Table of Contents
Media ........................................................................ 1
File Organization ....................................................... 2
Fonts ......................................................................... 3
Three Ways to Use Color .......................................... 4
Extensions ............................................................... 5-6
Scanning ................................................................... 7
Troubleshooting......................................................... 8
Stripping Marks ...................................................... 9-10
Duotones ............................................................... 11-12
Preflight Checklist .................................................... 13
Questions and Answers ........................................ 14-15
Glossary ................................................................ 16-17
Notes ..................................................................... 18-19
Steven’s Printing
Media
Portfolio
Macintosh
PC
QuarkXpress 4.0
QuarkXpress 4.0
PageMaker 7.0
PageMaker 7.0
Illustrator 10.0
Illustrator 10.0
PhotoShop 6.0
PhotoShop 6.0
InDesign 2.0
InDesign 2.0
FreeHand 7.0
Corel 10
NOTE: If you have a higher version, please save in the
versions listed above so we can open them.
FILE ORGANIZATION
(For each job)
(Main Folder)
ABC-Brochure
Fonts
Tif’s & Eps
Brochure
You can have as many folders as you want
in the main folder. This system, as depicted
above, always makes it easier to maintain
all the files needed to efficiently produce a
finished product.
It is more efficient to create your folders
before you start scanning or page layout.
Doing so will keep your files organized and
easy to find.
Fonts
Macintosh: Standard Font
NOTE!!!!!!
= Suitcase (Screen Fonts)
Helvetica
= Postscript Font
We will need
both parts for
this font to work
properly on our
system.
Helve
Macintosh: True Type Font
= True Type
PC: True Type Font
TT
= True Type
Note: PLEASE include ONLY THE FONTS being used in your
Job.
Missing Fonts cause time delays, text flows and font
substitutions. Occasionally, files will not print from the computer if fonts are missing.
ALWAYS keep a list of Fonts you are using. This will make it
easier to collect the fonts when you are finished with your file.
THREE WAYS TO USE COLOR
Process Color
Process Color = CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)
Use Process Color for printing when you are designing a page
using 4 or more colors. When choosing your colors from the PMS
book make sure you select the color to print in process.
Note: CMYK Screen Angles are:
Cyan = 15
Magenta = 75
Yellow = 0 or 90
Black = 45
Troubleshoot: To ensure you have done this correctly, print all
colors, when printing your laser proofs. You should only have four
sheets of paper labeled Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black.
Spot Color
Spot Color = Pantone Swatch Colors (example: PMS 185)
Use Spot Colors when you have less than 4 colors. Make sure
you select the color to print as a spot color.
Note: Using different PMS names can cause problems.
Example: You could choose PMS 185 CV and then choose
PMS 185 CVU. While these colors are the same, the computer
thinks they are different and will print out on different plates.
Troubleshoot: To ensure this is done correctly, print all colors
when printing your laser proofs. You should have PMS colors only.
If you have CMYK printouts, check all your colors to make sure
they are changed to spot colors.
RGB
RGB = Red, Green, Blue
RGB is NEVER used when it comes to printing. This form of
color is only used to view on the Monitor. When scanning you
must scan in RGB. Always remember to convert to CMYK before
saving your file. If this is not done your photo or artwork will not
print.
Extensions
Knowing file extensions will increase the quality of
your images. It also makes cross-platform (mac to pc)
issues flow easier and makes your files more versatile.
Understanding when and where you should use certain file
extensions can be very confusing. The information below
should be of assistance to you.
.eps: Encapsulated Postscript
- made in any DRAW programs
(Illustrator, Freehand, Corel)
- maintains color separation
- includes clipping paths (can also be done in
Photoshop), maintains color information for
duotones made in Photoshop
- any vector images (lines & curves) - using vector
images as an .eps file will create a sharp image as
well as maintain quality if it is resized.
(See Figure E-1 for more information.)
.tif or .tiff: Tagged Image File Format
-used for color, grayscale, b&w lineart
-made with any pixel-based program (Photoshop)
(See Figure E-1 for more information.)
NOTE: In printing, all scanned graphics or photos should be
in .tiff format. For more detailed information about scanning,
please refer to the scanning section on page 7.
Program Extensions:
•
•
•
•
Illustrator- .ai
Photoshop- .psd
Freehand- .fh7
Pagemaker 6.5- .p65
• QuarkXpress- .qxd
• Corel DRAW- .cdr
• Pagemaker 6- .pm6
Extensions cont.
Vector-Based Programs
Illustrator • Freehand
Pixel-Based Programs
Photoshop
Page Layout Programs
PageMaker • Quark • Corel
Bitmap Versus Vector - A bitmap image consists of pixels,
whose colors and locations on a grid determine the resolution and
appearance of an image. These images are created by painting
programs such as Photoshop and with the Rasterize command in
Illustrator. A vector graphic consists of mathematically defined
lines and curves and are resolution independent. Vector images
are created by drawing programs such as Illustrator. When editing
a bitmap image, you edit groups of pixels; when editing a vector
graphic, you edit shapes and objects.
Bitmap images are good at reproducing the
subtle shading found in continuous-tone
images, such as photographs. However,
bitmap images do not enlarge well and can
show jagged edges when magnified or output
to higher-resolution devices.
Vector graphics display or print at the
resolution available on the displaying or
printing device. As a result, such graphics
enlarge well and are good at reproducing
crisp outlines and details.
Figure E1
SCANNING BASICS
Gray Scale Scanning
If printing at: 133 LPI
If printing at: 150 LPI
If printing at: 175 LPI
scan at:
scan at:
scan at:
266 LPI
300 LPI
350 LPI
(Rule: You should always scan at two times the target
line screen.)
Color Scanning
If printing at: 150 LPI
If printing at: 175 LPI
scan at
scan at
300 LPI
350 LPI
(For quality 4 color printing we do not suggest scanning
lower than 300 Lpi)
1) Scan Color in RGB
2) Convert RGB Scan to CMYK
(If your RGB scans are not converted to CMYK your 4 color
process film will not display any photos or artwork.)
(Rule: Scan color in RGB, convert to CMYK, then place
into document)
Line Artwork Scanning
Scan at 300 or 600 LPI
(You could scan at 1200 LPI or higher, but the majority of the
time 600 produces excellent quality and keeps your file size
small.)
All scans must be saved as: .tif
LPI (lines per inch) = Resolution
TROUBLESHOOTING FILE PRINTOUTS
* FILE WILL NOT PRINT
* COMPOSITE PRINTS OUT, BUT SEPARATIONS DO NOT
* MISSING FONTS IN: FILE OR EPS
* MISSING: EPS OR TIF, ETC.
* CORRUPT: FILE OR ARTWORK
Note: If you’re working in a program like Illustrator,
CorelDraw or Freehand, it’s imperative to include all fonts
used in a Eps, when sending your file to printer. To avoid
missing fonts, change text to curves, where the program
allows.
To troubleshoot the problems try these steps:
1) Open new page and draw a box, send to printer to make
sure your printer is not the source of the problem.
2) Check your files in your Usage or Links Manager. Every
program is different. Usually this method will highlight
what graphics and fonts are missing.
3) Print file omitting Eps & Tif’s
(if this prints, usually one or more of your graphics is
missing a font or needs to be reopened in the original
program it was produced and re-saved.)
a) before you begin checking all your graphics send 1
page at a time to the printer to determine which
graphic(s) needs editing.
4) Check file size; sometimes graphics are saved at too
high of a resolution causing a large file size. This can
overload your printer’s memory.
Note: File size is very important. Keep your graphics below
1 - 2 Megs, or lower whenever possible.
Stripping Marks
These are registration marks. They are extremely crucial
when using more than one color. They should be positioned
along the sides of the document and must ALWAYS be in the
registration color.
Crop marks and Center marks are also essential. They
both should be in registration color and should have a
stroke of “hairline” or .25pt. Crop marks should be at all
four corners of the document and should be at least 1/8”
away from the image area. Center marks should be at the left,
right and bottom of the document and should go at least 1/8” into
the page and 1/8” out of the page. Center marks are only used
when printing on oversize paper. Do not use them when the job is
printing to size.
These are color bars. They should be positioned at the bottom of your document. They
help us control the ink coverage and control
density. The blocks should be no smaller than .25” x .25”. It does
not matter if the job is printing in four color, 2 color or 1 color.
Again, they only get added if the job is running on oversize paper.
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
We use the names of the colors, for example cmyk above, for
multi color documents so that the pressmen know what plate is
what color. This can be very helpful in printing four color process
because if they are not labeled it is very easy to print the wrong
ink for the wrong plate.
CYAN MAGENTA BLACK YELLOW
40%
50%
50%
CYAN MAGENTA BLACK YELLOW
40%
1
2
6
4
80%
This color bar is used only in four color work. It allows us to check
the trap so that the four colors will line up on top of each other
perfectly. Also, it allows us to check how much dot gain we are
getting. If there is too much dot gain, the dots within your graphics
and text will spread, causing your text to become heavier and the
graphics become muddy or plugged up.
CYAN MAGENTA BLACK YELLOW
40%
50%
CYAN MAGENTA BLACK YELLOW
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
CENTER MARKS
2
4
1
6
50%
40%
80%
Stripping Marks
1
6
50%
2
4
40%
80%
80%
50%
50%
50%
CYAN MAGENTA BLACK YELLOW
40%
50%
CYAN MAGENTA BLACK YELLOW
CENTER MARKS
50%
1
6
50%
2
4
40%
80%
1
6
50%
2
4
40%
80%
CENTER MARKS
GRETAG CMS 2
Switzerland © 1980
neg.
GRETAG CMS 2
Switzerland © 1980
neg.
Duotones
Below we have provided a step by step instruction guide to correctly create high quality
duotones for yourself and your customers.
The Picture
A duotone is a grayscale image printed with two inks. The tonal balance and
contrast of the image should be good. The highlights shouldn’t be too light and the
shadows shouldn’t be too dark (if you can help it). Remember that even creating a duotone
won’t save a bad photo or a bad scan. Always start with high quality ingredients.
As the name suggests, a duotone consists of two colors. Most often black and a
pantone however; it can be created with two pms colors. Duotones add new tonal qualities
to picture that a plain grayscale photo could not do.
The Creation
Save your photo as a grayscale Photoshop file and open it within Photoshop, (a
.tiff image will work also). Before you start with the actual duotone process, be sure to have
all the cropping done, levels the way you want them, etc. You will also want to make sure
you are working from a copy and not the original, that way if you don’t like the way your
duotone turns out you can always go back to the beginning.
Now, choose Image>Mode>Duotone to display the Duotone Options dialog box.
This is where you tell Photoshop how you want your duotone to look.
If you haven’t used the Duotone command before, Monotone will be the active
Type options and all ink options other than Ink 1 will be grayed out. Choose Duotone from
the Type dropdown menu. The default setting for Ink 1 is Black, most of the time you will
use this color. Now you’re ready to choose your second color, the one that will make your
picture into a duotone.
In the Duotone Options dialog box, you’ll notice tow boxes in the Ink 2 row. To
select the second ink color, click the solid Ink Color box. It’s the box directly under the all
black box. This opens the Custom colors dialog box. (If the Color Picker dialog box opens
instead, just click the Custom button to get into the Custom Colors dialog box.)
Click on the Book menu to choose your color system. In the duotone that we
created, we chose Pantone Coated. To choose the exact Pantone you want, either scroll
through the list of colors until you find the one you like best, or simply type in the number
(484 in this case) to highlight the desired color.
It’s best to have your desired color in mind, chosen from a swatch book so that
you’re not relying on the inaccurate colors shown on your monitor. Choose a color from a
book and then stick with it.
When you’ve decided on your color, click OK to return to the Duotone Options
box. At this point, if you’re using Photoshop 5 and have the Preview box checked, you’ll
notice that your photo behind the dialog box has taken on the hues of your chosen spot
color. If you’re using a previous version of Photoshop, don’t worry. You’ll see the color
applied to your photo as soon as you click OK.
So, click OK to close the dialog box and get a clear view of your photo. How does
it look? At this point, Photoshop has simply applied an equal amount of black and your
spot color to the photo. In some cases, this may be the effect you want. But in most cases,
some adjustments are necessary to avoid a muddy look with too much of the second color
and filled-in shadow areas.
The Adjustments
Return to the Duotone Options dialog box and click on the Curve box next to
the Pantone color. It looks like a graph and is just to the left of the Ink Color box you
clicked on then choose your color. Clicking on this new box will show you the Duotone
Curve dialog box.
This box looks pretty complicated, but it isn’t really as bad as it looks. Assuming
you’re using Photoshop 5 with the Preview box checked you will notice the tones in your
Duotones Cont.
image changing in reaction to the new setting of this curve. (Remember, if you’re using an
older version of Photoshop, you’ll have to change the setting and then exit all the dialog
boxes to see the color applied to your image). Moving different parts of the curve one way
or the other affects which brightness values of the image will get a certain amount of the
Pantone color.
You’ll also notice the numbers in the Percentage boxes changing as you drag the
curve points in different ways. Try typing numbers into some of the Percentage boxes to
see how the curve changes, and watch the effect on your image. Whatever results you end
up with that you don’t like can easily be changed by typing new numbers, dragging the
curve, or just pulling the curve back into a straight line by dragging all the points to either
end of the line.
Not only can you adjust the PMS color for your duotone, you can also change the
black to get the look you want. Remember that subtle adjustments are often best. Very
often you’ll find huge adjustments result in effects you won’t like.
The Save
Now that you are done, it’s time to save your duotone. For a page-layout
program, (such as Quark, PageMaker, etc.), to see and output the duotone properly, you
have to save it in just the right way. A TIFF, JPEG, or GIF file won’t work. Under the File
menu, choose Save As and name the file. Then from the Format menu choose Photoshop
EPS. Click Save. Now, in the EPS Options dialog box (EPS Format in Photoshop 4),
choose 8 Bits/Pixel Preview. This will enable you to see a fairly good representation of
your image when you place it in your layout program. Then choose Binary for the Encoding
method.
Do NOT select any of the other choices, such as Include Halftone Screen or
Include Transfer Function, unless specifically advised to do so by a technician at your prepress service bureau or commercial printer. Leave these boxes unchecked. Click OK to
save file.
Highlights and Pointers
- Start with the best grayscale you can. Good contrast and tonal balance.
- Be sure that the grayscale image is at the correct DPI before you start.
- After you import your duotone into your page-layout program, be sure to change the
screen angle on the PMS color. In most cases, this angle will be set incorrectly, by default,
to the same screen angle as black, and this will cause a muddy image. A typical choice
would be to set your second color to the Cyan angle, or possible Magenta. Do this as soon
as you place the image on the page.
- Be sure that the name of your duotone second color is exactly the same color elements
in your page layout program. Print out separations to your laser printer if you have any
doubts.
Preflight Checklist
❏ Mac
❏ QuarkXpress 4.0
❏ PageMaker 7.0
❏ Illustrator 10 (Be sure that your attributes are set at 2400)
❏ PhotoShop 6.0
❏ InDesign 2.0
❏ FreeHand 7.0
❏ PC
❏ QuarkXpress 4.0
❏ PageMaker 7.0
❏ Illustrator 10 (Be sure that your attributes are set at 2400)
❏ PhotoShop 6.0
❏ InDesign 2.0
❏ Corel 10
❏ Computer List of Files
❏ 1/8” (.125) Bleed
❏ 3/8”(.375) Gripper
❏ File and Graphics Trap Properly
❏ Composite Laser Printouts @ 100%
❏ Color Separations Laser Printouts @ 100%
❏ Spot Colors (List below)
______ ______ ______ ______
❏ CMYK
❏ Varnish Finish (List Color Used_________)
❏ Halftone LPI __________ (lines per inch)
❏ Fonts
❏ EPS
❏ Tif’s
All Information listed above is crucial to the finished product.
Any missing files or information can cause files not to work
properly and delay the final product.
Q and A
Q) What is Gripper? And how much do you need?
A) Gripper is the amount of paper the press needs to grab each page
during printing. Any image within this area will not print. Not allowing for
gripper results in the image not printing in the position you expected or
having to redesign the document to compensate. To design your
document for our presses, be sure to give at least 3/8” (.375) gripper.
Q) How much bleed should be in a document?
A) There should a 1/8 inch of bleed.
Q) Why are composite lasers important?
A) Composite lasers show us everything that should be on the finished
product. We print out a composite and compare it to what is supplied to
determine if something is missing. If no lasers were supplied, we would
not know what should be on the finished version.
Q) Why are separated lasers important?
A) The same reason as composite lasers, if we don’t have something to
compare to, we do not know if something is missing.
Q) Why is it important that lasers be printed at 100%?
A) Unless the document is too large, all lasers supplied should be 100%
or actual size so that we know the exact positioning the document is on
the paper.
Q) Should I include the same graphics that I sent in the last job?
A) Yes. Graphics should always be included for several reasons.
Something might have been changed this time that wasn’t done last
time, our file may have been corrupt or if we had changed something last
time and you did not care for the change, we would have your original.
Inclusion of your graphics eliminates these problems which, in turn,
saves both time and cost.
Q) What is a directory list?
A) A directory list is a printout of the contents of the disk that you have
sent to us. The printout includes all the folders and files within each of
the folders. This list show us if something is missing.
Q and A cont.
Q) Why should I only send the files that you need on my disk?
A) In the past, customers have sent us disks with items other than the
job we need. In some cases it has been their back up files. A directory
would eliminate any confusion, but if anything should happen to that disk,
we would not want all of your files to disappear or get corrupted.
Q) Should my documents be designed to size?
A) Yes. This eliminates us having to do extensive work on the file to set
it up for print or make numerous changes which could lead to your job
printing incorrectly and increasing the cost of the product.
Q) Why is it important to delete everything in my document that is
not relevant to the current job?
A) This is primarily a time saver. If information and graphics are just
dragged off the page and onto the paste board, when we open the
document, the program will ask us where the old fonts and graphics are.
This adds time in looking for all the fonts and graphics and sorting
through the document before we actually start working on the job. Saving
time means saving money and improves the turnaround time on a job.
Q) Should I include the same fonts for a new job, if I included them
with the last job?
A) Yes. This is the same concept as the graphics. You may have used
a different version of the same font and we don’t have it or something
happened to our fonts.
Glossary
Bitmap- A graphic image
(picture) formed by a pattern of
pixels.
Bleed- Text or graphics that
extends to the trimmed edge of
the finished page.
Clipping Path- An embedded
outline that tells a page layout
program which areas of a
picture should be considered
transparent.
CMYK- Cyan, Magenta, Yellow,
Black; the standard ink colors
used in four-color process
printing.
Dots per inch (DPI)- A general
method of measuring resolution
when referring to printers and
monitors (dpi). However, it
should never be used to describe the resolution of halftone
dots (lpi).
EPS- The Encapsulated
PostScript language file format
that is supported by most
illustration and page-layout
programs. The EPS format is
used to transfer PostScript
language artwork between
applications.
GIF- Graphics Interchange
Format is the file format commonly used to display indexedcolor graphics and images in
HTML documents over the Web
and other online services.
Grayscale- Shades of gray
ranging from black to white. In
printing, grayscale uses only a
black halftone plate.
Gripper- The leading edge of a
sheet of paper, which the
grippers on the press grab to
carry the paper through the
press.
Halftone- A reproduction of a
continuous-tone photograph by
simulating gradiations of tone
using dots (or other shapes) of
varying sizes.
JPEG- Joint Photographic
Experts Group format is commonly used to display photographs and other continuoustone images in HTML documents of the Web. Unlike the
GIF format, JPEG retains all the
color information in a RGB
image.
Line art- Pictures or illustrations that can be printed without
halftones.
Line Per Inch (LPI)- Refers to
the resolution of a halftone
screen in printing.
PDF- Portable Document
Format is used to view documents over a variety of platforms. If created using high
resolution it can also be used for
print.
PICT- The PICT format is
widely used among Mac graphics and page-layout applications
as an intermediary file format for
transferring files between
applications. This is also an
RGB low resolution graphic,
usually used in visual graphics,
such as animation and television.
Pixels- Abbreviation for picture
element, one of the tiny dots
generated by a computer or
output device to constitute
images.
Postscript- A page description
language developed by Adobe
Systems, Inc., that describes
fonts, graphics, and page
layout.
PPI- The resolution of an image
in Pixels Per Inch.
Resolution- Refers to the
degree of detail. Resolution for
devices and images is usually
measured in Dots Per Inch (dpi).
RGB- Red, Green, Blue. A
color model based on the
additive color theory, used for
computer monitors and color
video output systems.
TIFF- Tagged Image File
Format. TIFF pictures can be
black-and-white line art,
grayscale or color.
Trapping- A slight overlapping
that prevents gaps from appearing along the edges of an object
because of misalignment or
movement on press.
Vector- Artwork or text characters constructed from mathematical statements instead of
individual pixels. Vector objects
usually take less disk space
than bitmap images and can be
scaled to virtually any size
without losing visual quality.
Notes
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E-mail your jobs to:
Macintosh:
[email protected]
PC:
[email protected]
(925)
681•1774
fax 681•1724
2489 Estand Way
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Note: Files that are Stuffed
(Mac) or Zipped (PC) have
less chance of becoming corrupted when traveling through
the internet. Files will also
transfer very quickly.