photographic Experts Group. This is the most

popular image format on the web because of its great fi le

size compression as much as 100:1. It is a lossy compression
method (you lose quality).

UseD foR the WeB

Duotones/Monotones/Tritones/Quadtones
What are Duotones?

Black and white images reproduced using two halftone

negatives, which represent the tones of the image.
Monotones use one halftone negative, tritones three, and so on.

how to Create Duotones:

1.Convert to Grayscale
2.Image>Mode>Duotone
3.Choose colors
4.Choose curves
5.Choose overprint colors

Monotone

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Duotone

tritone

quadtone

COLOR SEPERATIONS PRODUCTION

Color Separation
What is Color separation?

When processing an image for print, images are broken into four halftone
negatives or plates (depending what type of printer used). Light from the
image passes though red, green, or blue fi lters to create either cyan, magenta, or yellow plates or negatives, respectively, abbreviated CMY.
Because these three colors dont create proper black, a separate negative or
plate is made for black, abbreviated K.

FILTERS

R g B

PLATES

CMy k

Previews of the color plates are visible in Photoshop

under the Channels panel, where you choose to edit
these for better reproduction.
Commercial printers may Request color separations in
order confirm for the client how each plate will look.

CM
yk
CMYK
how to Print separations:

1.Once an image has been color corrected and is ready, click

File>Print
2.Navigate to Color Management
3.Choose Separations under the Color Management drop-down
box
4.Click Print

C
M
y

Spot Colors + UV
how to Create:

P
page designed by Daniel Ugalade

1.Create a selection
2.Go to Channels panel and create a new channel
3.Name the channel in order to specify to the printer what this extra
negative or plate will be for, which is especially useful if you are
using more than one spot color

This method is excellent for screen printing and other

types of specialty printing and finishing like UV
coating.

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PRODUCTION CLIPPING PATH

Clipping Path
What is a Clipping Path?
A clipping path is a vector path or outline
that acts as an x-acto knife, removing part of
an image, in favor of a transparency,knocking
out other portions of the original image.

finding the tools

to make a clipping mask.

The tools needed for creating a clipping path are the selection,
or pen tool. Creating contours with the pen tool is detailed in the
Illustrator manual and when creating a path, flatness determines,
how closely the path adheres to the contours youve created

Conversion to target Document

1

Creating the path

Refer to Pen Tool in Illustration

Saving the path

In Path Options create a new Clipping Path; this
can later be duplicated or saved. The Flatness of the
path is also controlled when you create the path.

Exporting the path as Encapsulated Postscript.

Saving the path as an EPS, allows it to be
embedded or placed within Illustrator,
Photoshop, PDFs, or any image editing software
without the default white space of the background,
that you would receive otherwise placing the image.

Dragging or placing path

within secondary document
Once saved as an EPS, the path can simply be
dragged into the target document. The File-PlaceOption is also effective in most programs.

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Popular Uses for Clipping

A clipping path functions as a two dimensional green
screen. The path can be placed on a transparency or
alternative background. Clipping path usually have
anti-aliased edges, depending on the software.

CLIPPING PATH PRODUCTION

Pre-Press for Images: Six Essential Steps

1

Resolution

First take into account any enlargement of the

original artwork. Two lines line screen equals effective
DPI (Dots per Inch) or PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Example 85 lpi (Lines per Inch) which is
used in Newspaper print 85x2=170dpi
Examples
65-85 lpi- Newspapers (high dotgain
15%-30%) absorbs ink
85-150 lpi- Magazine (dot gain 5-8%)
150-300 lpi-Fine Art publications (better quality
coated paper allows for more detail-dot gain 2-7%

Mode Conversion
Convert from RGB to CMYK
Ensure Photoshop color settings are set to U.S.
Pre-Press before making the conversion.

Color Correction

Entails setting Levels point values.

This step is adjusted before converting
to CMYK from RGB.

Image Size
-Uncheck resample image- (Resample means to add

dots or throw them away)Adding dots that did not exist

in the original will degrade the quality of the image
Ensure the photo does not need the higher resolution

Save as EPS or TIFF

EPSs are used for clipping paths and illustrations only.
Saving as TIFF format is used for everything else.
Ensure the image/fi le is flattened before saving.
LZW-(This is fi le compression that is loss-less;
It will save about half the fi le size

Unsharp Mask
Makes picture sharper than on screen for printing
Filter Menu-Sharpen
Unsharp Mask- This detects contrast along edges
that will sharpen photo to compensate for dot gain
Amount-120
Radius-1
Threshold -3

Import into Page Layout

Package the fi le and produce a PDF of low
(for revision) and high (fi ne art) quality.

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PRODUCTION PRE-PRESS ILLUSTRATOR

Adobe Illustrator
Whats so cool about Illustrator?

Illustrator is a vector drawing program where

figures are created with points that create lines and
curves. Also type can be easily manipulated
Unlike bitmap images that stores information
in a grid of dots, Illustrator uses mathematical
equations to draw out the shapes. This makes vector graphics scalable
without the loss of resolution, lines are crisp and sharp at any sizes,
illustrations print at high resolution, and produce smaller fi le sizes.

Most common uses for Illustrator:

Logo design, Illustrations, Cartoon drawing, Packaging

design, Information graphics, Maps, Charts, and Diagrams

Preparing Illustrator files like a Pro

Your Illusrator pre-press checklist to help you avoid embarassing situations
Points: The Less the Better
Why is this important?

Each point on a line is a Postscript stack that needs to be processed before the RIP can
proceed to process the line. Too many points can cause the RIP to crash or objects to fall
off the art board. So a good habit when creating vector objects is to use the fewest points
possible.

go fix it

Select the object that you need to simplify > Object > Paths > Simplify

Crop Masks to Smallest Possible Size

Why is this important?

A Mask is a window to something larger. If the image is too large it will increase your fi le
size tremendously if embedded and also it may exceed outside the art board. When a fi le
gets sent to print they have to process all the images that are outside the art board even
though it doesnt print. Also increases fi le size. Were pros and save headaches.

go fix it

Select the object or image > Menu Bar: Edit Original > Crop in Photoshop using the
crop tool.

Flatten if Complicated
Why is this important?

If your fi le is too complicated, flatten it. What this does is simplify all the complicated
elements on your art board such as: masks, transparencies, gradients, large images, and
flattens it into one solid layer. It may create some slices but your overall job will print the
same.

go fix it

WARNING! Before you do this save a copy of the original and name this fi le something
else. Go to Edit > Transparency Flattener Preset> Follow the instructions from there.

CMYK

Color Correct Gradients

Why is this important?
CMYK

PANTONE

CMYK

go fix it
PANTONE

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A pantone color creates an extra plate on the printing press. A gradient containg two
separate spot colors will not reproduce nicely. Neither will a gradient between a spot color
and a cmyk color. Effective gradients can be achived by using cmyk colors.

PANTONE

Select the Object that needs the gradient corrected > Open the Gradient Palette
(windows > Gradient) > Double click on the color and change it to corrected color.

PRE-PRESS ILLUSTRATOR PRODUCTION

Turn Live Text to Outline

Why is this important?

So that the typeface you chose does not get changed when sent to another computer. If
your printer doesnt have the font you chose it will substitute it for something else and alter
the appearance and alignment of your doc. Before you convert your text to outline, save
your document and create another name for the same document. You want to do this so
that you can always go back and make changes. Once you go Outline, you cant go back!

go fix it

Select all the type with the selection tool > Type > Create Outlines. Voila! Its been done.
Illustrator just turned your live editable text into shapes with points.

Ungroup If Possible
Why is this important?

Grouping objects in an illustration can cause the RIP to crash. Post Script is organized
into a series of stacks. Each object comes with a stack of code. When two objects get
grouped an additional stack is produced. After you make the correction nothing will
vappear altered, but the amount of code that is sent to the RIP is more than necessary. So
before sending your job to the printer, ungroup everything.

go fix it

Select all the objects and ungroup each of them by either going to edit > Ungroup. Or
Right clicking and selecting ungroup.

Transperancies to Tints
Why is this important?

Ink or no ink thats how the printer thinks! Transparencies dont really exist. The printer
either squirts ink or no ink. SO a transparency actually translates in either a fully fi lled
halftone dot or a percentage of it. So instead of lowering the opacity or the transparency
of an object in order to get a new cooler color try using a tint of the same color.

go fix it

Select the Object with the transparency > Change the transparency back to 100%: Window > Transparency. Now that your object is totally opaque, select it again and go to
windows > color guide> and select a tint of the original color.

Make Sure Whats There is There: Linked, Placed, and Smart Objects
Why is this important?

Object appears
to be on art board
but its really linked

If you send your Illustrator fi le with linked, placed or smart objects you have to include all
those separate items in a folder along with the AI fi le. If you dont, when you send your
fi nal art design to the printers, your fi le will open but all your linked, placed, and smart
objects will not be there. Just because you see it on your art board doesnt mean its really
there. To ensure this doesnt happen package your work.

go fix it

Select the linked object. On the top menu select embed. This makes your object
officially apart of your fi le. If the object is too large, you have to create a folder and place
your AI doc along with all the linked, placed or smart objects. Place all the fonts you used
as well. Once you have everything included in your folder youve created your package.

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PRODUCTION TRAPPING

What is Trapping
Trapping is a method of correction in print. When objects
& colors dont align properly there can be a gap, (knockout).
This is called misregistration. Trapping compensates for
the possibility of misregistration on the printing press
by making the gap less noticeable, even invisible.

Spreads & Choke

1

Spreads
A spread is when a lighter object overlaps a darker
background and seems to spread into the background.

Choke
A choke uses a lighter background to overlap a darker
object that falls within the background and seems to
squeeze or reduce the object.

Knockouts & Overprint

1

Knockouts
In most cases, when 2 objects of different colors overlap they
knockout, they wont print on top of each other. In reality
the color are printed side by side so there is a chance that the
colors can get out of register. They may require trapping.

Overprint
Need to Trap when there is overprinted objects ( also call surprinting ). When objects are printed over other objects it mix the ink &
result in unexpected colors.

How to Avoid Trapping

Overprint
Black

Black outlines:

Use black outlines around

objects and on black text
to avoid overprint & knockouts.
11 www.GoDesignNow.com

too Close trapping :

Avoid touching or almost
touching other colors to
avoid knockout on objects.

Process Color trapping:

Use Common Process colors to
close gaps can prevent knockouts
and overprints.

TRAPPING PRODUCTION

how do you trap in Illustrator?

1

Select the two images you want to trap at the same time.

From the EFFECT menu, select PATHFINDER, and

click the option TRAP. In the Pathfi nder dialog box you
can choose the thickness, height/width, and tint reduction
among other trapping options. Then, click OK.

Then Pathfi nder will compare the two images, and

select the lighter color to overlap the darker one.

Best way to trap in Photoshop:

1

In order to use Photoshop Trap options you must open your images
in CMYK mode.

Select the area that could be a misregistration.

From the IMAGE menu, select TRAP dialog box enter trap
width, and click OK.
Photoshop automatically creates traps to compensate any possible
gap within your selection.

Gerardo Machado & Rick Pace

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PRODUCTION ADOBE PREFLIGHT

Adobe Preflight
Whats so cool about Preflighting?
The term preflight check originates from the aviation industry where it is a standard procedure
for pilots to go over a checklist before lift-off. Preflight checks (preflighting) for print documents
have a similar idea in mind. They run through all the files you used in the document to see if
theyre missing, changed or anything else that might have happened to the file. The Preflight Check
dialog screen uses categorized sections to check your documents on errors and missing files.

Alyssa Garcia, Daniel Santillo, Michael Evins and Salomon O. Carrasco

Photoshop Pre-Press for Images

1

Resolution: You must take into account

the enlargement of original art work 2x
line screen= the correct PPI or DPI

Color Correction: Make before converting to

CMYK, there is more color control in RGB.

Unsharp-Mask: Needed for dot gain, make

picture sharper than on screen for printing.

Mode Conversion: RGB to CMYK.

Make sure Photoshop color settings
are set to U.S. Pre-Press defaults
before making the conversion.

Save as EPS or TIFF

Import into page layout program.

Illustrator Pre-Press for Images

Convert Pantone to CMYK. Edit>

Convert color mode to CMYK. File>

Note: Before preparing document for press,

make sure to keep a backup .ai copy.

Edit Colors> Convert to CMYK

Document Color Mode> CMYK

Outline all text in document.

Flatten transperencies which
include opacity and gradients.

Save as EPS.

Import into page layout program.

13 www.GoDesignNow.com

INDESIGN PREFLIGHT PRODUCTION

InDesign Pre - Flight

Getting Started
opening a document
You ever open up a document and it says that you are
missing links? You probably think nothing of it and just
clicked ok. This is a big mistake and we will tell you
why.

Checking your Links Panel

Your links panel shows you where you are having
problems with missing and/or broken links to a text
box, picture, or fi le. The links info panel shows you all
the data contained within the specified fi le. Such as...

or unlinked in some way.

Size the size of the fi le.
ICC Pro le defines the amount of saturation
of colors available in the color space; i.e. the
bluest blue your printer can produce.
Actual PPI the resolution of the image at 100% size.
Effective PPI the resolution of the image
at the size its been scaled to in InDesign.

For Example: a 300 ppi image, if scaled 50% in

InDesign, is actually 600 ppi when reduced to that size.

Problems with your document

You are about to send you project out to your local
printshop but wait, before you do that you need to
check to make sure you dont have any errors.

Alyssa Garcia, Daniel Santillo, Michael Evins and Salomon O. Carrasco

Name name of the linked fi le.

Format such as jpeg, tiff, illustrator, photoshop fi le, etc...
Page what page the error is on.
Color Space such as RGB, sRGB, CMYK.
Status such as if the fi le is missing

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PRODUCTION INDESIGN PREFLIGHT

the Preflight Panel

This panel is used to not only make layout
corrections, but to actually have the program
make them for you. This panel will show you
everything that you may be looking out for
before you send the fi les to your printshop.

Pre-Press Checklist
spelling
A final spell check was done and
there are no misspelled words.
Color
Make sure the only color modes in
the fi le are those that you want.
Spot colors are defined as a mixture of
colors and process colors are defined
as a separate as 4-color process.

Alyssa Garcia, Daniel Santillo, Michael Evins and Salomon O. Carrasco

Imported images are built in the correct

color space to be separated as required.

15 www.GoDesignNow.com

Images
All images are the proper resolution
for the required press linescreen.
All imported images have the correct
corresponding colors to be printed.
All imported images are built in the correct color
space for separations, e.g. CMYK vs. RGB.
All imported images are an appropriate format
for printing, e.g. tiff or eps vs. gif or jpeg.
Any low-resolution FPO images have been
replaced with their high- resolution counterpart.
Bleed
A 1/8 bleed (or amount desired by printer)
has been built into the document if necessary.

INDESIGN PREFLIGHT PRODUCTION

Pre-Press Checklist (cont.)

fonts/typography
Make sure that you define the types of fonts
that you want to have in your documents.
Fonts are defined in document using the actual
font, not QuarkXpress fake bold or italic.
You have both the printer and screen fonts available
for all typefaces used to send to the printer.
Document
To insure pages are oriented in
the correct way and size.
Moniter how many pages that you wish
to incorporate in your document.
The bleed and slug areas are discarded when
the document is trimmed to its final page
size. Objects outside the bleed or slug area
(whichever extends farthest) are not printed.
Collect for output
Laser prints of separations have been
printed to correspond with composites.
Composite fi le to be marked with notes for the vendor.

Package document to make sure all fi les are together

to make sure all images, fonts and graphics are
arranged, in a folder to be sent to the vendor.

Completing your document

If you have any errors, missing images for example,
Indesign will display a red circle indicating there is an
error and how many errors are in your document.
After everything is done correctly according to how
you have setup your Prefl ight Panel and profi les you
should have no errors in your document. The Red
Circle should now display green.

Alyssa Garcia, Daniel Santillo, Michael Evins and Salomon O. Carrasco

A disk directory has been printed, and

fi le(s) to be output are highlighted.

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PRODUCTION PDF WORKFLOW

PDF Workflow
Adobe PDF files are used for high-resolution printing.
High Quality Print

PDF/X-1a:2001

Output for desktop and proofers.

File size compression and
downsampling. Embedded fonts.

High-resolution CMYK output file.

Compression identical to the Press
preset. RGB colors converted to CMYK.
Spot colors supported. Transparency
must be flattened.

PDF/X-3:2002

PDF/X-4:2008

High-resolution output file (CMYK

or RGB workflow) Compression
identical to the Press preset.
Doesnt allow security settings.
Transparency must be flattened.

Output for desktop and proofers. File

size compression and downsampling.
Embedded fonts.
Live transparency and layers supported.

Smallest File Size

Press Quality

Output for web, intranet, or e-mail

system. Small document. File size
compression and downsampling to
monitor resolution.

Output for prepress devices

such as an image setter, plate
setter, or digital press. Doesnt
convert color spaces. File size
compression downsampling.
Embedded fonts.

Refers to decreasing the number of pixels in an image. To

downsample an image, choose an interpolation method and
enter the desired resolution (in pixels per inch)

Type of compression that is used to reduce

the file size.
Determines the amount of compression that is applied. For JPEG or JPEG
2000, you can choose Minimum, Low, Medium, or Maximum quality.
For ZIP, only 8-bit is available.

May reduce file size by exporting only image data

that falls within the visible portion of the frame.

Applies flattened
compression to all
text and line art in the
document, without loss of
detail or quality.

A
B
C

D
Controls how colors
and PDF/X output intent
profiles are saved in the
PDF file.

C
B
D
A
E

Specifies how to represent color information in the Adobe PDF file. All
spot color information is preserved during color conversion; only the
process color equivalents convert to the designated color space.

Determines whether a color profile is included in the file. The options

vary, depending on the setting in the Color Conversion menu,
whether one of the PDF/X standards is selected, and whether color
management is on or off.
17 www.GoDesignNow.com

THE PRINTING PRESS PRODUCTION

The Printing Press

In the next chapter, you will learn in detail all about the traditional process printing
method. But first, lets get familiar with the three main types of press available today:
Traditional

Direct to Plate

Digital

Designer

Designer

Designer

Image Setter
Electronic Imposing

Electronic Imposing

Film
Plate

Plate

PROS:

Press

PROS:

The most accurate proofing system.

CONS:

Create a lot of paper waste.

The longest and most expensive.

PROS:

Save time and money

eliminating film step.

CONS:

Cant create color key proofs.

CONS:

More cost per piece.

Limited Medium.

page designed by Jorge Castillo

Press

The most advance, cheapest, and fastest

printing system.
Everything is done electronically.
Very little labour involved.
Use of Pantone and 4 colors.
Simple proofing system.
Less paper waste is created.

www.GoDesignNow.com 18

PRODUCTION COLOR & LOGOS

Colors and Logos

Color Meanings
Energy, warmth, joy, intellect,
caution, cheerfulness, friendliness.

Danger, passion, daring, romance,

style, excitement, urgency, energetic.

Energy, change, movement,

vitality, sense of welcoming.

Life, growth, environment, healing,

money, safety, relaxation, freshness,
new beginning, harmony.

Peace, stability, calmness,

confidence, tranquility, sincerity,
affection, integrity, responsibility.

Royalty, luxury, dignity, spirituality,

passion, vision, magic, creative,
romance, inspiration.
Dependability, earthiness,
dull feeling of warmth,
wholesomeness, friendliness.

Sophistication, power, mystery,

formality, evil, death, elegance.
Hyper, indescribable, Mercurial,
conflicted, disorganized, wild,
high energy, pandemonium.

19 www.GoDesignNow.com

SPOT COLOR PRODUCTION

Types of Spot Colors

PANTONE
The Pantone Matching System, or PMS, is the internationally
recognized standardized color-matching system that is privately
owned by the Pantone Corporation. Because individual perceptions
of the color spectrum vary widely, the Pantone system is used
throughout color-critical industries as the defi nitive source for
accurate color communication, ensuring that colors are
consistent across projects, designers, printers and companies.

TOYO
Toyo is a common spot color system in Japan and in
offset printing, a spot color is any color generated by an
ink (pure or mixed) that is printed using a single run.
Toyo inks come in 1050 colors while pantone inks
provide 1114 standard colors, and even their hexachrome
system (CMYK + hexachrome orange + hexachrome
green), while supposedly meeting or exceeding the
RGB gamut, has only about 2000 numbered colors:

HKS
The HKS is a colour system which contains 120
spot colours and 3250 tones for coated and uncoated
paper. HKS is an abbreviation of three German colour
manufacturers: Hostmann-Steinberg Druckfarben, Kast
+ Ehinger Druckfarben, and H. Schmincke & Co.
HKS colours, similar to Pantone colours, can be used
in any kind of print publication to produce predictable
colours. As in the Pantone colour system, there are HKS
colours that cannot be reproduced using the CMYK
colour space, like bright orange or certain tones of blue.

www.GoDesignNow.com 20

PRODUCTION TYPES OF PRESSES

The Printing Press

Letterpress

is relief printing of text and image using a press with a

type-high bed printing press and movable type, in which
a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a
sheet of paper to obtain a positive right-reading image.

Lithography

is a method for printing using a stone

(lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a
completely smooth surface.

Intaglio

is a family of printmaking techniques

in which the image is incised into a
surface, known as the matrix or plate.

Vinyl

Used for printing banners and billboards.

Flexography

is a form of printing process which utilizes a

flexible relief plate.

Screen printing

Is a printing technique that uses a woven

mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil.

Die cut

Page designed by Marife Olivares

is a striking way to make unique die cuts using digital

photographs, stock images or simple shapes and patterns.
Can be used in many projects from decorating scrapbooks
and creating homemade cards to decorating paper dolls
and making game pieces.

21 www.GoDesignNow.com

Foil

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.

MAKING PAPER PRODUCTION

How paper is made

Papermaking process

Paper is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp

derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets. Paper is a
versatile material with many uses the most common is for writing and printing.

Chemical Pulping

The purpose of a chemical pulping process is to break down the

chemical structure of lignin and render it soluble in the cooking liquor,
so that it may be washed from the cellulose fibers. The pulp can also be
bleached to produce white paper for printing, painting and writing. Paper
made from chemical pulps are also known as wood-free papers.
-The microscopic structure of paper under ultraviolet illumination.

Mechanical Pulping

-Sawmill
Debarker

-Chipper

-Washer
Bl
e
ch
ea
r
tiv
es

Deinked Pulp

-Press
-Ink Press

Why is this important?

Recycled papers can be made from 100% recycled materials

or blended with virgin pulp. They are (generally) not as
strong nor as bright as papers made from virgin pulp.

-Dry Press

-Processed Paper

Producing paper

Finishing Paper Process

The pulp is feed to a paper machine where

it is formed as a paper web and the water is
removed from it by pressing and drying.
Pressing the sheet removes the water by force. Once the
water is forced from the sheet, felt (not to be confused with
the traditional felt) is used to collect the water. When making
paper by hand, a blotter sheet is used. Drying involves using
air and or heat to remove water from the paper sheet.

The paper may then undergo sizing to alter its physical

properties for use in various applications. Paper at this point
is uncoated. Coated paper has a thin layer of material such as
calcium carbonate or china clay applied to one or both sides
in order to create a surface more suitable for high-resolution
halftone screens. (Uncoated papers are rarely suitable for
screens above 150 lpi.) Coated or uncoated papers may
have their surfaces polished by calendering. Coated papers
are divided into matte, semi-matte or silk, and gloss. Gloss
papers give the highest optical density in the printed image.

Image and text from wikipedia.com

Ad
di

Paper recycling processes can use either chemical or mechanical

pulp. By mixing with water and applying mechanical action the
hydrogen bonds in the paper can be broken and fibres separated
again. Most recycled paper contains a proportion of virgin fibre
in the interests of quality. Generally deinked pulp is of the same
quality or lower than the collected paper it was made from.

illustrations done by Mark A. Herrera

There are two major mechanical pulps, thermo mechanical

pulp (TMP) and groundwood pulp (GW). In the TMP process,
wood is chipped and then fed into large steam-heated refiners
where the chips are squeezed and made into fibres between two
steel discs. In the groundwood process, debarked logs are fed into
grinders where they are pressed against rotating stones and made
into fibres. Mechanical pulping does not remove the lignin, so
the yield is very high, >95%, but also causes paper made from
this pulp to yellow and become brittle over time. Mechanical
pulps have rather short fibre lengths and produce weak paper.
Although large amounts of electrical energy are required to
produce mechanical pulp, it costs less than chemical pulp.

www.GoDesignNow.com 22

PRODUCTION CHOOSING PAPER

Choosing the Right Paper

Why is important to know about paper?
Choosing the right paper for a design is crucial. Different papers take ink differently.
Paper can affect the legibility of type, the texture, tone, and personality of a piece.
Choosing paper is more complex than just picking the most
expensive sheet and keeping your fingers crossed.
In fact, you shouldnt think about choosing paper based on the highest
quality available, or the highest quality you can afford. Rather, you should
figure out the most appropriate quality paper for your needs because most
appropriate equals best. The point is - no one sheet fits every project.
Here it is a guide to help you choose the appropriate paper for your design.

Ask Yourself Some Questions

Its recommended that in the beginning of your project,

you take your time and think about some issues:

1
2

What is your final product? It can be a book, poster, flyer, business card, etc.
How long would you like the durability of the product to last? A book that will be read throughout
the years should definitely be planned for a longer durability than a one day flyer.
What feeling do you want your product to give the receiver?
Should it be fancy? Cheap? Solid? Traditional?
What kind of material will the product be handling? Will it be
spread after spread with large photos? Or a textbook?
Will the piece be mailed, mass mailed or handed out personally to selected prospects?

After youve answered these questions you can take a look at

the different elements that can be crucial for your paper choice:
finish, weight, thickness, opacity, brightness, and color.

Finish
The finish of a paper is its surface texture. Consider the look you
want to achieve, and choose a finish that fits your needs:

Page designed by Thais Almeida

Wove or Smooth - A smooth uncoated surface.

Laid - A paper that is manufactured with textured lines

Laser - A paper that is guaranteed to be compatible with

laser printers.

on its surface. This finish is used mostly for business stationery elements, like letterhead, envelopes and business
cards.

Coated - A paper with a waxy finish (shiny or matte).

Uncoated - A paper with an untreated surface that is

Linen - Similar to a laid finish, this paper has textured

Coated One Side (C1S) - A cover stock that has a coating on one side and is dull on the reverse side.

lines on the surface of the sheet, but they are finer and more
regular than those that appear on a laid finish stock. This
paper is also used frequently for business stationery

23 www.GoDesignNow.com

dull and unreflective.

Coated Two Sides (C2S) - A cover stock that has a coating on both sides.

CHOOSING PAPER PRODUCTION

EQUIVALENT WEIGHTS
Bond
(lbs)

Offset

Cover

Tag

Index

29
31
35
36
39
40
43
44
47
53
54
58
65

73
81
90
90
100
100
110
110
120
135
137
146
165

40
43
48
50
54
56
60
61
65
74
75
80
90

62
73
80
82
91
93
100
102
108
122
125
134
150

60
66
74
75
81
83
90
92
97
110
113
120
135

(lbs)

(lbs)

(lbs)

(lbs)

Metric
(g/m2)
109.11
118.42
131.68
135.45
148.02
150.5
161.78
165.55
176.83
199.41
203.1
218.22
244.56

Weight
It can be measured in a couple of different ways depending
on the country youre working in. Two of the most used
are grams per square metre and the pound weight of a
ream (500 sheets) in the basic size for that grade. In the
US it is measured in pounds. For different types of paper
the size of the basis ream may differ resulting in vastly
different weights. For example, basis 70 means that 500
sheets 25 x 38 inches of book paper weigh 70 pounds.
This is equivalent to 104 g/m2 in the metric system.

Opacity
A papers opacity is determined by its weight, ingredients
and absorbency. A papers opacity determines how much
printing will show through on the reverse side of a sheet.
Opacity is expressed in terms of its percentage of reflection.
Complete opacity is 100% and complete transparency is 0%.

Caliper/ Thickness
Thickness is referred to as caliper and is measured in
mils or thousandths of a inch. In general, the more a
sheet of paper weights, the thicker and/or stiffer it is.
Paper caliper determines thickness of the printed piece,
an important consideration with products such as books,
catalogs and directories. The chart on the left represents
books made from 248 sheets (496 pages) of typical 60# papers.
When imagining the books represented in this
chart, keep in mind that all five have identical heights.
Although some are thinner than others, all contains
496 pages of paper with the same basis weight.

Brightness
The brightness measures the percentage of a wavelength of blue light that a sheet
reflects. Its typically expressed on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being the brightest.
Most papers reflect 60-90% of light. The brightness of a paper can effect readability,
the perception of ink color and the contrast between light and dark hues.

Color

Color is especially important as it affects the color reproduction of lighter tints. Paper colors
vary with advertising fads from cool to warm shades. Type is more easily read against a soft
(yellowish) white, while process color reproduce most accurately on neutral white paper.

www.GoDesignNow.com 24

PRODUCTION CHOOSING PAPER

Specialty Papers
There is a vast array of paper available for the
graphic designer. Each project you work on will
required a specific type of paper. The most used papers
have a smooth finish and come in a full range of white
shades. Specialty papers add elements of texture
and color and help set the mood for your project.

Offset and Bond papers are thin and smooth.

Often used for publication interior sheets,
brochures & flyers, and letterheads and
envelopes.

Cover stocks are heavy in weight, rigid and not easily folded. These papers are generally used for publication covers, business cards, greeting cards, folders, and
postcards. They can have coated or uncoated finishes.

Translucent is a thin paper

that has some clarity allowing

any content placed beneath it to
be viewed (semi-transparent).

Linen paper has a texture created by embossing that looks like linen cloth. Felt papers are manufactured using fabric blankets pressed onto the wet
paper. Laid paper has a ribbed texture. These papers
are heavier than most Offset and Bond papers. Often used in portfolio presentations for businesses.

Page Design Lee Brock

Metallic papers are coated with

25 www.GoDesignNow.com

a thin film containing metal or a thin

film of plastic whose color and gloss
simulate metal. It comes in a range of
weights and colors.

Metals used for metallic

papers are often highly toxic
and cannot be recycled,
there are environmentally
responsible metallics available

CHOOSING PAPER PRODUCTION

Recycled and Alternative Papers

Recycling paper and purchasing
recycled paper reduces the amount of
waste we send to landfills and incinerators.
When compared with 100% virgin fiber
copy paper, 100% recycled copy paper is
estimated to reduce solid waste by 49%.

Paper made from fibers other than trees can be

environmentally friendly and be visually interesting.
Alternative papers are made from Hemp, Rice, Coffee,
Coconut, Sugar Cane, Banana, Recycled rags.
Hemp paper

Sugar Cane paper

Paper accounts for an average of

40% of landfill volume.
Recycled rag paper

Symbols to look for:

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC),

is a non-profit organization set up
to encourage the use of sustainable
practices in forestry worldwide.

Totally chlorine free applies to virgin

fiber papers that are unbleached or
processed with a sequence that includes
no chlorine or chlorine derivatives.

Green seal certifies environmentally

responsible practices among
manufacturers or paper products, from
fine printing papers to coffee filters.

The Green-e mark is offered by the

non-profit Center for Resource Solutions
to indicate companies that purchase or
generate certified renewable energy.

Recyclable only means that a material

or product can be recycled. It does not
necessarily contain recycled material.

To qualify for( Post Consumer Waste)

certification, the paper must contain
a defined percentage of waste paper
reclaimed after consumer use.

www.GoDesignNow.com 26

PRODUCTION PROOFING

Print Proofing
Why is this important?

As you know, printing is a costly and work-intensive process. It

is crucial that you follow these simple steps to make sure your
files are properly setup for the printer, as making changes at this
stage of the design process can become very expensive and timeconsuming.

Setup:

WARNING! Before you do this save a copy of the original and

name this file something else. Make sure your files are packaged
and no editing must still be done.

Print Proof
Print Proof

A general term for a variety of options for seeing what your file
will look like when printed is a proof. Think of it as evidence
(proof) that what you put into your digital file will all come out
on the printed page exactly as you intend: the right fonts, graphics, colors, margins, and overall positioning.

Using It Wisely

Printing proofs are used for checking that

all text and graphics and colors come out as
expected before going to press. It is a good
practice to print a proof from your desktop
printer and send along with your digital files
to your service bureau or commercial printer.
They can be black and white or in color but
a good PostScript laser proof is ideal. If the
file wont print properly to a desktop printer,
chances

are it wont come out on the printer press

correctly either. Proofing your work comes at
various stages but there are specific types of
proofs created during prepress and printing
that allow the designer to see if their piece
will come out as intended in the final printing.
Different types of printing proofs are more
accurate than others but with increased
accuracy comes increased costs.

Full-Color Make sure your files are in CMYK format

only. Do not use RGB or any other color systems as they
dont give an accurate representation of what will print.

Spot-Colors Make sure to specify all Spot

Resolution Make sure all images are 300dpi or

350dpi in order to produce the highest quality result.

Although 72dpi may look acceptable on your monitor, it will
result in poor image quality on printed products.

Colors. Choose colors from Pantone matching

system. Files must be setup with appropriate colors
in order to separate correctly..

Bleeds If you want any of your printed pieces to

print to the edge of the paper (BLEED), make sure
you provide a 1/8 of extra image all around.

Fonts Make sure all fonts are either embedded

or sent with the file.

Rich-Black (C-65 M-53 Y- 51 K-100) should be

Trim-Area All borders, text and important

images are 1/4 away from the edge of trim size.

applied to large areas of black. Applying this code will

ensure a consistent dense color when printed. Please
be aware of the percentages of colors in that black
color area.

Spell-Check Make sure you use spell check

Lines Keep lines (rules) more than .5 (1/2pt). If
they are less than .5, they might not print.

27 www.GoDesignNow.com

and grammar check throughout your piece before

submitting the final copy. While most printing
companies have their prep department review every
file, they cannot guarantee all errors will be caught.

PROOFING PRODUCTION

A prepress proof is an analog or digital proof that uses

inkjet, toner, dyes, overlays, photographic, film, or other
techniques to give a close approximation of what the finished
piece will look like. Unlike a press proof, the prepress
proof does not use the actual printing inks therefore color
proofs may not be quite as accurate as a press proof.

A press proof is a proof from the printing press, plates, and actual inks specified for
the job. A press proof is used to verify images, tone values, colors, and imposition.
Because it involves setting up the job and running a proof on the actual paper to be
used, it is normally done with the designer on-site (and sometimes your customer as
well). Its your last chance to get it right and can add additional cost to the job.
Some types of printing proofs include blueline, Velox, Matchprint, color laser, and inkjet. Other general types of proofs are
hard proofs (printed) and soft proofs (on-screen only), galley, reader, or imposition proofs (for checking general layout, order
of pages, alignment, etc.) and contract proofs - the final proof (of whatever type) that the printer relies on to print the job.

Blueline Proof

Matchprint Proof

Usually inexpensive, photographic

proof from negatives where all colors
are shown in blue (or another color) is
called a blueline. The negatives used
for the printing plates are exposed to
a photosensitive paper to produce the
image on the blueline. A blueline is a type
of contact proof, so named because it is
created by having the negative come in
contact with a special type of paper.

One of the more expensive but more

accurate types of prepress proofs
is the Matchprint. Although used
generically to refer to any laminate
analog color proof system, Matchprint
is actually a brandname of both analog
and digital proofing systems.

BEFORE PRINTING:

Velox Proof

Velox is a high contrast black and

white paper used for print or proof
purposes. When used generically
Velox commonly refers to a positive
photographic print made from a screen
negative printed from a high-resolution
imagesetter onto any resin coated paper.

By the time you get to a press check, typos should be fixed, and
layout, font, and image choices finalized. Use the press proof or press
check to confirm paper and ink colors and their interaction. Check for
registration, page to page color printing / color consistency and the overall
appearance of the type and the absence of stray marks or hickies.

www.GoDesignNow.com 28

PRODUCTION IMPOSITION & PLANNING

Imposition
What Is Imposition?
The main function of imposition is to ensure that pages are
printed efficiently and correctly. Though final imposition
occurs once completed page layouts have passed the pre
flighting stage, it is important to consider the final products
format, size, colors, and paper. Some basic forethought of
imposition during the design stage will also save time later on.
For a designer, working out an imposition visually can
be very beneficial. You may catch flaws in the layout,
find more effective ways to print the project, and allow
for the use of spot colors and special varnishes while
keeping to a budget. Understanding effective imposition
will also help you communicate with the printer.
The illustration shown here demonstrates the process that
the designer should take into consideration when preparing
printer spreads for prepress. This is a visual aid you could
use to help you get an idea of how complex imposition
can get when considering folds and binding methods. Its
always a good idea to create a dummy version of your
composition before printing the final finished version.
There are software programs available today that will
automatically arrange your document correctly. Most
corporate printing presses will have a knowledgeable
staff member in place to take care of imposition for
you. Small shops usually expect the designer to figure
out the printer spread of his or her document layout.
If you are ever in doubt, search the internet, ask a
printing press specialist, or your school professor.

Printer spreads vs Reader spreads

Page design by Christina Jones

Module A

Module B

Back
Cover
Page 8

Front
Cover
Page 1

Back

Front
Cover
Page 1

Page 2

Page 7

Page 2

Page 3

Page 6

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 4

Page 5

Back
Cover
Page 6

Blank

Printer spread refers to

the order of pages as
they actually appear on
paper for printing.
Refer to Module A

29 www.GoDesignNow.com

Reader spread refers to

the order of pages as they
actually appear after pages
have been folded and
bound. Refer to Module B.

Imposition At A Glance

Digital vs. Manual

Just as digital imaging has revolutionized
graphic design, so too has it made its mark
on the imposition process. Prior to the use
of digital imposition, the process used to be
done manually on photographic film. The film
then had to be assembled by hand in the
correct order and placement for printing.
Using digital imposition via desktop
computers greatly decreases the turn
around time and is favored by prepress
departments now. Its also more precise
and decreases the possibility of errors that
could result in having to reprint the job.

IMPOSITION & PLANNING PRODUCTION

Planning
Questions for Planning Imposition
1. What kind of paper stock will it be printed on?
2. What is the size of the sheets used and how
many pages can be printed on each sheet?
3. Will double-sided printing be needed?
4. How is it going to be cut, folded and/or trimmed?
5. What type of binding will be used?
6. Will a paper-creep allowance be needed
to ensure margins are consistent?
7. Will spot colors or spot UV be used?

What Is Planning?
An imposition plan is a basic diagram of each page.
This can demonstrate pagination, paper types, number
of signatures, and color fall. Flatplans, sketches showing
the layout of images and text, can also be used to identify
potential problems with color usage or crossovers.
Designers can also benefit from creating a
smaller version of the publication called a dummy.
For folded publications in particular, a dummy
can easily demonstrate which pages will need
to be printed together and then folded. A folded
signature will typically be printed as follows:

Paper Creep
Prepress must plan press sheets that fold
into signatures due to creep, which occurs
when folded signatures jut out unevenly on the
sides of booklets, magazines, and other such
publications. It is important to note that the
binding method effects imposition as much as
the designers folding method. Creep is more
likely with thick paper, several folds, multiple
nested signatures positioned within each other.

TIP
It is good practice to make
dummy copies of the your
folding and binding methods.

Words To Know
fall: pages marked in an
imposition plan for special colors and
different paper selections
crossover: design, image, or text
that extends across facing pages
dummy: miniature prototype of the
product
flatplan: layout sketch of pages and
elements on each page
imposition:
the planning and
arrangement of pages as they will be
printed before being cut, folded, and
assembled

imposition plan: diagram of all

pages in a publication indicating the

layout; can also be used to show the
paper choices, special colors, etc.
pagination: sequence of pages in a
publication
paper-creep allowance: shifting
margins slightly so they remain
consistent after sheets are trimmed and
assembled at the spine of a thick saddlestitched book
printing
pass: sheets movement
through the printing press

PRINTER SPREAD: the order of pages

as they actually appear on paper for

printing
READER SPREAD: Reader spreads the
order of pages as they actually appear
after pages have been folded and bound
signature: section of 16 pages in a
publication

Page design by Christina Jones & Ronnel DeWeever

color

www.GoDesignNow.com 30

PRODUCTION BOOK BINDING

Binding
Binding is the term used for the different processes
that are used to hold together the pages or sections of
any publication to form a book, magazine, brochure

or other format. Binding choices have a direct

influence on the durability, functionality and cost of a
publication, as well as adding to its visual qualities.

Perfect Binding

Case Binding

A durable method often used in the

production of hardback books.

Saddle Stitching

Binding method that fastens the

loose pages of a publication with wire
stitches through the central fold.

Side Stitching

Uses wire stitches to secure pages

through the entire thickness of the text
block to give additional strength.

Self Binds
design and illustrations by Tatiana Suare, Melissa Bonet, & Andrea DiMattia

Such publications are described as self binds because

the reader manually rebinds the publication after

4 Page

8 Page Map Fold

31 www.GoDesignNow.com

6 Page

8 Page Parallel

Burst Perfect

Perfect, or unsewn, binding is a

method that is commonly used for
magazines and paperback books.

For this binding method

signatures are sewn, then glued
as with perfect binding

Screw and Post

Screw and post binding

accommodates wide range and
variety of materials. This method
allows the user to remove and replace
pages by removing the screws.

uing it by folding it again. Maps and brochures are

typical examples of self binds.

6 Page Accordion

8 Page Gate Fold

8 Page French Fold

10 Page Reverse Map Fold

8 Page Accordion

12 Page Broadside

BOOK BINDING PRODUCTION

Case Binding
Case-bindings are the common bindings for
hardcover books. The pages are arranged in
signatures, sewn together, and attached to a hard
Case binding can also be referred to as edition binding or case bound. This type of binding is also the

Hinge
Backing Paper

Headband

Cover Board

Crash

Head

10

Cover

End Sheet

12 Face

Page

Cover Material

11

13

Flyleaf

14 Foot

Insert

15

design and illustrations by Melissa Bonet & Andrea DiMattia

Signature

cover. The covers of case bound books can be made

from many different
materials such as leather, vinyl or cloth.
most used type of binding for a book. Its mostly
commonly used because of its sturdy assembly.

www.GoDesignNow.com 32

PRODUCTION POSTAL REGULATIONS

Postal Regulations
Design vs Postal Regulations
Direct mail remains one of the most powerful marketing
vehicles for businesses large and small. In fact, 78 percent
of small businesses rely on print communications and
direct mail to communicate with their target audiences.
The challenge is to design your mailing for consumer
impact and Postal Service approval. If you are not
an expert in USPS mailing regulations, look inside for
some helpful hints that can save you time and money.

Brochure

Standard
Greeting Card
Triple Standard

PRINT MORE. PAY LESS.

When you plan ahead, youll be thrilled
with how much you can save.
Consult your Print facility early in the design stage
of your project. Making design changes late can be
painfully expensive.
The experts can help you with:
paper choices
color options
size and format of mailer
setting design parameters for postal discounts
For more information on smart designing,
or answers to other printing questions, contact
your staff of experts at your local print shop.
Check out the U.S. Postal Service Web site,
www.usps.com, for detailed information on mailing
services. You can also consult the Domestic Mail
Manual and other U.S. Postal Service publications
available at your local branch post office.
When designing direct mail, postcards, or other
materials that will be mailed, it is important to consider
the postal regulations for a particular piece. Paper choice,
thickness, and glossiness is also something to think
about. Knowing postal regulations can help you design
a mail piece in a way that will prevent wear and tear.
Need to know the mailing guidelines for postcards?
Want to know if you need a protective
coating on your artwork?
Is your paper choice too thick for postal machines?

Knowing where the file will be

printed before starting any design is
highly important, since it will affect
what colors you can & cant use

33 www.GoDesignNow.com

Deluxe
Double Deluxe
Triple Deluxe

5 x 7
Double 5 x 7
Triple 5 x 7

Sumo
Double Sumo
Triple Sumosm
modernpostcard.com
YELLOW ZONE - No addresses with a Zip Code &
State. This will eliminate the risk of your postcards being
returned to you by the Postal automation process. If
necessary, an address can be placed in this area if it does
not contain a state or zip code. The Post Office will scan
this entire area for recipient addresses and zip codes.
RED ZONE - No text/graphics greater than 7%
grayscale. The only text allowed in the addressing area is
the recipient mailing address. We recommend following
this guide if you are designing your own card. If you
are mailing your cards, this guide must be followed.
Mailing Standards of the United
States Postal Service
Domestic Mail Manual
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/dmm300_landing.htm

POSTAL REGULATIONS PRODUCTION

Designing for Postal Regulations

Designing for Production

Check your Specs

To make every dollar count, you need to begin

considering costs at the concept stage of a print
project. Here are several suggestions:

To avoid paying extra charges, design your mailing

to fit within the size specifications laid out by the
USPS. Postcards, letters and flats all have standard
dimensions that need to be adhered to. Response cards
and envelopes also have precise specifications.

Designing an unusual format usually results in running

up unusual costs. A brochure with non- standard dimensions
may require an expensive custom-made envelope. There is
a clear advantage to working with standard paper sizes.
Avoid using bleeds (when the ink goes off the edge
of the paper without leaving a border). This can add
five to ten percent to the cost of your printing order.
Carefully weigh the value of your choices. For instance,
limiting yourself to black ink on white paper will save
money. But adding one or two colors can create impact
and interest that more than offset the modest cost.
Consider ways to design and prepare your
direct mail that can reduce postage costs.

Save Money with Design

CAREFULLY WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS.

Everyone loves to save money, but dont
sacrifice quality and impact for a few dollars.

You can and should change

your color settings for all adobe
products within the creative Suite
color settings box of adobe Bridge,
which is under the edit menu.

allegranetwork.com
All nonprofits qualify for the same postal discounts
available to regular organizations and businesses.
However, certain nonprofits are authorized by the
U.S. Postal Service to receive additional savings
on postage rates. Usage of nonprofit rates depends
both on the organizations eligibility and whether
the content of the mailing meets federal statutes.
To qualify for low nonprofit rates, an organization
must submit Form 3624 to the USPS and
fit into one of these eight categories:
Agricultural
Philanthropic
Educational
Labor

Scientific
Veterans
Religious
Fraternal

Page Design by: German Blanco

Keep in mind that the U.S. Postal Service wants you to

prepare your mail for automated processing so that your
mail is delivered quickly and accurately. To that end, design,
packaging, preparation, bar coding and presorting are all
key factors. To receive an automated mail discount, every
piece in your flat mailing must be 100 percent automated.
The post office also gives significant discounts for drop
shipping to a bulk mailing center or a sectional center facility.

www.GoDesignNow.com 34

PRODUCTION TERMS
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.

Aqueous_Coating

Coating in a water
base and applied like ink by a printing press to
protect and enhance the printing underneath.

Back_Up (1) To print on the second side of a

sheet already printed on one side. (2) To adjust

an image on one side of a sheet so that it aligns
back-to-back with an image on the other side.

Basis_Weight

In the United States and

Canada, the weight, in pounds, of a ream (500
sheets) of paper cut to the basic size. Also called
ream weight and substance weight (sub weight).
In countries using ISO paper sizes, the weight,
in grams, of one square meter of paper. Also
called grammage and ream weight.

Bible_Paper Very thin, opaque paper used for

products such as bibles and dictionaries. Also

called India paper.

Bind Usually in the book arena, but not

exclusively, the joining of leafs or signatures

together with either wire, glue or other means.

Blanket Rubber-coated pad, mounted on

a cylinder of an offset press, that receives the

inked image from the plate and transfers it to
the surface to be printed.

Bulk Thickness of paper relative to its basic

weight.

Burn To expose a printing plate to light.

Burst-Perfect-Bind

To bind by forcing
glue into notches along the spines of gathered
signatures before affixing a paper cover. Also
called burst bind, notch bind and slotted bind.

Buy_Out

To subcontract for a service

Calender To make the surface of paper
smooth by pressing it between rollers during
manufacturing.

Caliper

(1) Thickness of paper or other

substrate expressed in thousandths of an
inch (mils or points), pages per inch (ppi),
thousandths of a millimeter (microns) or pages
per centimeter (ppc). (2) Device on a sheetfed
press that detects double sheets or on a binding
machine that detects missing signatures or
inserts.

Camera-ready_Copy

Mechanicals,
photographs and art fully prepared for
reproduction according to the technical
requirements of the printing process being
used. Also called finished art and reproduction
copy.

Carbonless_Paper

Paper coated with

chemicals that enable transfer of images from
one sheet to another with pressure from writing
or typing.
Chalking Deterioration of a printed image
caused by ink that absorbs into paper too fast
or has long exposure to sun, and wind making
printed images look dusty. Also called crocking.
Choke Technique of slightly reducing the

Bleed Printing that extends to the edge of a

size of an image to create a hairline trap or to

outline. Also called shrink and skinny.

Blind_Image Image debossed, embossed or

Chroma Strength of a color as compared to

sheet or page after trimming.

stamped, but not printed with ink or foil.

Blueline Prepress proof made where all colors

show as blue images on white paper. Blueline

is a generic term for proofs made from a variety
of materials having similar appearances that
may also be called position proof, silverprint,
Dylux, and VanDyke.

CMYK Abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow

and key (black), the four process colors.

Coated_Paper Paper with a coating of clay

ink after printing and using a metallic powder.

and other substances that improves reflectivity

and ink holdout. Mills produce coated paper in
the four major categories cast, gloss, dull and
matte.

Build-a-Color To overlap two or more

Collate To organize printed matter in a

Bronzing The effect produced by dusting wet

design by: Jackie Colom

how close it seems to neutral gray. Also called

depth, intensity, purity and saturation.

screen tints to create a new color. Such an

overlap is called a build, color build, stacked
screen build or tint build.

35 www.GoDesignNow.com

specific order as requested.

Collating_Marks

Mostly in the book

arena, specific marks on the back of signatures

indicating exact position in the collating stage.

Color_Balance

Refers to amounts of
process colors that simulate the colors of the
original scene or photograph.

Color_Break In multicolor printing, the

point, line or space at which one ink color stops

and another begins.

Color_Cast Unwanted color affecting an

entire image or portion of an image.

Color_Control_Bar Strip of small blocks

of color on a proof or press sheet to help

evaluate features such as density and dot gain.
Also called color bar, color guide and standard
offset color bar.

Color_Correct To adjust the relationship

among the process colors to achieve desirable

colors.

Color_Curves

Instructions in computer
software that allow users to change or correct
colors. Also called HLS and HVS tables.

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_Separation (1) Technique of using

a camera, scanner or computer to divide

continuous-tone color images into four halftone
negatives. (2) The product resulting from color
separating and subsequent four-color process
printing.

Color_Sequence Order in which inks are

printed. With process colors, the sheetfed

sequence is often black first, then magenta,
cyan, and yellow last. The web sequence is
often cyan, magenta, yellow, and black either
first or last. Also called letdown sequence and
rotation.

Color_Shift Change in image color resulting

from changes in register, ink densities or dot

gain during four-color process printing.

Comb_Bind To bind by inserting the teeth of

a flexible plastic comb through holes punched

along the edge of a stack of paper. Also called
plastic bind and GBC bind (a brand name).

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.

TERMS PRODUCTION
in position with graphics and type. Also called
final proof, imposition proof and stripping
proof.

Condition To keep paper in the pressroom

for a few hours or days before printing so that

its moisture level and temperature equal that
in the pressroom. Also called cure, mature and
season.

Continuous-tone_Copy All photographs

and those illustrations having a range of shades

not made up of dots, as compared to line copy
or halftones. Abbreviated contone.

Converter Business that makes products such

as boxes, bags, envelopes and displays.

Cover_Paper Category of thick paper used

for products such as posters, menus, folders and

covers of paperback books.

Crash Coarse cloth embedded in the glue

along the spine of a book to increase strength

of binding. Also called gauze, mull and scrim.

Creep Phenomenon of middle pages of a folded

signature extending slightly beyond outside

pages. Also called feathering, outpush, push
out and thrust.

Crop_Marks Lines near the edges of an

image indicating portions to be reproduced.

Also called cut marks and tic marks.

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.

Cure To dry inks, varnishes or other coatings

after printing to ensure good adhesion and

prevent setoff.

Deboss To press an image into paper so it lies

below the surface.

Deckle_Edge Edge of paper left ragged as it

comes from the papermaking machine instead

of being cleanly cut. Also called feather edge.

Density

(1) Regarding ink, the relative

thickness of a layer of printed ink. (2)
Regarding color, the relative ability of a color
to absorb light reflected from it or block light
passing through it. (3) Regarding paper, the
relative tightness or looseness of fibers.

Device_Independent_Colors

Hues
identified by wavelength or by their place in

systems such as developed by CIE. Device

independent means a color can be described
and specified without regard to whether
it is reproduced using ink, projected light,
photographic chemistry or any other method.
Die_Cut To cut irregular shapes in paper or

paperboard using a die.

or stencil. Abbreviated ED, EU.

Engraving Printing method using a plate,

also called a die, with an image cut into its

surface.

EPS Encapsulated Post Script, a known file

format usually used to transfer post script

information from one program to another.

Dot_Gain

Phenomenon of halftone dots

printing larger on paper than they are on
films or plates, reducing detail and lowering
contrast. Also called dot growth, dot spread
and press gain.

Dots-per-inch

Measure of resolution of
input devices such as scanners, display devices
such as monitors, and output devices such
as laser printers, imagesetters and monitors.
Abbreviated DPI. Also called dot pitch.

Double_Black_Duotone Duotone printed

from two halftones, one shot for highlights and

the other shot for midtones and shadows.

Double_Bump To print a single image twice

so it has two layers of ink.

Doubling

Printing defect appearing as

blurring or shadowing of the image. Doubling
may be caused by problems with paper,
cylinder alignment, blanket pressures or dirty
cylinders.

DPI Considered as dots per square inch, a

measure of output resolution in relationship to

printers, imagesetters and monitors.

Drawdown Sample of inks specified for a job

applied to the substrate specified for a job. Also

called pulldown.

Dropout

Halftone dots or fine lines

eliminated from highlights by overexposure
during camera work. The lost copy is said to
have dropped out.

Duotone

Black-and-white
photograph
reproduced using two halftone negatives, each
shot to emphasize different tonal values in the
original.

Emboss To press an image into paper so it lies

above the surface. Also called cameo and tool.

Emulsion Casting of light-sensitive chemicals

on papers, films, printing plates and stencils.

Equivalent_Paper Paper that is not the

brand specified, but looks, prints and may cost

the same. . Also called comparable stock.

Estimate Price that states what a job will

probably cost. Also called bid, quotation and

tender.

Etch To use chemicals to carve an image into

metal, glass or film.

Fixed_Costs Costs that remain the same

regardless of how many pieces are printed.

Copyrighting, photography and design are
fixed costs.

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.

Flat Stripped film ready for platemaking.

Flexography Method of printing on a web

press using rubber or plastic plates with raised

images. Also called aniline printing because
flexographic inks originally used aniline dyes.
Abbreviated flex.

Flood To print a sheet completely with an

ink or varnish. flooding with ink is also called

painting the sheet.

Foil_Stamp Method of printing that releases

foil from its backing when stamped with the

heated die. Also called block print, hot foil
stamp and stamp.

For_Position_Only Refers to inexpensive

copies of photos or art used on mechanical

to indicate placement and scaling, but not
intended for reproduction. Abbreviated FPO.

Fountain_Solution

Mixture of water
and chemicals that dampens a printing plate
to prevent ink from adhering to the nonimage
area. Also called dampener solution.

Emulsion_Down/Up Film whose emulsion

side faces down (away from the viewer) or up

(toward the viewer) when ready to make a plate

F o ur - c o l o r _ P r o c e s s _ P rin t in g

Technique of printing that uses black, magenta,

design by: Jackie Colom

Composite_Proof Proof of color separations

www.GoDesignNow.com 36

PRODUCTION TERMS
cyan and yellow to simulate full-color images.
Also called color process printing, full color
printing and process printing.
Free_Sheet Paper made from cooked wood

fibers mixed with chemicals and washed free of

impurities, as compared to groundwood paper.
Also called woodfree paper.

Gang

(1) To halftone or separate more

than one image in only one exposure. (2)
To reproduce two or more different printed
products simultaneously on one sheet of paper
during one press run. Also called combination
run.

Gathered Signatures assembled next to each

other in the proper sequence for binding, as

compared to nested. Also called stacked.

Graduated_Screen_Tint Screen tint that

changes densities gradually and smoothly, not

in distinct steps. Also called degrade, gradient,
ramped screen and vignette.

Grain_Direction Predominant direction in

which fibers in paper become aligned during

manufacturing. Also called machine direction.

Grain_Long/Short_Paper Paper whose

fibers run parallel to the long/short dimension

of the sheet.

Gravure Method of printing using metal

cylinders etched with millions of tiny wells that

hold ink.

Gray_Balance Printed cyan, magenta and

(1) To photograph or scan a

continuous tone image to convert the image
into halftone dots. (2) A photograph or
continuous-tone illustration that has been
halftoned and appears on film, paper, printing
plate or the final printed product.

Heat-set_Web Web press equipped with an

oven to dry ink, thus able to print coated paper.

Hickey Spot or imperfection in printing, most

visible in areas of heavy ink coverage, caused

by dirt on the plate or blanket. Also called bulls
eye and fish eye.

House_Sheet Paper kept in stock by a printer

and suitable for a variety of printing jobs. Also

called floor sheet.

Imagesetter

Laser output device using

photosensitive paper or film.

Image_Trap Slight overlapping of images to

ensure they appear registered.

Imposition

Arrangement of pages on
mechanicals or flats so they will appear in
proper sequence after press sheets are folded
and bound.

Impression (1) Referring to an ink color, one

impression equals one press sheet passing once

through a printing unit. (2) Referring to speed
of a press, one impression equals one press
sheet passing once through the press.

Impression_Cylinder Cylinder, on a press,

yellow halftone dots that accurately, reproduce

a neutral gray image.

that pushes paper against the plate or blanket,

thus forming the image. Also called impression
roller.

Gray_ C o mp o n e n t _ R e plac e m e n t

Imprint To print new copy on a previously

Technique of replacing gray tones in the

yellow, cyan and magenta films, made while
color separating, with black ink. Abbreviated
GCR. Also called achromatic color removal.

Gray_Levels Number of distinct gray tones

that can be reproduced by a computer.

Gripper_Edge

Edge of a sheet held by

grippers on a sheetfed press, thus going first
through the press. Also called feeding edge and
leading edge.

GSM The unit of measurement for paper weight

design by: Jackie Colom

Halftone

(grams per square meter).

Gutter In the book arena, the inside margins

toward the back or the binding edges.

Hairline Subjective term referring to very

small space, thin line or close register.

37 www.GoDesignNow.com

printed sheet, such as imprinting an employees

name on business cards. Also called surprint.

Ink_Balance Relationship of the densities

and dot gains of process inks to each other and

to a standard density of neutral gray.

Ink_Fountain Reservoir, on a printing press,

that holds ink.

Ink_Holdout Characteristic of paper that

prevents it from absorbing ink, thus allowing

ink to dry on the surface of the paper. Also
called holdout.

Ink_Jet_Printing Method of printing by

spraying droplets of ink through computercontrolled nozzles.

Ink_Trap

Ink printed over a previously

printed image.

Job_Ticket Form used by service bureaus,

separators and printers to specify production

schedule of a job and the materials it needs.
Also called docket, production order and work
order.

Keylines Lines on a mechanical or negative

showing the exact size, shape and location of

photographs or other graphic elements. Also
called holding lines.

Lay-Flat_Bind Method of perfect binding that

allows a publication to lie fully open.

Letterpress Method of printing from raised

surfaces, either metal type or plates whose

surfaces have been etched away from image
areas. Also called block printing.

Lithography

Method of printing using

plates whose image areas attract ink and whose
nonimage areas repel ink. Nonimage areas
may be coated with water to repel the oily ink
or may have a surface, such as silicon, that
repels ink.

M_Weight Weight of 1,000 sheets of paper in

any specific size.

Makeready

(1) All activities required to

prepare a press or other machine to function for
a specific printing or bindery job, as compared
to production run. Also called setup. (2) Paper
used in the makeready process at any stage in
production. Makeready paper is part of waste
or spoilage.

Mask To prevent light from reaching part of an

image, therefore isolating the remaining part.

Also called knock out.

Match_Print A form of a four-color-process

proofing system.

Mechanical_Camera-ready assembly of

type, graphic and other copy complete with

instructions to the printer. Also called an
artboard and pasteup.

Mock_Up A reproduction of the original

printed matter and possibly

instructions or direction.

containing

Moire Undesirable pattern resulting when

halftones and screen tints are made with

improperly aligned screens, or when a pattern
in a photo, such as a plaid, interfaces with a
halftone dot pattern.

Nested_Signatures assembled inside one

another in the proper sequence for binding, as

compared to gathered. Also called inset.

Non-Heatset_Web

Web press without a

TERMS PRODUCTION

Nonimpact-Printing Printing using lasers,

ions, ink jets or heat to transfer images to paper.

Offset_Printing Printing technique that

transfers ink from a plate to a blanket to paper

instead of directly from plate to paper.

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.

Onion_Skin

A specific lightweight type

(kind) of paper usually used in the past for air
mail. Seldom used today (in the typewriter era).

Overlay_Proof Color proof consisting of

polyester sheets laid on top of each other with

their image in register, as compared to integral
proof. Each sheet represents the image to be
printed in one color. Also called celluloid proof
and layered proof.

Page_Proof Proof of type and graphics as

they will look on the finished page complete

with elements such as headings, rules and
folios.

Pagination

In the
numbering of pages.

book

arena,

the

Painted_Sheet Sheet printed with ink edge to

edge, as compared to spot color. The painted

sheet refers to the final product, not the press
sheet, and means that 100 percent coverage
results from bleeds off all four sides.

separations, flats and printing plates by using

small holes, all of equal diameter, at the edges
of both flats and plates.
Plate Piece of paper, metal, plastic or rubber

carrying an image to be reproduced using a

printing press.

Plate-ready_Film

Stripped negatives or
positives fully prepared for platemaking.

Perfect_Bind To bind sheets that have been

ground at the spine and are held to the cover by

glue. Also called adhesive bind, cut-back bind,
glue bind, paper bind, patent bind, perfecting
bind, soft bind and soft cover. See also Burst
Perfect Bind.

Perfecting_Press Press capable of printing

both sides of the paper during a single pass.

Also called duplex press and perfector.

Perforating Taking place on a press or a

binder machine, creating a line of small dotted

wholes for the purpose of tearing-off a part of
a printed matter (usually straight lines, vertical
or horizontal).

Pin_Register

Technique

of

registering

Device that
translates page description commands into
bitmapped information for an output device
such as a laser printer or imagesetter.

Reader_Spread Mechanicals made in two

page spreads as readers would see the pages, as

compared to printer spread.

Ream 500 sheets of paper.

Pleasing_Color Color that the customer

considers satisfactory even though it may not

precisely match original samples, scenes or
objects.

Reflective_Copy Products, such as fabrics,

illustrations and photographic prints, viewed

by light reflected from them, as compared to
transparent copy. Also called reflex copy.

PMS Obsolete reference to Pantone Matching

System. The correct trade name of the colors

in the Pantone Matching System is Pantone
colors, not PMS Colors.

Register_Marks

Cross-hair lines on
mechanicals and film that help keep flats,
plates, and printing in register. Also called
crossmarks and position marks.

Post_Bind To bind using a screw and post

inserted through a hole in a pile of loose sheets.

Prepress Camera work, color separations,

stripping, platemaking and other prepress

functions performed by the printer, separator
or a service bureau prior to printing. Also
called preparation.

Press_Proof Proof made on press using the

plates, ink and paper specified for the job. Also

called strike off and trial proof.

Printer_Spreads

Mechanicals made so
they are imposed for printing, as compared to
reader spreads.
Printing_Unit Assembly of fountain, rollers
and cylinders that will print one ink color. Also
called color station, deck, ink station, printer,
station and tower.

Paste-up To paste copy to mounting boards

and, if necessary, to overlays so it is assembled

into a camera-ready mechanical. The
mechanical produced is often called a paste-up.

Raster_Image_Processor

Process_Colors The colors used for four-

color process printing: yellow, magenta, cyan

and black.

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.

Quick_Printing

Printing using small

sheetfed presses, called duplicators, using cut
sizes of bond and offset paper.

Rag_Paper Stationery or other forms of stock

having a strong percentage content of cotton

rags.

Rainbow_Fountain Technique of putting

ink colors next to each other in the same ink

fountain and oscillating the ink rollers to make
the colors merge where they touch, producing a
rainbow effect.

Relief_Printing

Printing method whose

image carriers are surfaces with two levels
having inked areas higher than noninked
areas. Relief printing includes block printing,
flexography and letter press.

Repeatability Ability of a device, such as an

imagesetter, to produce film or plates that yield

images in register.

Reprographics

General
term
for
xerography, diazo and other methods of
copying used by designers, engineers, architects
or for general office use.

Reverse

Type, graphic or illustration

reproduced by printing ink around its outline,
thus allowing the underlying color or paper to
show through and form the image. The image
reverses out of the ink color. Also called
knockout.

RGB Abbreviation for red, green, blue, the

additive color primaries.

Right_Reading Copy that reads correctly

in the language in which it is written. Also

describes a photo whose orientation looks like
the original scene, as compared to a flopped
image.

Round_Back_Bind To case bind with a

rounded (convex) spine, as compared to flat

back bind.
Saddle_Stitch To bind by stapling sheets
together where they fold at the spine, as
compared to side stitch. Also called pamphlet
stitch, saddle wire and stitch bind.
Satin_Finish Alternate term for dull finish on

coated paper.

design by: Jackie Colom

drying oven, thus not able to print on coated

paper. Also called cold-set web and open web.

www.GoDesignNow.com 38

PRODUCTION TERMS
Score To compress paper along a straight line

Spiral_Bind

Screen_Angles Angles at which screens

Split_Fountain Technique of putting ink

so it folds more easily and accurately. Also

called crease.

intersect with the horizontal line of the

press sheet. The common screen angles for
separations are black 45 degree, magenta 75
degree, yellow 90 degree and cyan 105 degree.

Screen_Density Refers to the percentage of

ink coverage that a screen tint allows to print

(dot area). Also called screen percentage.

Screen_Printing Method of printing by

using a squeegee to force ink through an

assembly of mesh fabric and a stencil.

Screen_Ruling Number of rows or lines

of dots per inch or centimeter in a screen for

making a screen tint or halftone. Also called
line count, ruling, screen frequency, screen size
and screen value.

Screen_Tint Color created by dots instead

of solid ink coverage. Also called Benday, fill

pattern, screen tone, shading, tint and tone.

Self_Mailer A printed item independent of an

envelope. A printed item capable of travel in

the mailing arena independently.

Sheetfed_Press Press that prints sheets of

paper, as compared to a web press.

Sheetwise Technique of printing one side of a
sheet with one set of plates, then the other side
of the sheet with a set of different plates. Also
called work and back.
Shingling Allowance, made during paste-up

or stripping, to compensate for creep. Creep

is the problem; shingling is the solution. Also
called stair stepping and progressive margins.

Side_stitch To bind by stapling through

sheets along, one edge, as compared to saddle

stitch. Also called cleat stitch and side wire.

To bind using a spiral of

continuous wire or plastic looped through
holes. Also called coil bind.

colors next to each other in the same ink

fountain and printing them off the same plate.
Split fountains keep edges of colors distinct,
as compared to rainbow fountains that blend
edges.

Split_Run

(1) Different images, such as

advertisements, printed in different editions
of a publication. (2) Printing of a book that has
some copies bound one way and other copies
bound another way.

Spoilage Paper that, due to mistakes or

accidents, must be thrown away instead of

delivered printed to the customer, as compared
to waste.

Spot_Color or Varnish One ink or varnish

applied to portions of a sheet, as compared to

flood or painted sheet.

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.

Step_and_Repeat

Prepress technique of
exposing an image in a precise, multiple
pattern to create a flat or plate. Images are said
to be stepped across the film or plate.

Strip

To assemble images on film for

platemaking. Stripping involves correcting
flaws in film, assembling pieces of film into
flats and ensuring that film and flats register
correctly. Also called film assembly and image
assembly.

Soy-based_Inks Inks using vegetable oils

design by: Jackie Colom

instead of petroleum products as pigment

vehicles, thus are easier on the environment.

Specular_Highlight Highlight area with

no printable dots, thus no detail, as compared

to a diffuse highlight. Also called catchlight
and dropout highlight.

Spine Back or binding edge of a publication

39 www.GoDesignNow.com

coated paper.

Score To compress paper along a straight line

so it folds more easily and accurately. Also

called crease.

Screen_Angles Angles at which screens

intersect with the horizontal line of the

press sheet. The common screen angles for
separations are black 45 degree, magenta 75
degree, yellow 90 degree and cyan 105 degree.

Screen_Density Refers to the percentage of

ink coverage that a screen tint allows to print

(dot area). Also called screen percentage.

Screen_Printing Method of printing by

using a squeegee to force ink through an

assembly of mesh fabric and a stencil.

Screen_Ruling Number of rows or lines

of dots per inch or centimeter in a screen for

making a screen tint or halftone. Also called
line count, ruling, screen frequency, screen size
and screen value.

Screen_Tint Color created by dots instead

of solid ink coverage. Also called Benday, fill

pattern, screen tone, shading, tint and tone.

Self_Mailer A printed item independent of an

envelope. A printed item capable of travel in

the mailing arena independently.

Sheetfed_Press Press that prints sheets of

paper, as compared to a web press.

Sheetwise Technique of printing one side of a

sheet with one set of plates, then the other side

of the sheet with a set of different plates. Also
called work and back.

Shingling Allowance, made during paste-up

Subtractive_Color

Color produced by
light reflected from a surface, as compared to
additive color. Subtractive color includes hues
in color photos and colors created by inks on
paper.

Signature Printed sheet folded at least once,

possibly many times, to become part of a book,

magazine or other publication.

Satin_Finish Alternate term for dull finish on

Subtractive_Primary_Color

or stripping, to compensate for creep. Creep

is the problem; shingling is the solution. Also
called stair stepping and progressive margins.

Side_stitch To bind by stapling through

sheets along, one edge, as compared to saddle

stitch. Also called cleat stitch and side wire.

Yellow,
magenta and cyan. In the graphic arts, these
are known as process colors because, along
with black, they are the inks colors used in
color-process printing.

Signature Printed sheet folded at least once,

Supercalendered_Paper Paper calendered

Soy-based_Inks Inks using vegetable oils

using alternating chrome and fiber rollers to

produce a smooth, thin sheet. Abbreviated SC
paper.
Saddle_Stitch To bind by stapling sheets
together where they fold at the spine, as
compared to side stitch. Also called pamphlet
stitch, saddle wire and stitch bind.

possibly many times, to become part of a book,

magazine or other publication.

instead of petroleum products as pigment

vehicles, thus are easier on the environment.

Specular_Highlight Highlight area with

no printable dots, thus no detail, as compared

to a diffuse highlight. Also called catchlight
and dropout highlight.

TERMS PRODUCTION

Spiral_Bind

To bind using a spiral of

continuous wire or plastic looped through
holes. Also called coil bind.

Split_Fountain Technique of putting ink

colors next to each other in the same ink

fountain and printing them off the same plate.
Split fountains keep edges of colors distinct,
as compared to rainbow fountains that blend
edges.

Split_Run

(1) Different images, such as

advertisements, printed in different editions
of a publication. (2) Printing of a book that has
some copies bound one way and other copies
bound another way.

Spoilage Paper that, due to mistakes or

accidents, must be thrown away instead of

delivered printed to the customer, as compared
to waste.

indicating specific stock in specific colors in a

specific thickness.

SWOP Abbreviation for specifications for web

offset publications, specifications recommended

for web printing of publications.

Swash_Book A book in a variety of forms,

indicating specific stock in specific colors in a

specific thickness.

SWOP Abbreviation for specifications for web

offset publications, specifications recommended

for web printing of publications.

Text_Paper Designation for printing papers

with textured surfaces such as laid or linen.

Some mills also use text to refer to any paper
they consider top-of-the-line, whether or not its
surface has a texture.

Thermography Method of printing using

colorless resin powder that takes on the color of

underlying ink. Also called raised printing.

Spot_Color or Varnish One ink or varnish

applied to portions of a sheet, as compared to

flood or painted sheet.

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.

Step_and_Repeat

Prepress technique of
exposing an image in a precise, multiple
pattern to create a flat or plate. Images are said
to be stepped across the film or plate.

Strip

To assemble images on film for

platemaking. Stripping involves correcting
flaws in film, assembling pieces of film into
flats and ensuring that film and flats register
correctly. Also called film assembly and image
assembly.

Subtractive_Color

Color produced by
light reflected from a surface, as compared to
additive color. Subtractive color includes hues
in color photos and colors created by inks on
paper.

Subtractive_Primary_Color

Yellow,
magenta and cyan. In the graphic arts, these
are known as process colors because, along
with black, they are the inks colors used in
color-process printing.

Tint Screening or adding white to a solid color

for results of lightening that specific color.

Tone_Compression

Reduction in the
tonal range from original scene to printed
reproduction.

Total_Area_Coverage Total of the dot

percentages of the process colors in the final

film. Abbreviated for TAC. Also called density
of tone, maximum density, shadow saturation,
total dot density and total ink coverage.

Touch_Plate Plate that accents or prints a

color that four-color process printing cannot

reproduce well enough or at all. Also called kiss
plate.

Trap To print one ink over another or to print

a coating, such as varnish, over an ink. The

first liquid traps the second liquid. See also Dry
Traps and Wet Traps.

Uncoated_Paper Paper that has not been

coated with clay. Also called offset paper.

Undercolor

Addition Technique of
making color separations that increases the
amount of cyan, magenta or yellow ink in
shadow areas. Abbreviated UCA.

Undercolor_Removal
Supercalendered_Paper Paper calendered

using alternating chrome and fiber rollers to

produce a smooth, thin sheet. Abbreviated SC
paper.

Technique of
making color separations such that the amount
of cyan, magenta and yellow ink is reduced in
midtone and shadow areas while the amount of
black is increased. Abbreviated UCR.

Unsharp_Masking Technique of adjusting

dot size to make a halftone or separation

appear sharper (in better focus) than the
original photo or the first proof. Also called
edge enhancement and peaking.

Up Term to indicate multiple copies of one

image printed in one impression on a single

sheet. Two up or three up means printing
the identical piece twice or three times on each
sheet.

UV_Coating Liquid applied to a printed sheet,

then bonded and cured with ultraviolet light.

Varnish Liquid applied as a coating for

protection and appearance.

Vellum_Finish

finish.

Somewhat rough, toothy

Vignette Decorative design or illustration

fade to white.

Virgin_Paper Paper made exclusively of pulp

from trees or cotton, as compared to recycled

paper.

Wash-Up To clean ink and fountain solutions

from rollers, fountains, screens, and other press

components.

Waste

Unusable paper or paper damage

during normal makeready, printing or binding
operations, as compared to spoilage.

Watermark

Translucent logo in paper

created during manufacturing by slight
embossing from a dandy roll while paper is still
approximately 90 percent water.

Web_Press Press that prints from rolls of

paper, usually cutting it into sheets after

printing. Also called reel-fed press.

With_the_Grain

Parallel to the grain

direction of the paper being used, as compared
to against the grain. See also Grain Direction.

Woodfree Paper Made with chemical pulp

only. Paper usually classified as calendered or

supercalendered.

Wove Paper manufactured without visible wire

marks, usually a fine textured paper.

Wrong_Reading

An image that is
backwards when compared to the original.
Also called flopped and reverse reading.

design by: Jackie Colom

Swash_Book A book in a variety of forms,

Spine Back or binding edge of a publication

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