DESIGNERS AND PRINTERS

Before the advent of the computer in graphic design, there were three distinct stages involved in the design process, each provided by a different industry. Design companies would deal with the initial design and layout of artwork, finishing with a hard copy of the artwork and layout which they would then pass on to a Pre-Press outfit. The Pre-press organisation would then scan in the artwork and any photographs and photograph the artwork onto colour separation films (acetates) for the printers. Finally the printers would take the film seps and make printing plates from them which would go onto the printing press and lay the colour output onto paper for the client.

Thanks to advances in computers and other hardware and the resultant drop in prices for the equipment, Pre-press is now largely dealt with by both the design and printing outfits. Add to this equation the new technologies emerging in the digital printing field and we find that where there was once three distinct industries we now have two very blurred fields with an ever expending grey area where they meet. While there are some companies now offering a complete service from initial design to finished printed output all in-house, the vast majority of designers and printers still recognise the specialised skills and expertise provided by their counterparts and are content to concentrate on their own businesses. 'One stop shops' will usually offer astonishingly good prices, but it should be remembered that, with a few exceptions, in this business as in many others you get what you pay for.

That said, any designer worth his salt will have a good working knowledge of the printing process and vice-versa. This is very important if the two industries are to work together. If a client is wanting printed output it can be very beneficial if they also know something of the printing process, not least if they are balancing quality output with a tight budget. This page is provided to give clients a little background knowledge on the printing process. It may also be useful to visit our Jargon Buster page in this web site (just click on the button below).

PRINTING METHODS

There are many methods of printing, among them Litho Printing, Screen Printing, and Digital Printing. Which method you choose depends on a number of factors.

Litho Printing

This is by far the most common printing method. If you are wanting over 200 units (e.g. leaflets) or if you have a multi-page document such as a brochure or catalogue, then this is most likely the printing method you will need.

Screen Printing

Screen Printing is most often used when printing onto media other than paper such as promotional items like pens and mugs. It is also used for printing onto fabrics. Screen Printing lays down solid colour and does not lend itself to subtle colour graduation. Forget about photographs.

Digital Printing

If you have a print run of under 200 units then Digital Printing becomes financially viable. For one off products or personalised print runs with variations in each unit, it is really the only way. Also ideal for large scale outputs for billboards and drop down banners.

LITHO PRINTING ISSUES

Litho Printing involves making printing plates, one for each colour being printed and using them on a printing press to lay down each of the colours one after the other. Full colour printing uses four colours (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) laid down on top of each other in differing amounts to reproduce the full range of colours.

Most often, designers will arrange printing on a client's behalf. However, it does no harm for clients to familiarise themselves the processes and pitfalls in the printing industry. On our Links page you will find links to sites dealing with this subject in depth. In the meantime here are a few points to be aware of:

• A major portion of the cost of Litho Printing is spent creating the plates, Mixing the inks and setting up the printing press. For this reason it is cheaper to run a large job in one go than it is to run a limited number of prints and then order one or more reprints at a later date. Too many is better than too few.
• Each time a spot colour of ink is mixed it is ever so slightly different in hue from the last time and every printer has his own supply of inks, possibly from different manufacturers. This may lead to very slight discrepancies in the colour reproduction of reprints. Usually, though not always, it is too subtle for the human eye to discern. However, sticking with one printer helps to minimise this possibility.
• Spot colours are mixed before going on the press and applied as a single colour. Process colours are made up from the four full colour printing colours (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black), by laying them on top of each other in differing amounts onto paper. Although a spot colour and a process colour may have the same name, they will usually differ very slightly in hue due to the different production methods.
• The colour of a given ink will vary depending on the texture and colour of the material on which it is printed. Glossy paper tends to make colours more vibrant, Matt paper does the opposite. There are thousands of different types of paper and card. If you find one you like, remember it's name.
• There are a number of finishing methods which can be used on printed material such as laminating, UV varnishing and litho varnishing. They are used to protect the printed product from the elements and enhance it's look and feel. Gloss and Matt finishes vary the colour in the same way that Gloss and Matt papers do.

Designers and printers alike are aware of all of these points and many others besides and should be only too happy to advise clients on how best to achieve the desired effect. If you have a specific question on the subject of printing please feel free to use the feedback form on our contacts page and we will do our best to answer or advise.

GET THE PROOF !

All through the design process, the client and the designer are becoming more and more familiar with the product. By the end, both should know exactly what it is expected to look like. By contrast, when the printer receives the job, he has more than likely never seen it before and will just print what has been handed to him on disk. If there are any problems with the job, such as a missing photograph on the disk or a different text font on his system (he will be using a different computer than the one on which the job was designed), he will be unlikely to spot it. For this reason it is highly advisable to supply the printer with a colour proof or mock-up of the job for him to compare with what he receives on disk. Similarly, the printer can supply his own proof of the job for clients and designers to check before going to print. Printers proofs come in the form of either a digital proof or a cromalin proof. If the print job is costing a reasonable amount of money, it makes very good sense to spend a modest amount on a printers proof to avoid costly reprints in the event of a mistake.

Site URL: www.graphicdesign.co.uk/printmatters click here to break out of frames if required

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Page URL: http://www.graphicdesign.co.uk/printmatters/
Date created: 15th July 1998
Webmaster: Bruce Wilkie
Inquiries: studio@adscreative.com