There are a lot thing that go into printing that many people do not think of or know about.
There are many different types of presses. Each press prints a little bit differently. However, most people think of digital printing when they think of printing. Here at Presto print we have an offset printer, letterpress and digital printers.
With offset printers, plates are created for each ink used. Ink gets put onto the plate. The ink is then transferred from the plate to the paper. Sometimes the way a project is designed can cause issues with this processes. Ghosting can occur when the plates cannot pick up ink fast enough.
Letterpress is where plates are created, then when ink is rolled onto the plate then the paper is pressed onto the plate. The pressure from the plate and paper being pushed together causes impressions of the image on the paper. This can create a really unique look and feel that is only really achievable though letterpress.
Digital printing does not require the use of plates. The file is sent to the printer and the printer outputs the ink onto the paper. The two most common types are ink jets and laser printers.
Another thing people often do not think about is the size. The final size of a project is important to think about before one starts to design the project to be printed. Image quality can make a huge difference. A common use is the files can be too small to print at the size desired. When there is not enough information on the file or image the print can look pixelated. Print quality is 300 dip, where as web quality is only 72 dip. Preparing the file image at the right size is important due to make sure the image is printed right. Also it make sure the file looks the way you want the project to look.
Other things to think about are to make sure there are bleeds on the file. Bleeds are important because it make sure there are no white lines when the project is cut down to size. Making use of the type is within the type safety zone is important. This make sure no text is cut off, in the finishing stages of cutting the project down.
The color space is another thing that often gets forgotten. In print, CMYK is the color space to have your design in. CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The printers print in CMYK, in order to get the color as close to the color on screen the color space needs to be in CMYK.
The paper choose also has a huge impact on the way a finished project looks and feels. The weight or how think the paper is can completely change the way a product feels. The type of paper used also has an impact. Some papers have coating on. This could include a shiny look, to protecting the print from sunlight, to textures. There are many different options. The color of the paper used plays a role in the effect on the final project. Most printers do not have white ink, therefore, the white is created by the paper. The paper because the white, there is no ink in the whites are of a print.
