Print

7 things to know about print

Litho is the most common form of printing

Colour models

The way colour is generated in print is completely different from what you see on screen

Formats

Understanding format options and limitations will help you to be more creative and economical when necessary

Standard ISO paper sizes A and SRA sizes

SRA printer sizes, slightly bigger than A sizes, bleed

Imperial (North America) US metric (Rest of the world)

Tabloid (Compact) broadsheet Berliner

Envelope 'C' sizes

Stock

The correct weight and finish of a paper or substrate are crucial to the feel of a job. If your knowledge only goes as far as 80 GSM photocopy paper you're not serious about graphic design

Weight GSM (Grams square metre)

Finish Gloss/silk/matt

coated or uncoated, will be called different things in different places

Laid or wove- Way the paper is made, the way the fibre goes

Boards, carton- Thin card

Plastics and acetates

Artwork

Preparing artwork correctly for print is the sign of a professional. It will save you and the printer a lot of grief if you know what needs doing and check it twice. Get the client to sign-off the proof, if offers some insurance if things go wrong

Document set up right format, colour systems

File format and fonts

Embed the font, legality you are supposed to own the font

Spellcheck

Colour specification CMYK etc

Printer marks

Pre flights checks, No RGB colour anything not compatible with print

Mock ups, check everything is alright

Folios- Page numbers

Proof- exactly how it will be printed

Sign off (really important)

Print processes

You should know how early on in your design which print process and finishing is appropriate for your job. There are nuances in artwork specification that you may need to be aware of... find out before you've gone too far

Lithographic

gravure

screen print

flexography

pad printing

six colour

laminate/gloss/matte

foil blocking

embossing/debossing

spot UV varnish

Finishing

Binding (What type?)

Folding and creasing

dye stamping and drilling

This is very closely linked with the print process and should always be discussed with your printer as they are likely to do this in-house, if not they will commission and manage it as part of the job

Costs

Get a quote very early on before you start the job in earnest as possible

Identical specification for 3 print estimates to work to

Learn roughly what things cost (Unit cost)

Understand viable minimum quantities

Extras authors corrections

delivery-needs to get to the client, is this included in the price?

Get three quotes and check the specification is the same on each one otherwise its impossible to see who is providing the best deal

Be aware of the impact special sizes, finishes etc have on all the overall cost. Sometimes a finish can cost nearly as much as the rest of the print

If the author/client changes something later on you can charge them for it