THE PRINT MANUAL

1 - Colour

- Terminology

- CMYK / RGB

- Pantone matching system

- Spot Colours

2 - Format

- A Formats

- Envelope formats

- Book sizes

- Poster sizes

3 - Stock

- Coated Uncoated

- Weight (gsm)

4 - Artwork

- Document set up

- Bleeds

- Registration

- Types of Black

5 - Print Processes

- Lithography

- Gravure

- Flexography

- Pad Printing

- Digital

- Web Printing

- Letterpress

- Screen Printing

- Reprographics

6 - Cost

- Early quotes are better.

- Learn roughly what things cost per unit.

- Understand viable mini-mum quantities-

- Extras/Author corrections

7 -Binding

- Types of Binding

8 - Folding

- Types of Folding

9 - Finishes

- Foiling

- Embossing & Debossing

- UV Spot Varnish

- Die Cutting

10. Imposition

CONTENTSCOLOUR

RGB and CMYK

- CMYK -

Is classed as the subtractive primary colours, when two of these subtractive colours overlap they create the additive primaries, these being RGB, where all three subtractive colours overlap black is produced because no light escapes.

- RGB -

Is classed as the additive colours, and as with CMYK, when two of these additive colours overlap they create the subtractive primaries, these being RGB, each additive colour repre-sents a component of white light, so where all colours overlap, white is produced.

- Spot Colours -

These are colours graphic designers use to ensure that a specific colour in the design will print, this is mostly used when a colour is outside the range or gamnut of the four colour CMYK printing process, these special colours have a much greater vibrancy as they print a solid colour as apposed to one composed of half tone dots.

- Overprinting -

This is where one ink overprints another so that they mix to create different colours. as col-our theory dictates, overprinting pairs of the three trichromatic subtractive primary process colours produces the additive primary colour, different black also be achieved by over printing.

0302

COLOUR COLOUR

- Pantone matching System -

The Pantone Color Matching System is largely a standardized color reproduction system. By standardizing the colors, different manufacturers in different locations can all refer to the Pantone system to make sure colors match without direct contact with one another.

- Pantone Matching System.

- Process Colour.

cmyk coated & uncoatedcolor bridge® coatedcolor bridge® uncoatedcolor bridge® coated & uncoated set

- Metallics, Pastels & Neons.

pastels & neons coated & uncoatedpastels & neons chips coated & uncoatedpremium metallics coatedpremium metallics chips coatedmetallics coatedmetallic chips coated

03 03

Standard paper sizes.

The international paper size standard, ISO 216, is based on the German DIN 476 stand-ard for paper sizes. ISO paper sizes are all based on a single aspect ratio of square root of 2, or approximately 1:1.4142.

The Series A is used for Standard Printing and Stationery.

- Standard ‘A’ sizes (mm) -

A0 - 841 x 1189A1 - 594 x 841A2 - 420 x 594A3 - 297 x 420A4 - 210 x 297A5 - 148 x 210A6 - 105 x 148A7 - 74 x 105A8 - 52 x 74A9 - 37 x 52A10 - 26 x 37

FORMAT FORMAT

03 03

The Series B is used for Posters, Wall-Charts etc.

- Standard ‘B’ sizes (mm) -

B0 - 1000 x 1414B1 - 707 × 1000B2 - 500 x 707B3 - 353 x 500B4 - 250 x 353B5 - 176 x 250B6 - 125 x 176B7 - 88 x 125B8 - 62 x 88B9 - 44 x 62B10- 31 x 44

The C series is used for folders, post cards and envelopes. C series envelope is suitable to insert A series sizes.

- Standard ‘C’ sizes (mm) -

C0 - 917 x 1297C1 - 648 x 917C2 - 458 x 648C3 - 324 x 458C4 - 229 x 324C5 - 162 x 229C6 - 114 x 162C7 - 81 x 114C8 - 57 x 81C9 - 40 x 57C10 - 28 x 40

FORMAT FORMAT

FORMAT

03

- GSM -

The paper density of a type of paper or cardboard is the mass of the product per unit of area. The term density here is not used in its traditional sense of mass per unit volume. “Paper density”, rather, is a measure of the area density. Paper products that let little or no light pass through (e.g. poster board) are considered dense or heavy. Paper products that allow some light to pass through (e.g. tissue paper) are considered lightweight.

Expressed in grams per square metre (g/m²), paper density is also known as grammage. This is the measure used in most parts of the world.

- Coated / Uncoated -

Coated paper

Coating is a process by which paper or board is coated with an agent to improve bright-ness or printing properties. By applying PCC, china clay, pigment or adhesive the coating fills the miniscule pits between the fibres in the base paper, giving it a smooth, flat surface which can improve the opacity, lustre and colour-absorption ability. Various blades and rollers ensure the uniform application of the coating.

Different levels of coating are used according to the paper properties that are required. They are divided into light coated, medium coated, high coated, and art papers - art paper is used for the high quality reproduction of artwork in brochures and art books.

Uncoated paper

Not all paper is coated. Uncoated paper is typically used for letterheads, copy paper, or printing paper. Most types of uncoated paper are surface sized to improve their strength. Such paper is used in stationary and lower quality leaflets and brochures.

STOCKFORMAT

03

- Document Set - Up -

CS5/5.5

As with CS4, CS5 / 5.5 allows you to change the default setup options for your docu-ment, this includes units of measure, transparency grid display, background colour and type settings such as language, quote style, super script and subscript size and export-ability.

- You can either select Document Set-up button in the control panel, or:Choose File > Document Set-up.

- Choose options as you would like.

Again the ‘Simulate Coloured Paper’ option is found on CS5 / 5.5, this allows the docu-ment to show the designer how certain colours would look printed on coloured paper e.g. if yellow was printed onto red paper it would look orange.

ART WORK

FORMAT

03

- InDesign CS5/5.5 -

Choose File > New > Document.

The New Document dialog box combines the Document Setup and the Margins And Columns dialog boxes, so that you can set up the page size, margins, and page columns all in one place. You can change these settings at any time.

- Specify document setup options. (See New Document options.)To specify the dimensions of the bleed and slug areas, click More Options. The bleed and slug areas extend out from the edges of the defined Page Size. To make the bleed or slug areas extend evenly on all sides, click the Make All Settings The Same icon.

- Click OK to open a new document with the settings you specified.

To set default layout settings for all new documents, choose File > Document Setup or Layout > Margins And Columns, and set options when no documents are open.New Document options

Facing PagesSelect this option to make left and right pages face each other in a double-page spread, such as for books and magazines. Deselect this option to let each page stand alone, such as when you’re printing flyers or posters or when you want objects to bleed in the bind-ing.

ART WORKFORMAT

03

Overprinting colors with uncommon inks combines the ink values in the overprinted colors. For instance, if the background color contains 40% Cyan and the overprinted color has 70% Yellow, the overprinted area will consist of 40% Cyan and 70% Yellow. Since overprinting occurs, you would see the color of green shown on the final piece.

ART WORK

The compensation for misregistration between printing units on a multicolor press. This misregistration causes unsightly gaps or white-space on the final printed work. Trapping involves creating overlaps (spreads) or underlaps (chokes) of objects during the print production process to eliminate misregistration on the press.

FORMAT

03

Print Processes

- Lithography -

Lithographic printing is a process through which the inked image from a printing plate in transferred on to a rubber blanket roller, which is then pressed against the substrate. Li-thography uses a smooth printing plate and functions on the basis that oil and water repel each other. when the plate passes under the ink roller non image areas that have a water film repel the oily inks that stick to the image areas.

- Lithography produces good photographic reproduction and fine line work on a variety of stocks.- Printing plates are easy to prepare and high speeds are achievable which helps make it a low-cost printing method.

PRINT PROCESSESFORMAT

03

- Offset Web printing -

This uses stock that is supplied on massive rolls rather than individual sheets. this makes for a higher volume of print-ing speeds and a lower production cost per unit for high volume print jobs, webs are most commonly used with relief printing methods such as flexography or rotogravure as the plates are more durable. Due to the scale and cost of this method it is not suitable for low volume print runs.

PRINT PROCESSES

- Rotogravure -

Rotogravure (Roto or Gravure for short) is a type of intag-lio printing process; that is, it involves engraving the image onto an image carrier. In gravure printing, the image is engraved onto a cylinder because, like offset printing and flexography, it uses a rotary printing press. Once a staple of newspaper photo features, the rotogravure process is still used for commercial printing of magazines, postcards, and corrugated (cardboard) product packaging.\

- Flexography -

Flexography (often abbreviated to flexo) is a form of print-ing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate. It is basi-cally an updated version of letterpress that can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate including plastic, metallic films, cellophane, and paper. It is widely used for printing on the non-porous substrates required for various types of food packaging (it is also well suited for printing large areas of solid color).

FORMAT

03

- Pad Printing -

Pad printing is a printing process that can transfer a 2-D image onto a 3-D object. This is accomplished using an indirect offset (gravure) printing process that involves an image being transferred from the printing plate (cliché) via a silicone pad onto a substrate (sur-face to be printed). Pad printing is used for printing on otherwise impossible products in many industries including medical, automotive, promotional, apparel, electronics, appli-ances, sports equipment and toys. It can also be used to deposit functional materials such as conductive inks, adhesives, dyes and lubricants.

PRINT PROCESSES

- Digital Print -

Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital based image directly to a va-riety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large format and/or high volume laser or inkjet printers. Digital printing has a higher cost per page than more traditional offset printing methods but this price is usually offset by the cost saving in avoiding all the technical steps in between needed to make printing plates. It also allows for on demand printing, short turn around, and even a modification of the image (variable data) with each impression. The savings in labor and ever increasing capability of digital presses means digital printing is reaching a point where it will match or supersede offset printing technology’s ability to produce larger print runs at a low price.

FORMAT

03

PRINT PROCESSES

-  Screen Printing.

Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a sub-strate. A roller or squeegee is moved across the screen stencil, forcing or pumping ink past the threads of the woven mesh in the open areas.

Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced through the mesh onto the printing surface. It is also known as silkscreen, serigraphy, and serigraph printing.

FORMAT

03

COST

Costings when working with a client is one of the most important aspects of being a graphic designer, it is important to be as specific as possible with your print in order for everything to go smoothly and to not ass any issues in terms of extra costs.

It’s just as important to disucss exact requir-ments with a client to ensure there isnt any confusion in that area also.And finally it makes sense to get estimates from at least 3 or 4 different printers to get the best judgement.

03

FOLDING

Folds

- Single (half) Fold -

a single fold brochure made by folding the paper in half making four panels:(2-front + 2-back)

- Tri-fold Brochure -

made by folding the paper in thirds. After folding it consists of six panels (3-front + 3-back) with the right panel tucked inside of the panels created by the first fold.

- Z Fold Brochures -

are made by folding the paper in thirds in “zig zags.” It opens like an accordion in the shape of a “Z”

- Single (half) Fold -

a single fold brochure made by folding the paper in half making four panels: (2-front + 2-back).

- Double Parallel Brochure -

made by folding a sheet of paper in half twice in the same direction making eight panels (2-front + 2-back). The last two panels need to be slightly smaller than the outer panels to fold properly inside the outer two panels

03

FOLDING

- Single Gate Fold -

The left and right panels fold inwards to meet in the middle resulting in six panels: (3-fronts + 3-backs)

- Double Gate Fold -

The left and right panels fold inwards to meet in the middle and then folding at the center making eight panels: (4-fronts + 4-backs) Panels on each end need to be slightly smaller than the outer panels

- Roll (Barrel) Fold -

the piece is folded inward multiple times as if you are “rolling up” the paper with folds. The outside two panels must be the largest, and each successive panel beginning with the 3rd must be about 1/16” smaller than the previous panel to fold properly.

- Right Angle (French) Fold -

folding a page in half in one direction and then folding it in half again in the opposite direction. After folding it makes of eight panels: (4-fronts + 4-backs)

- Half Fold & Tri Fold -

Folding a sheet of paper (often 17” x 11”) in half, and then tri-folded in the opposite direction

03

BINDING

- Spiral Binding

Spiral binding—as its name suggests—is a punch-and-bind system that uses a plastic or metal spiral wire that is wound through punched holes on the binding edge. It is the type of binding most often used for school notebooks and steno pads.

- Wire-O Binding

Wire-O is a punch-and-bind system that is similar in technique to the plastic comb binding, but resembles wire spiral binding in appearance.

- Wire Stitching

Wire stitching is a form of binding that uses wire staples to bind sheets together. Wire stitching can either be used as side stitching, or saddle stitching. Side stitching is used for thin books that are usually then either covered with a hard cover, or a tape strip. Saddle stitching binds the sheets together through the fold in the center of several pages. It is the form of binding commonly used on comic books and magazines.

03

BINDING

- Hardcover binding.

The Hardcover book features a hard external cover (called a “case” by the binding industry). These are usually covered with cloth, leather, or textured paper. On some books, the spine has a different covering material than the front and back panels. This is called quarter-binding and is very popular in the publishing industry.Hardcover binding is a good choice for publishing, photo-books, yearbooks, dissertations, theses, high-end presenta-tions, and proposals.

-  Tape Binding

Tape binding uses a thermoplastic adhesive on a strip to bind books. In technique, it is similar to perfect binding, where the individual pages are glued to the book spine. Tape binding is a good choice for office documents, re-view books, or other presentations.

- Sewn Binding

Sewn binding is usually used in conjunction with hard cov-er binding. The book block, or sections of the book block are sewn together prior to the addition of the cover. This makes for a very sturdy book. The biggest disadvantage to sewn binding is that it requires specialized, expensive equipment, and, when done on a custom basis, is a slow process.

03

FINISHING

- Foil stamping -

typically a commercial print process, is the ap-plication of pigment or metallic foil, often gold or silver , but can also be various patterns or what is known as pastel foil which is a flat opaque color or white special film-backed material, to paper where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. Foil stamping can be combined with embossing to create a more striking 3D image.

- Varnish -

A varnish is a liquid coating applied to a printed surface (for example the outside of a presenta-tion folder) to add a clear glossy, matte, satin, or neutral finish.

Varnishing, also referred to as Coating or Seal-ing, can be carried out ‘online’ (the varnish is applied directly (within seconds) after the ink is put on the paper), or ‘offline’ by a separate

03

IMPOSITION

Imposition

is one of the fundamental steps in the prepress printing process. It consists in the ar-rangement of the printed product’s pages on the printer’s sheet, in order to obtain faster printing, simplified binding and less waste of paper.Correct imposition minimizes printing time by maximizing the number of pages per impression, reducing cost of press time and materials. To achieve this, the printed sheet must be filled as fully as possible.Imposition is affected by five different parameters:

- Format of the product: The size of the finished page determines how many pages can be printed on a single sheet.

- Number of pages of the printed product: The compositor must determine how many sheets are to be printed to create a finished book.

- Stitching/binding method: The compositor must understand how the sheets are placed to form the signatures that compose the finished book.

- Paper fiber direction: Many papers have a “grain,” reflecting the alignment of the pa-per fibers. That these fibers must run lengthwise along the fold influences the alignment, hence the position, of the pages on the printed sheet.

- Finishing and bindingTo understand how the pages are related to each other, an imposition dummy may be used. This is made by folding several sheets of paper in the way the press will print and fold the product. A little copy is then created, and this can help paginate the product.