Design in Printing – Technical, Artistic, Functional
"There is something wonderful to be said about the texture possibilities of printing, from the paper’s grain to the finalizing treatments, there are some things that digital medias will never come close to replicating."
Can you believe that print design has been around for hundreds of years now? While graphic design is a more modern title, we’re still working around the same concepts. In fact, most of the same vocabulary and terminology still apply. Just because it’s been around forever, doesn’t make it an archaic or predictable beast. At Presto Print, we still have fun printing and, in my case, designing for print.
Print design is an ever-evolving craft. It can be a mind-bogglingly technical craft. It can (and should) be an artistic and expressive craft. And most of all, it is one of the most functional ways to communicate especially on a business level.
Print Design as Technical
We have been printing since 1976! That’s over 35 years of printing. We understand many of the nuances of printing. That doesn’t mean that we’ve seen it all but we have seen a big chunk. Part of designing for print is solving the little puzzles that arise on a daily basis…and making sure that the problem is solved for the next run of prints. Because we have this expertise built on countless jobs of puzzle-solving, we’re happy to share our finding with you!
Tips for insuring that your job comes out perfect every time:
• If you are creating your own artwork, finalize the files and send us a CMYK pdf to print from. This way, because there will be no prepress conversion process, nothing will move and no colors will change
• When designing, we want elements to be laid out in consistent and predictable locations (especially when following brand guidelines). Use specific X-Y coordinates to make sure that you elements are consistently placed.
• Keep in mind that we are working with large equipment. As technical and detailed as we can get with our state-of-the-art equipment, things get pretty final once the job is cut. Try to keep your important elements and text 1/8-1/4 of an inch away from the edges.
If you’re interested in more printing tips, stop by and pick up a free copy of How-To: Your Reference Guide to Accurate Printing. And feel free to pick our brains while you’re at it.
Print Design as Artistic/Expressive
Printing is certainly a technical field. However, as a graphic designer (and you as the client), it is also a medium for art and design. Whoever said that technical work couldn’t be beautiful?
We stay up-to-date with printing and design standards. Some of our favorite resources for keeping our designs fresh and relevant are design periodicals. Are you looking for a fun, new design for your next brochure, business card, or mailer? In our lobby, you can browse through How Magazine. Print Magazine, and our own personal portfolio of designs. Ask to speak to the designer while you peruse. Together, we can come up with something unique, beautiful, and perfectly expressive of your message.
Print Design as Functional
Think about all of the things you see and read every day. More and more you’ve seen design becoming digital. You may have even heard the phrase, “Print is dead.” Well, we think that is dead-wrong. Printing and digital medias are working together to create some pretty incredible things. Apps, augmented reality, and web are not going anywhere. However, you can’t touch these digital medias. You can’t run your fingers over the text and get the tactile experience of Thermography. You can’t digitize a beautifully foil-stamped invitation. Light will never play the same on a screen as it does on a UV coated poster.
There is something wonderful to be said about the texture possibilities of printing, from the paper’s grain to the finalizing treatments, there are some things that digital medias will never come close to replicating. These tactile experiences make this medium powerful and functional. You can hand out a business card or a brochure that has been thoughtfully designed and your customers will know that when they look at it, read it, and touch it. They’ll know that you take pride in your business and they’ll know that will translate to the services they’ll get from you.
So go ahead, show off a little! Look closely at the printed materials you see all around. Mailers, posters, business cards, invitations, whatever! Make your printed project an experience for your audience!