Print Buying Basics

Printing Processes

Paper Grades and Weights

Print Buying Checklists

Electronic Prepress Preflight Checklist

Checklist For Approving Electronic Mechanicals

Checklist For Approving Camera-Ready Art

What To Look For On A Prepress Proof

Effective Press Checks

Printing Industry Trade Customs

Digital copy preparation is now virtually universal. Its application to typesetting, art creation, image capture and page makeup have replaced the traditional forms to such an extent that the mechanical "board" is the exception rather than the rule.

However, the contents of the traditional mechanical that were considered absolute requirements still exist, but in a different form. While application programs provide file originators with a fantastic array of new tools, the significance of communications between the printer and the designer has not lessened. In fact, early collaboration has increased in importance.

As some responsibilities shift from the prepress provider to the customer, the functions previously performed by that provider must now be understood and implemented by the designer/creator of the file. The file preparer is compelled to comprehend how the work performed on the computer has to reflect the needs of the ink-on-paper product that is the final result. If the anticipated goals - cost savings and quicker turnaround - are to be realized, these needs must be accurately reflected in the final file given to the printer or prepress provider.

Prepress and printing basics are included in this section to guide you in these efforts.

Design
Choosing a designer who can efficiently and effectively execute in the digital environment can result in achieving some of the time and money savings that software vendors promise and customers now demand. Communication has become an absolute requirement between the print buyer, the designer and the printer to ensure smooth delivery of the steps leading to the final printed piece. Make sure the print provider you select is "on-board" at the creation stage to help you keep the project on-time, on-track, and on-budget.

Beyond electronic wizardry, consider today's wide spectrum of papers, plus the creative production techniques like folding, embossing and coating. These contribute to the effectiveness of print as a media that gets marketing results.

"Specing" the Job
Detailed, accurate specifications are the key to success with any printing job. Your printer must have complete information to fulfill your expectations. In this section of the Texas Graphic Arts Buyer's Guide, you'll find a checklist for writing printing specifications which will help you organize all the details. You can then use this "spec sheet" to help fill out a request for quotation and for issuing a purchase order.

Selecting a Printer
There are thousands of printers, so how do you choose? First, get to know your local printers. Take tours of their plants and note their specialties. Get to know a variety of printing salespeople and start a file of printing samples. Ask friends or associates for references. When other things are equal, it may be best to go with the company that will provide value-added services that fit the needs of your business, whether that is in full coordination of your project, design or distribution. Establishing an ongoing relationship enables your printer to know your printed product requirements and offer suggestions that can save time and money.

How to Compare Estimates
Each printer should have a mock-up of your design and complete specifications. Request written estimates. If you change a specification to one printer (for example, paper) be sure to change it for all. Otherwise, your estimates are not comparable. Most estimates are good for 30 days.

Scheduling
Quick turnaround is the rule, but it requires intelligent coordination. Once the who and what are determined, the when needs to be decided. Printing projects usually run on tight schedules, so stay on track and let vendors know the specifics. Begin with your distribution date and work backwards with your sales rep.

Then stick to your schedule or alert your rep in advance if there are unavoidable delays. Tell your rep you expect to be informed if there are delays on the printer's end. If you are contracting tasks separately, account for the time that each vendor needs, including delivery.

Getting to Plate
In most situations, plates are prepared from film that is generated from imagesetters or, less frequently now, from camera exposure. Plates prepared directly from computer files are beginning to come on the scene. In either case, correct copy preparation for this film is paramount. When changes are made or mistakes caught after this plating step, costs rise rapidly.

Jobs generated from computer files must contain all the printing production requirements that the final composited traditional plate film contained. File preparers who choose to construct files for plate-ready film must include spreads and chokes (called "trapping" in computer terminology), bleed overwork, plus trim and center mark indications that were formerly accomplished by the "image assembler" at the printer. Printers with electronic prepress capabilities offer file manipulation services that cover things like trapping, low resolution image replacement and more. They generally prefer handling these critical production details in-house to assure proper preparation for their particular press and finishing lines.

The importance of proofs from digital files and plate film has increased because of today's speed of production and the opportunities to rapidly incur expensive remake costs at the plate stage. Proofs should reflect exactly what is represented on the file or plate film.

Color
Multicolor printing of some kind is the norm, whether it's spot color or four-color process. Spot color uses a designated ink color, while four-color process printing creates color by laying down overlapping dots (screens) of four primary ink colors: yellow, cyan, magenta and black (CMYK). The size, shape and degree of overlap of these dots determines the appearance of the final printed colors.

The most convenient way to specify spot color is to use one of the color systems like Pantone or Trumatch. The newest page makeup, illustration and photo-editing software also support these systems. Each Trumatch or Pantone color has a formula for creating that color with printer's inks.

Preparing full-color files on your Mac or PC and delivering a disk to your printer by physical or electronic means is now commonplace in most instances. Often, designers use low resolution scans in their electronic files and have the printer or prepress house produce high quality separations, which in turn are stripped into the film either electronically or traditionally.

Creating color files requires knowledge of the printing requirements for color, including trapping and color balance. Use of computer color management systems by the file originator who wishes to go beyond low-res images is an absolute requirement for quality and consistency.

Despite all of today's advances, the most important aspects of dealing with printed color remain: make sure everyone "sees" the same color and understands the limitations of four-color process.

Prepress color proofs that simulate color printing allow you to check composition, color breaks, registration and separation quality and are an essential step for satisfactory results.

Printing, Finishing and Binding
Once you have approved the prepress proofs, your job is ready to print. If a press check is included in your bid, you'll be at your printer's plant when the first sheets come off the press. At this point, the final tweaking is done and the press operator takes over.

The final step in converting a printed sheet to product is called finishing and/or binding. They are as equally significant a stage as everything that has gone on before and must be planned into the original design. While bindery and finishing are usually the last phases of a printed job, it is important to identify these needs up front when planning the job so that all will run smoothly.

Folding
Folding is a relatively imprecise operation, so you must leave room for variations in the folds. Remember, also, that each fold is affected by the variation in the previous fold. Paper stock also affects folds. Prepare a paper dummy of the folds before you go to press, and remember to allow adequate trim for the bindery operation.

Binding
When planning your job, you need to decide if it will be bound and how. Talk about the bindery requirements with your printer or trade binder before going into production. Listed below are some common bindings and definitions.

Saddle stitching
Signatures inserted into each other and stapled through the spine. Requirements: Lip on back of signature at least 1/4". Head trims and foot trims should be 1/8".

Side stitching
Stapled through stack, parallel to spine.

Spiral Binding
Wire spiral inserted through hole-punched stack. Requirements: Minimum trim of 1/8" on head, spine, foot and front - more desired. Binding margin is 1/2".

Comb binding
Plastic comb binding inserted through hole-punched stack.

Perfect binding
Perfect-bound books are made from signatures that are stacked. On the left side, the folds are trimmed away. Hot glue is applied to the spine and the cover is pressed against it. Then the other sides of the book are trimmed away. Head trims and foot trims should be 1/8" or more.

Binding is the work required to convert printed sheets into books, magazines, catalogs and folders. Included are the steps for scoring, folding, collating, stitching and trimming. Finishing includes mounting, die-cutting, laminating, embossing, punching, gluing and marbleizing.

Last Word on Finishing
If your printed project is going to be die-cut, coated or finished in any of the ways mentioned above, note that the mechanical requirements for these processes must be built into the design of the printed piece. For instance, aqueous and UV coatings are spectacular, but certain ink colors do not take coating as well as others. Always consult with your printer about your finishing plans, even if the printer is not coordinating the whole project.

Offset Lithography
The basic principle of offset printing, the dominant printing process, is this simple: ink and water don't mix. Early lithographers etched images onto flat stone. These images would accept ink, while the porous stone accepted water. When ink was applied, it stayed on the greasy image area and avoided the rest of the stone.

Modern lithography uses the same concept but adds one important element. In modern presses, the image is transferred from the printing plate to a rubber blanket and then to the paper. Hence the name "offset."

Although there are many different kinds, sizes and qualities of offset presses, the basic configuration remains the same. When the printing plate is exposed, an ink receptive coating is activated at the image area. On the press, the plate is dampened, first by water rollers, then by ink rollers. Ink adheres to the image area and water to the non-image area. As the cylinders rotate, the image is transferred to the blanket. Paper passes between the blanket cylinder and the image is transferred to the paper.

The major types of offset presses are sheetfed and web. In a sheetfed press, cut paper is delivered into the machine. In a web press, paper comes on a large roll and is cut after printing.

Sheetfed presses run the gamut in size and quality from 8-1/2" x 11" or 11" x 17" one-color duplicators found in the majority of quick printers and small commercial shops to high-quality eight-unit presses with sheet sizes as large as 55". Because web presses can print at very high speeds and large sheet sizes, they are generally used for forms, publications and very long runs.

Letterpress
Formerly the standard printing process, letterpress is now largely used for specialty work. Letterpress is often used for fine art prints, books and posters. Letterpress is also used for imprinting business cards and forms. In the process, the image area is actually raised above the rest of the plate, so the image makes a physical impression on the paper. Modern letterpress uses a photo-etching technique to remove the non-image area from the plate.

Flexo
Modern flexography, often called flexo, is a versatile process that uses photo-etched plates. The non-image areas on these plates are etched away, leaving only the printing surface that carries the ink directly to the substrate.

Technological advances in platemaking, inks and presses make flexo well-suited for any job that can be printed on a substrate that can be supplied in a roll form. In addition to paper, these materials include box boards, foils, plastics, newsprint and more. Common applications for flexo include labels, tabs, corrugated boxes, cartons and newspapers.

Gravure
Basically, gravure turns everything in the image into halftone dots. The plate cylinder consists of tiny cells, varying in depth and width, that hold the ink. As the press runs, a doctor blade scrapes excess ink off the surface of the plate, leaving ink only in cells. As the paper contacts the plate, the ink is transferred, reproducing type, rules, graphics, and photographs as composites of very fine dots. Gravure is used only in very long runs, usually for publications and packaging printing.

Screen Printing
Screen printing is the most versatile form of print reproduction. Although once thought of as being oriented to short production runs, modern high-speed technology allows for volume production where brilliant, accurate colors, and close tolerance are necessary. Ink is expressed through a stretched fabric mesh by a squeegee blade to reproduce the original image onto the substrate below. Screen printing is not limited to press size or the same of any substrate. A variety of materials such as paper, plastic, metal, fabric and glass can be screen printed.

Waterless Lithography
Print buyers are hearing more and more about waterless offset as the process becomes more commonly used in the United States. Almost any offset printing press can be converted to run waterless if it is retrofitted with a cooling system that, among other things, helps maintain the ink's temperature. Newer presses are available with the conventional dampening system and a cooling system so that they can run waterless. Special plates must be used so that the non-image area still repels the ink.

Key Concepts
Printing is more than reproducing words and images on paper. It is the physical experience itself - holding the piece, feeling the paper, the interplay of ink and paper - that printing is concerned with. As such, paper - the vehicle of the message, as well as the biggest cost item in a printing job - is of prime importance. Understanding paper and picking the right sheet for your job can make or break your job.

Papers are defined by grade and basic weight. Understanding these two concepts is the key to specifying the right paper.

Grades of Paper
There are five basic grades of paper:

Bond
Usually reserved for letterheads, business forms and quick printing jobs.

Offset or uncoated book
Probably the most common sheet for offset printing, offering a smooth, uncoated look.

Coated book
A glossy sheet that yields vivid colors and excellent reproduction.

Text
A high-quality sheet with a lot of texture. It gives soft, gentle colors and a look of class.

Cover
Used for book covers, postcards and business cards. It is available as a coated or uncoated sheet.

Within each grade there are other distinctions - based on brightness, opacity and fiber content. For instance, there are matte, premium and ultra gloss finishes to coated paper. In uncoated book, there is #1 Offset, #3 Offset, Opaque and Lightweights. Text papers are distinguished by finishes like smooth/vellum, felt/embossed, laid and linen.

Basic Weight
Getting more specific, people identify papers in terms of their basic weights. Since coated papers are more compressed (calendered), you can't necessarily keep the same weight when switching grades. For instance, you may go from a 60# uncoated to a 70# coated sheet to keep the same thickness. That's why papers are usually referred to by weight and grade.

What is basic weight, exactly? It is the weight of 500 sheets of paper cut to a standard size. So, 500 sheets of 25" x 38" 60# offset weighs 60 lbs. The standard size for bond is 17" x 22"; for text, offset and coated 25" x 38"; and for cover, 20" x 26". That's why two similar sheets of different grades may have very different basic weights; for instance, 24# bond and 50# offset.

Different grades cover different ranges of weight:

Bond
Usually 16# for forms, 20# for copying and 24# for stationery.

Text
Ranges in weight from 60# to 100#, but the most common weights are 70# and 80#.

Offset
Usually a 50# to 70# stock.

Coated book
Generally goes from 30# to 70# for web, 50# to 110# for sheetfed.

Cover
Comes in 60#, 65#, 80# or 100# weights.

Recycled Papers
Our national waste disposal challenge has led to the increasing use of recycled papers. Paper companies have answered this increasing demand with offerings in all paper grades. While recycled sheets still command a premium over virgin stock, they are more widely available than in previous years. At this time, there are still differences in definitions associated with recycled papers, and concerned buyers need to consult the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines, State of Texas and federal definitions and paper company literature to make informed judgments.

Checklist for Printing Specifications
Success in printing requires scrupulous attention to detail. Organize all information related to your printing job on a "spec sheet" so you and your printer know exactly what you want. Spec sheets are important for filing Request for Quotation forms and purchase orders.

Client name, job title, job description, date.
Item. For example, a 16-page self-cover brochure, catalog, etc. Note that one sheet equals two pages. Use pages when "specifying" a bound piece. All others use sheets and indicate if one-sided or two-sided.

Quantity. Include number of samples and percentages of overs you'll accept. (The industry standard is plus/minus 10 percent.)
Size. Include both trims and folded sizes.
Stock. Brand name, color, finish, weight; is it text, cover, bristol, bond, etc.?
Ink. Include Pantone numbers, varnishes or in-line coating (spot or overall) for front and back.
Design features. Describe art: line art, tints (how many colors per tint), bleeds, reverses, solids, crossover, butt fits or traps, special-built tint colors, etc. Note if keylines print. Let the printer know in what form he will receive artwork - art boards or electronic.
Halftones. Number of halftones and/or duotones and the line screen. If duotone, indicate which color will be dominant. Indicate if photos are to be resized and cropped, straight-edge crop or silhouette-outline
halftones. Note if they butt to keylines and if keylines print.
Separations. Specify number of seps and if using transparencies or reflective art. Show sizes of originals and final images. Indicate line screens and whether emulsion is side up or down. Indicate if images butt to keylines or if they are outlines. Any crossover concerns? Retouching: or color correcting needed? Include type of color proof preferred, grade of color preferred (e.g. product match, commercial color, etc.). Also, if you are supplying the seps, check to see if your printer should be given two sets for crossovers.
Proofs. Loose color, final stripped color laminated proof or color keys, blueline, folded dummy. Indicate if stock samples are needed and if a press check is required.
Bindery. Trim, fold (type of fold), die cut, score/perf (lithoperf/score or letterpress perf), collate, number, drill (number of holes and hole diameters), stitch, shrink-wrap.
Finishing specialties. Embossing, foil stamping, UV coating, laminating, etc.
Packaging. Carton weight, padding, pallet and labeling.
Due date and delivery instructions. Include address and phone number to call for verifying shipment.
Return-artwork instructions. Specify number of boards and/or disks and photo/transparencies to be returned along with number of samples.
Quoted price. Be sure to understand the printer's terms and conditions of sale.

• Verify overall dimensions, margins, column widths and gutters.
• Are there corner and center marks?
• Is the finished project size furnished?
• Is type clean, sharp and consistent in density? Circle any undesired marks or breaks.
• Are the job title, designer, client, typeface and type vendor identified on each board?
• Is a complete dummy furnished showing imposition, die cuts and other special instructions?
• Are windows for halftones, duotones, etc., prepared with photostats-to-size in position?
• Are photos scaled and cropped?
• Is keying system for halftones or illustrations clear?
• Double-check headlines, captions, jump head, page numbers, photo credits, bylines, edition number and dates.
• Do tissue overlays completely describe color breaks and screen percentages?
• Are acetate overlays complete for difficult color breaks?
• Are Pantone colors or ink colors clearly indicated outside trim clearance?
• Is the distance specified between page numbers and the bottom of the page?
• Has the sign-off sheet been completed and attached to the dummy?
• Has overwork been indicated for bleeds?

• Is all digital information and material complete?
• List the type of hardware used
• What's the file medium?
• List the mode of file delivery with technical specs.
• Include the description of files including software and version plus the names of linked graphic files with format.
• Are hardcopy materials complete? Laser or thermal proofs should be marked with instructions as would normally be found on a traditional mechanical, e.g., trim, fold, bleed, etc. See the Checklist for Approving Camera-Ready Art for further details. All items apply except that information normally included on tissue overlays should appear on hardcopy laser or color proof.
• Transparencies, photos or reflective copy included?
• Are output materials indicated, e.g. film, bluelines, etc?
• Are output specifications complete, e.g. bleed, trim, trap, page counts, screen ruling, colors, etc.?
• Are all files you want output on the disk?
• Did you include a copy of the screen and printer fonts?
• Did you include disks with all separate files in case of output difficulties?
• Did you back up the file(s)?

The prepress proof gives an approximation of what the final image will look like, this is especially important in four-color printing. This is your last chance to catch prepress errors. Bluelines, color keys, "Rainbows," ink-jet, and laminated four-color proofs are examples of prepress proofs.

• Review the proof counting page numbers. Make sure that pages back up to each other.
• Check borders and rules for alignment and crossovers.
• Reexamine headlines and other display type for typos and placement.
• Study areas which may have critical register.
• Look carefully at each page to be sure no elements have been mistakenly masked out or trimmed off.
• Check every photo to be sure it is positioned, scaled and cropped correctly.
• Clearly circle every blemish, flaw, broken letter and anything else that seems wrong.
• Are all corrections made from previous proofs?
• When proofing multicolor jobs, know what copy prints in each color. Are color breaks clearly indicated?
• When reviewing process color proofs, are the proofs being reviewed under the same lighting conditions? (Industry standard is 5000 K.)
• Are neutral colors in proper balance? Look at whites, grays and blacks (gray balance). If they show a significant color cast, the color is probably out of balance.
• How is the overall reproduction of color? Focus on "memory" colors such as blue skies, green grass and red tomatoes - they are the toughest to match. How does the rest of the color look?
• If spot varnish or coating is being applied, is it indicated?
• Are screen percentages correctly indicated?
• Are the margins consistent?
• Have you confirmed: Paper stock? Quantity? Type of binding?
• Are place, date and time, contact name and phone number included in delivery instructions?
• Is the job trimmed to the correct size and properly folded?
• Are all perfs, scores, glue spots, etc., correctly indicated?
• Any last minute corrections to the copy?

This is your last chance to affect the final product. Press checks can be demanding because they are at the mercy of production schedules. Often you will have only a few hours notice of when your job will be on press. Making changes at this stage can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

Press checks are optional and depend on the complexity of your job. Always discuss a printer's policy on press checks at the time of quotation (cost per hour for press time, time limits, delay charges, etc.).

• Have available:

Printed samples if it's a reprint; printed samples of companion pieces (your printer should have these in advance);

Printed samples of same Pantone colors and photos/illustrations, purchase order, original illustrations, photos, transparencies, proofs, mechanicals and comps.

• Scan the entire sheet first.
• Match against prepress proof.
• Verify that all copy and photos are in place, and that all corrections have been made from previous proofs.
• Verify register. Examine the copy; check crossovers and backups.
  Are there any mechanical errors?
• Is the size correct? Verify paper stock.
• Check register by looking for dots that may be hanging at the edge of a four-color photo.
• Are screen tints the right color?
• For process color, check overall color, neutral colors, memory colors and contrast range against color (prepress) proof. Remember to use the correct lighting conditions.
• Are varnishes in register? Matte or gloss?
• Look for hickies, ghosting, scumming, roller marks, broken type/rules, pinholes and other flaws.
• Check rule-up for correct fold, trim and alignment of die cuts.
• Are the seps, halftones and duotones sharp and clean? Evaluate the fine details.
• Number each check sheet. Sign, date and note time on the final okayed sheet.
• Confirm shipping instructions and delivery dates. Discuss binding and finishing to anticipate any problems or delays. Bring several okayed sheets back with you.

Questions to ask BEFORE you prepare the file

• Is your service provider's hardware and software (including versions) compatible with yours?
• Does the output provided by the service provider meet your needs?
• What different types of media can the service provider support?
• What modem protocols does the service provider support if files are transmitted?
• What compression programs does the service provider support?
• What font libraries does the service provider support?
• Who will trap the files?
• Should the file be prepared as printer spreads or reader spreads?
• What does the service provider include in the base cost?
  

Responsibilities: File Originator (The Designer)

• Build the job in the most efficient manner so that the service provider can produce output that is accurate and cost effective.
• Call before you leap. Good service providers have specialists on staff to answer desktop dilemmas as well as help you to plan your job. Call often and ask suppliers for their advice.
  Send a test disk before full production begins.
• Be sure to note process color or spot color. Ask yourself, "Have I converted the file from RGB to CMYK?"
• Be sure that the page layout is the correct size and an allowance is made for bleeds.
• Establish crop marks correctly from the page setup or references. Do not place them manually.
• If the original requires extreme cropping, ask the provider to scan only the image area that you are using. This saves storage space and processing time.
• Be sure to let the service provider know if they are to provide trapping.
• Identify the graphic file formats (TIFF and/or EPS).
• Never change the name of files.
• Limit resizing of scanned images in Photoshop to 120 percent.
• In drawing programs, limit anchor points to the smallest number possible in order to minimize RIPping problems.
• Do not use "Style" menu for type styles (bold, italic, etc.); use the actual font in the "Font" menu.
• Check all spelling/layout before releasing job to service provider.
• Always make a backup file before sending media to service provider.
• Include all application and source files including EPS files.
• Include screen and printer fonts.
• Name all FPO images for APR with the same names as the scanned images.
• Remove any extraneous versions or files from the disk that do not pertain to the job being output.
• Supply the following information: File names, applications used, fonts used, directories, due date, contact's phone number.
• Provide composite proof of the file provided for output. Retain a copy.
• For color jobs, provide proofs of each individual color, properly labeled. Retain a set.
  

Responsibilities: Service Provider (Printer/Color Separator/Service Bureau)

• Be available to file originator for any help in building/planning job.
• Open job and analyze (preflight/preview) as soon as possible to ensure all data is provided for processing the job.
• Completely review each job with originator and assist with the completion of the transmittal form. The job cannot be started without the following information:

Is the file Mac or PC?
Is laser 100 percent or reduced?
Applications used/version number.
Process color or spot?
File Name.

• Is provider to do trapping?
• Fonts noted.
• Composite or loose color?
• Number of pages and size of pages (bleed/trim).
• Film or Disk Output?
• Who will outline/create shadows?
• Low res/high res?
• Single or two-page film output (reader or printer spreads)?
• Be sure to get printer's specs (sheetfed or web, RRED/RREU, negative or positive, L/S, density, etc.).
• Type of proof desired (lasers, Rainbow, Iris, etc.).
• Establish a set of procedures for promptly contacting the file originator when problems are discovered.
• Establish norms for RIPping times for various jobs as benchmarks.
• The following should be included in the basic costs:

Installing fonts included with the job.
Setting up applications based on file originator's supplied information.
Preflight file examination for obvious file problems.
Final image output.
Proofing of file output.
Quality control to meet printing requirements.

• These items are not included in the basic cost:

Additional time associated with jobs containing incomplete or missing elements.
Creating proofs if not provided with file.
Trapping.
Scanning images not provided in file.
File editing, including conversion from RGB to CMYK.
File originator's alterations.