THE OFFICIAL ADOBE'

*rint Publishing Guide

Second Edition

THE ESSENTIAL RESOURCE FOR DESIGN. PRODUCTION, AND PREPRESS

Brian P. Lawler

The Official Adobe

Print Publishing Guide

Second Edition

Brian P. Lawler

Adobe

The Official Adobe Print Publishing Guide, Second Edition

Brian P. Lawler

Adobe Press 1249 Eighth Street Berkeley, CA 94710 510/524-2178 800/283-9444 510/524-2221 (fax)

Find us on the Web at www.adobepress.com.

To report errors, please send a note to [email protected].

Adobe Press is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education.

Copyright © 2006 by Brian P. Lawler

Editor: Rebecca Gulick

Production Editor: Connie Jeung-Mills

Copy Editor: Tiffany Taylor

Proofreader: Alison Kelley

Compositor: Owen Wolfson

Illustrators: Brian P. Lawler and Julie Brockmeyer

Indexer: James Minkin

Cover Design: Charlene Will

Interior Design: Owen Wolfson

Cover and Interior Photography: Brian P. Lawler, Corbis, Getty Images Notice of Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
publisher.

For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact [email protected].

Notice of Liability

The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution
has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to
any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or
indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products
described in it.

Trademarks

“Acrobat,” “Adobe,” “Bridge,” “Camera Raw,” “Illustrator,” “InDesign,” “Photoshop,” and “Postscript”
are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or
other countries.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as
trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim,
the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services
identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies
with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended
to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

ISBN 0-321-30466-7 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed and bound in the United States of America

Thank you to Ellis Myers, who gave me a chance and a lot of education in the graphic arts; to my favorite
graphic artist, Ashala; my favorite illustrator, Patrick; all of my instructors and mentors at Cal Poly;
Harvey Levenson and Mike Blum, who promised it would be “just one class” they wanted me to teach; to
my colleagues Lorraine Donegan, Penny Osmond, Ken Macro, Malcolm Keif, Tom Goglio, Kevin Cooper
and Melanie Kronemann; and to Korla McFall, Bob Pinkin and Sabra Scott, staff members par
excellence.

—Brian P. Lawler

Contents
Using Type . Font Formats

120
Introduction
Until recently, most prepress tasks—such as scanning color photographs, trapping,
imposition, color correction, and halftone screening—were performed exclusively by
skilled specialists working manually or on expensive proprietary systems. Today many
of these tasks can be accomplished on the desktop.
The flexibility and direct control offered by this new technology have blurred the
traditional roles of designer and prepress professionals. Designers who have the
knowledge and the equipment can do their own prepress work. The prepress industry
has changed to support the new requirements of the desktop publisher. Most
commercial print shops are now equipped to image a file directly onto lithographic
plates without requiring film as an intermediary, or even directly from a digital file to
press.

Managing these changing relationships to achieve output of professional quality

requires a knowledge of the processes and relevant issues. As a guide to the
preparation of electronic files for commercial printing, this book addresses these issues
and supplies the information you will need in deciding whether to perform a particular
task yourself or to leave that task in the hands of a prepress professional.
1 Color and Commercial Printing
Describing Color

Prepress Terms

Computer Graphics

Image Resolution and Line Screen

Printing Technologies

Offset Lithography

Other Printing Processes

Printing Terms

Imposition and Binding

Binding and Finishing Terms

©

Color and Commercial Printing

One of the greatest challenges designers and publishers face is ensuring that the color
in their printed artwork looks the way they intend. Accurate color reproduction
requires a solid understanding of color basics and how color is displayed and printed on
different devices, as well as good communication between the designer, the prepress
provider, and the commercial printer.

This chapter introduces fundamental printing concepts and terminology and describes
several processes that are commonly used to produce commercial printing.

Describing Color

Objects appear to be certain colors because of their ability to

reflect, absorb, or transmit light; we perceive this light as color.
Our eyes are sensitive enough to perceive a nearly infinite range
of colors in the spectrum of visible light—including many colors
that can’t be displayed on a computer screen or printed on a
commercial printing press.
We describe color in terms of three characteristics: hue, saturation, and brightness. These qualities are
traditionally represented graphically on a color wheel. Brightness has to do with the quantity of light
reaching your eye—the brightness of a surface depends on how reflective it is. Hues depend on
wavelength and are identified by color names; a hue corresponds to a direction on the color wheel.
Saturation, sometimes called chroma, refers to a color’s vividness.

Two colors have the same hue and brightness but differ in saturation if one appears whiter or more
neutral. Spectral colors—the colors of a single wavelength of light from a prism— have maximum
saturation. The saturation of a pure spectral color can be reduced while keeping the brightness steady by
diluting the color with white light. On a color wheel, which has spectral colors along the rim, white at the
center, and uniform brightness, saturation corresponds to distance from the center of the wheel.

Each type of device used to create a color publication—be it a scanner, computer display, color desktop
printer, or commercial printing press—reproduces a different range of color, or color gamut. Even
similar devices, such as two computer displays made by the same manufacturer, can show the same color
differently. You can view more vivid colors on your display than you can print on a desktop printer or a
commercial printing press. Special inks can also create printed colors that can’t be represented on a
computer display. In addition, scanners, digital cameras and computer displays use different models to
describe color from those used by desktop printers and commercial presses. As colors move from the
computer display to the printing press, they’re converted from one color environment to another, resulting
in sometimes-dramatic changes.
Color models

Designers can use different models to select and manipulate color, corresponding to the way color is
generated in different media. On a television screen or computer display, a spot on the screen emits
varying amounts of red, green, and blue (RGB) light that combine to define the spot’s color. When you
manipulate color (using an image-editing program, for example), you have the option of working in the
RGB model and specifying colors by their red, green, and blue components.

The color printing process uses four transparent inks: cyan, magenta, yellow (CMY), and black (K). The
black is used to define detail in images, to deepen shadows, and to print type and graphics in black. When
you define color using computer software, you have the option of working in either the RGB or the
CMYK mode, and you may decide to convert images from one color space to the other.

Red, green, and blue are the additive primaries of light. If you combine 100 percent of red, green, and
blue light, you see white. If none of the additive primaries are present, you perceive black. When
discussing printing inks, cyan, magenta, and yellow pigments are the subtractive primaries. They filter
components of red, green, and blue from white light, and you see what remains. For example, if a printed
sample absorbs all the red light striking it and reflects the green and blue, its color is cyan.

If you combine 100 percent of cyan, magenta, and yellow ink on paper, the result is complete absorption,
or black—in theory. Impurities in printing ink pigments cause the combination of cyan, magenta, and
yellow to create a color that is not quite black; black ink is added to compensate for that.

Some computer applications, like Adobe Illustrator, require that the entire document be in one color
space—RGB or CMYK. When you create a new document in Illustrator, you must select one of the two.
After an Illustrator document is created, you can switch it to the other color system by changing the
Document Color Mode under the File menu. Spot colors, like those defined with the Pantone color
system, can be used in either document color environment.

Image-editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop require an image to be in one of several color spaces
(typically RGB or CMYK) but provide several color selection options besides RGB and CMYK. These
include the hue, saturation, brightness (HSB) palette, which lets you choose colors by the color wheel
method; and the Lab color model, which uses the coordinates of colorimetry. When you’re working in
Photoshop, you can select a color using any of its palettes even though the document exists in the RGB or
CMYK color space.

Adobe InDesign documents readily accept color images in a variety of color spaces (typically RGB,
monochrome, or CMYK) without requiring any conversion. InDesign shares the Color Settings of Adobe
Photoshop; when you open a document, it adopts the default color settings it finds in Color Settings.

Red Green Blue

The three additive primaries of light are red, green, and blue. When combined in pairs, they make
cyan, magenta and yellow. When all three are combined, you see white. Computer displays emit
light in additive colors, displaying it as pixels on the screen.

Monitor pixels

Additive color model: RGB

Cyan Magenta Yellow

Subtractive color model: CMY

Printed dots

When working with printer's ink, the subtractive color primaries are used—cyan, magenta, and
yellow. They are called subtractive because they act as filters, subtracting color from white light.
When mixed in pairs, they make red, green, and blue. When combined, they make a muddy brown
color, a result of slight impurities in the pigments used to make ink. To get a good black, printing
processes add black ink to supplement the cyan, magenta, and yellow primary colors, thus CMYK
process color.

Color gamuts

The range of colors a device can reproduce, capture or display is called its color gamut. The gamut of
most output devices, including printers, is a fraction of the visible color spectrum. The color gamuts of
different devices typically overlap but don’t coincide; these differences often result in the same color
appearing different in different contexts. To help guarantee consistent color across output devices,
computer applications use color management systems. These systems embed files with color profiles to
ensure consistent color through all stages of production.

By having a description of each device’s color gamut in the workflow, a program that performs color
management can coordinate color reproduction at each stage of a print project—scanning, design,
proofing, and print—and help the designer achieve acceptable and predictable color in the final copy.

CIE xyY color space

RGB gamut

CMYK gamut

x (violet-red)

Color management with ICC profiles

The ICC profile is a standardized software component developed by the International Color Consortium
for describing the color behavior of any device. These profiles can be embedded in images and used to
process colors when scanning, viewing, and printing. Profiles provide a description of the color behavior
of each device in the workflow so that each application performing color management can reliably
manage color precision at each stage of a print project.

Adobe added ICC color management as a foundation technology in Photoshop beginning with version 5.0.
Today, nearly every image that is processed through Photoshop contains an identifying embedded ICC
profile (Photoshop calls this the Color Working Space). These embedded ICC profiles provide
information about colors as they were captured by the digital camera or scanner and make possible
reliable color reproduction without guesswork.
When you’re working with programs like Adobe InDesign, color management lets you create page-layout
documents that use

images in their original color space; these images can then be printed by one or more printing processes
without converting the original images. For example, you can place photos in RGB color, CMYK color,
or grayscale in a page layout, and then print them to CMYK, Hexachrome, monochrome, or another
destination color environment without needing to convert the original images. The processing of the color
occurs at print time, guided by the embedded profiles and the color-management software running on the
computer printing the document.

Using this method, a single document can be printed both on glossy paper on a sheet-fed press and to
newsprint on a roll-fed press without modifying the original document images. The color characteristics
of the output are optimized for the printing process, paper, and ink according to the output profile that
defines how the color is converted for the specific printing process.

For more information on color management, see “Using a Color Management System” on page 60.

Display

Input

Profile

(RGB)

Color

Management
System

Display

Profile

(RGB)

Output

Profile

(CMYK)

Output

Prepress Terms
Blueline Continuous-tone art and line art

A diazo (UV-exposed and self-processed) photo print made to proof pagination, image position, and type.
Bluelines have been made mostly obsolete by the digital revolution.
Camera-ready

Said of text or artwork ready to be photographed by a process camera.

Continuous-tone art is art, such as photographs, that consists of shades of gray and color gradations. It’s
distinguished from line art, such as a line drawing, which has no tonal variation. If you look closely at
continuous-tone art, you can see that shades of gray or color blend smoothly without breaking into dots or
other patterns. When the art is printed, the corresponding regions are reproduced as arrays of different-
sized dots printed in the colors used on the press.

DPI

An abbreviation for dots per inch. Refers to the resolution at which a device, such as a monitor or printer,
can display text and graphics.

Dot gain

Many variables—from ink to paper surface and press used—affect the size of halftone dots. A certain
amount of dot gain, or increase in halftone dot size, occurs naturally when wet ink spreads as it’s
absorbed by the paper. If too much dot gain occurs, images and colors print darker than specified.

Dot gain is one of the characteristics taken into account when color-management systems are applied.

(See page 110 for more information on dot gain.)

Halftone screens

Ink is an all-or-nothing medium in the sense that any spot on the paper is either inked full-strength or not at
all. To simulate shades of gray or color on a commercial press, the image must be broken into arrays of
dots of various sizes using halftone screening.

In the case of black-and-white photography, black dots are used to simulate shades of gray. Areas where
the dots are small appear light gray, and areas where the dots are large appear dark gray or black. The
human eye is tricked into seeing tonality by its ability to average the tiny printed dots into the background
paper. You “see” gray when you’re

really looking at small printed black dots on a field of white paper.

To achieve a satisfactory range of color, the printing press superimposes four arrays of dots—in cyan,
magenta, yellow, and black ink. A region with larger dots appears darker than a region with smaller dots.
The positioning, or register, of the four arrays on top of each other is critical to quality printing.

Any visible pattern of interference between the four arrays is distracting. To minimize the chance of
interference, each array is oriented at a different angle on the press.

Image resolution (ppi)

Image resolution is the number of pixels displayed per unit of length in an image, usually measured in
pixels per inch. An image with a high resolution contains more, and therefore smaller, pixels than an
image of the same dimensions with a low resolution. For best results, use an image resolution that is
greater than the printer’s resolution (a factor of 2x is appropriate).

Halftone screen with black ink

Halftone screens with process inks at different screen angles; correctly registered halftone dots
form rosette patterns.

Knocking out and overprinting

When artwork involves two objects or colored regions that overlap each other, a designer can choose
either to let the top object eliminate, or knock out, what is beneath it or to allow overprinting.

In most cases, you want an object to knock out the one below it, to avoid unintended color blends.
However, you can use overprinting to create special effects or to hide errors in press register (see
“Trapping” on page 24).
Adobe Illustrator and InDesign both feature an Overprint Preview menu selection that can help you see
the effect of overprinting colors.

Line screen (lpi)

Line screen, also called screen ruling or screen frequency, is the number of halftone dots per linear inch
used to print grayscale or color images. Line screen is measured in lines per inch (lpi)—or lines of cells
per inch in a halftone screen. It gets its name from acid-etched lines on glass screens that were originally
used in graphic arts cameras to divide an image into microscopic circles of confusion—which, by varying
exposure, create halftone dots.

The electronic evolution of the halftone uses a virtual screen to create its halftone dots.

Machine resolution Misregister

Output devices like film imagesetters and platesetters have extraordinarily high resolution. Their
minimum imageable mark is called a device pixel (sometimes called a machine spot). A 300-dpi laser
printer uses a 1/300" square device pixel; a 600-dpi printer uses a 1/600" square device pixel. Film
imagesetters, which are capable of much higher resolutions, can make a mark as small as a 1/3600"
square dot. Modern platesetters have resolutions as great as 1/5000". By comparison, most computer
displays work with device pixels that are 1/72" square—quite coarse, compared to printing processes.

Paper sometimes stretches and shifts as it absorbs moisture and is pulled through a press. Printing plates
can also be mounted out of alignment. These factors can cause multicolor jobs to print out of register,
resulting in slight gaps or hue shifts between adjacent colors. Trapping and overprinting can conceal some
of these flaws. Misregister can also cause images to appear blurred or out of focus. If a press has printed
out of register enough to cause images to appear unsightly, the press run should be made again with colors
in register.

Moire patterns

When process-color separations are printed, the arrays of dots for each color are oriented at different
angles to minimize interference patterns. The screens are positioned so that the dots form a symmetrical
pattern called a rosette, which the human eye merges into continuous-tone color.

The relationship between the screen angles is critical. Occasionally, a pattern in a photo (woven furniture
and herringbone fabrics are common culprits) interferes with one or more screen angles, causing a
noticeable pattern of interference lines called a moire pattern. These patterns are also caused by
attempting to print photos that have been scanned from already-printed material. Moire patterns from
printed sheets can be removed by some scanner software and also by techniques in Adobe Photoshop. It
isn’t advisable to scan printed material, because the result will almost certainly produce a moire pattern.

When moire patterns show up in normal printing processes, it can be an indication of a problem in the
prepress or platesetting software.
PDF (Portable Document Format) Process colors

PDF is a document format developed by Adobe for handling documents in a device-and platform-
independent manner. It allows files to be viewed, transmitted, printed, and archived in a single format.
The PDF format works on all major operating systems, including Mac OS, Windows, and Unix. Adobe
Acrobat software provides for the conversion of documents into PDF and allows documents to be created
from any application on any computer platform. When converted into PDF, documents can retain a full
range of color, graphics, and high-quality typography. Reduced-resolution PDF files make it possible to
transfer them efficiently over the Internet for copy checking and on-screen proofing.

PostScript

The PostScript language is a page description language developed by Adobe as a way to describe to a
printer the image on a page. The introduction of PostScript printers created the electronic publishing
revolution. PostScript has become the standard way for a computer to communicate with a printer,
imagesetter, or platesetter.

In the four-color printing process, color is reproduced using transparent pigments of cyan, magenta, and
yellow (CMY). These are called process colors. In theory, process colors create shades of gray when
combined in equal combination and black when combined at full strength. Because of impurities in the
inks, however, equal amounts of the three don’t produce neutral gray, and full-strength inks combine to
create a muddy brown. To achieve contrast and detail in shadows, and to assist in maintaining neutral
grays, black ink (also transparent, and identified by the letter K) is added to the three process colors.

Using black ink to replace neutral combinations of C, M, and Y is also economical for printing and helps
to maintain the neutrality of midtones.

RIP (Raster Image Processor)

The RIP interprets the PostScript code sent from a computer application and then translates that code into
instructions for the marking engine that marks the pixels on the paper, film, or plate. A RIP is built into all
PostScript desktop printers and is a separate component for imagesetters and platesetters. Some RIPs are
software based.

I I Cyan

I I Cyan | Magenta

I I Cyan | Magenta I I Yellow

EH Cyan

B Magenta

I I Yellow

I Black

Separations

To print color artwork and images on a commercial press, each page is separated into component images
called color separations. Traditionally, separations were created photographically through colored
filters, with the results exposed onto large sheets of film. Today, separations are created digitally. There
are usually four separations per page, one for each of the CMYK process colors and one for each spot
color being used.
Within each separation, photographs are screened into an array of halftone dots (or similar patterns).
Type, line-art illustrations, and similar graphics are either printed as solids of colors or screened into
halftone patterns according to the assigned values in the originating document.

Designers generally don’t produce separations; instead, they provide complete digital files to the printer
for production. In modern printing, the separation of colors in a printed document is done as part of
platesetting.

Spot colors and tints

Spot color refers to color printed using inks other than process colors. Each spot color is produced using
a single ink and printing plate. You can choose from among hundreds of different spot-color inks.

Spot color may be used to reproduce colors not within the CMYK gamut. A spot color may also be used
to bump, or boost, the density of a process color. Spot color is often used to save money when only one or
two colors are needed—a job can then be printed on a less-expensive two-color printing press. (See page
54 for guidelines on choosing spot colors.)

A spot color printed at 100 percent density is a solid color and has no dot pattern. A tint is a lightened
spot or process color created by printing that ink with halftone dots. This process is typically referred to
as screening.

NT
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fo

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K

-Q 100% spot

80% screen

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40% screen 10% screen

Trapping

The quality of a printer’s work depends on getting the different inks to print in register— that is, exactly
aligned with each other. If one or more inks print out of register, white gaps may appear between adjacent
objects where the paper shows through, and there may be fringes of unexpected color. To minimize the
effects of misregister, commercial printers use a technique called color trapping: adjacent colors are
intentionally set to overprint along common boundaries. Trapping can be done manually in an illustration
or an image-editing program, but today much of it is done by sophisticated processes in prepress
production software.

Undercolor removal (UCR) and gray-component replacement (GCR)

At any point on the page where the three CMY inks are used at combined percentages to produce gray, the
combination can be replaced by black. To avoid having too much ink on the page (which can cause drying
problems), printers use techniques called undercolor removal (UCR) and gray-component replacement
(GCR). With UCR, cyan, magenta, and yellow colors are reduced slightly to put the right amount of ink on
the page and thereby allow the ink to dry. With GCR, black ink replaces much of the cyan, magenta, and
yellow in neutral gray areas according to a complex formula.

Printing with GCR separations allows neutral colors to be printed with better color consistency. This is
particularly beneficial on high-speed web-fed printing presses and for screen printing, where maintaining
gray balance can be challenging. Sheet-fed printing is more commonly done with UCR separations,
because the presses run more slowly and neutral balance is easier to control.

Computer Graphics
Vector graphics

Vector graphics are created in illustration programs like Adobe Illustrator. The objects in vector graphics
are made up of mathematically defined curve and line segments. You can edit such a graphic by moving
and resizing the entire graphic or selected components. Curves in vector graphics are determined by the
points you select for the lines to pass through; you change the shape of a curve by dragging its control
points.

Because the objects that form them are defined mathematically, vector graphics take up comparatively
little space and aren’t tied to a particular resolution. When displayed

or printed, the graphics are calculated to fit whatever screen or printer is used. Vector graphics are
therefore considered resolution-independent and scaleable. Unlike raster images (described next), they
can be output to different-sized screens or printing technologies of varying resolution at any size without
any quality loss.
Photos placed in vector illustrations don’t share their independence of resolution. Too much enlargement
of an illustration containing a placed photo will reveal visible pixels.

Raster images

Digital photographs are raster images, also called bitmap images. They exist in a rectangular grid of small
squares called pixels. Each pixel contains data that describes its gray level or color value. Raster images
take up more space on disk than vector graphics do, often tens or hundreds of megabytes.

Because a raster image is made up of a fixed number of pixels, the dimensions at which the image is
output depend on its resolution. A square raster that is 100 pixels wide, for example, will have a
resolution of 100 pixels per inch if printed in an inch-wide square. If printed at twice the size, however, it
will have

half the resolution in both dimensions and thus one-quarter the overall resolution.

Unlike vector graphics, which are edited by altering mathematical lines and shapes, raster images are
edited by manipulating groups of pixels. Because a raster image inhabits a grid, problems can be
associated with enlarging it or moving it to a grid with more available pixels. In a simple enlargement, the
individual pixels are enlarged and may become visible as jagged lines. In transferring an image to a grid
with more pixels, the colors or gray levels for the new pixels must be inferred by a process of
interpolation that may cause blurring.
Bitmap images describe shapes with pixels.

Image Resolution and Line Screen

Spatial resolution, typically some number of dots per inch,

corresponds roughly to the ability to render graphic detail. On a
computer screen, it’s the number of pixels per linear inch (ppi);
on an output device, it’s the number of dots printed in a linear
inch (dpi); on a scanner, it’s the number of pixels sampled per
linear inch of the scanned image. The resolution of a raster
image depends on the size it’s printed as well as on the pixel
dimensions of the file. Pixel dimensions determine file size; and,
as a practical matter, file size is related to storage and processing
efficiencies.
If you’re scanning images from film or prints, you have control over the resolution, and you can choose
whatever value you think will produce the best results. If the resolution is unnecessarily high, files will
take a long time to display and print; if the resolution is too low, the quality of output will suffer. The
choice of resolution should be based on the intended printing process—which usually defines the halftone
screen frequency—and the subject matter of the image.

As a general rule, the scan resolution should be double the lines per inch (lpi) you intend to use for
halftone screening, although this can vary. With naturally textured images, such as images of water and
foliage and many portraits, you may get good results with an image resolution that is one-and-a-half times
the screen frequency.

You can also use lower resolutions with nontraditional forms of screening, such as stochastic (frequency-
modulated) screening. Use high resolution where detail is critical and where lines must be sharp, as with
images of electronic products, jewelry, and machinery. Because resolution and reproduction size balance
each other, accepting less than the traditional 2:1 resolution ratio means that an image can be reproduced
at a slightly larger size.

Image resolution: 72 ppi Image resolution: 300 ppi

Image resolution: 300 ppi Image resolution: 300 ppi

Output resolution: 300 dpi Output resolution: 2400 dpi

65 lpi: Coarse screen used for screen printing (simulated)

133 lpi: Fine screen often used for magazines (simulated)

150 lpi: Fine screen often used for commercial printing (simulated)

85 lpi: Average screen often used for newspapers (simulated)

Printing Technologies
Frequency-modulated and hybrid screening

Traditional halftone screening arranges image dots of varying size into a regular grid pattern. Frequency-
modulated (FM) screening (also called stochastic screening) arranges dots in irregular clumps rather than
in an orderly formation. Screens made this way don’t have repeating beats and are generally free from
moire patterns. To use FM screening, you need special software or a platesetter that supports the process.

Traditional halftone screening uses the size of the dot to modulate between gray levels: larger dots for
darker shades, smaller dots for lighter shades. Frequency-modulated screening controls the level of gray
or color by varying the composition of clumps and how close the clumps are to each other. It distributes
dots semi-randomly but still controls the number of dots in each space: more dots produce a darker effect,
fewer dots produce a lighter effect.

In addition to its freedom from moire patterns, FM screening has another advantage over traditional
halftones. Because it uses mostly small dots to make its impression, images usually display more detail in
the highlights. On the other end of the tonal scale, colors that should be solid may appear grainy.
Stochastic screening also has measurably greater dot gain than an equivalent conventional halftone
process, which requires strict control in the platesetting process.
Recent advances in stochastic screening have delivered hybrid screening processes that put FM patterns
in the highlights while using conventional halftone dots in the shadows.

High-fidelity color printing

Much research has gone into expanding the range of colors produced by process color printing. One of the
solutions is to print additional inks, such as red, green, and blue; or green and orange. The addition of
these inks produces a much larger color gamut but poses challenges to the traditional color separation
process (and requires a printing press with more than four units). Stochastic screening plays an important
role in the success of high-fidelity color printing because it allows

additional inks to be printed without risk of duplicate screen angles and moire patterns.

Pantone Hexachrome is a commercial high-fidelity color system supported by Photoshop, InDesign, and
QuarkXPress. This system enables printing with six process inks (CMYK plus orange and green) to
produce a greater gamut of colors on press. Six-color printing presses are common today, making
Hexachrome and other high-fidelity printing more practical.
Imagesetters Direct-digital printing presses

An imagesetter is a device for marking photographic film with the data necessary for printing. These
machines use lasers to expose rolls of graphic arts film to produce either positive or negative images that
are later exposed to an aluminum printing plate for printing. Driven by a Raster Image Processor (RIP),
imagesetters produce very high resolution text, graphics, and images to film.

A generation of newer platesetters has replaced most imagesetters in the printing industry, but film
imagesetters are still used in the screen printing and flexographic printing fields where film sheets are a
necessity of image processing.
In direct-digital printing, presses are networked to workstations that create PostScript files from digital
documents, process document components, and send the files to the press. The presses don’t require film
or, in some cases, printing plates. Some direct-digital presses transfer digital information onto
electrophotographic cylinders instead of plates and use toner to print four-color pages. Other presses
expose the digitized pages directly to special plates mounted on the press.

Direct-digital printing produces fast turnaround times, low production costs, and the ability to personalize
publications.

Digital printing is often used for variable-data printing, on-demand printing, or short-run color printing,
where a small number of copies are printed. It isn’t suited for high-volume print jobs.

Variable-data printing

Digital presses create the opportunity for a new kind of printed marketing using presses that can change
the copy and images for every impression they print. Called Variable-Data Printing (VDP), these
documents can have varying text, personalized graphics, photos that change according the demographic
information of the recipient, and more.

VDP is created with a combination of page-layout applications, database records, libraries of variable
images, and special software that defines which components go together for each recipient.

VDP products have been shown to improve the response to printed marketing efforts. They’re compelling
because they bring individualized printing out of the category of junk mail and into the category of one-to-
one marketing. When created with properly filtered data, these individualized marketing pieces are often
read with more interest by their recipients, and response rates are measurably better.

Fuser unit fuses toner to the moving substrate

Laser units expose each cylinder with image

Imaging cylinders carry toner (or similar imaging material) to the substrate

Rotary cutter cuts the roll into sheets as they emerge from the press

Jogger vibrates the sheets

Paper supply: This press is roll-fed; others are sheet fed

Computer-to-plate systems

Computer-to-plate (CTP) devices work like film imagesetters, but they expose an image directly onto an
aluminum or polyester surface rather than a piece of film. This eliminates a costly and time-consuming
step on the way to press. CTP produces higher print quality by avoiding generations of film processing
and exposure, and it features higher resolution than its film counterparts.

CTP devices accept PostScript files and can produce images with either conventional screening or
stochastic pattern imaging. Platesetters also reduce the printing industry’s dependence on photo chemistry
and produce output with no environmentally dangerous waste byproducts.

The plate is held to the internal drum by vacuum

Plates are hand-fed into this machine. Some platesetters have auto-feed

Plate staging

Plate loading slot

Laser exposure head; platesetters have a variety of laser types including violet, CO2 and blue-green
lasers

Plate: Some plates are exposed by laser light, others by laser heat

Laser head feed screw moves the laser head across the face of the plate

RIP (Raster Image Processor) in a separate console

Offset Lithography
You can choose from several different processes to print a publication: flexography, intaglio (gravure),
screen printing, and offset lithography are the most common. The method you choose depends on your
budget, your choice of a commercial printer, and the printed results you want. Because offset lithography
is the most common printing process, we use it here to explain the basics of commercial printing.

Offset lithography involves printing from a flat printing surface. The printing plate holds ink because the
image area is treated to make it chemically receptive to oil-based ink but not to water—not because the
image area is raised (as in flexography) or etched (as in gravure).

A multicolor offset press has a separate printing unit for each ink being printed. For example, if you’re
using process colors and one spot color in a print job and your commercial printer’s press can handle five
inks, a printing unit will be set up for each ink. The paper will then pass through each unit in succession.
If the press handles fewer inks, your printer will print two or three inks first, stop the press and change the
inks, and then run the paper through again to print the remaining inks.
Platemaking Using a laser or photographic process, a printer exposes the document onto a flat plate
with a smooth coating and then processes the plate to remove the nonimages areas. Nonimage areas are
porous aluminum, which is attractive to water.

Dampening The plate is mounted on a cylinder. When the press starts, the plate comes into contact with
dampener rollers first. Dampening solution (water plus additives) flows constantly from a fountain
through a series of rollers to the plate cylinder. The last roller dampens the entire printing plate.

Inking Next, the ink roller applies oil-based ink to the plate. Thick ink flows from another fountain
through a series of rollers, which distribute the ink thinly and evenly. When the last ink roller contacts the
dampened printing plate, it smoothly distributes the ink across the water-resistant image area. The
adjustment of ink and water must be balanced before printing can be done.

Printing The unique roller in an offset press is the blanket cylinder, which carries away a reversed
image from the plate and transfers this image to the paper. The blanket has some resiliency and gives
slightly when pressed against paper, so the image can transfer evenly to smooth or textured papers. The
blanket is also formulated to accept ink but reject the dampener solution, leaving most of the water
behind.

In the printing step, the paper—in individual sheets—passes between the blanket cylinder and the
impression cylinder. The blanket cylinder carries the ink from the plate, presses against the paper, and
transfers the ink onto the paper. On web-fed offset presses, two blanket cylinders belonging to two press
units print both sides of the roll simultaneously, so there is no impression cylinder.
1. The plate is dampened by the dampener rollers. The image area repels water.

2. Ink rollers apply ink to the “oleophilic" (image) areas on the plate.
3. Ink is transferred from the plate cylinder to the blanket cylinder. The water stays behind.

4. The blanket cylinder transfers ink to the press sheet.

Other Printing Processes

Flexography

Flexography uses a raised-image plate made of flexible photopolymer or rubber that prints directly onto a
printing substrate. The flexible plate makes it possible to print on irregular surfaces such as pressure-
sensitive label paper, plastic films, and corrugated cardboard. Because of the soft plates, flexography
generates greater dot gain. Ink coverage on flexographic presses is defined by a special ink roller called
the anilox roller.

Flexographic printing is required for some food packaging—it’s the only printing process that can print on
materials that come in contact with food. It’s also common for printing on pressure-sensitive labels,
shrink-plastics used on beverage bottles, and pharmaceutical products.

Intaglio printing (gravure)

Intaglio printing uses an engraved plate that carries the image. Flat intaglio printing usually goes by the
name engraved printing and is used for fine business and personal stationery and announcements. Rotary
intaglio printing is called rotogravure; it’s used for very-long-run commercial printing jobs like
magazines and catalogs.

For rotogravure, the image is engraved on a copper cylinder; the surface of the plate represents the
nonprinting areas. The plate cylinder rotates in a bath of ink, and the ink is retained in the engraved cells
of the plate. As it turns, the cylinder comes in contact with a

doctor blade, which removes the ink from the nonimage areas (like a squeegee). The cylinder then
transfers the ink to the paper against an impression cylinder.

The cost of preparing rotogravure cylinders for printing and then doing the printing requires that this
process be used for projects that run in the millions of impressions.

The quality of rotogravure printing is excellent, delivering some of the nicest results in the world.
Publications like National Geographic magazine are printed using this process.
Ink supply: Flexographic ink can be water-based for printing on food packaging and pharmaceutical
products

Impression cylinder Plate cylinder

Anilox roller Ink metering roller

Doctor blade cleans ink from the surface of the anilox roller

Flexographic plates are made of flexible polymer or rubber

Substrate: rotogravure prints on rolls of paper, plastic, foil, and other substrates

Impression

cylinder

Doctor blade cleans ink from non-image areas of the plate

Ink supply: rotogravure ink is solvent-based, and must be dried on-press

Plate cylinder is made of copper, often chrome-plated

Rotogravure images are either etched or engraved into the surface of the cylinder. Each microscopic
cell carries a tiny amount of highly-fluid ink

Printing substrate is usually a roll of paper, plastic, or metal foil. Pressure-sensitive adhesive
materials are common

Screen printing is the relatively simple method of forcing ink through a screen stencil and onto a printable
surface. Because screen printing lays down the ink up to 30 times thicker than lithography, the color is
more dense and durable than it is in other printing processes. Screen printing uses photographically
prepared stencils to transfer designs onto almost any surface, including posters, clothing, compact discs,
and bottles. The screens are exposed from film positives made on an imagesetter.

Screen printing

Screen printing on fabrics may require using larger traps to compensate for misregister.

A relatively low screen ruling of 35-55 lines per inch is appropriate for printing on textiles. One of the
attractions of screen printing is the great variety of inks possible, including glittered and fluorescent inks.

Specialty printing and finishing

After printing, a number of processes can enhance the appearance of a product, including the application
of varnishes, aqueous coatings, foil stamping, embossing, die-cutting, and thermography. Varnishes, which
are clear or tinted inks, are usually applied on the same press that does the printing, but these coatings can
also be added after printing. Varnishes and coatings can cover entire sheets or can be used to print over
parts of a printed project to enhance its appearance. Many designers use varnish to augment the
appearance of photos in a publication.

Relief printing processes add metallic or colored foil, patterns, raised panels, or raised lettering to the
printed sheet. Most of these processes require the manufacture of a metal printing die (and sometimes a
counter-die), but the cost of these tools isn’t extravagant. Other than the expense of the dies, finishing
operations like these add just a few pennies to the cost of each printed piece.
Thermography is a finishing process that uses plastic resin to add an embossed effect to printing. After the
ink is printed on the paper, it’s dusted with powdered resin, which sticks to the ink. The surface passes
under a vacuum cleaner to remove the unused powder and then under a flash-heater, which causes the
powdered resin to boil. The image rises in relief to produce an interesting effect. This process is often
used to print business cards, stationery, invitations, and greeting cards.

Final product with raised surface

Powder applied to wet ink

Excess powder removed

Heat applied

Printed material
Printing Terms
Aqueous coating Some printing presses have an extra unit for adding an aqueous (water-based)
varnish to an entire sheet as it is printed. These coatings add a lovely gloss to a printed piece and make
them more durable and less prone to fingerprints and smudges.

Anilox The flexographic printing process requires a special roller to control the density of the ink
transferred from the ink metering roller to the printing plate. Anilox rollers are cylinders with
microscopic cells etched into the surface. Each cell has a fixed volume, which defines the amount of ink
the cell can hold. A doctor blade removes ink from the surface of the anilox as it turns.

Blanket In offset printing, a rubberized surface that transfers the inked image from plate to paper.

Blanket cylinder In offset presses, the metal cylinder around which the blanket is wrapped.

Cold-set printing Ink applied to paper on a printing press, then allowed to air-dry by evaporation of
the vehicle that made the ink liquid. As opposed to heat-set printing, where the ink is dried by heating
elements in the printing press.

Cover stock Heavy-weight paper used for the covers of magazines and publications.

Dampening In lithography, fountain solution (mostly water) is applied to the plate as it turns. Image
areas are smooth (called oleophilic), which makes them attractive to ink. Non-image areas are porous
(called hydrophilic), which makes them attractive to water. When in balance, the ink sticks to the smooth
areas and the water to the porous areas.

Densitometer A device used to measure the density of ink (the ink film thickness). Density is the
inverse of reflectivity.

Die A stamping tool used in embossing and cutting. Often requires a counter-die.

Dimensional stability A paper’s resistance to stretching or distortion, especially when damp.

Doctor blade A siff squeegee-like blade that removes excess ink on flexographic and gravure printing
presses.

Dot gain The spread of dots during several stages of printing or platemaking, as measured by the
increase in size of a midtone dot. When a 50% dot expands into a 60% dot, the gain is 10%. Average dot
gain on offset printing is more than 20%. All printing processes experience dot gain, even ink-jet and
toner-based printing.

Dry lithography and waterless offset A

type of lithographic printing that uses a plate with a coating that repels ink without needing to be
dampened. Ink is confined to the image area without the usual dampening. These plates are usually
surfaced with silicone in the non-image areas.

Drying oven An oven used to dry paper after printing. In heat-set web-offset lithography, the paper
passes from the press through a drying oven on its way to the folding and finishing units on the press.

Embossing Producing a raised image in paper by means of a die striking from the back of the paper into
a counter-die at the front.

Engraving (Intaglio) A printing process in the family of Intaglio printing, where the image is engraved
into a copper or steel plate. On the press, the plate is cleaned by a squeegee (doctor) blade, and the ink is
then transferred by pressure and capillary action. Engraving is used for fine business stationery and
currency printing.

Flexography Relief printing using a flexible printing plate—usually a photopolymer. The image is
raised, as with an ordinary letterpress. Flexography is most commonly used to print on food product
labels , pressure-sensitive labels, cardboard and other packaging.

Form A form is one side of a signature.

A group of pages positioned so that when folded and finished, they come out in the right order and
position.

Fountain The supply of ink for a lithographic press. Sometimes also the supply of dampening solution.

Gang run Two or more printing jobs run simultaneously on the same press sheet. Large sheets of paper
are shared by several jobs and, after printing, are cut into separate jobs.

Gravure printing (Intaglio) Sometimes called engraved printing, gravure is printing by the Intaglio
process where the image is engraved into a copper plate, ink is applied, then the residue is removed from
the surface by a stiff blade called a doctor blade. This is the process used to print fine business stationery
and currency. A variant is rotogravure, used to print very-long-run publications like the National
Geographic.

Gripper edge The gripper edge of a sheet of paper is the leading edge where the sheet is grasped
mechanically and drawn into the press.

Gripper margin Unprinted space allowed along the gripper edge of the printing medium.

Halo effect Occurs when ink builds up at the edge of an area, making the interior look lighter. Common
in electrophotographic (toner) printing and some letterpress.

Hickey A donut-shaped imperfection in presswork caused by paper particles that get stuck to the blanket
cylinder of an offset press.

Imposition The arrangement of pages for printing on a press sheet in such a way that they appear in
correct order when the sheet is folded.

Impression cylinder A cylinder that presses paper into contact with an inked surface.

Ink coverage A percentage indicating the inked area of the paper. Also called dot area, it is the ratio of
area covered by ink divided into the area measured.

Inkometer A tool for measuring the tackiness or stickiness of ink.

Printing Terms (continued)

Inner form The part of an imposition that consists of inside pages. On a printed sheet, the inner form
pages are those that will be on the inside when the sheet is folded into a signature.

Intaglio A family of printing processes where the image is engraved into the printing plate. Used
primarily by two printing processes: gravure printing—used for fine stationery and currency printing, and
rotogravure, used to print very long runs of commercial publications. The benefits include tremendous ink
film thickness and the run-length of the plates, which will last for millions of impressions.

Lay-down sequence The order in which colors are printed.

Letterpress Relief printing directly onto the paper. The oldest form of printing. Raised areas of the
plate hold the ink and transfer it directly. This is in contrast to intaglio or gravure printing, where sunken
recesses hold the ink, and also in contrast to offset printing, where the plate has no relief.

Letterset Offset-letterpress printing. The image is defined by raised areas, as in the direct case. The
raised areas get inked but do not come in contact with the paper. Instead, the image is transferred to a
blanket, which in turn transfers it to paper. Also called dry offset. Resembles offset lithography in using a
blanket as intermediary.

Moire pattern Any of several interference patterns that show up in printed products a result of the
nearly exact frequency of halftone dot patterns with other patterns in the artwork. Moire is known by
physicists as a beat pattern where two similar patterns occasionally match but not consistently, causing a
visible wave-like pattern in an image.

Offset Printing that uses an intermediary surface called a blanket to transfer the image from the inked
surface to the paper.

Perfector A type of printing press that prints both sides of the paper as it passes through the press. Web
presses are usually capable of perfecting the job as it is printed.

Photopolymer plate Most flexographic printing is done with a relatively thin plate made of a polymer
material and coated with a photosensitive surface, which is exposed from a film negative and processed
to create a relief image. Rubber plates are used in some flexo-graphic operations.

Piling A printing problem in which ink pigment accumulates on a plate or blanket.

Platen press A type of flat letterpress that uses a hinged clamping action to bring the paper and plate
together.

Press proof A proof pulled from the press prior to an actual print run.

Press run or print run The number of copies in one printing.

Progressive proofs, or progs Proofs made on a press. Each color is shown separately, and various
combinations are shown overprinted. Progs are used as a guide in adjusting the final color quality.

Register The correct alignment of colors during printing.

Register mark A mark to assist in making the correct alignment of overlay copy and color during
printing in multiple colors.

Relief plate A printing plate with a raised, image-bearing surface. Letterpress and flexography use a
relief plate.

Rotary printing Any method using a cylinder as the primary printing surface.

Rotogravure Intaglio printing on a rotary, web-fed press.

Rubber plate A flexible relief plate used in flexography.

Screen printing A process in the porous family of printing processes. Used to print on garments,
industrial products, and signs, screen printing is capable of laying down a tremendous amount of ink. The
process involves making a stencil with fabric and a photo-sensitive coating, and using very thick plastic
ink and a squeegee to force the ink through the stencil onto the substrate.

Sheet-fed press A printing press into which individual sheets of paper are fed, as contrasted with a
web-fed press printing on a continuous roll of material—usually paper.

Show-through When the impression on one side of a sheet is visible on the other side, through the
paper.

Signature A group of pages printed on the same sheet, front and back. After printing, the sheet is folded
so that the pages fall in correct order.

Slurring A printing problem in which halftone dots appear elongated or smeared.

Tack Adhesive quality, or stickiness, of ink.

Trim marks Marks indicating where to trim.

Varnish A clear or tinted ink that adds a sheen or gloss or even a matte-surface quality to the press sheet.
Varnish usually requires an extra printing plate with images for the desired areas to be coated. See also
aqueous coating.

Web-fed press A printing press into which a continuous roll of paper is fed.

Work-and-tumble A type of sheet-fed printing in which front and back images share a single plate.
The sheet is printed on one side, flipped end-to-end (along the gripper-edge axis), and printed on the
other side. After flipping, the paper has a new gripper-edge.
Work-and-turn Another type of sheet-fed printing in which front and back images share a single plate.
The sheet is printed on one side and then turned side-to-side so that the back side can be printed with the
same plate. This does not change the paper’s gripper-edge.

Zinc engravings Line or halftone art as a relief image on zinc plates for letterpress printing. Other
metals have also been used in the making of relief plates: aluminum, magnesium, copper, and brass.

Most printing presses print large sheets of paper. Imposition is the process of arranging the pages of a
publication so that when the sheets are printed and folded for binding, the pages are in the proper
sequence.

Imposition and Binding

Each press sheet is called a signature. Each side of the signature is called a form. The signature is bound
with others as necessary and trimmed to create a finished publication.

The arrangement of pages for a form is usually done with imposition software in the printing plant. A
folding dummy is constructed to model the final piece, and then information about the job’s folding
requirements are put into the imposition software. The imposition software rearranges the pages in a
document into the right order and orientation for printing and then sends the forms to the platesetter for
imaging.

Binding is the process of gathering folded signatures using one of several methods. In saddle-stitch
binding, signatures are gathered to form a common spine and then stitched with staples made from wire on
the machine. Perfect binding involves gathering groups of signatures, grinding the bound edge to create a
strong binding surface, and gluing the signatures at the spine with a hot-melt glue into a one-piece paper
cover.

When signatures are folded, the inner pages of each move outward slightly. The more pages a signature
contains, the farther the pages closest to the center of the signature move with respect to the other pages.
This phenomenon is known as creep. The imposition software can compensate for creep by moving the
pages of a signature inward in minute increments so that the trimmed signature doesn’t have an obvious
image movement from the ends to the middle.
Imposed 16-page signature and folded signature

Gathered signatures

Perfect binding

Creep occurs when the inner pages of a signature project outwards.

Creep affects the printed area during binding and trimming

Binding and Finishing Terms
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Binding and Finishing Terms
Accordion fold Parallel folds, alternating in direction. Also called concertina fold.

Binding Any of many processes used to assemble pages or signatures.

Collate To gather pages in a particular order for binding.

Die A stamping tool used in embossing and cutting.

Die-cutting Cutting a paper product with a die. This usually refers to steel-rule die-cutting, where
shaped cuts are made to printed products on a letterpress machine. Common uses include cutting slits for
a business card to be inserted on a booklet, or cutting the flaps on pocket-folders. Flexographic printing
uses rotary die-cutting, which is done on the printing press. Rotary dies are capable of intricate detail and
extraordinary precision.

Embossing Producing a raised image in paper by means of a die striking from the back of the paper into
a counter-die at the front. Embossing can be simple, called blind-embossing, where the paper is squeezed
in the die-counter-die pair, causing an image or shape to be raised. Embossing can also be more complex,
involving colored or metallic foils, or textures and heat, each of which imparts an image with both relief
and color.

Endpapers The heavy paper at the front and back of a book, to which coverboard is glued. They hold the
body of a book into the covers.

Form A form is one side of a signature.

A group of pages positioned so that when folded and finished, they come out in the right order and
position.

Glue binding A method of binding that depends on glue, also called perfect binding.

Jogging Vibrating a stack of sheets before binding or trimming. Used to bring the edges in-line.

Perfect binding An unsewn, flat-spined binding made with glue. Also called a glue binding.

Saddle-stitching A type of binding that uses wire stapling at the center of a magazine or pamphlet.
Folded spreads are placed over a peaked frame called a saddle and stapled through the middle. The
“stitches” are staples made from a roll of wire on the binding machine.

Side-stitching A method of binding that involves stapling through the spine of a publication from front
to back. This prevents the book from lying flat when it is opened.

Signature A group of pages printed on the same sheet, front and back. After printing, the sheet is folded
so that the pages fall in correct order.

Spine The backbone of a book, particularly of the binding.

Thermography An embossed effect obtained by applying resinous powder to a wet image and fusing it
with heat.

Everything I've learned about printing:

Keep an open mind; stay proactive; pick your battles; what you don't know learn; it's okay
if the printed piece looks better than the proof; attitude is everything; and finally, as with
this quote, no matter how much time you have to produce a piece, it always comes down
to the wire.

—Gina Long, Lithomania, Inc., South San Francisco, CA

Constructing a Publication
Guidelines for Specifying Colors Using a Color Management System Correcting Color Color
Terms Scanning Tips
2

Image Size, Interpolation, and Resampling

Graphic File Formats

Special Techniques

Compensating for Register Error

Screen Frequency, Resolution, and Gray Levels

Dot Gain

Linked Graphics, Package, and Prepare for Output Using Type Font Formats Typographic
Terms

Tips for Working with Page-Layout Files

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Constructing a Publication
The way you create your publication isn't only critical to the success of your design—it
also affects the way your publication prints. This chapter covers the issues involved in
creating a publication for commercial printing, such as creating page layouts that avoid
typical printing pitfalls, choosing the best file formats, and compensating for register
error using overprinting or trapping. When properly assembled, a publication will print
correctly and require less rework for you and your vendors.

Guidelines for Specifying Colors

You can specify colors either by referring to a printed color swatch book or by using a calibrated
computer display and selecting colors onscreen.

When you use an illustration program to create art that will later be used in your page layout, be sure to
use the same color names in both applications. For example, if you use Pantone 228 C in your Adobe
Illustrator document, the color will be named the same when the art is placed in your Adobe InDesign
layout and will have the same display characteristics. It’s wise to double-check the color palette in your
page layout application to be sure that spot colors aren’t duplicated. If they are, be sure to consolidate
them by deleting one of the duplicates and assigning all items that use that color to the other similarly
named color.

Whether you use spot colors, process colors, or a combination of both in your publication depends on
your budget, the purpose of the publication, the type of page elements you use, and how your design will
be reproduced. Use the following guidelines to determine what colors are suitable for your publication.

Use spot colors when:

• You need one or two colors, and you won’t be reproducing full-color photographs.

• You want the effect of special inks, such as metallic, fluorescent, or corporate color inks. These are
often colors that can’t be

reproduced with combinations of the process colors.

• You want to print logos or other graphics elements that require precise color matching, or you’re
printing large areas of color throughout a publication and you want to ensure color consistency.

Use process colors when:

• You need more than two colors in your publication. Printing with process color inks (CMYK) costs
less than printing with three or more spot inks. (Printers usually print with process colors; to print in spot
colors requires a different press setup, which takes time and costs money.)

• You want to reproduce full-color photographs or color artwork that can only be reproduced with
process colors.

Use spot and process colors together when:

• Your requirements extend beyond process color printing. This could involve corporate colors, as
already explained, or extending the range of process color by using a bump plate—a spot color plate that
serves to intensify one of the process colors. Remember that printing with more than four inks can be
expensive because of the extra plates and press work.

Color photograph printed with process inks Vector art using a spot color

Rich black display type using black and magenta process inks

Spot varnish applied to enhance the text effect

Text with spot color applied

Specifying spot colors and varnishes

Specifying a spot color means that any page element assigned that color or any screened tint of that color
will appear on its own printing plate. Name spot colors consistently across all the applications you’re
using, including illustration, photo-editing, and page-layout programs.
Remember that when you’re printing with spot colors, the name you assign to a color doesn’t determine
what ink will be used on press. But naming colors consistently helps ensure that your artwork will
separate correctly and reduces the chance of confusion between you and your printer. You specify which
spot inks should be used when you submit your files to the printer.

If your artwork contains both spot and process colors, you can convert spot colors to their process-color
equivalents; doing so lets you print with four process colors and thereby save money. When you convert a
spot color into a process color, be aware that most spot colors can’t be reproduced accurately with
process inks. When you convert spot colors to their process color equivalents in computer applications,
consider the components of the resulting colors, and look for opportunities to simplify them.

For example, specifying Pantone 406 C (a light gray) and then converting that gray into process colors
creates a combination of 1 percent cyan, 5 percent magenta, 6 percent yellow, and 16 percent black. It
isn’t a good idea to have a 1 percent cyan value in a critical color, because that color can be lost in plate-
making or can cause color balance and register problems on-press. It’s better to eliminate the cyan
component of the color.

Varnishes are used to protect a page, to create a visual effect, or to emphasize photographs or other
elements of a publication. Varnish can be applied to whole pages of the publication or applied only to
specific areas. As an alternative to a printed varnish, some presses have the option of applying an
aqueous coating that covers the whole press sheet, creating a handsome gloss veneer.

Specify a spot varnish just as you would a spot color. If you want to print varnish over photographs, you
must create a duplicate of your page layout document, delete the photos from their frames, and then set the
frames to be filled with the varnish color. The printer will generate a separate printing plate from the
duplicate document for the varnish panels that overprint the photos. Varnish used elsewhere in a document
should be included in the layout and separated with the varnish used over the photos. If varnish is used in
a layout, it’s generally set to overprint.

Spot color (simulated)

Spot color converted to process

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Specifying process colors

To achieve predictable printed results, it’s a good idea to select colors from one of the commercial
process-color swatch books available. Remember that paper surface affects the character of ink and thus
the color reproduced by process colors. So, printed colors may not look exactly the way they do in the
swatch book.

Because process black is transparent, the addition of another process color to black is often beneficial. A
rich black ink combines process black ink with one or more of the other process inks to achieve a more
intense black. Use a rich black in areas where objects could show through process black and cause it to
appear inconsistent or not dense enough.
Use a single, solid ink (such as 100 percent black or a dark spot color) to print hairline rules and small
text. Fine elements printed with two or more colors are difficult to print in register.

Avoid creating process colors with high total ink coverage (the sum of the percentages of the four process
colors). Most paper and press conditions require a maximum ink coverage of 250-320 percent. Higher
total ink coverage may prevent the ink from drying correctly and can cause set-off, where the ink from one
sheet of paper is transferred to the next sheet in the pile. Your printer will know the total ink coverage
limit for their press and paper combinations.

Process black (100% K)

Rich black created with 100% K + 20% C + 20% M + 20% Y

Cool rich black created with 100% K + 20% C

Warm rich black created with 100% K + 20% M

ORGANIC

Rosemary Chamomi Sage Cilantro Chives Lemon thym' BORAGE

ORGANIC

Rosemary Chamomi Sage Cilantro Chives Lemon thym' borage

Process colors in small type and fine elements are more likely to show register error on press.

Black or spot colors in small type and fine elements produce a sharp edge.

Using a Color Management System

A color management system is used to achieve color consistency

between different devices. Ideally, this means the colors on your
computer display accurately represent both the colors in the
digital image and the colors you’ll see in your publication when
it’s printed. If a system-wide color management system is in use,
you can achieve accurate color matching through all stages of
the production process and in multiple contexts, including Web
publications, composite color proofs, and final printed products.
Color management relies on an industry standard color profile format developed by the International
Color Consortium (ICC). With color management, a software application saves color files with
embedded ICC color profiles. The application also reads ICC profiles when it opens a color file. Adobe
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and QuarkXPress all support color management to help ensure consistent
color as files move between these applications and various proofing and printing devices.

For color management to work effectively, all applications you use to process a color file must support
color management, and ICC profiles must be available for all output devices you use. If you plan to
choose colors on your computer display, the computer display must be calibrated and have an ICC profile
set.

At print time, the default profile is used, which may result in incorrect color

CMYK photo with embedded profile

RGB photo with embedded profile

At print time, embedded profile is used

At print time, the embedded profile is used

a
Separations profile i

Plates ready for press

Using a Color Management

System (continued)
If your prepress service provider uses color management, be sure to discuss the best way to ensure your
project is produced effectively. Depending on your printer’s preferred workflow, it may be possible for
your layout to contain images and illustrations in a variety of color spaces—RGB, CMYK, or grayscale
— and have the conversion to output color done by the printer at the time of output. The benefit of this
procedure is that one master page layout can be created without regard for the output process or medium.
The output is optimized according to the process used.

Commercial printing companies that have adopted color management usually have ICC profiles available
for their printing processes. They will provide these profiles to you on request, and the profile
appropriate to your project can be used to make an onscreen preview of the printing.

Photoshop embeds its color working space profile into images as they are saved in most file formats. This
color space is an ICC profile that defines the gamut of colors inside of which the image exists. Most
consumer digital cameras—and all professional digital cam-eras—also embed a color profile into images
as they are saved to memory cards.

Color-managed workflows acknowledge these color profiles when processing images and can convert the
colors in the image more accurately to destination color spaces—like CMYK—when these profiles are
present. Some experts refer to embedded ICC profiles as the pedigree of images, helping to define their
character as they are processed for printing.

If your printer prefers that all color in a document be converted to CMYK in advance of printing, then it’s
important to get a CMYK press profile from the printer to use in converting to their color requirements. If
the printer doesn’t provide a process-specific profile, ask for their recommendation of a CMYK profile
that is acceptable to them.

The Adobe Creative Suite ships with a number of CMYK profiles that are useful for converting color to
CMYK for web-fed and sheet-fed processes.
The "Digital Age" has empowered designers to create their own images, set their own
type, and even make their own traps. It also makes us more liable for potential printing
errors than ever before. Knowing your tools and how to use them has never been more
essential.

—Clifford Stoltze, Stoltze Design, Boston, MA

Correcting Color
t may be necessary to correct the color in an image that’s scanned or that comes from a digital camera.
The original photograph may have a color cast caused by using incorrect film or lighting. Or, the scan may
have been imperfect—some scanners introduce color casts in images. Or perhaps the colors in your
original art are out of gamut for the printing process, and you want to modify a color in the original to
make it printable.

If you’re using professionally scanned images, you can often avoid the need to correct the color if you
discuss your requirements with the scanner operator. A skilled scanner operator who knows what you
want can eliminate color cast in the original.

Photoshop includes numerous color-correction tools and many techniques for making images perfect for
print.

Choice of color mode

Color can be corrected in either RGB or CMYK mode. For a variety of reasons, it’s advisable to do most
retouching and color correction work in RGB. The number of tools, filters, and functions available in
Photoshop is greatest when you’re working in this mode. Even Selective Color, a CMYK-based color
correction tool, works in RGB mode.

Working in RGB color

All digital photographs and most scanned images are in RGB color. And as just mentioned, most experts
believe it’s best to do
corrections and editing in RGB mode. It’s best to leave images in their original color space and perform
editing and color correction on the images in that space.

RGB gives you greater flexibility in how you use images. For example, an image may appear in a
newspaper ad, a high-quality brochure, a poster printed using European-standard inks, or on the Web. By
comparison, color images in CMYK mode are device specific; once you’ve converted to CMYK, you’re
locked into using a particular printing process and substrate.

Converting from one color mode to another can be harmful to an image, and it’s best not to convert more
than once.

Using embedded ICC profiles allows images to remain in RGB color and then be converted to printing
color (CMYK or other) at print time, leaving the color in the original unchanged. Such workflows
provide the greatest amount of flexibility.

Working in CMYK color

A CMYK image is process-specific—it’s optimized for output to a particular printing device, ink set, and
substrate. This means that colors and the tonal range have been changed (or limited) to fit those of the
printing device.

As mentioned in the previous section, you should avoid switching color modes. If you’re starting with a
professional scan delivered in CMYK, it’s best to stay in that mode all the way through production. If you
start with an

RGB scan and perform the major part of the job in RGB, you still have the option of doing fine-tuning
with Photoshop’s CMYK color-correction tools.

Working in CMYK has some advantages: You can specify and measure definite CMYK color values as
percentages, and they don’t change.

If you want 100 percent cyan, for example, you can be sure of getting that value.

Using levels and curves

Photoshop provides a histogram (Image > Adjustments > Levels) for image editing. A histogram shows
the number of pixels at each brightness level in the image. A broad histogram is usually desirable; a
narrow histogram indicates that the image has a narrow tonal range. A histogram that is concentrated at
either the dark end or the light end can indicate a number of problems—underexposure, poor contrast, or
poor original lighting.

You can make changes in the image by adjusting the sliders below the histogram. The left end represents
the darkest areas of an image, and the right end represents the lightest areas.
The slider in the middle lets you adjust the image’s contrast and saturation.

Many professionals use the histogram to analyze their images and adjust the end points (black and white).
They then use a different control—Curves—to make additional adjustments for brightness and contrast.
Curves has the advantage of allowing control over more tonal points in the image.

Both Levels (showing the histogram) and Curves can control the entire image or individual color
channels. You can use these controls to modify the color in an image. Practicing with a number of images
will help you develop the color-correction skills to fix nearly any image.

CMYK preview

Even when you’re working with RGB or Lab color images, Photoshop lets you preview images in
CMYK, according to its current Color Settings (and additional custom settings). If you want to see the
impact of conversion to CMYK, without the commitment to convert, use Preview.

Color-correction in Photoshop

Each time you adjust color in Photoshop, the data in your file is permanently altered. Thus, your goal
during correction and editing should be to perform as few adjustments as you need to achieve the results
you want. Over-editing and overcorrection may result in a degradation of image quality.

By contrast, layer effects in Photoshop are nondestructive and can be cancelled or changed at any time.
Most imaging professionals use these layer effects to experiment and change images with the confidence
that their changes can be removed if they wish.

Photoshop has a number of color-correction tools, including a series of color palettes based on lighting
conditions. Fixing digital photos taken under incorrect lighting conditions is the most common correction
—and one of the easiest—to perform. And if you have a digital camera that can deliver an image in raw
format, you can correct the image’s color for color temperature down to the degree as it’s opened in
Photoshop.

One of the simplest methods for color-correcting images in Photoshop is the Color Balance palette. This
palette presents a series of three sliders that control shadows, midtones, and highlights separately, each
for a color complement pair. With a calibrated computer display—a critical requirement for editorial
color adjustment—the corrections you see onscreen will be made to the image.

The operation of the Color Balance control is relatively simple. If the image appears to have a green
color cast in the shadows, you first select Shadows and then push the slider away from Green until the
image looks better. If the cast extends into the midtones, you

repeat the process with the Midtones button selected. This palette works on images in any color space.

For images where a single color appears to be wrong (and the remainder of the image is fine), the
Selective Color palette is a good choice for correction. This palette uses CMYK terminology but works
on images in any color space. You select the target color and then adjust the “inks” that affect that color.
Other colors in the image remain untouched.

Color-correction in Photoshop (continued)

Other methods of color correction abound. Some use the Levels palette; others use the Curves palette.
Others involve layers, layer masks, and combinations of the two. Consult Real World Photoshop from
Peachpit Press or other Photoshop-specific books for more information on color correction. For more on
color management, check out Real World Color Management from Peachpit Press.
This digital photo shows a very slight magenta cast, a result of the lighting in the studio being a
little warmer than the tungsten setting on the camera. Using the Color Balance controls in
Photoshop, the midtones were reduced slightly in magenta (toward green), and the highlights were
reduced to a lesser degree.

The resulting image is better balanced and reflects the image qualities applied in the Color Balance
palette. Most color casts are a result of the lighting in a scene being different than the camera's
settings or slightly different than normal for the selected source.

Steps for preparing photos for print

1. Be sure your computer display is calibrated and your Color Settings (controlled in Adobe Bridge
under Suite Color Settings) are set for your printing environment.

2. Open the image in Photoshop. If the image has an embedded color profile, use it. If it doesn’t,
Photoshop will ask you to assign a working space profile.

If you know the image came from a consumer digital camera, you’re safe to assign the sRGB working
space.
This image was made on a professional digital camera whose color space setting was set in-camera
to Adobe RGB (1998). Opening it into that same working space in Photoshop causes the image to
have normal color qualities.

If the image came from a scanner or a professional digital camera, it may have a larger potential color
space. Try Adobe RGB (1998) first; if the image looks good, it’s OK to continue. If the image has a red or
pink color cast, close the image and reopen it using the sRGB or Apple RGB working space. These
smaller color spaces won’t distort the color of the image by extending its red, green and blue aim points.

3. Using the Levels control, look at the histogram and notice overall features of the tonal range. Is the
range too narrow?

Steps for preparing photos for print (continued)

Is the image missing black or white components? If so, move the end-point sliders in Levels to adjust the
end points of the image.

When you make these adjustments, be careful not to distort the effect the photographer wanted when taking
the photo—many images are intentionally light or dark. If the photo is intentionally dark, the histogram
will display this characteristic (little or no highlight).

4. You may choose to alter the image by using the Curves control in Photoshop to adjust tonality.
Curves affords better control over tonal control than Levels does, because it gives you multiple control
points and subtle control over different ranges of tone in the image.
5. Apply correction as needed. Useful tools for color correction include Color Balance, Curves (with
individual channels selected), and Levels.

6. If appropriate, sharpen the image using the Unsharp Mask controls. Unsharp Mask creates enhanced
tonal edges by creating new tones in an image at various thresholds you set in the control palette.

Smaller images need less Unsharp Mask than larger images do. Photos of people require less sharpening
than product photos do. Experiment with Unsharp Masking to develop settings that are comfortable for
you and appropriate for the process you use to reproduce your images.

7. Always save your files with the color profile embedded. Doing so allows prepress workers
downstream to know the boundaries of color in which you handled and edited your images. Color-
managed workflows require embedded profiles to perform color conversions with the greatest color
fidelity.

If an image with a large color space is imported into Photoshop with too small a working space, the
colors are truncated and shift slightly toward green.

If the image is imported into Photoshop into too large a working space, the colors are again
modified, this time toward red and magenta.
The best practice is to open all images into a working space that is matched and appropriate to the
image.

Color Terms
Additive color Color in our natural world is comprised of three primary colors: red, green, and blue.
These colors behave additively, with any two creating a third, and all three creating white.

CMYK The usual abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black: the inks used in color process
printing.

Color filter A sheet of colored glass, plastic, or gelatin with biased transparency. A red filter, for
example, allows only red light to pass through, while it absorbs light of other wavelengths. Filters are
basic to color scanning and color-separation photography.

Color management Color management is the process of measuring the actual performance of a device,
comparing that to a set of known color values, and making adjustments to overcome the differences. Color
management is an integral part of publishing systems.

Color-matching system A system of color samples that allows a designer to specify exact colors by
number or letter.

Color profile A component of a color management system, the profile describes the color behavior of a
device such as a computer display, a scanner, a proof printer, or a press.

Color separation Separating a multicolor image into four monochrome components, one for each of the
process colors.
Color sequence The order in which process colors are printed. A common color sequence is black-
cyan-magenta-yellow. Printer’s ink is formulated for a specific sequence.

Color space The color environment in which an image exists. Common color spaces include RGB (red,
green, blue), CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black), Lab (based on one channel for luminance and two
color channels), and grayscale.

Color value The tonal value of a color, analogous to gray level on a scale from dark to light.

Duotone A duotone is a photograph printed with two colors of ink. Usually the two inks are assigned to
different tonal ranges of the image.

Gray-component replacement (GCR) A

method for replacing neutral grays made up of combinations of cyan, magenta, and yellow with a similar
value of black ink. GCR improves the printability of a job by making neutral grays easier to balance on
press.

High-fidelity color Any project that is printed with more than the traditional four process colors can be
said to be high fidelity color. Most commonly this is CMYK, plus orange and green, the system developed
by Pantone, Inc., called Hexachrome.

ICC The International Color Consortium, a group who establishes methods and standards for color
management systems, color profiling, and the application of color in graphic arts.

JPEG An acronym for the Joint Photographic Experts Group, and a format for compressing still images by
image analysis and modification. JPEG is a lossy method of compression, in that color or detail can be
discarded in order to make the file smaller.

Monotone An image made with one color of ink.

Primary colors There are two systems of color that affect the graphic arts. Additive color is the color
of light, made-up of red, green, and blue primaries, and subtractive color is the system of inks where
primaries of cyan, magenta, and yellow ink filter white light to impart color to it.

Process color Multicolor printing that simulates full-color imagery. Typical systems for printing
process color include cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) and Hexachrome (CMYK plus green and
orange).

Quadtone An image that uses four inks.

Raster Image An image recorded by specifying the color at each cell of a grid. An individual cell in the
grid is called a pixel (short for “picture element”) and the grid of pixels is called a raster. Digital
cameras and scanners produce raster image files, and image-editing software supports on-screen display
and modification of raster images.

Raw Raw files are images from digital cameras where information recorded by the image sensor is
saved without loss or in-camera adjustments.

Secondary color Secondary colors are combinations of primary colors. Mixing yellow and cyan, for
example, creates green, a secondary color in the subtractive color system.

Spot color Refers to a method of specifying and printing colors in which each color is printed with its
own ink rather than by a combination of the four process colors (CMYK). The purpose of spot colors can
be to simplify a color match or to expand the range of colors available in a printed project.

Subtractive color The system of color used to produce printing with layers of transparent ink.
Subtractive color primaries are cyan, magenta, and yellow. When combined in pairs, they produce red,
green, and blue, but when all combined, they produce a muddy-brown rather than a true black, so we
supplement with a fourth color, black, to compensate for this shortcoming.

SWOP The acronym for Specifications [for] Web Offset Publications, a set of printing specifications for
web-fed offset printing.

Tritone An image that uses three inks.

UCR—Undercolor Removal When color separations are made, the combination of colors might
exceed the Total Ink Coverage value for a certain press and paper, so the ink will not dry. UCR
compensates for the excess by removing small percentages of ink. UCR describes a typical color
separation, where GCR describes a more sophisticated separation process where neutral colors are
modified and substituted by black ink (see GCR).

Vector graphics Digital images determined by specified points and mathematical functions. A benefit
of vector graphic over raster, or bitmapped, graphics is a smaller file size.

Working space As defined by Photoshop, the color space in which an image resides while it is open in
the image-editing application. Various color spaces are available, each with its own qualities. The
objective is to choose one that is large enough to accommodate any color you might want in an image.
Scanning film or prints can result in great digital images, but it
must be done correctly. Use the following guidelines to ensure
the best scan possible:
Scanning Tips

• Calculate the required scan resolution in advance. Anticipate future needs for enlargement, which will
require a higher resolution scan.

• Sharpening or correcting color during the scan can create an irreversible path. You can usually make
adjustments more effectively later by using an image-editing program that lets you see the effect of your
changes before you commit to them.

• Identify the key elements, or selling points, of your image. If possible, tailor the scan so those areas
reproduce optimally. For instance, if the scan is for a clothing catalog, get the clothing right even if it
means compromising other aspects of the image.

• If you employ a color management system, use a scanner that embeds its ICC profile in your images to
record the color space used by the scanner.

• Don’t scan text or previously printed graphics unless it’s your only option. The results will be better if
you re-create the text in your page layout application.

• When you’re scanning, keep in mind that file size grows twice as fast as scan resolution. Doubling the
scan resolution means there are twice as many pixels both horizontally and vertically and thus four times
as many overall.

• Numerous scanners on the market offer impressive image restoration features. Called Digital ICE,
these features remove dust and scratches, restore faded emulsions, and can improve the tonality of images
that appear to be unusable. Using these features can save hours of retouching and restoration work on
some images.

Don't trust your monitor for correcting scans. Take an extra five minutes to
compare your screen color values with the same values in a CMYK swatch book.

—Andrew Faulkner, San Francisco

Choosing a scan resolution

Use the following guidelines to choose your

scan resolution:

• Because black lines on a plain background tend to show jagged edges easily, line art should be
scanned at high resolution. Most experts agree that you need more than 1,000 ppi in the scan to make line
art appear convincing in reproduction. A resolution of 1,200 is effective for most logos and similar
artwork. To scan such artwork successfully, scan it as grayscale, and then use Photoshop’s Threshold
control to get the best possible image.

• If you plan to use normal halftone screening for images that will print at their original size, you can
conservatively calculate scanning resolution by doubling the screen ruling you plan to use. For example, if
the screen ruling will be 150 lpi, the desired scan resolution is 300 ppi. Keep in mind, however, that
images scanned at high resolution require more disk storage space than images scanned at lower
resolution. See the section “Oversampling” for more information.
If you plan to resize the image, allow for this in your scanning resolution. Measure the original image,
decide on the size of the final printed image, and calculate the enlargement ratio of final size to original
size. Factor in the anticipated enlargement ratio so that you scan at a proportionally higher resolution.
Most scanner software will make these calculations for you as you work: Enter the screen frequency and
the enlargement as a percentage (or the final dimensions), and the scanner will deliver a file appropriate
to the image use and size.

final

image height desired

x screen x2 = image

original ruling resolution

image height

x 120 lpi x 2

360 ppi

For images that will be resized, calculate the scaling factor and multiply it by twice the screen
ruling.

75 ppi

150 ppi

200 ppi

300 ppi

Different scanned resolutions printed with a screen ruling of 175 lpi show that you need an
adequate scan to prevent visible pixels in the final printing.

Oversampling (or overscanning)

Many images can be scanned at resolutions less than twice the output screen ruling. Images that don’t
contain geometric patterns, sharp edges, or straight lines can be scanned from 1.5 to 2 times the screen
ruling. Fuzzy texture, foliage, and many portraits can often be scanned at even lower resolutions. In this
example, even though one image has a larger

file size and higher scanning resolution, the printed quality of the two images is about the same. Scanning
at a higher resolution produced a larger file without improving the quality of the final image very much.

The image scanned at the lower resolution requires less disk space and takes slightly less time to process
while printing.

Tips for working with scanned images

• Save your scanned image in Photoshop .psd format if you work on both the Macintosh and Windows
platforms and work with Adobe Creative Suite applications. InDesign and the most recent version of
QuarkXPress both allow images in Photoshop format to be placed and printed directly. This eliminates
the need to make an additional copy of your images for the printed publication.

• If you’re using professionally scanned images, make sure you discuss your expectations with the
vendor before the scanning is done. Most flaws in originals can be eliminated by a skilled scanner
operator who knows what you want. Explain which images need to be especially sharp or scanned to
match the original.
• To ensure good color reproduction early in the production process, you may wish to check color
proofs of individual images before they are placed in a page-layout program.

• If you and your printer have determined that your images must be converted to CMYK prior to
production, do that last. Smart production artists make a copy of all the images in a project and convert
the images to CMYK using an appropriate ICC profile and a Photoshop Action to automate the process.
Be sure to obtain a CMYK profile (or the recommendation for one) from your printer before making
CMYK conversions, because these conversions are process- and paper-specific.

Scan resolution: 250 ppi File size: 465K Screen ruling: 150 lpi

Scan resolution: 400 ppi File size: 1165K Screen ruling: 150 lpi

An image oversampled to a great degree prints exactly the same as an image at the correct
sampling value. It takes longer to process and image in the platesetter.

Tips for working with digital camera images

• Digital photos from professional cameras contain an embedded ICC profile. Always use that profile
when Photoshop asks for instructions on how to handle a profile mismatch.

• Images from nearly all consumer digital cameras are in the sRGB color space.

They may not have an embedded ICC profile when you open them. If you assign this profile while opening
digital camera images in Photoshop, you’ll almost always see pleasing—and reasonably accurate—color.

• Digital camera images have a fixed resolution that’s set in the camera (or defined by the camera’s
image sensor). Amateur photographers often lower the resolution of their camera to fit more photos on
their memory card. When you open these files, you may discover that they can’t be reproduced at adequate
size. To check or set the resolution of any digital image, use Photoshop’s Image > Image Size palette.
With the Resample Image checkbox not selected, you can enter resolution values needed for print and see
the impact of resolution on reproduction size.

• Most digital cameras are good at defining the white balance of an image at the time it’s exposed. If the
image doesn’t look good, however, it’s reasonably easy to correct for white balance problems. Use the
Photoshop Image > Adjustments > Photo Filter palette, where you can assign common filters to correct for
simple lighting errors.

• When you’re working with professional digital cameras, it’s always smart to use the raw file format
(built into the camera) and then open those images with the Camera Raw plug-in in Photoshop. Raw
conversions allow for image interpolation, subsampling (increasing and decreasing the image resolution),
and color correction, among other controls, at the time the image is opened.

Embedded Profile Mismatch

The document “Lorraine portrait.psd" has an embedded color profile that does not match the current RGB working space.

i £ Embedded: Adobe RGB (1&98)

Working: sRCB IEC61966-2.1 — How do you want to proceed?-

@ Use the embedded profile (instead of the working space) O Convert document's colors to the working space O Discard the embedded
profile (don't color manage)

( Cancel _) OK

When you're presented with the Embedded Profile Mismatch dialog in Photoshop, it's best to use
the embedded profile (if present); it represents a measure of the image as the photographer
created it.
You can manipulate raw images using Photoshop's Camera Raw plug-in. There are controls for
resolution, color temperature, tint, sharpness, and more. This palette only works on images saved
by cameras in their raw format.

Multitone printing

A single plate on a printing press can reproduce a nice tonal range, but the density of the ink seldom
makes a print that rivals a real photograph. Multitone printing with gray or other inks has been used for
years to enrich the tonal range when printing black-and-white photographs.

Duotones, tritones, and quadtones are grayscale images printed with two, three, or four inks, respectively.
The process is similar to process color separation printing, but the plates deliver one or more spot color
inks instead of—or in addition to—the process colors. Duotone, tritone, and quadtone printing can
dramatically improve the overall appearance of images.

You can create duotones, tritones, and quadtones in Photoshop (Image > Mode > Duotone). Doing so lets
you decide how tonal levels in the original should be translated into percentages of the separate inks in
print. To create a duotone in Photoshop, you specify tonal curves (one for each ink) that control how gray
levels in the original are to be converted into halftone dot size. Some duotone settings are provided in
Photoshop, but you can also create curves for colors other than those provided.

This monochrome image, produced with a single color of ink, looks good, but adding a second or
third color can enhance it even more. With cyan, magenta, and yellow at your disposal, you can
create duotones from monochromatic images so they take on the tint of the desired color ink or
just enrich the tonality of the image. The possibilities are endless. To the right are three examples
of simple duotone modifications you can easily make to an image.
By adding cyan, magenta, or yellow ink to the grayscale image and favoring the added color in the
duotone curves, the image assumes a tint and has greater density. Subtle variations in the curves
can make the color relationship change considerably.

Multitone printing (continued)

Duotone images printed in a publication with just two colors of ink can look as rich as full-color
photographs if the curves are set to emphasize the qualities of the images and the spot colors chosen.

As a general rule, one color (typically the darker) is used to render the full tonality of the image, often
with the midtones reduced in intensity to allow the second color to show. The second color is then used to
tint the midtones through the shadows. If you shape the curves appropriately, the additional colors enrich
the image. Adjust the curves until the characteristics of color are pleasing. Try to keep the highlights in the
image untinted by the second color; doing so keeps highlights in the image convincingly light.

An alternative in duotone creation is to use the two colors in near-equal amounts that more simply tint the
photo with the second color. Doing so doubles the density of ink

printed and makes the image look richer in print. The tint of the second color is less evident using this
technique.
You can create handsome sepia-tone images from monochrome images printed with three or four colors of
ink. These duotones can be used to make grayscale images look antique, and the result is much nicer than
printing the same images with black only.

There is no reason that duotones must use spot color inks; they can just as easily be constructed from any
of the four process color inks with great results.

When you’ve created a duotone setting that you like, you can save it from the Duotone palette and apply it
to other images. You can also convert duotones into RGB images or CMYK images (Image > Mode
> RGB) to take advantage of a tonal property you’ve created in the duotone environment.

The Photoshop Duotone Curve dialog box allows you to specify the distribution of each ink by
specifying a dot percentage for each color on a curve. In this example, a cyan-black duotone has
been created. The black carries the entire image with midtones reduced in tonality, whereas the
cyan color is allowed to tint the image significantly.
Image Size, Interpolation, and Resampling

Resampling occurs when you change the number of pixels in a digital image. Resampling alters the file
resolution and thus its reproduction size. Resampling up or down is accomplished in software by
projecting an image on a new array with a different number of pixels, known as scaling. When an image is
scaled, interpolation is used to construct color levels for the pixels in the new array.

A digital image contains a fixed number of pixels, and the

dimensions at which it will be printed define its resolution (or
vice versa). Existing digital images can be resampled to new
sizes (larger or smaller) using the Image > Image Size palette in
Photoshop.

Continuous-tone image

•ift.

2X enlarged section using Bicubic interpolation

2X enlarged section using Nearest Neighbor interpolation

2X enlarged section using Bicubic interpolation

Grayscale image (converted using Channel Mixer in Photoshop)

2X enlarged section using Nearest Neighbor interpolation

The image as it would appear if scanned at a low resolution or interpolated too much. When pixels
or patterns of pixels become visible, the image has been enlarged too much for the current viewing
distance and printing process.

Image Size, Interpolation,

and Resampling (continued)

Subsampling—reducing the resolution— is occasionally done to cause the image to go through a prepress
system more efficiently.

Here are some things to remember about scaling and resampling digital images:

• In general, it’s best to scan an image at the scale and resolution you need it, to avoid having either to
resample or to resize the image later. With images from professional digital cameras, it’s easy to open
them at one of a variety of sizes using the Camera Raw palette.

• You can increase the resolution of a digital image by fitting it into a smaller space. Doing that doesn’t
involve any change

in the size of the file and doesn’t require resampling. The result may be an image that has higher
resolution, but it doesn’t appear any better in print.

• Subsampling works best if you divide the original resolution by a whole number factor. For instance,
if your original image is 600 ppi, resample to make the new resolution a simple fraction of 600 ppi such
as 300, 150, or 75 ppi.

You can increase an image’s resolution using Photoshop’s Image Size palette. Experimentation with this
tool will reveal the extremes to which an image can be modified without visible harm to its detail. Some
imaging experts assert that it’s best to interpolate images to higher resolutions by even factors—doubling
the size exactly, for example. Others claim the best results when they make several steps upward—such
as 20 percent increments applied several times.

Using the Unsharp Mask filter in Photoshop can compensate for some of the blurring introduced by
resampling.

Once an image is resampled, the original information can’t be recovered except by rescanning it or
reopening it from the digital camera (although you can step backward in the History palette if the file is
still open).
200-ppi scan resolution; 869K file size. No sharpening has been applied.

100-ppi scan resolution; 386K file size. Unsharp Mask has been applied, proving that with some
images, a smaller file size combined with a bit of sharpening makes the image reproducible.

Graphic File Formats

The file format you choose for your graphics depends on your
workflow and final output.
Both InDesign and QuarkXPress now support native Photoshop documents, complete with image layers
and effects. InDesign also lets you place native Illustrator files into a page layout document. To reduce the
number of document versions, and to see the best quality image onscreen, use native Photoshop files in
either page layout application. Use Illustrator files in InDesign and Illustrator EPS files in the latest
versions of QuarkXPress.

For duotones (and tritones and quadtones), use the EPS format. But don’t use EPS for other raster images
(photographs). The EPS format doesn’t support some of the embedded information needed by the latest
versions of InDesign and QuarkXPress.
The TIFF file format is useful for grayscale or color images. TIFF supports layers, clipping paths, and
most color spaces. It also allows ICC color profiles to be embedded, which makes this file format a good
choice for page layouts.

Desktop Color Separation (DCS) files are EPS files that combine a low-resolution display image with
high-resolution data for color separations. DCS supports additional colors beyond CMYK. Up to 24
channels can be saved in a DCS file, those colors created in Photoshop’s Multichannel mode. In the page
layout application, each color in a DCS image is treated as a spot color.

Photo CD files contain raster images in several resolutions and are stored on a special CD in a format
called YCC. Photo CD files can store images from 35mm, 70mm, 120mm, and 4-by-5-inch film. Although
it’s possible to get film scanned and stored on Photo CD discs, such discs aren’t common today.

DCS file (can have up to 24 channels of color)

----- ■S£;v i

.r. ..

Low-resolution file used for placement

Separation files used for output

Open Prepress Interface

Open Prepress Interface (OPI) is a method of using low-resolution images in a page layout and then
substituting high-resolution images at the time of printing. The process is sometimes known by the term
Automatic Picture Replacement (APR); both terms are trademarks of the companies that developed them.

When you use an application that supports OPI, your service provider can scan your artwork, keep the
high-resolution images, and give you low-resolution placeholder images to use in design and layout. You
don’t need the large storage capacity or fast processing speed required to store high-resolution images.

After you create your publication using a page-layout program that supports OPI, you or your service
provider can generate a PostScript file containing OPI comments that specify the page, placement, size,
and cropping of any TIFF images. Your prepress service provider uses a prepress application that
automatically substitutes the high-resolution versions of the images while imaging.

If you intend to edit your images, you must use the high-resolution images; low-resolution images are for
position, scaling, and cropping only.

High-resolution image is swapped in for platesetting

Low-resolution file used for placement in the page layout

High-resolution file substituted for separations

Bleeds

Printing an object to the edge of the final printed piece requires creating a bleed. A bleed extends objects
off the print area to ensure that when the paper is trimmed during the finishing process, the ink coverage
extends to the edge of the paper.

The convention for bleeds is to extend the image .125 inch off the sheet. It’s important to remember that
the image will be trimmed: Don’t put any important information at the edge that is needed in the image at
or close to the bleed line.

Trim marks indicate where the page will be cut.

Avoid aligning objects exactly with the edge of the page.

Adjust the design so trimming looks intentional.

Crossovers

A crossover is a printed object that extends from one page to the next. Because a single object is printed
on two sheets of paper (or on two sides of the same sheet of paper), the pages must be carefully aligned in
the final printed piece.
Binding methods affect crossover position and alignment. An object that spans the gutter may seem to
disappear when the pages are bound, so you need to adjust the design accordingly. Also, when pages are
gathered together for binding, some of the pages can be pushed out slightly. This phenomenon, called
creep, can cause gaps or misalignment between the two parts of the crossover.

Follow these guidelines when creating a crossover:

• Avoid printing important text across two pages, because part of it will be lost in the binding. Some
designers add a small amount of space to headlines that pass through the fold of a crossover so the text
will be legible.

• Diagonal artwork in crossovers can exaggerate misalignment in folding and binding. Consider how an
image will look if part of it is removed in the binding process. Adding an artificial extension in the
artwork can partially compensate for the effects of binding.

• Color can print differently on opposite sides of the paper. This may be due to the paper surface’s
qualities or to printing conditions. A crossover can often fall between different sides or different sheets of
paper, and this can exaggerate color differences in two-page spreads.

To reduce the impact of differences in the appearance of color in crossovers, consider printing with a
spot color those colors which are significant in the design and which must cross over from front to back
of the sheet, or from one sheet to another.

Before binding After binding

Color shifts can occur when crossovers print on different forms.

Thicker rules help conceal misalignment.

Overprinting and preview

Overprinting can be used to create additional colors and special effects. Normally, when you produce a
document with overlapping objects, the top object replaces, or knocks out, the colors beneath it.
Overprinting prints the colors on top of each other.

Overprinting colors with different inks combines the ink values in the overprinted color. For example, if a
background color contains 50% C and the overprinted color has 60% M, the overprinted area consists of
50% C and 60% M.

When you overprint colors with components of the same ink, the combined color assumes the percentage
value of the topmost item (and never more than 100% of any color). For example, if a background color
contains 50% C, and the overprinted color contains 20% C and 60% M, the printed color where the
colors overlap contains 20% C and 60% M.

Overprinting can also be used to specify varnishes in some graphic elements. Specifying a varnish as a
spot color and then declaring that spot color to overprint causes the plate for the spot color to have an
image of the overprint. Though this technique works with text and some graphics, it doesn’t work with
placed images.

Overprinting can cause problems on the press; be sure to talk with your commercial printer about their
limits for total ink coverage, and be sure not to exceed the value they recommend (typically 250-320%) in
any combination of overprinted inks.

Also, never use the color registration on any artwork or text in your project. The registration color—
defined as 100% of every color printed—is only for printer’s marks used to control register on press.

&

Overprinting can create a new color.

Overprinting can change the look of a color unexpectedly.

50 C

0M |

20 C 20

60 M 60

Overprinting objects without common inks combines the ink values where the objects overlap.

Overprinting objects with common inks reveals the topmost of the overprinted ink colors of the
common colors. Different colors overprint as a combination of the values of the colors.

Compensating for Register Error

When you examine printed work, you’ll often notice register

problems in areas where colors meet. These are usually caused
by the paper stretching or shifting slightly on the printing press.
Where inks print out of register, gaps or color shifts appear
between the objects. Gaps are especially likely when adjacent
objects share no common color and
when objects knock out rather than overprint. Overprinting is often used as a way to reduce the effects of
press register error. Another way of hiding flaws in register involves expanding one region into another
by adding a border stroke called a trap.

Trapping

Some prepress systems provide automated trapping of artwork as a process step in file preparation for
platesetting. This method of trapping is by far the best because the trap elements, their color, and their
values are determined by sophisticated software algorithms. If trapping is available from your prepress
provider, take advantage of that service.

Manual trapping requires a thorough knowledge of color and design and of when trapping is likely to be
necessary. A publication designed with several interacting spot colors requires trapping because the
colors don’t share a common ink. A publication containing several process colors without common colors
may also require trapping.

On the other hand, not all printing requires trapping. Designs that contain isolated areas of solid color
don’t need to be trapped because there are no adjacent colors that could show gaps if register errors
occur. Designs composed of process colors where adjacent areas share sufficient percentages of
component inks don’t require trapping, because misregister would reveal the common inks instead of
leaving a gap. Photographs don’t need to be trapped because the distribution of colors in a typical scene
provides enough randomness to prevent large areas of a single color from existing adjacent to large areas
of a different color.

An effective trap should compensate for misregister without distorting the shapes of the objects on the
page. If trapping results in visible distortion, it may be preferable to protect against register error by
overprinting all or part of an object. Overprinting black lines and black text can help to avoid the
problem, even when these objects appear on a colored background. Illustrations that make extensive use
of black outlines, such as cartoons or certain highly stylized art, require little or no trapping.
autumn
Page requiring trapping

Chokes and spreads

A spread traps a light foreground object to a dark background. A choke traps a light background to a dark
foreground object. Because the darker of two adjacent colors defines the visible edge of the object or
text, spreading the lighter color slightly into the darker color maintains the visual edge of the artwork.

A solid color object that overlaps both a lighter and darker background requires both spreads and chokes
to be applied for effective trapping.

Trapping process colors

Process colors that share sufficient percentages of component inks don’t require trapping because
misregister reveals a color that has a component of each of the adjacent colors. In the example shown
here, the first two colors share sufficient percentages of common inks that misregister reveals a color that
isn’t distracting. However, the second two colors require trapping because they contain ink percentages
that differ enough to reveal a third color when the colors are printed out of register. When adjacent colors
don’t have inks in common, a trap is required.

Items reversed-out of a rich black (black plus a percentage of one or more other colors) require a
trapping technique called a keep-away trap. When you trap such items, the under-printed colors are made
slightly smaller than the black area so that press register error doesn’t result in a tiny fringe of color.
Should the press go out of register, the underprinting colors are covered by the black area.

Choke
These colors share sufficient percentages of component inks that poor press register reveals
common inks.

These colors don't share sufficient percentages of component inks, so poor register reveals a
noticeable third color.

so that when register error occurs, the under-printing color won't show.

The nonblack color of a rich black is pulled away from the edge...

Overprinting to cover register error

In some situations, overprinting text and objects can be preferable to trapping as a way to hide register
error. For example, small text and hairlines are distorted by trapping (the trapping strokes that are added
fatten the thin lines). Overprinting preserves the shape of the object and the legibility of the text.

Before you overprint fine text or thin lines, evaluate whether misregister will be more noticeable than a
possible variation in the line or text color. Keep in mind that your solution should provide the least
distraction between text (or line) and background, should a register error occur. Ask these questions to
evaluate your situation:

• If gaps appear due to register error, will they be noticeable?

• Will the text change to an undesirable color if it’s overprinted on the background?

• Will trapping distort the text characters?

Printing black trapping lines around images is a common use of overprinting to prevent register error from
showing. This is the technique used for decades to print comic book art. All drawing elements are
surrounded by a black outline that is set to overprint. The overprinted line can hide most register error.
The line thickness is typically set to one-half the halftone screen frequency (.003 inch for a 150 lines per
inch [lpi] project). This technique doesn’t lend itself to many styles of illustration artwork, but it works
well when it’s used appropriately.

Overprinted black text

favorite essenti

Gardener’s Gloves _

Lorem ipsura dolor sit am nonnumy eiusmod temp erat volupat. Duis autem vel eum irure molestaie
Overprinted trap line

Black text set to knock Black text set to overprint, out, out of register out of register

Trapping methods

Overprinting colors with inks in common

Fill: 100% Yellow, 40% Cyan

Fill: 100% Cyan

If objects share common ink colors, it is not necessary to trap the colors. In this case, the common ink
hides slight areas of misregistration.
Printed result. No trap or overprint required.

Overprinting colors with no inks in common

Fill: 100% Magenta

Fill: 100% Cyan

Trap: 100% Magenta, 40% Cyan (Overprint)

If objects do not share common ink colors, use trap to add the overprint color to the background color
where the two overlap.

Printed result. Overprint stroke or trap: 100% Cyan,

100% Magenta

Trapping lines

Stroke:

1 pt. 100% Magenta

Stroke:
^ 2 pt. 100% Magenta (Overprint)

Printed result. .5 pt. trap

Fill: 100% Cyan

Use when printing lines on a colored or black background.

Black lines overprint (rich black background)

Fill: White Stroke: None

Use when your illustration or type is reversed-out of a rich black background.

Fill: None
Printed result

Stroke: 1 pt. Black (Overprint)

Fill: 20% Cyan, 15% Magenta, 15% Yellow, 100% Black Stroke: None

Butt-fit

Spread

Fill: 100% Yellow Stroke: 1 pt. Yellow (Overprint)

Use when the background is darker than the object on top of it.

Printed result

Trap = .5 pt. overlap

Fill: 100% Cyan Stroke: None

Choke

Fill: 100% Cyan Stroke: Yellow 1 pt. (Overprint)

Use when the background is lighter than the object on top of it.

-Trap = .5 pt. overlap

Fill: 100% Yellow Stroke: None

Printed result

Fill: 100% Magenta Stroke: 1 pt. Black (Overprint)

Trap = .5 overlap each side; 1 pt. total

Fill: 100% Yellow Stroke: None

Printed result

Black lines overprint (color background)

Use when the design contains many different color tints and the illustration style allows.

Screen Frequency, Resolution, and Gray Levels

Screen frequency, also called screen ruling or halftone frequency, refers to the number
of lines per inch (lpi) of halftone dots in the finished printing. The relationship between the platesetter
resolution (dpi) and the screen ruling (lpi) determines the halftone quality of the printed output. The same
two factors also affect the number of gray levels or color tones available, measures of the tonal depth in
the halftone image.

The screen ruling used for a job depends on the resolution of the platesetter as well as the paper stock and
type of press used to print the publication. Common screen frequencies are used for most printing
processes; these are defined in part by industry quality standards and traditions.

Full-color newspapers are commonly printed using a screen ruling of 100 lpi because newsprint absorbs
a great deal of ink and the presses operate at high speed. A higher screen frequency would oversaturate
the newsprint and make the images look muddy. Full-color magazines on coated paper are usually printed
with a screen ruling of 133 lpi, whereas sheet-fed and commercial printing is typically done at 150 lpi.
Garment printing created with the screen-printing process generally uses a halftone frequency of 50-65
lpi.

Halftone screen frequency also determines the size of a halftone cell, which in turn dictates the minimum
size of a halftone dot

(highest frequency). The halftone dot is made up of printer dots (measured in dpi); printer (imagesetter or
platesetter) resolution determines the number of dots available to create the halftone dot. The relationship
between screen ruling and printer resolution determines the number of gray steps that can be simulated.
As the screen ruling increases, the size of the halftone cell decreases; fewer printer dots are available to
create the halftone dot, so fewer gradations can be represented and the image may lose depth.

To calculate how many levels of gray are available at a particular screen ruling and output resolution, use
the formula shown in the accompanying chart. Most output devices produce 256 gray steps (for
photographic images). This is a process limitation of PostScript. PostScript platesetters draw algorithmic
gradations (those created in Illustrator, for example) using a different process and aren’t limited to 256
steps.

Every platesetter available today (and most film imagesetters) have adequate machine resolution to
generate 150 lpi halftones—or finer—without tonal degradation.

imagesetter or platesetter resolution maximum line screen for 256 gray steps

300 19

400 25

600 38

900 56

1000 63

1270 79

1446 90

1524 95

1693 106

2000 125

2400 150

2540 159

3000 188

3252 203
3600 225

4000 250

High-resolution imaging devices, such as computer-to-plate (CTP) systems, have enough machine
resolution to draw halftone dots with full tonality. Low-resolution devices, such as laser printers,
don't have the resolution to draw halftone images with as many gray steps between black and
white.

(machine resolution 4 screen ruling)2 + 1 = potential shades of gray

Laser printer: (600 dpi 4 60 lpi)2 + 1 = 101 shades of gray

The laser printer can print black and white, but it doesn't have adequate machine resolution to
draw many steps of gray in between (the problem is exaggerated for this illustration).

Platesetter: (3600 dpi 4 175 lpi)2 + 1 = 577 shades of gray

The platesetter has enough resolution to draw full tonality at most common screen rulings.
PostScript has a 256-tone limit for photographic grayscales, so the image would be limited to 256
gray values despite the theoretical 577 shown here.

Dot Gain

Continuous-tone images are reproduced with halftone dots of

different sizes—large dots reproduce dark tones and small dots
reproduce light tones. During the reproduction process, the dots
change in size, becoming larger. This phenomenon is called dot
gain.

There are several sources of dot gain, all of which are highly predictable. Dot gain occurs when the plate
cylinder transfers its image to the blanket cylinder on press. Additional gain occurs when the dot is
transferred to the paper—the pressure of the press forces some ink into the paper, which causes the inked
halftone dots to spread very slightly. Uncoated papers cause more gain than coated papers do.

The amount of dot gain for a particular press and paper depends on the printing environment and the
halftone frequency (higher line screens cause greater dot gain). Individual dot

gain depends primarily on the size of the dot. The midtone (50 percent) dot has the greatest circumference,
so it increases the most. Small highlight dots and shadow dots show little gain (they are actually small
white dots in the center of black halftone cells). The accompanying graph shows the typical dot gain from
file to press-sheet stage plotted against the percentage dot value (representing tone) in the original. The
curve peaks at the 50 percent tonal value and approaches zero at both ends.

Halftone-dot percentages are measured with a densitometer—an instrument used for measuring the density
of ink on printed substrates. A dot-gain value refers to what happens to midtone dots as a percentage of
change in area. A 20 percent dot gain (typical for offset printing on gloss papers) means that the 50
percent dot will print on paper at 70 percent.

re

<u 30% n

20%-
ro <D k_

c 10%-

100%

13

+-<

50%

Percentage of Dot in original file

Typical dot gain for sheet-fed offset printing on coated paper at 150 lpi. Uncoated papers show
significantly greater amounts of gain.

Normal tonal reproduction of an image results in predictable dot gain.

i ■<
Excessive dot gain makes the midtones in an image appear dark and makes the image muddy.
Photoshop displays images with standard dot gain to simulate the appearance of the image as it
will print. Printing color images with ICC profile conversions also compensates for measured dot
gain.

Paper quality and dot gain

Papers and coatings come in a large variety of types and are intended for many different purposes:

• Newsprint. A coarser paper made mostly from wood pulp and that is highly porous. It’s
manufactured almost exclusively for printing newspapers. The dot gain for newsprint is typically 30
percent or more. Common halftone screen frequencies used for newspaper printing are 85 lpi and 100 lpi.

• Uncoated paper. Any number of different types of paper that aren’t coated with a gloss surface
treatment. Dot gain for uncoated paper is roughly 25 percent. On web-fed offset presses, uncoated papers
are usually printed at 133 lpi; sheet-fed presses use 150-175 lpi.

• Coated paper. Paper that has been given a shiny coating in manufacture, helping to seal the paper
and reduce dot gain.

On a sheet-fed press, the dot gain on coated stock can be as low as 15 percent, although 20 percent is
more typical. High-quality grayscale and four-color images are usually printed on coated papers because
such papers reflect more light and have a greater measured and visible gamut of colors available.
• Calendered paper. Paper that has had a normal finishing step applied that involves heat and
pressure. Calendering freshly made paper is analogous to ironing cloth. Calendering is used on some
papers in order to get a smoother, less porous surface. Calendered stock has dot gain that is slightly better
than that of uncoated stock, typically between 20 to 25 percent, compared to 25 to 30 percent for uncoated
stock.

When you’re using a color-managed workflow, the ICC color profiles applied to images and documents
as they are processed compensate for dot gain.
Linked Graphics, Package, and Prepare for Output

When you place a photo or illustration in a page layout, the

application creates a reduced-resolution preview of that image
for the page and a link back to the source of the original.
InDesign, QuarkXPress, and Illustrator identify linked files using their filenames and locations. Both
InDesign and QuarkXPress have link management palettes that help you keep track of all pieces of
artwork and their location.

When it’s time to prepare your page layout for output, use the Package command (InDesign) or Prepare
For Output (QuarkXPress) to assemble all the linked images and illustrations. These tools copy all the
necessary files—including type fonts— into one folder so you can easily prepare a disc to send to your
prepress provider.

InDesign also prepares an interactive preflight report that lists missing fonts or graphics, identifies
incorrect color spaces (RGB in a CMYK document, for example), and allows you to repair your layout
before committing to send your files to print.

Adobe Illustrator doesn’t have a Package command; if you use Illustrator as your page-layout application,
you must check all links and then carefully assemble all parts of your document to send for output.

Tool shed.psd Tools.psd Shovel.psd Boots.ai

rzr:.“

—-4 ' ^ freah herb

Fresh herbs.ai Sun.ai Basil.psd Dill.ai

ART 4-5

ART 6-7

afrintfflmciL

Arrangement.eps

Basket.ai

Flowers.psd

Buckets.psd

Organize your files as you construct your publication by setting up folders for art. Doing so will help
you create a well-organized project. When you package your files for output, InDesign creates two
folders: one for pictures and one for fonts. All contributing files are put into the correct folder.

Using Type
n the world of electronic publishing, type should look good onscreen and print flawlessly from output
devices such as laser printers and platesetters. Unlike type that is cast in metal or imaged
photographically, digital type gives you the means to control every aspect of typesetting.

Setting good-looking type

A sculpture’s success depends not only on its shape and material but also on the space around it.
Typography is no different—to communicate ideas, type must be readable as well as legible. Legibility
refers to the ability to distinguish between letters; readability refers to ease of comprehension and reader
comfort. Making type more readable involves the manipulation of type sizes and the space around letters,
words, and lines of text.

The shapes of individual letters influence kerning. For instance, two letters with either curved or diagonal
strokes that are set together require the least amount of space between them; combinations of straight
vertical lines need the most space; and a curved or diagonal stroke next to a straight line needs a medium
amount of space. The latest Adobe applications have both table-based kerning adjustments and optical
kerning methods.

Adding or removing an equal amount of space between characters, usually in paragraphs of text, to
achieve overall tighter or looser letterspacing is known as tracking.

Type smaller than 10 points may require added space (positive tracking), whereas larger type sizes—
over 18 points—may need less (negative tracking). Most page-layout programs include tracking
capabilities; the way you perform this function varies by application, so refer to your user guide for
details.

Reverse type—white type on a black back-ground—might also require more space between letters. In this
case, use positive tracking to improve legibility.

Your printing environment may also require adjustment of the overall tracking. If you’re printing on
absorbent paper, for instance, you may need to increase tracking to allow for ink spread that occurs during
printing.

bo ok lin
The amount of space between letters depends on the shapes of the letter strokes. Use automatic
kerning functions in your page-layout application to overcome unsightly kerning pairs in text.

A solar eclipse is a fairly rare occurrence. When they happen, the

scientific community rushes to measure, while the curious find clever
filtration devices with which to observe the phenomenon. One must
assume that in ancient times, people were similarly fascinated by the
occasional event.
Warnock Pro 14 pt. (OpenType) Tracked -12 units

dahlia
-20 Tracking

Warnock Pro Light Italic Display (OpenType)

A solar eclipse is a fairly rare occurrence. When they happen, the

scientific community rushes to measure, while the curious find clever
filtration devices with which to observe the phenomenon. One must
assume that in ancient times, people were similarly fascinated by the
occa-
Warnock Pro 14 pt. (OpenType) Tracked +12 units

dahlia
-40 Tracking

Warnock Pro Light Italic Display (OpenType)

Word spacing

Words need to be far enough apart to be distinguished from one another but not so far that they separate
into individual, unrelated units. That is, the spaces between words must be large enough to see individual
word shapes, but the reader must also be able to group three or four words at a time for quick
comprehension. The proper word spacing for unjustified text (in which the right margin is uneven or
ragged) depends primarily on type size and line length.

If headlines are set in a large-size type—24 points, for example—little space is required between words;
the space used by a 24-point lowercase i is a good gauge. In typical 12-point body text of ten words per
line, however, more space between words is required. Most page-layout programs use the default word
spacing provided in each typeface (which usually works well without adjustment in typical text settings);
some allow you to adjust this spacing. Very short lines of text require tighter word spacing than the
default.

Ta rv We gy RA 7, y.
Unkerned character pairs

Ta rv We gy RA 7, y.
Kerned character pairs igjen igjen
Before kerning After kerning

CLIMATE CLIMATE
After manual kerning and tracking: more balanced spacing

Before manual kerning: uneven fit

A Jay ventured into a yard

Headline word spacing

How PostScript printers use fonts

When you send a document to a PostScript printer, the printer uses the fonts it finds according to the
following priorities:

1. Fonts that have been manually downloaded to the printer.

2. Fonts stored in the printer’s read-only memory (ROM).

3. Fonts stored on a hard disk in or attached to the printer.

4. Fonts stored in the Mac OS or Windows system (these are downloaded by the printer driver when the
job is sent to the printer).

If the printer can’t find the font in any of these other locations, it usually substitutes the font Courier.

As discussed earlier, OpenType fonts are the new industry

standard for imaging to any PostScript output device. OpenType
fonts are PostScript language-based outlines— object-oriented
vector graphics—that can be scaled to any size and still remain
sharp and smooth on any platform or output device.
Font Formats

Earlier font formats included Adobe Type 1 fonts, which are made up of two software components: the
screen font and the outline font (these occasionally are called by different names: bitmap font and printer
font). Type 1 fonts are limited to about 250 characters per font, but otherwise they deliver superb quality
at any size. They are platform specific.

TrueType fonts are found on all Macintosh and Windows computers. They are usually shipped with the
operating system, and they also produce excellent output on PostScript printers and platesetters. Like
Type 1 fonts, the TrueType font has a character set of about 250 characters.

You can use OpenType, PostScript Type 1, and TrueType fonts interchangeably in page layouts. The
advantages of OpenType are its large library of glyphs and alternate characters. In every other respect, the
three font types should produce equal results and should print properly on all modern PostScript RIPs.

Fonts from different foundries may not have the same width and letterspacing characteristics—
even if they share the same font name.
with knowledgeable and experienced production people, print brokers,' and service
bureaus. You can benefit from the combined expertise.

—Lori Barra, Sausalito, CA

When older typesetting methods gave way to electronic

publishing, certain traditional terms got carried along. Today we
use a mix of old and new terminology to describe typography.
Alignment The positioning of text within margins. Text flush with the margins on both sides is referred
to as justified. Text is often aligned with only one margin, either the left or right and is then described as
right- or left-justified, ragged left or -right, or flush-left or -right.
Ascender The stem of lowercase letters (such as k, b, and d) that ascends above the x-height of the other
lowercase letters in a typeface.

Backslant A typeface with a backwards slant, the opposite of italic.

Baseline The imaginary line on which the majority of the characters in a typeface rest.

Body copy The main text of a document, as distinct from titles and headings.

Boldface A typeface rendered in darker, thicker strokes so that it will stand out.

Bullet A dot or other special character used to indicate items in a list.

Cap height The height from the baseline to the top of the uppercase letters in a font. This may or may not
be the same as the height of ascenders.

Centered text Text placed at an equal distance from the left and right margins. Headlines are often
centered.

Character In typography, a single element such as a letter, numeral, or mark of punctuation. The
emerging term to describe these typographic elements is glyph, which is more descriptive when
discussing non-Roman alphabet characters.

Character encoding An encoding is a table that maps character codes to the glyphs of a font. There are
32,768 possible typographic codes in the latest font technology, OpenType, designed to accommodate
nearly any alphabet system known.

Condensed font A narrower version of a font that is used to get more characters into a given space.

Copyfitting A typographic process of adjusting the size and spacing of type to make it fit within a
defined area or on a definite number of printed pages. Can be done by calculation, or by successive
adjustments at the computer until a fit is reached.

Descender The part of a lowercase letter (such as y, p, and q) that descends below the baseline. In
many typefaces, the uppercase J and Q also descend below the baseline.

Dingbats Non-alphanumeric glyphs. Dingbat fonts consisting entirely of these characters are a source of
graphic symbols— such as arrows, bullets, and dividers—and other graphic ornaments.
Display type Type larger than that of the body text, used for headlines and display.

Drop cap A document style in which the first capital letter of a paragraph is set in a larger point size and
aligned with the top of the first line. Used to indicate the start of a new section of text, such as a chapter.

Ellipsis A punctuation character consisting of three dots, or periods, in a row. It indicates that a word or
phrase has been omitted.

Em, em space, em quad A common unit of measurement in typography. The em is the width of the
point size. For example, in 12-point type, one em has a width of 12 points.

Em dash A dash the length of an em used to indicate a break in a sentence.

En, en space, en quad A common unit of measurement in typography. The en is typically half the
width of the point size. It is half the width of an em space.

En dash A dash the length of an en is used to indicate a range of values. Some typographers prefer it to
the longer em-dash to indicate a break in a sentence.

Flush-left ragged-right Text that is aligned on the left margin is said to be flush-left. If the text is
unaligned on the right, so that it has a ragged edge, it is said to be flush-left ragged right. The term ragged-
right is sometimes used alone to mean the same thing.

Flush-right ragged-left Text that is aligned on the right margin is said to be flush right and, if
unaligned on the left, is said to be set

flush-right ragged-left. The term ragged-left is sometimes used alone to mean the same thing.

Font One style, weight, and width of a typeface. An example is Times Bold Extended. Times is a
typeface family, Roman is a style, Bold is a weight, Extended is a width. The terms font and typeface tend
to be used interchangeably.

In hand-set type, the term font described a single point size of a particular typeface design. Because
digital-typesetting technology enables scalable fonts, the size defining a font is no longer applicable.

Font contrast Font contrast refers to the range of thickness of the strokes used to draw a font’s
characters. Helvetica has low contrast, for example, because the letters are drawn with strokes of uniform
thickness. Bodoni, on the other hand, has high contrast.
Font family Also called a typeface family. A collection of similar fonts designed to be used together.
The Garamond family, for example, includes roman and italic styles, several weights (regular, semibold,
and bold), and several widths (extended and compressed).

Galley proof A proof that is close enough to final copy to permit proofreading. The traditional galley
was a small unit of machine-set type, which was checked before being merged into a frame with other
galleys. The galley proof—also called a reader’s proof-—was used to check for errors in typesetting.

Glyph The basic building block in typesetting is a glyph—a letter, numeral, or symbol; groups of glyphs
together are called fonts.

One or more fonts sharing particular design features make up a family; Adobe Myriad Pro, for example, is
the name of a type family. Myriad Pro Regular is an individual font within that family. The Pro in the
name indicates that the font is an OpenType font.

New Glyphs palettes in InDesign, Illustrator and QuarkXPress allow for the selection of alternate
characters from a palette showing all available alternate characters. Adobe now ships all of its fonts in
OpenType format, and other type foundries are offering their fonts in this format in addition to the older
Type 1 and TrueType font formats.

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Greeking Gibberish used to take the place of real text for layout purposes.

Hanging indent A document style in which the first line of a paragraph is aligned with the left margin,
and the remaining lines are all indented an equal amount. An effective style for displaying lists of
information, sometimes referred to as outdenting.

Italic A slanting or script-like version of a face. The upright faces are often referred to as Roman.

Justified In typography, text is justified if it is flush on both the left and right margins. Text that is flush-
right or flush-left, in other words aligned on only one margin, is sometimes described as being right-
justified or left-justified.

Kerning The adjustment of horizontal space between pairs of characters to create a perception of
uniformity; critical where large typefaces are used, as in headlines. The letters Ty would require kerning
to tuck the y under the wing of the T.

Keyboard layout, keyboard mapping

A keyboard layout or mapping is the table governing which character is generated when a particular key
or combination of keys is pressed.

Letterspacing Letterspacing adjustments are applied to a block of text as a whole, and are sometimes
referred to as tracking. This is distinct from kerning, which adjusts space between pairs of letters.
Letterspacing is used to improve legibility and to fit more or less text into the given space.

Ligature Two or more letters drawn as a unit. In some typefaces, certain pairs of letters overlap in
unsightly ways if printed side by side. Substituting a ligature improves the appearance in these cases.
Examples include the fi, and fl pairs.

Oblique A slanting version of a face. Oblique is similar to italic but without the script quality of a true
italic.

OpenType OpenType solves the problems of previous font technologies. OpenType fonts are cross-
platform and can contain character sets of tens of thousands of glyphs, allowing for typography in almost
any language. Special characters, such as small caps and old-style numerals are included in OpenType
fonts rather than being found in a separate font. In addition to scalable OpenType fonts, Adobe offers
Opticals, series of OpenType fonts that are designed for setting in a narrow range of point sizes.

Myriad Pro-Cond.otf

Paragraph rules Graphic lines that separate blocks of text and isolate graphics on a page.

Pi characters Special typographic characters, such as mathematical symbols, not included in ordinary
fonts.

Pica A unit of measure that is approximately one-sixth of an inch. A pica is equal to 12 points. The
traditional British and American pica is 0.166 inch. In PostScript devices, a pica is exactly 1/6 inch.

Point A unit of measure in typography. The original ANSI point was 72.27 to the inch, but the PostScript
era ushered-in a new point that is exactly 72 to the inch.

Point size The common way to describe the size of a font. A font’s point size is the distance in points
from the top of the highest ascender to the bottom of the lowest descender plus a tiny gap for legibility.

Quad A typesetting term for a specified space size. For example, an em quad is the width of the point
size, and an en quad is half that width.

Raised cap A design style in which the first capital letter of a paragraph is set in a large point size and
aligned with the baseline of the first line of text. Compare to a drop cap.

Reverse type, reverse text Type that is printed white on black, or light-colored against a dark
background.

Roman The upright style of a typeface, as contrasted with its italic version.

Sans-serif font A typeface without serifs, the tiny ornaments that are found on the tips of letter parts.
Helvetica is an example of a sans-serif font.

Serif In typeface design, a small, decorative stroke appearing at the ends of the main strokes that define a
letter.

Strike-through Text that has a line drawn through every letter, essentially showing cancellation. The
technique is used when editing a document, and in legal printing, where the original text is shown, with
strike-through, and the replacement text is printed nearby.

Style One of the variations, such as italic and bold, that comprise a typeface family.

Symbol font A font consisting primarily of mathematical symbols rather than ordinary letters and
numbers. See pi characters.

Tabular figures Numerals that all have the same width. This makes it easier to set tables of data. Also
called lining numerals.

Tracking The average space between characters in a block of text. Sometimes also referred to as
letterspacing.

TrueType A scalable type technology.

Type 1 A standard format for digital type. Originally developed by Adobe, Type 1 was, until recently,
the most commonly available digital type format. Type 1 has been replaced by OpenType fonts, which
offer many more characters, multiple-language support, and stretchable elements for setting music and text
in languages with such elements.

Typeface A design for the letters, numbers, and symbols comprising a font, often part of a family of
coordinated designs. Individual typefaces are usually identified by a family name and some additional
terms indicating style, weight, and width.
Typeface family See font family.

Typeface styles Within a typeface family, variants such as Roman and Italic.

Typeface weights Variants within a single typeface family, including thin, light, bold, extra-bold, and
black.

Typeface widths Width variants within a single typeface family, including extended, condensed, and
normal width.

Typographic "color" The consistency of a block of text. This depends on the thickness of the strokes
that make up the characters, as well as the point size and leading used for setting the text block. When
seasoned typographers refer to “color,” they are talking about textual consistency, the lack of rivers of
white space in composed text, and evenness.

Widow A single word or part of a word ending a paragraph of type.

Word-spacing Adjusting the average distance between words to improve legibility or to fit a block of
text into a given amount of space.

X-height Traditionally, x-height is the height of the lowercase letter x. As a general rule, it is the height
of the body of lowercase letters in a font, excluding the ascenders and descenders. Some lowercase
letters may extend a little bit above or below the x-height as part of their design, even without ascenders
and descenders. The x-height can vary considerably among typefaces with the same point size, which is
based on the width of certain uppercase letters.

Tips for Working with Page-Layout Files

Generally speaking, these suggestions apply to creating

documents in any page-layout program. Some may also be
applicable if you’re designing individual pages in an illustrator
program.
Create a project folder. Before you begin a project, create a folder in which to store your publication
and its linked files, such as images and fonts. Meticulous organization of files can prevent trouble at the
last minute.

Maintain a backup copy. System errors can happen unexpectedly. To prevent losing your work if an
error occurs while you’re in a publication, always create a backup copy of the publication and update it
frequently.

Save your publication frequently. Save your publication immediately after you create it. Then, save
it again each time you make changes that would be difficult or time-consuming to re-create. In the event of
a power failure or system error, saving your publication frequently ensures you won’t lose many changes.

Choose the correct graphic format. Most software applications support a variety of graphic file
formats. Make sure the format you’re using is compatible with the system doing the final imaging. Recent
changes in the world of graphic arts preparation on computers favor files in their native format over
generic files. Adobe InDesign and the recent release of QuarkXPress both support native Adobe
Photoshop files; InDesign

works better with native Illustrator files than it does with the more conventional .eps variety.

If you’re working with digital images from cameras or scanners, you should work with either Photoshop
native files (.psd) or TIFF files, because these are the most flexible formats.

Always place graphics and text rather than pasting them. Using graphics that are linked to the
layout rather than pasted in ensures that the graphics will be printed at full resolution and that all editing
capabilities will be available. For example, an image placed into an InDesign layout can be edited
directly from InDesign; the edited image is updated automatically. Placed text is filtered by the page-
layout application, and typographic details—like correct quotation marks and apostrophes—are
substituted automatically as the text is brought into the page.

Run a preflight test prior to printing.

To ensure that your publication prints correctly, verify that all your links are intact by running a preflight
test. Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress both offer windows that indicate whether a linked file is current,
available, and ready for output.

Nike, the world’s largest manufacturer of athletic sportswear,

wants to make a splash when it talks to the press. So the
company worked with Hybrid Design, a San Francisco-based
design firm, to prepare a series of press kits that would get the
attention of the media.
Case Study: Dora Drimalas
Dora Drimalas, Partner and Creative Director at Hybrid Design, chose to produce a series of poured
clear acrylic cases into which were inserted three different press kits. The firm hired New York
photographer Carlos Serrao to photograph cyclist Lance Armstrong, tennis champion Serena Williams,
and runner Marion Jones wearing Nike sportswear for the campaign that led up to the Olympic games.

Drimalas explains that the idea for the plastic cases came from the style of Serrao’s action photos. “We
took a shard from the image and created the ‘moment frozen in time’ press kit. Part of the message focused
on the fact that in Olympic competition, every hundredth of a second counts,” says Drimalas. In each of
the kits, the firm contrasted the exciting exterior photos with humanizing facts and figures about athletes
and competition.

The outer sheet of each kit was screen-printed on acetate, while the interior cards were printed by offset
lithography in process color, plus one spot color and a gloss varnish. The spot color was a custom mix
with a pearles-cent finish. Included in the kit was a CD meticulously screen-printed with colors to match
the offset cards.

For another press kit series, the firm chose a blind-embossed box to make a statement about speed. The
box was printed with two passes of red ink and a UV coating on the exterior, plus two coats of silver and
a satin-finish UV coating on the interior before being embossed. Then the word “speed” in many
languages was embossed deeply into the paper. Drimalas describes the process: “The emboss was hit as
hard as we could without ripping through the paper. This is when it starts to feel like a sculpture. That’s
where it makes the best impression.”

Surely, handling the design for a firm like Nike requires attention to detail. Says Drimalas of the process,
“We make meticulously clean files, properly labeled discs, correct links, correctly labeled Pantone
colors, properly gathered fonts. We work with the best printers in the world, and we have to give them
world-class work to print. Nothing is left to chance.”

She explains that part of the company’s success comes from pushing the limits of production by “finding a
printer who is open to new technologies and trying new techniques on-press. And we have open and
continuous dialog from start to finish.”

When asked if she has advice for others preparing artwork for printing, Drimalas says that continuous
proofing is one key to success. “We have many people proof our projects before they go out. An extra set
of eyes is always helpful.”
All of the production on these projects for was done with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
Printing was done by Cenveo, South San Francisco, California.

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Imaging and Proofing

Desktop Proofing Options What to Send to Production Checking Your Files Including a
Report Color Proofing Types of Proofs Checking Color Proofs Color Bars

Archiving Your Work

Imaging and Proofing
Checking your finished files, proofing them locally, and handing them off for production
are three key steps in the final production cycle.

A final check prior to handoff ordinarily includes printing a proof copy on your desktop
printer. Although inspecting a desktop copy isn't the same as getting actual proofs from
the printer, you can think of it as the first of several stages of proofing. Prior to handoff,
it's equally important to verify that your files are complete before putting them into
production.

Turning over your files for imaging involves collecting images, illustrations, fonts, and
layout documents and organizing them for production. Adobe InDesign and
QuarkXPress both offer software tools for collecting the components of a project,
assembling them into folders of associated documents, and making them ready for print
production.

Many printing firms also accept print-ready Adobe PDF files created from the page-
layout application. PDF documents can be made with full-resolution images and
embedded fonts, and they can optionally be converted to the correct color type for
printing on a specific press and paper combination using an ICC profile recommended by
your printer.

Desktop Proofing Options

Preview your publication throughout its development as a way
to check the layout, verify the accuracy of text and graphics, and
solve potential printing problems before the files are imaged.
You can use a color desktop printer to print a composite proof,
giving you an idea what the completed project will look like.
You can also use a desktop printer to print color separations to
see whether objects print on the correct separations.
Problems identified in a desktop proof can be corrected quickly and easily; the same problems identified
on press are dramatically more expensive to fix. Many prepress service providers require a desktop
printer proof when you deliver your files for production.

You should make numerous proofs as you develop your publication. Get technical input from your
customer as you go to eliminate errors. The services of a professional editor and proofreader are worth
the cost.

Virtual proof (onscreen or soft proof)

WHAT IT IS

An onscreen preview lets you examine the pages of your publication on your computer display.

APPROPRIATE USES

Use periodic onscreen proofs to refine the appearance of text and to check the overall layout.
Enlarge critical areas to get a better look. Check to see that the correct colors have been assigned
to each object.

Adobe Creative Suite applications offer a Proof Colors option, which activates a selected output
color profile and then shows the document on the computer display with realistic color. Adobe
InDesign can also simulate the color of the paper based on the paper white reading made when the
profile was created. The default profile is defined in the Suite Color Settings found in Adobe Bridge
software. Each application can override the default settings for customized color proofing.

You can also make a color-accurate virtual proof using a properly prepared Adobe PDF document
viewed on a calibrated and profiled computer display. Special virtual-proofing software can create
proofs of adequate quality to replace the prepress proofs traditionally made before printing.

Desktop laser proof

WHAT IT IS

Black-and-white composite prints are printed on a PostScript laser jJ | printer. This is an

inexpensive way to identify problems with layout

and design. By printing color separations, you can verify that objects have been assigned the
correct colors in your document.

APPROPRIATE USES

Check registration marks and crop marks. You may need to reduce the size of the printed piece to
fit on desktop printer paper, but even a reduced-size proof is a valuable aid in finding and
correcting errors prior to a press run.

Desktop color proof

WHAT IT IS

A composite proof printed on a PostScript color printer can be a good preliminary proof. High-
resolution (1440-2880 dpi) inkjet printers can also generate good preliminary proofs.

APPROPRIATE USES

Composite proofs from a desktop color printer are useful for previewing page design, showing color
relationships, and verifying image quality. These composites have the disadvantage of not letting
you anticipate some press problems, such as moire patterns and register error. And most color
composite proofs can't show color trapping. In addition, unless you've been using a color-managed
workflow, the colors in your composite proofs may be unreliable.

What to Send to Production

Your files are in the format specific to that particular application. At handoff, you may choose to transfer
your files as they are— in Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress—or you may choose to convert them to
Adobe PDF format. Both approaches offer advantages.

Transferring files in their native form

Handing off a file in the format of your page-layout program allows the service bureau to run its own
preflight check on your file, making sure that linked files are present and that all fonts are available. Your
service provider will also select the correct printing options for the job: printer’s marks, screen ruling,
bleed, and any additional controls needed to print to their platesetter. If service providers encounter
problems, they can usually troubleshoot the files and fix them (there is a charge for this service).

Before you hand off any document for production, be sure to communicate with the production specialists
about the software you’re using and your computer platform. Although there are few problems relating to
applications or computer platforms today, it’s nice to check in advance.

Converting to Adobe PDF

If your service provider uses a PDF workflow for print production, you can provide complete Adobe
PDF files, ready to print. Many graphic arts firms use PDF-based workflows for graphic arts-quality
productions.

If you use Adobe InDesign, you can choose one of several PDF presets to make your PDF files directly
from that application. QuarkXPress also has a method for making PDF files directly from the application.
To ensure maximum compatibility, set the preference in QuarkXPress to use an external PDF application
—specifically, Distiller, which is part of the Adobe Acrobat software package.
Two graphic arts-specific PDF types are used in the graphic arts industry:

• PDF/X-la is a PDF specification that ensures compatibility with SWOP-standard printing production
systems.

It forces a document to CMYK color and forces compliance with resolution standards that are minimal for
SWOP printing. PDF/X-la is a good choice if your work is destined to be run as an advertisement in a
publication, or if your work is to be run on a web-fed offset press, on a rotogravure press, or sheet-fed
with SWOP standards.

• PDF/X-3 is a more advanced PDF standard. It’s designed for graphic arts-qual-ity production, but it
acknowledges more than four colors—thus enabling spot colors, varnishes, and so on. PDF/X3 also
allows RGB files to be part of a graphic arts document, with ICC profiles embedded for later processing
to CMYK for print by the printing company.

Choosing either one is appropriate for print, but it’s important to ask your commercial printer which type
of PDF they prefer before committing to making the documents. You may also find that your commercial
printer has its own recommendations for making PDF files ready for printing.

Also remember that PDF creation for print usually leaves photos in the document uncompressed, which
can cause these files to be very large. Don’t expect the compact files you get when you compress to PDF
for Internet or business document delivery. A 50 MB PDF file for a single-page color document isn’t
unreasonable.

When it’s time to hand off your document to your prepress

service provider, a systematic check of your files helps to ensure
that your document will print from another computer. This
process, analogous to a pilot’s preflight check, is intended to
catch missing files, missing fonts, material not intended for print,
and any components that may prevent the document from
imaging correctly.
Checking Your Files

Adobe InDesign has a Preflight function that evaluates all the components of your document and produces
a report showing real and potential problems. This preflight report is interactive: double-clicking any

Possible problems were detected during Preflight. View Prefiight information or continue with
Packaging?

C Continue f View Info ^

reported problem leads you to the offending item, allowing for changes if necessary. Some reported
problems—like RGB color images in a color-managed workflow—may not be problems at all, so you
can skip them if you’re confident that they don’t represent an obstacle to production.

After you’ve checked your files, make a final proof of them on a PostScript laser printer, if available.
Printing on a PostScript printer will help to identify any problems that might occur on a PostScript
platesetter at the printing firm.

Checking files before going to press

• Check to be sure you have the correct number of pages. Delete any blank or unnecessary pages. If
you’re printing an imposed multipage publication, be aware that the total count of pages must be divisible
by four (sometimes eight) to fold into efficient signatures.
• Remove artwork that may have been placed in the layout but isn’t used in the final document.
Remember that some artwork items marked “do not print” may have important placeholder purposes;
these should remain in

the document.

• Check linked graphics to ensure that you’re using the latest versions.

• Verify that all colors are defined and named correctly. If you’re using spot colors, make sure that each
is defined with just one name.

• Check bleeds and traps. Make sure that bleed allowances are sufficient (usually .125 inch) and that
trapping specifications are correct.

Organizing and packaging files

• Using the Package function in InDesign or the Collect for Output function in QuarkXPress, copy all art
files and fonts into a new folder on your hard drive. Then, close the document and reopen it from the copy
in the folder you just created. Doing so tests the links in your document. After this process is complete,
copy the folder to a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM; both are excellent for the transfer of publications.

• If possible, open the document on another computer in your workplace, using the CD-ROM you
created. Doing so helps to uncover any font problems and indicates problems with missing or modified
images and graphics.

• Many printing companies provide online file-delivery systems or FTP sites for the transfer of your
documents. Use an FTP client or a Web browser to make the transfer. If file security is a concern, you
should hand-deliver the disc to the printing firm or ask the company to provide access to a secure FTP
server that can’t be accessed by others.

Plan to give a printed copy of your document and a printed

report of all its requirements and settings to your prepress
service provider. The report gives your service provider and
commercial printer an understanding of your project. InDesign
has an online Instructions form that you fill in as you’re packaging your document for production.
This document travels with the job and can be opened and used by the prepress specialists to enter basic
information about your job into their production system. The Instructions form is one entry point to a state-
of-the-art system called Job Description Format (JDF), where prepress equipment, presses, bindery
equipment, and accounting systems all exchange information about your job; this system allows for better
production efficiencies and cost accounting.
Including a Report

Packaging your job for production also generates a report in the same folder as the document, outlining the
contents of the document—from page size and number of colors, to a complete list of linked graphics and
fonts. This report is an orderly listing of the details of your document. Include a printed copy of your
document and a pagination sheet. If your document folds, be sure to include a folded laser output mock-up
of the project.

In addition to your service report, you should include a specification sheet for your commercial printer.
The specification sheet should include this publication specifications information:

Settings for imaging. On the mock-up of your document, be sure to indicate the paper weight, the
surface and paper brand you’ve agreed to with your prepress service provider, the halftone screen
frequency, any ICC profiles used, and whether you’ve done any trapping in the document.

Font list. List all fonts used in the document and any fonts included in imported artwork. This
information is included automatically in the report generated by the page-layout application.

Detailed page listing. Print out all pages of your publication, including both blank and numbered
pages. Use the page numbers to keep track of special requirements on each page. Indicate sections,
chapters, or other breaks in long publications.

Number of colors. If you re printing color, indicate the number of colors that need to be printed for
each page. This number should also include any spot colors or varnishes on the page.

Notes. Include notes to remind yourself of any special handling on a page. Note the location of bleeds,
crossovers, and areas in the publication that need special attention.
Also include the following information on your specification sheet:

• Printing specifications (trim size, quantity, binding process, and so on)

• Packing and shipping instructions

• Due date

• Contact information (how to get in touch with you)

ADOBE INDESIGN PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR SERVICE PROVIDER REPORT PUBLICATION NAME: Photo Flyer.indd

Sample service provider report

Following is the text of an InDesign document, ready for print. It includes most of the
specifications for production and printing, a complete listing of linked graphics, fonts, colors
used, and contact information:

PACKAGE DATE: 5/24/05 12:36 AM Creation Date: 5/19/05 Modification Date: 5/20/05

CONTACT INFORMATION

Company Name: Bright Bros., Inc. Contact: Brian P. Lawler Address:

6045 Madbury Court

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 USA

Phone: 805 544-8814 Fax: 805 544-8445 Email: [email protected]

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND OTHER NOTES

This is the final booklet. I made all the changes we discussed, and here it is!

All photos are in RGB, embedded with Adobe RGB (1998) ICC profiles. Please use your gloss paper profile when printing, as we
discussed.

Please produce 2,500 copies on 100# cover gloss stock, as discussed.

External Plug-ins 1 InBooklet SE.4x.pln.framework

Non Opaque Objects :None FONTS

3 Fonts Used; 0 Missing, 1 Embedded, 0 Incomplete, 0 Protected

Fonts Packaged

- Name: MinionPro-Bold; Type: OpenType Type 1, Status: OK

- Name: MinionPro-Regular; Type: OpenType Type 1, Status: OK

- Name: MyriadPro-Black; Type: Type 1, Status: Embedded

COLORS AND INKS

4 Process Inks; 0 Spot Inks

- Name and Type: Process Cyan; Angle: 45.000; Lines/Inch: 60.000

- Name and Type: Process Magenta; Angle: 45.000; Lines/Inch: 60.000

- Name and Type: Process Yellow; Angle: 45.000; Lines/Inch: 60.000

- Name and Type: Process Black; Angle: 45.000; Lines/Inch: 60.000

LINKS AND IMAGES

(Missing & Embedded Links Only)

Links and Images: 24 Links Found; 0 Modified, 0 Missing

Images: 0 Embedded, 23 use RGB color space

PRINT SETTINGS

PPD: Xerox Phaser 7700DN, (Phaser 7700DN)

Printing To: Printer

Number of Copies: 1

Reader Spreads: No

Even/Odd Pages: Both

Pages: All

Proof: No

Tiling: None

Scale: 100%, 100%

Page Position: Upper Left

Printer's Marks: None

Bleed: .125 in, .125 in, .125 in, .125 in

Color: Composite CMYK

Trapping Mode: None

Send Image Data: Full Resolution

OPI/DCS Image Replacement: No

Page Size: Tabloid

Paper Dimensions: 11 in x 17 in

Orientation: Landscape

Negative: No

Flip Mode: Off

FILE PACKAGE LIST

1. Photo Flyer.indd; type: Adobe InDesign publication; size: 22791K

2. MinionPro-Bold.otf; type: Font file; size: 203K

3. MinionPro-Regular.otf; type: Font file; size: 199K

4. Carnegie Hall head.ai; type: Linked file; size: 217K

5. Carnegie-Hall-Exterior-3-22-05-03.psd; type: Linked file; size: 3163K

6. Carnegie-Hall-Marquee-3-22-05-05.psd; type: Linked file; size: 46109K

7. Manhattan-cruise-3-24-05-01.psd; type:

Linked file; size: 46880K

8. Manhattan-skyline-3-24-05-06.psd; type:

Linked file; size: 38358K

9. SLOHS Choir Send-off 3-13-05 60.psd; type: Linked file; size: 3363K

10. SLOHS-MBHS.jpg; type: Linked file; size: 1141K

11. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-19-05-05.psd; type: Linked file; size: 46713K

12. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-20-05-57.psd; type: Linked file; size: 42373K

13. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-20-05-73.psd; type: Linked file; size: 47506K

14. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-20-05-96.psd; type: Linked file; size: 44460K

15. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-105.psd; type: Linked file; size: 48428K

16. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-12.psd; type: Linked file; size: 46308K

17. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-42.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8258K

18. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-43.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8193K

19. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-44.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8225K

20. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-45.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8255K

21. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-46.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8116K

22. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-47.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8175K

23. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-48.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8197K

24. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-49.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8195K

25. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-50.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8179K

26. SLOMBY-Choir-NYC-3-21-05-51.psd; type: Linked file; size: 8186K

27. Statue-of-Liberty-3-24-05-06.psd; type: Linked file; size: 28964

Next to proofs made from the printing plates themselves, the most accurate proofs are made
on wide-format ink-jet printers. These proofs accurately represent the color that the press will
deliver, although sometimes the paper substrate used for proofing is whiter than your chosen
printing paper. Such proofs are often used as contract proofs to indicate to the printer the color
that you expect to see in the final press run.

Color Proofing

As a general rule, the closer the proofing method mimics the conditions of the printing press,
the more reliably it indicates the final product’s quality. Most color proofing systems are
optimized for process color printing; some proofing systems can also proof high-fidelity colors
and spot colors. For spot colors, you can also get a drawdown—a smear of ink produced on
the paper to be used—to verify quality and tone. Consult your vendors to see what proofing
options are available.

The final stage of proofing is not only for checking your work but also for checking the printer’s
work. Without a contract proof, it may be difficult to settle disputes with the printer about color
quality. The proof serves as an agreement between the printer and the customer and as a
guide for adjusting the press during a press run.

Some people prefer to make a press check, visiting the printer’s facility as the job is ready to
print to approve the job as it comes off the press. This step is less common in the era of virtual
(onscreen) proofing and highly accurate ink-jet prepress proofs, but it’s always an option.
However, changes made during this press check can be very expensive, because they may
require making new printing plates and result in press downtime.

Try to keep an "anything is possible" attitude regarding color. Push the limits. Then proof,
proof, and proof again.

—Mark Landkamer, Landkamer Partners, San Francisco, CA

Types of proofs
Photomechanical proofs
Photomechanical laminate proofs are created by exposing each color separation on a layer of
pigmented material and then laminating the layers together. Examples are Fuji Color-Art,
DuPont Waterproof and Cromalin, Matchprint, and Agfa.

Laminate proofs are used for color forecasting and to identify moire problems. Except in the
case of a few printers that still use film imagesetters, laminate proofs generally aren’t made
today; they’re costly and timeconsuming to make.

Most printers—especially those using com-puter-to-plate systems—have switched to some

form of digitally prepared proof. Many are moving to onscreen virtual proofs.

Digital ink-jet proofs

Some printers use high-resolution dye-sublimation printers to generate proofs. A number of

these devices can mimic the halftone patterns of the platesetter.

Digital proofs are usually created using pigments or dyes on wide-format ink-jet printers driven
by a PostScript (Raster Image Processor (RIP).

Digital ink-jet proofing can achieve high quality and can sometimes use the actual paper stock
you intend to print on rather than special sheets of material. However, most digital proofs don’t
show moires and register error.

Bluelines
Bluelines are diazo contact prints made from film separations produced on an imagesetter.
They’re seldom made today, because the industry is nearly 100 percent digital (and film is no
longer made in most plants).

Bluelines are made on paper the same dimensions as the press sheet, which can be folded and
bound so that you can check crossovers, bleeds, and page sequence. Bluelines are commonly
produced for one-color or two-color publications as well as four-color process jobs. They’re
exposed and processed in the vacuum frame at the printing plant and require no processing;
they also fade quickly.

Press proofs and press checks

For a press proof, plates are exposed, and the printer sets up the press to print a short run of
the actual sheet. Changes to the job after press proofing require new plates to be made—a
process that is usually prohibitively expensive.

A more common practice is a press check where the printer prepares the press using the final
plates and an approved digital color proof. A designer or production person checks the early
press sheets and signs off on an approved press sheet. The press sheet is then compared to
sheets throughout the press run to ensure consistency.
Checking color proofs

With the availability of high quality low-cost desktop color printers, it’s possible to make
excellent proofs periodically during the design phase of a project.

As you get close to completion, it’s important to make proofs to check for color quality, content,
and technical factors.

What to look for on a desktop color proof

• Check that colors are consistent throughout the pages.

• Check memory colors—that is, colors that are expected to look a certain way: skin tones,
sky, grass, and so on. If these colors are off, the whole piece will be perceived to be incorrect.

• Check colors selected from color-matching systems against printed swatches.

• Make sure that bleeds and crossovers extend the required amount beyond the page
margins.

What to look for on a prepress proof

When you’re reviewing prepress proofs, which are made on one of a variety of wide-format ink-
jet printers, or actual printed sheets at a press check, you must be on the lookout for certain
problems. It will help to check your proofs in a viewing booth, with ISO-standard 5,000 Kelvin
lighting.

• Digitally prepared prepress proofs usually have no halftone dots. Ink-jet proofs should be
evaluated for color quality and overall appearance. The halftone patterns will show up later on
the press.

• Look for missing copy elements, overprint characteristics, the quality of the black ink, and
the black ink’s relationship to other inks it overprints.

• Check to see that images are positioned correctly and that very small positional errors
haven’t crept into your production. Sometimes hair-thin lines appear along the edge of photo
frames and aren’t easily detected in the electronic—or even the onscreen—version of the
document.

• Look for color casts in images or an overall cast to the document’s illustrations and photos.
This could be an indication that something is amiss with your computer display and its ability to
show color correctly.

Scan your copy for hyphenation errors, odd line endings, and dangling widows and orphans
(words or parts of words left over after a page or column change). Proofreaders look for
details like correct apostrophes and quotation marks. They also like prepositions to fall in-line
with the phrases they introduce (don’t leave of at the end of one line with its phrase continuing a
line below). Double spaces anywhere in your document are inappropriate in excellent
typography; this is a chance to catch these gaps and repair them. Making changes to copy is
easy and relatively inexpensive at this stage.

Check all addresses and phone numbers. Actually call the numbers to be sure they’re working.
Test all email addresses and Web addresses.

Check all pages for correct bleeds, crossovers, and page numbers. Be sure page numbers
print in the right place and that they’re easily found when you’re reading the printed product.
Consider what happens if your page is folded or trimmed slightly wrong: will the page numbers
be cut off?

Numerous Statues of Lib

This image was scaled to a size at which it didn't quite fit into its picture box. The hair-thin white
line will show on the press sheet. Scan prepress proofs with particular attention to details like
this.
Parent's
-- Many printed projects are flawed by

improper punctuation such as typewriter quotes, shown here (top). Proofreaders should check
for correct quotation marks and apostrophes (bottom).

What to look for on a press proof

At a press check, plates made from your document are mounted on the press. The press is
prepared with the correct inks and paper, and adjustments are made to ensure correct ink
density and register. After this process— called makeready—is complete, press sheets of your
publication are printed and made available for proofing. You, the press operator, and a
customer service representative (CSR) then examine the sheets for quality.

At this point, concentrate on corrections that can be made by adjusting the press, such as ink
densities or color consistency. It’s very expensive to make any other changes to your
publication beyond these press adjustments, because it means stopping the press and making
new plates. Idle press time is typically charged at $400-$800 per hour plus labor costs; time for
web-fed presses is considerably more expensive.

• Is the type sharp? Use a magnifier to look for broken or doubled lines that might indicate the
press is slurring or stretching the paper as it’s printed.

• Are the colors and type density consistent from one side of the sheet to the other?
Remember that ink coverage will vary according to the area of ink printed on the press sheet
(number and size of photos and solids).

• Is the color correct? Compare the press sheet to the prepress proof.

• Is the paper or printed surface the one you specified? Bring a sample with you to compare
to the press sheet.

• Are page crossovers correct? Fold the press sheet and check the alignment and color
match.

• If spot-color inks are used, are they as specified?

• Are there blemishes or mottling of color? Mottling is an indication of an improper balance
between moisture (fountain solution) and ink on an offset press. Mottling is often present in
correctly printed flexographic work.

• Are all graphic elements present? Compare the press sheet to the prepress proof.

• Are colors in register? Check to make sure all colors line up on the register marks. Under a
magnifier, four-color subjects using traditional screening should show a rosette pattern, and no
more than a single line of dots of a single color should be visible at the edge of the image.

• Always take a couple of approved press sheets with you for reference.
Imaging and Proofing

Color bars

Color bars—those rows of color patches you see on your prepress and press proofs—give
proofing and press operators a way to measure and control the press. Although most color bar
elements require a densitometer to analyze properly, understanding their purpose can help you
evaluate the quality of your printing.

Recognizing color bar elements

Color bars are made up of small patches of colors, tints, and patterns that are grouped in rows
across the press sheet. Each element currently used by commercial prepress and press
houses is designed for a specific purpose. Common color bar elements can be categorized as
follows:

Solid-color patch. The most basic element of a test image is the solid-color patch—one for
each of the colors being printed. Solid-color patches are used to measure ink densities,
according to the printer’s press standards. Printers usually start the press and then run to the
numbers—reach standard densities— before considering the appearance of color in a printing
job.

Tint patch. A tint patch is a solid-color patch whose color is less than 100 percent. Most color
bars include several patches for each process color set at different tint percentages; the de
facto standards in the United States are 25 percent, 50 percent, and 75 percent tints. Tint
patches permit the measurement of dot gain because they’re created by halftone screens. Dot
gain can only be measured in tint areas. Ink lay-down and wet-trapping characteristics (the tack
of the ink and its ability to dry correctly on the paper) are also measured with tint patches.

Solid overprint patch. Solid overprint patches show the effects of combining individual solid-
color patches. Most color bars include red (magenta and yellow), blue (cyan and magenta),
and green (cyan and yellow) solid overprint patches; many also have three-and four-color
patches.
Tint overprint patch. Tint overprint patches combine tint patches of more than one color.
These targets are used to monitor the interaction of combinations of standard inks.

Slur gauges. Twisting or kicking of the press sheet by the numerous units in a printing press as
the sheet is printed is a problem that is made evident by changes observed in slur gauges in the
color bars. These gauges consist of rows of tiny lines that become solid if the sheet twists on
the press. One design displays the word SLUR when the press sheet encounters this problem.
It’s usually an indication of trouble with feed and gripper settings on the press.

MSTAR KSLUR K25 K

C M Y KSLUR

Standard Lighting

If you expect to get predictable results from your color reproduction system, you must consider
the lighting where you work and the lighting you use to check proofs. In a professional working
environment, you’ll find workstations in rooms with no windows; walls painted neutral gray;
consistent, color-correct (5,000 Kelvin) lighting; monitors that are calibrated and profiled; and
viewing booths with color-correct lighting.

Moderately priced color viewing booths are available for graphic design studios. These booths
provide correct-color lighting and thus give you an opportunity to view your proofs and printed
samples in industry-standard lighting conditions.

To be useful in the future as a source of images and text, your document should be archived in
a format that is likely to remain in widespread use for a long time. Be cautious when you’re
archiving your document in proprietary formats or in formats specific to an application: the file
format, or the application used to create it, may become obsolete.

Archiving Your Work

Adobe is working to develop industry standard file formats that will remain useful for many
years. The company’s Digital Negative format, designed for digital photographers, is gaining
momentum as a standard for the storage of raw photo files, ensuring that those files will be
legible to computers in the decades to come.

Portable Document Format (PDF) provides a way to store publications in a format that can be
viewed and printed with 100 percent fidelity. Archived PDF files can be opened, printed, and
exchanged in any of the common environments, including Macintosh, Windows, and Unix. Large
libraries of PDF files can be indexed and searched. The PDF format should be legible for many
generations of computers.

It’s a great idea to make a high-resolution (press quality) PDF of your final document to save as
a reference of what went to press in addition to the original document elements. This archive PDF
can also be used to make an electronic version of your document.

Print production is

an expertise that most designers don't take seriously. Good production techniques will make or
break the design.

—Mary K. Baumann, Hopkins/Baumann, New York, NY

Case Study: Black & White Design

The Black & White Design client list reads like a Who’s
Who of Silicon Valley, with companies such as Adobe
Systems, Apple Computer, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-
Packard, Seagate, Sun, and Symantec. But the Campbell,
California-based design firm’s work takes it far beyond
high-tech, designing logos and collateral materials for
wineries, non-profit organizations, even a farming
company.
For logo design, the company’s designers always use Adobe Illustrator, sometimes in
combination with Adobe Photoshop. For multi-page composition, the firm recently made the
shift to InDesign and the Adobe Creative Suite.

Black & White Design works with trusted suppliers to produce the work they send to print, and
the relationships are long-term and mutually respectful. “When we ask for estimates, we speak
‘printer language,’” said founder Nicki Riedel. “We structure our requests for estimates the way
they work, and then we provide correctly prepared files and comprehensive proofs for
production that reflect the original direction. The printers know they can count on us to be
thorough, and that enables success with each project.

We have extremely high standards, and our suppliers make sure we achieve them.”

In many cases, Riedel thinks that the design firm should work the color until it is what the
designer envisioned, “I prefer that we, as designers, do the color correction and proofing. In
those cases, we can tell the printer

that all the high-resolution images have been placed and that the file is ready to print. For some
very large files or very complex photo manipulation, we use a color house.”

When working with illustrators and photographers, Riedel says, “Choose an artist who has the
right style for the project. Know what you want, and provide good direction. For illustration,
provide rough sketches, if possible, and have them initially produce two for approval. I suggest
choosing the easiest and the most difficult—or the smallest and largest—first to test the water
and provide an opportunity for the art director to make changes before much work is done.”

Once production has begun, the entire project team stays close to its projects— start to finish.
They make their own proofs on either the Epson Stylus Pro 10600 ink-jet printer, the Canon
Color Laser 1120, or the Hewlett-Packard Color Laserjet 5500. Each has its own advantages.
The designers know what they are looking for and choose the printer that will produce their
work best.

“We make our own proofs and have learned that we can show them to customers and print
suppliers to get the results we expect,” says Riedel. Many times her firm uses the same
technology they are promoting to design the printing. “It has to look great, and we work hard to
ensure complete success.”
SILVERADT)

FARMING COMPANY

ANCELINVESTORS

LM

Aspect commuter Connection

Central

Art Docents of Los Gatos

Logos designed by Black & White Design show the diversity of their work. Striking high-tech or
charming old-world symbols are designed according to the needs of the clients.

Project Management Guidelines

The Publishing Process Money Matters Reviewing Your Requirements Who Does What?

Selecting Vendors

Decisions Involving Your Printer

File Handoff Checklist

Project Management Guidelines

Every commercial printing job requires that you consider numerous variables ranging
from what your budget and schedule allow to the paper stock and printing process. The
earlier you think about these factors, the more control you'll have over the quality,
cost, and schedule of your project.

Preparing a publication for commercial printing takes careful thought: Commercial

printing processes have inherent limitations, and it's possible to create publications
that are difficult to print. By thinking of your design and production cycles as steps in a
larger process, you can make choices that will allow you to achieve the best printed
results.

In addition to choosing a commercial printer, you may need to select a separate

prepress service. One-stop shopping can prevent misunderstandings and improve
quality control. Prepress work can include scanning, color trapping, imposition, and
platemaking. Several types of vendors provide these services: prepress houses, color
trade shops, and color-capable service bureaus, as well as most commercial printers.
Shop for vendors who are willing to answer your printing questions, provide technical
support, and help you to achieve your printing objectives.

The Publishing Process

Successfully completing a printed publication requires several steps, including planning and
organization, design and content development, and prepress tasks that prepare your electronic
files to be reproduced with ink on paper.

Making informed decisions in the planning stages builds a solid foundation for your project.
When you have questions about your project, seek advice from your vendors. Keep track of
decisions you make: who is responsible for the completion and quality of each task, when each
phase must be completed, and what requirements must be met for the final output.

1. Define project and quality requirements

Before you start to work, define the requirements for the publication, including your budget, the
schedule, and the final quality you want.

2. Choose prepress tasks

Determine which prepress tasks you’ll do, based on your available resources and the final
schedule. Specialized tasks such as trapping and imposition will probably be part of the work
done by the prepress firm or the printer.

3. Select and consult your vendors

Evaluate commercial printers and prepress service providers based on the requirements of
your project and the services you require. Review samples of their work, and choose vendors
who can provide the quality you demand. Visit the sites of potential vendors if possible. Select a
commercial printer early in the process so they can assist you in planning your project.

Define the number of colors you’ll use, including process and spot colors (or both). Select the
paper on which your job will print, and make sure the printer you’ve selected agrees that the
paper is a good choice. Some papers have better printing characteristics than others; you
should be sure yours doesn’t create a press problem.

Assemble the text and the vector, raster, and line art for your publication. Review the design to
determine how the page elements interact and overlap. Determine, by communication with your
printer, who will be responsible for the conversion of color in images. Ask the printer to provide
an ICC color profile if possible. Discuss any printing issues with your printer as your design
evolves.
5. Check the desktop proofs

Print proof copies of your publication on a black-and-white or color PostScript desktop printer.
Consult your printer about the recommended proofing methods to check color quality and to
ensure against production problems.

Project Management Guidelines

Through communication with your prepress provider, determine what type of files to prepare.
Run a preflight check on your document; then, package your files and prepare the final desktop
proofs, a report listing details about your document, and any additional files. Coordinate with
the customer service representative at the printing plant or service bureau, and turn over the
files to them on the appropriate medium.
7. Check the final proofs, and authorize printing

Examine the proof provided by your printer for quality and correctness. Check proofs for
correct trapping, and for smooth and consistent tints. If appropriate, meet with your printer to
review press proofs for final color quality. After you approve the press proof, the publication will
be printed and assembled.

After your publication has been printed, you need to store all your files in a consistent manner
so that you can quickly find and update them if needed. Decide what type of storage media
you’ll use, and develop a file-naming system that lets you search for all files needed to revise or
reprint your publication.

And, remember that all great designers “steal” from their previous works. Artwork prepared for
one project can easily be reused on similar projects, thus saving you time and money. Within
the terms of use agreed on between your firm and photographers, illustrators, and writers,
some material from one publication can easily find its way into other projects. A good archiving
system allows for the quick access to files, illustrations, and artwork used in earlier projects.

□
Money Matters

Every print project requires you to balance costs, schedule, and quality. When you’re preparing
a budget, estimate fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs don’t vary depending on how many
copies of the job you print. These costs include payment for designing, writing, editing,
photography, and print preparation. Variable costs—those costs that vary depending on how
many copies you print—include press time, paper, and binding.

Estimate the resources and skills of the workgroup assigned to the project. If you have the
skills and equipment to do some of the prepress work in house, it can be cheaper than having
the work done by an outside contractor.

Avoid last-minute changes. Modifications made late in the project cycle can result in missed
press dates, additional charges from the printer, and delays in binding and delivery. As a
general rule, the closer changes are made to the press date, the more costly they are.

If you and your service provider understand each other’s requirements, you can both take steps
to stay on-budget while ensuring the project’s success.
Reviewing Your Requirements

Both the cost and the impact of your publication are greatly affected by the printing process.
The cost can also be affected by your schedule—a rush job is more costly than a job the printer
can run on a normal schedule. Asking yourself the following questions may help you arrive at
requirements appropriate to your project:

• Audience: How do you need to influence your audience? Does the printed piece have to
distinguish itself visually from similar pieces? Does it have to get the attention of an audience to
inform them, or is the audience anticipating the information in the piece? Must the piece appeal
visually to design-conscious buyers?

• Length of time on the market: Is this a publication that announces a onetime-only offer
(like a sale flyer), or will it be used over and over again (like a cookbook)?

• Image issues: Is visual detail important to the message? Illustrations in a history textbook
may not be color-critical, but the detail must be clear for the image to be informative. Flesh
tones should always look human and healthy. Images for a clothing catalog require clear detail,
especially for fine prints and textures.

• Color matching: Will people make critical decisions based on the color in the piece?
Clothing catalogs usually require an exact match to the actual clothing. If the color is wrong,
customers may be dissatisfied with the clothing they receive. In other cases, it’s more important
for colors to be balanced; food images in grocery ads or cookbooks require a pleasing
photograph but not necessarily a color match.

Newsletters The newsletter is printed with one color of ink (usually black), photographs are
recognizable but may lose some detail from the original, and the paper stock is a standard type
that’s always on hand. The piece is designed to be read and discarded. Timeliness is the most
important factor with newsletters.

Sample requirements
Direct-mail catalog The catalog is printed using paper that’s regularly kept in stock by the
printer. The standard size makes it cheaper to bind and finish. The catalog includes crisp black-
and-white photographs and color photographs with good detail. Color accuracy is important but
not critical, because buying decisions aren’t usually based on the represented color. Color
register must be accurate. The publication will be replaced in several months.

Fine clothing catalog This catalog uses premium papers and inks. Color in the photographs is
required to match the actual clothing. Press register must be very accurate, and all the artwork
must be trapped perfectly. Although the expected life of the publication is short, a high-quality
publication helps persuade the customer to buy.

Corporate annual report In an annual report, the image of the company is conveyed by the
quality of design, printing, and appearance of the publication. Color, although less critical than in
a clothing catalog, is accurate; and black-and-white photographs are very sharp. The product
can have no discernible flaws.

ne of the decisions you must make regarding a project is how much of the prepress work you’ll
do yourself. With the expanding range of electronic publishing tools, you may be tempted to do
many of the tasks yourself. But tasks that can be done on the desktop require skill, time, and
equipment you may not have or want to acquire.

Who Does What?

At the final stage, you must make a critical decision about the format in which you hand off your
files. Your prepress provider may prefer that you turn over files in their native format (using
Package or Collect for Output) and let the vendor convert them to PostScript for imaging onto
plates. In that case, you hand over files in the formats appropriate to your page-layout,
illustration, or image-editing programs, and the vendor converts them. Or your prepress vendor
may recommend that you convert your document to Adobe PDF format, using settings
recommended by the prepress firm.

The following is intended to help weigh the trade-offs in choosing prepress tasks.

Scanning, digital camera images, and color correction

Most original photos originate as digital camera images. If you work with a professional
photographer, you can ask the photographer to make any color corrections needed prior to
transferring the images to you, or you can make color corrections yourself on a calibrated
computer display.

If you’re working with film or photographic prints, you can scan the images yourself using a
flatbed or film scanner, or you can choose to have your prepress vendor do the scanning for
you.

Although they’re becoming rare, some prepress service providers use a drum scanner that
delivers superb image quality. Drum-scanning is costly, but you may need the greater resolution
that it provides. Along with the high-resolution files, low-resolution versions (called OPI files)
can also be provided to speed up design and proofing.

Doing your own image editing and color correction can be time consuming, but you have
complete control over the appearance of the final image. Most graphic designers enjoy the
creative options that are provided by having the full-resolution images at their disposal along
with the many powerful tools available in Adobe Photoshop to enhance those images.

Trapping

It’s likely that several of the desktop tools you’re already using—such as illustration, image-
editing, and page-layout programs— can apply trapping automatically or semi-automatically.
For example, Adobe Illustrator lets you trap color artwork before it’s imported into a page-
layout application.

Although doing so may seem like a good idea, it’s seldom appreciated by the prepress vendor,
because this sort of trapping isn’t as sophisticated as that available on their equipment. In
addition, artwork that’s trapped manually often prevents the automated trapping functions in
prepress from doing their job. When generating halftone screens, they already know how much
to allow for dot gain.

Color mode conversion

You can convert your document from its native color to the process color necessary for
printing, after communication with your prepress vendor; or the prepress vendor can perform
the conversion as part of the preparation they do in advance of printing.

As long as you and your prepress supplier agree on the method and the ICC profiles applied,
the conversion of color is a reasonably easy step that can save you some time (and perhaps a
bit of cost) if you do it yourself. However, some prepress specialists prefer that you hand your
files over for production in native mode (some images in RGB color, for example) and then
leave the conversion to them.

Project Management Guidelines

Converting files to Adobe PDF

Many commercial printers have adopted a workflow that uses full-resolution Adobe PDF files as
source material for printing. If you and your printer have agreed that this will be the workflow
for your project, be sure to obtain the proper settings files (or your printer’s recommendation of
standard settings) from the printer before making your own PDF files.
PDF workflows are significantly simpler than those in which all the contributing files are
provided in native format. There is just one document, all fonts are embedded in that document,
and all the illustrations and images are included.

The disadvantage can be that corrections— even simple typographic corrections—are often
impossible to make in the PDF file. Making modifications requires you to generate a new
master document to provide for production.

Designers always need to push the limits of what is possible,” says artist and designer Rob
Corder, of the interior design firm Ann Getty and Associates (www.anngetty. com), based in
San Francisco. “No client or printer appreciates the status quo. There would be a great lack of
delight, grace, or wonderment in life without artists pushing beyond what is known.”

Case Study: Designer Rob Corder

This beautiful die-cut invitation (opposite page), designed by Corder, is an excellent example of
pushing the limits of printing. The complex die-cut design is styled after the motif from a
Georgian chair in Getty’s line of fine furniture. Corder used Adobe Illustrator to design the
invitation and its die-cutting pattern. “I love using layers in Illustrator. I can’t image doing this
any other way,” he said.
The invitation was printed by Color Copy Printing/The Lahlouh Group, of Burlingame, California.
“Color Copy Printing recommended we laser-cut this project, due to the intricate pattern and
the need to keep it in perfect alignment. It was my first experience with laser cutting, and it
produced a wonderful result. If the paper remains white, laser cutting leaves a burn mark along
the edges of the pattern. I flooded the die-cut area with red ink, so that edge effect is not
apparent.”

Corder says he prefers working with prepress firms that are on the same site as the printer so
there’s closer communication and a greater sense of shared responsibility. “I prefer to use
printers who have done comparable quality work to what I’m expecting. And I rarely use a print
broker, since the lifeline of communication is broken between the designer and the printer.”

And printer loyalty is key for this designer.

“I prefer going back to the same providers. There’s an established dialog, and like any great
partnership, they know your sense of style and shared standard of excellence.”

How does he ensure that his intended colors comes come through on the final product? “The
best way to ensure you get exact colors is to get an ink draw-down. It stretches out the
production time but gives you peace of mind that a critical piece is going to be spot-on.”

On the age-old balance of quality and price, Corder says, “When you start a project by
specifying great paper, it sets the bar at certain height and guarantees a standard of quality in
your work. I really appreciate quality over price. I find it uncommon to see inferior printed
pieces on a luxurious paper. Most great projects start with the best materials.”
Selecting Vendors

Word of mouth is the best way to find a good printing firm. Ask around, and you’ll learn quickly
about local printers and their work.

Or you can examine printed material that is similar to your project and find out who printed it.
Decide whether you want to work with a commercial printer that does the prepress work in
house, or whether you prefer to have prepress work done at a different location. Obtaining
prepress services from a commercial printer allows you to communicate with just one vendor
and manage only one relationship. If you choose to work with several vendors, make sure they
understand each other’s requirements and are comfortable working with each other.

Questions to ask about prepress services

• What proofing options are available, and how many proofing cycles are permitted? Is the
recommended proofing option reflective of the final output?
• What file formats do they accept? From which platforms?

• Do they offer scanning? Do they offer— and accept—OPI files?

• Do they use trapping software?

• Do they support color management using ICC profiles? Can they provide an ICC profile for
the presses that will print your job?

Questions to ask about printing

• Are both sheet-fed and web-fed presses available? The former are fed individual sheets of
paper, print more slowly, and tend to be used for most commercial jobs. The latter are fed
from a continuous roll, print faster (tens of thousands of impressions per hour), and are used
for very long runs. The nature of your job determines which is preferable.

• How many colors can be printed in one press run? A two-color press requires two press
runs to print process color. You’ll be able to cut costs—and get a better printing job—by
shopping for a commercial printer with a four-color press.

• Do they provide bindery and finishing services in house? Will they be able to complete your
project on time? Do they have responsive customer service representatives?
Careful planning is the best defense against unexpected problems. Test everything early
in production—fonts, scanned art, EPS graphics, etc. —when mistakes are cheaper and easier
to fix. Make a thorough checklist and follow it religiously.

—Eric and Jan Marti, Command Z, Palo Alto, CA

Decisions Involving Your Printer

Once you’ve made a choice, discuss the specifics of the project with your printer. You may
wish to inquire about the following:

• Color settings to use, ICC profiles to set for proofing, and color mode conversion

• Any trap specifications your job should have

• Any other recommended settings or processes to use

The printer may have recommendations related to your design and choice of color. Having the
right paper stock, coating, and ink types is important to the quality of your final publication, and
the availability of critical materials can affect scheduling. You may wish to bring up some of the
following topics:

• Your project schedule and budget

• The dimensions of your publication and how many copies you plan to print

• The colors you plan to specify

• Decisions about finishing and binding

• Your use of bleeds and crossovers

• The graphics in your publication

Your printer may have recommendations concerning materials, bindings, or special inks and
may be able to point out ways to save money by making minor changes in your publication.
Discussing the project gives the printer a chance to notice if particular inks and grades of paper
need to be ordered in advance.

Minimize surprises and surcharges from your prepress vendor by using the following checklist
when preparing your files for handoff.

File Handoff Checklist

Create a logical filename. Many documents arrive for production named “brochure” or
“document 1.” Using machine-generated names for your document is unwise, because your
“document 1” can be confused with another “document 1.” Instead, give your document a name
like “Cabinet Booklet” or “Valves Brochure” so that the name is a good identifier.

Eliminate all unnecessary elements.

Delete all extraneous colors, patterns, and other elements from the file, including those that
may be invisible or behind other elements or layers.

Use the correct format. Make sure all files are in the correct format. Consult your prepress
vendor for the best file format to use.
Make spot color names consistent. If you

use the same spot color several times in one document, be consistent in specifying each
object’s color. If you want the vendor to convert certain spot colors to process colors, indicate
where you want that done.

Provide a desktop proof. Print your files first on a PostScript laser printer. Send these laser
prints with your files, so the prepress vendor can check against them, making sure the prints
are identical to the files in every respect: size (unless you’ve scaled your proof), content,
placement, bleeds, crops, traps, and so forth.

Package all graphics and document files.

Using your page-layout application, choose the Package or Collect for Output function to copy all
the graphics and fonts required for your project.

Provide contact information. In a work order or cover letter (or in the Instructions file created
by Adobe InDesign), list your name, company name, and phone numbers, including after-hours
numbers. Include your document specifications (quantity, page size, colors, and so on),
because this information will travel with the document and become part of the job ticket
generated by the printer when your job goes into production.
Index
A

accordion fold, 48 additive primaries, 6, 72 Adobe Creative Suite, 134 Adobe Illustrator

color management support, 60 Glyphs palette, 124 preparing for output in, 114 trapping
process in, 174 Adobe InDesign

color management support, 60 Glyphs palette, 124 Instructions form, 140-143 Package
command, 114, 115, 139 paper white reading, 134 PDF presets, 136 preflight report, 114,
127, 138 Adobe PDF. See PDF (Portable Document Format)

Adobe Photoshop

Camera Raw plug-in, 80, 81 Color Balance palette, 66-67, 68 color management support, 60
correcting color in, 66-68 Curves palette, 68, 70 Duotone Curve dialog, 84 Embedded Profile
Mismatch dialog, 81 Image Size palette, 88 Levels palette, 68, 70 Selective Color palette, 67
Unsharp Mask filter, 88 Adobe Type 1 fonts, 120, 126 alignment, 122 anilox roller, 38, 42
aqueous coating, 42 archiving publications, 154, 166 ascenders, 122 audience, 170

Automatic Picture Replacement (APR), 92

backslant, 122 backup copy, 127 Barra, Lori, 121 baseline, 122 Baumann, Mary K., 155
binding process, 48 description of, 46-47 imposition and, 46 terminology for, 48 bitmap fonts,
120 bitmap images, 26, 27 Black & White Design case study, 156-157 blanket, 42

blanket cylinder, 36, 37, 42 bleeds, 94

blind-embossing, 48 bluelines, 12, 147 body copy, 122 boldface, 122 brightness, 4, 5 bullet,
122 bump plate, 54 butt-fit, 107

calendered paper, 112

camera images. See digital camera images

Camera Raw plug-in (Photoshop), 80, 81

camera-ready, 12
cap height, 122

case studies

Black & White Design, 156-157 Corder, Rob, 176-177 Drimalas, Dora, 128-129 catalogs, 171
centered text, 122 character, 122

character encoding, 122 chokes, 102, 103, 107 chroma, 4

CMYK color model, 6, 7, 72 CMYK images

color correction of, 64-65 converting RGB images to, 64 previewing RGB images as, 65 coated
paper, 112 cold-set printing, 42 collation process, 48 Collect for Output command
(QuarkXPress), 139 Color Balance palette (Photoshop), 66-67, 68 color bars, 152-153 color
correction, 64-71, 173 color filter, 72 color gamuts, 4, 8-9 color management, 72

ICC profiles and, 10-11, 60 systems used for, 60-62 color-matching issues, 170 color-matching
system, 72 color models, 6-7 color modes, 64, 174 color profiles, 72 color proofs, 144
checking, 148-151 color bars and, 152-153 desktop, 135, 148 lighting and, 148, 153 prepress,
148-149 press, 150 types of, 146-147 color separations, 22, 23, 72 color sequence, 72 color
space, 72 color trapping, 24, 25 color value, 72 color wheel, 4

Color Working Space (Photoshop), 10, 73 colors

characteristics of, 4-5 correcting, 64-71, 173 overprinting, 98-99 process, 20, 54, 55, 58-59
specifying, 54-59 spot, 22, 23, 54, 55, 56-57 terminology for, 72-73 composite proofs, 135
computer graphics, 26-27 computer-to-plate (CTP) systems, 34-35, 109 concertina fold, 48
condensed font, 122 contact information, 181 continuous-tone art, 12, 13 converting files to
Adobe PDF, 136-137, 175 RGB images to CMYK, 64 copyfitting, 122 Corder, Rob, 176-177
corporate annual report, 171 correcting color, 64-71 cost considerations, 168 cover stock, 42
creep, 46, 47, 96 crossovers, 96-97

CTP (computer-to-plate) systems, 34-35, 109 Curves palette (Photoshop), 68, 70

dampening process, 36, 37, 42 DCS files, 90, 91 densitometer, 42, 110 descenders, 122

desktop proofing, 134-135, 164

device pixel, 18
die, 42, 48

die-cutting, 48

digital camera images

correcting color in, 64-68, 173 preparing for print, 69-71 tips for working with, 80-81

Digital ICE, 74 digital ink-jet proofs, 146 Digital Negative format, 154 dimensional stability, 42
dingbats, 122 direct-digital printing, 32 direct-mail catalogs, 171 display type, 123 Distiller
application, 136 doctor blade, 38, 39, 42 dot gain, 12, 13, 42 explanation of, 110-111 paper
quality and, 112 DPI (dots per inch), 12 drawdown, 144 Drimalas, Dora, 128 drop cap, 123
drum scanners, 173 dry lithography, 43 dry offset, 44 drying oven, 43

Duotone Curve dialog (Photoshop), 84 duotones, 72, 82, 84

ellipsis, 123 em dash, 123 em quad, 123 em space, 123

Embedded Profile Mismatch dialog (Photoshop), 81 embossing, 43, 48 en dash, 123 en quad,
123 en space, 123 endpapers, 48 engraved printing, 38, 43 engraving, 43 EPS files, 90

examples. See case studies

Faulkner, Andrew, 75 file formats Adobe PDF, 20, 136-137 graphic, 90-93, 136 file handoff
checklist, 181 files

archiving, 154

checking before sending, 138-139, 181 converting to Adobe PDF, 136-137, 175 organizing and
packaging, 139 transferring in native format, 136 financial issues, 168 fine clothing catalogs,
171 finishing terms, 48 fixed costs, 168 flexography, 38, 39, 43 flush-left ragged-right, 123
flush-right ragged-left, 123 folding dummy, 46 font contrast, 123 font family, 123 font list, 140
fonts, 123

formats for, 120 PostScript printers and, 119 form, 43, 46, 48 fountain, 43

frequency-modulated (FM) screening, 30, 31

G

galley proof, 123 gamuts. See color gamuts gang run, 43

GCR (gray-component replacement),

24, 25, 72 glue binding, 48 glyph, 124 graphics file formats for, 90-93, 127 linked, 114

vector vs. raster, 26-27 gravure printing, 38, 39, 43 gray-component replacement (GCR), 24,
25, 72 gray levels, 108, 109 greeking, 124 gripper edge, 43 gripper margin, 43

halftone cells, 108, 109 halftone dots, 108, 109 halftone frequency, 108-109 halftone screens,
14, 15 halo effect, 43 hanging indent, 124 heat-set printing, 42 hickey, 43

high-fidelity printing, 30, 31, 72 histograms, 65 hue, 4, 5

hybrid screening, 30

ICC profiles, 10-11, 60, 62 Illustrator. See Adobe Illustrator image issues, 170 image resolution,
14, 28-29, 88 image size, 86-89 imagesetters, 32, 33, 108, 109 imposition, 43, 46-47
impression cylinder, 43 InDesign. See Adobe InDesign ink coverage, 43 inking process, 36, 37
inkometer, 44 inner form, 44

Instructions form (InDesign), 140-143 intaglio printing, 38, 39, 44 International Color Consortium
(ICC), 10, 60, 73

interpolation, 86, 87 italic type, 124

Job Description Format (JDF), 140 jogging, 48 JPEG format, 73 justified text, 124

keep-away trap, 102 kerning, 116, 117, 124 keyboard layout, 124 keyboard mapping, 124
knockout, 16, 17
L

laminate proofs, 146

Landkamer, Mark, 145

laser printer proof, 135

lay-down sequence, 44

layer effects, 66

legibility of type, 116

letterpress, 44

letterset, 44

letterspacing, 125

Levels palette (Photoshop), 68, 70

ligature, 125

lighting issues, 148, 153

line art, 12, 13

line screen, 16, 28-29

lines

overprinting, 106, 107 trapping, 106 lines per inch (lpi), 16, 108-109 lining numerals, 126 linked
graphics, 114 lithography, 36-37 lpi (lines per inch), 16, 108-109

machine resolution, 18 machine spot, 18 makeready, 150

managing projects. See project management

memory colors, 148

misregister. See register errors

moire patterns, 18, 19, 44

money issues, 168

monotone, 73

multitone printing, 82-84

newsletters, 171 newsprint, 112

oblique, 125

offset lithography, 36-37, 44 onscreen proof, 134 Open Prepress Interface (OPI), 92, 93
OpenType fonts, 120, 125 Opticals, 125 outdenting, 124 outline fonts, 120 output profile, 10
overprinting, 16, 17 register error and, 104-105, 106, 107 special effects with, 98-99 See also
trapping oversampling, 78, 79

Package command (InDesign), 114, 139 page-layout files archiving, 154

checking before sending, 138-139, 181 converting to Adobe PDF, 136-137, 175 organizing and
packaging, 139 tips for working with, 127

transferring in native format, 136 Pantone Hexachrome, 30 paper quality, 112 paper white
reading, 134 paragraph rules, 125 PDF (Portable Document Format), 20 archiving publications
in, 154 converting files to, 136-137, 175 graphic arts standards for, 137 PDF/X-1a standard,
137 PDF/X-3 standard, 137 perfect binding, 46, 47, 48 perfector, 44 Photo CD files, 90
photographs

color correction of, 66-68 preparing for print, 69-71 tips for working with, 80-81
photomechanical proofs, 146 photopolymer plates, 44 Photoshop. See Adobe Photoshop Pi
characters, 125 pica, 125 piling, 44 pixels, 26, 27 pixels per inch (ppi), 14 placed graphics/text,
127 platemaking, 36 platen press, 44 platesetters, 34-35, 108, 109 point, 125 point size, 125

Portable Document Format. See PDF PostScript, 20 font formats, 120 platesetter limitations,
108 printer priorities, 119 ppi (pixels per inch), 14 preflight report, 114, 127, 138 Prepare for
Output command (QuarkXPress), 114 prepress proofs, 148-149 prepress service providers

checking proofs from, 148-149 file handoff checklist, 181 final check of files for, 138-139
organizing/packaging files for, 139 PDF file conversions for, 136-137 questions to ask of, 178
report provided to, 140-143 transferring files to, 136 prepress terms, 12-25 press check, 144,
147, 150 press proof, 44, 147, 150 press run, 44 primary colors, 73 print run, 44 printer fonts,
120 printers (commercial)

discussing projects with, 180 process for selecting, 178 printers (desktop) color proofs from,
135 PostScript font usage, 119 resolution limits of, 109 printing

direct-digital, 32 flexographic, 38, 39 gravure, 38, 39 high-fidelity, 30, 31 intaglio, 38, 39

multitone, 82-84 offset, 36-37 screen, 40, 41 specialty, 40, 41 technologies, 30-35 terminology,
42-45 variable-data, 32 Printing Instructions form (InDesign), 140-143 process colors, 20, 21
definition of, 73 guidelines for using, 54, 55 specifying, 58-59 trapping, 102, 103

production process, 162-166 progressive proofs, 45 progs, 45

project folder, 127 project management

cost considerations in, 168 publishing process and, 162-166 reviewing requirements in, 170-
171 task decisions in, 172-175 Proof Colors option, 134 proofing

color bars, 152-153 color proofs, 144, 146-151 desktop, 134-135, 148 lighting requirements
for, 148, 153 prepress proofs, 148-149 press proofs, 150 types of proofs for, 146-147
publishing process

cost considerations in, 168 overview of steps in, 162-166 reviewing requirements in, 170-171
task decisions in, 172-175

quad, 125 quadtones, 73, 82 QuarkXPress Collect for Output command, 114, 139 color
management support, 60 Glyphs palette, 124 PDF preferences, 136

raised cap, 125

Raster Image Processor (RIP), 20, 32

raster images, 26, 27, 73

raw files, 73

readability of type, 116

reader’s proof, 123

register, 14, 45 register errors, 18, 19, 100-107 chokes and, 102, 103, 107 overprinting and,
104-105, 106, 107 process colors and, 102-103 spreads and, 102, 103, 107 trapping and,
100-101, 102-103, 106-107 register marks, 45 relief plate, 45 relief printing, 40 resampling, 86,
88 resolution image, 14, 28-29 increasing, 88 laser printer, 109 platesetter, 108, 109 reducing,
88 scan, 76-77 resolution-independent graphics, 26 reverse type, 116, 125 RGB color model,
6, 7 RGB images color correction of, 64 converting to CMYK images, 64 rich black, 58, 59
Riedel, Nicki, 156

RIP (Raster Image Processor), 20, 32

Roman typeface, 125

rosette, 18

rotary printing, 45

rotogravure, 38, 43, 45

rubber plate, 45

saddle-stitch binding, 46, 47, 48

sans-serif font, 125

saturation, 4, 5

saving files, 127

scalable graphics, 26
scaling, 86, 88

scanning

desktop vs. professional, 173 guidelines for, 74, 76, 78

image resolution and, 76-77 oversampling and, 78, 79 screen fonts, 120 screen frequency, 16,
108-109 screen printing, 40, 41, 45 screen ruling, 16, 108-109 screening, 22

frequency-modulated, 30, 31 hybrid, 30 stochastic, 28, 30 secondary color, 73

Selective Color palette (Photoshop), 67 separations. See color separations sepia-tone images,
84 serif, 125

Serrao, Carlos, 128

service providers. See prepress service providers set-off, 58 sheet-fed press, 45 show-through,
45 side-stitching, 48 signature, 45, 46, 48 slur gauges, 153 slurring, 45 soft proof, 134 solid-
color patch, 152 solid overprint patch, 152 spacing

letters, 116, 117, 125 words, 118, 126 specialty printing, 40, 41 specification sheet, 142-143
spectral colors, 4 spine, 48

spot colors, 22, 23 definition of, 73 guidelines for using, 54, 55 proofing options for, 144
specifying, 56-57 spot varnish, 56 spreads, 102, 103, 107 stochastic screening, 28, 30

Stoltze, Clifford, 63 strike-through, 126 style, 126

subsampling, 80, 88 subtractive primaries, 6, 73 SWOP specifications, 73 symbol font, 126

tabular figures, 126 tack, 45

task management, 172-175 thermography, 40, 41, 48 TIFF files, 90 tint overprint patch, 153
tint patch, 152 tints, 22, 23 tonal depth, 108 tracking, 116, 117, 126 transferring files, 136
trapping, 24, 25

desktop vs. professional, 174 methods of, 106-107 process colors, 102, 103 register error
and, 100-101 See also overprinting trim marks, 45 tritones, 73, 82 TrueType fonts, 120, 126
type, 116-126 font formats and, 120 kerning and tracking, 116-117 PostScript printers and,
119 terminology of, 122-126 tips for setting, 116-117 word spacing and, 118 Type 1 fonts,
120, 126 typeface, 126 typeface family, 123 typeface styles, 126 typeface weights, 126

typeface widths, 126 typographic “color,” 126

uncoated paper, 112

undercover removal (UCR), 24, 25, 73

Unsharp Mask filter (Photoshop), 70, 88

variable costs, 168 Variable-Data Printing (VDP), 32 varnishes, 40, 45 overprinting, 98

specifying, 56-57 vector graphics, 26, 27, 73 vendor selection process, 178 viewing booths,
148, 153 virtual proofs, 134, 146 virtual screens, 16

waterless offset, 43 web-fed press, 36, 45 widow, 126 Williams, Robin, 119 word spacing,
118, 126 work-and-tumble, 45 work-and-turn, 45 working space, 10, 73

x-height, 126

YCC file format, 90

zinc engravings, 45

About the Author

Brian P. Lawler started his first printing company at age 11, worked his way through high
school as a printer, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Communication from
California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, CA.

He launched a design, typography, and prepress business in San Luis Obispo, which he ran for
18 years before leaving the company to become an industry consultant. He has lectured on
color management and prepress for companies including Apple, Adobe, Hewlett-Packard, and
Eastman Kodak, and has worked as a printing consultant for more than a decade.

He is now an instructor at Cal Poly University, teaching courses in graphic communication,

digital typography, prepress, and color management. A contributor to CreativePro.com and
InDesign Magazine, Brian has also authored several books, including The Complete Guide to
Trapping.

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