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The Art of Printing
It seems odd to say that there is an art to printing. But it’s true.
Printing comes in many forms such as inkjet, laser, digital, 3D and more. Each type of printing requires different specifications and each printer has specific preferences on how files should be sent in for printing. Although the most accepted type of file is in a pdf format, other printers may prefer it in its raw format so it’s always best to check with your printer on their specifications.
The art in printing is that each type of printed product requires different requirements. For example, your business card will be printed on a heavier card stock such as a 110 to 130 lb stock while your event poster or business flyer will be printed on a nice glossy presentation paper which could be anywhere from a 28 to 35lb weight. The heavier the paper or card stock, the more it will cost to print. If you want your business cards printed in a unique size or shape, you’ll also pay extra.
There's also a difference in what you see on your computer screen and what comes out of the printer. I have been asked a few times “How come the colours looked awesome on my computer screen but once printed, it looks flat?” First of all, the colours you are viewing on your computer screen are RGB or Red, Green and Blue and are good for viewing digital communications such as your computer screen, websites etc. Documents made for print, such as posters, business cards etc, CMYK colour is used. (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and the K stands for Black)
The other reason the colours make look different between your screen and the printed job is the paper. For example, newsprint really sucks up the ink! The first time I designed a newspaper ad, the red looked brilliant on my computer screen. But when it printed, the red came out more burgundy. Thankfully my production manager was very cool about the whole thing and taught me a very valuable lesson about newsprint and colour---that by adjusting my red to 10% or less black the red would have brighter look once printed—and yes that did solve the problem. So now when I create ads for newsprint, I always keep that colour rule in mind.
One other thing to keep in mind when printing is to consider how the material is designed. Is there a bleed on it, meaning do the colours go all the way to the edge of the document or is there a white border? Some basic home and office printers do not print edge to edge and therefore will have white border around it when printed.
There is so much more involved with the art of printing and I am happy to answer any of your printing questions. I’m also excited to announce that I now offer in-house full service colour printing for your posters, flyers, brochures, menus and more. Please email me or call me for details.