Beginning With The End: Understanding Printing

Where does a typical desktop publishing project begin? Dumb question? Perhaps not. For all practical purposes, the information gathering process starts at the end, with the printing process. If you're new to desktop publishing, this article will explain some of the technical aspects of design you may not have considered. If you're an old pro, it might remind you of some of the production steps we (I include myself here) sometimes forget.

Dornbos, Jim. Ideabook.com (2001). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Printing

Color Forecasting

Every year I look forward to the Communication Arts issue that has the color predictions for the coming year. Mostly because I'm fascinated with the subject, but also because I want to see the funny color names they come up with.

Poynter Online (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Color

Computer to Plate Basics Explained

In Europe and the US, Computer to Plate (CtP) seems to be a fast growing market. In some areas of the print market the majority of printers have already made the transition from traditional plate techniques to CtP. The reason why is easy to see: CtP gives almost instant colour register on the press, and there is no need to worry about stopping the press for removal of dust marks and scratches that sometimes would plague traditional film.

IT Enquirer (2003). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Printing

Computer to Plate Hits High Tide

Technology tends to be an irresistible tide, tugging individuals and businesses toward the newer, the faster, the better, and punishing the holdouts with obsolescence. No industry and no profession can escape that steady march of upgrades and improvements. Computer-to-plate imaging (CtP) has certainly not been an exception, driving all but niche shops to abandon the old (film imagesetters) for the promise of the new.

Franklin, Tom. Digital Output (2003). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Printing

The Digital Democratization

The latest digital copier-printers provide enhanced digital printing functionality, enabling users to do more than ever.

Miley, Michael. PennWell (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Printing

Digital Paper

New press introductions have resulted in an almost bewildering range of paper sizes. Nonetheless, that old standby, the 8 ˙ 11-inch sheet, remains the most popular choice.

American Printer (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress

Digital Paper Platform: Papers Impact Digital Print Quality

As digital printers and presses advance, paper manufacturers continue to improve the quality and variety of their digital paper lines.

Hitchcock, Nancy A. PennWell (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Paper

Digital Printing - Making the Right Moves

The number of printing companies that can call themselves digital printers jumps to many thousands in the United States alone. If you've got a Digital Press, or a Direct Imaging Press, or utilize Computer to Plate technology to 'feed' your conventional presses, you're a Digital Printer!

Chiricuzio, Mike. On Demand Journal (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Printing

Does Color In The Office Replace Color in the Print Shop?

Color printing has been a profitable application for print shops. Whether it be marketing collateral materials (brochures and the like), posters and signage or coupons, color documents have been the exclusive domain of offset printing.

Crowley, Ed. On Demand Journal (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Color

The Ineffable Mystery of Paper Grades  

It was so much easier when we just had papyrus.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1999). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Paper

Personalized Color Communications

Four firms discuss the benefits of color variable data printing, such as creating marketing campaigns and experiencing up to a 40 percent rate of return.

Miley, Michael. PennWell (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Color

Polyester Plates Earn a Second Look

Yes, the 'poor man's CTP' still suffers from some early shortcomings, but four-color work on four-up equipment is becoming a short-run mainstay.

Toth, Debora. Graphic Arts Monthly (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Printing

Preflighting PDFs for Print

Between 23 and 30 percent of all files submitted for print are in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF), a figure that's likely to grow.

Miley, Michael. PennWell (2003). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Adobe Acrobat

Printing and Prepress  

PDF is becoming the de facto standard for not only viewing documents onscreen but also for printing them on paper. Acrobat 6 Professional includes better printing and prepress tools than ever before. PDF pundit Ted Padova shows you how they work.

Padova, Ted. Creative Pro (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Adobe Acrobat

Printing Primer for Graphic Designers

Originally published in 1989, this printing primer for digital artists has been updated and annotated for today's digital desktop publisher.

Design, Typography and Graphics (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress

Streamline Review Cycles

Acrobat's annotation tools are valuable for marking-up and commenting on design layouts and digital comps no matter where your client is located. Acrobat 6.0 goes a step further by integrating e-mail comment tracking for more efficient review cycles. Learn how to tap into these powerful features.

Knowlton, Gray. Creative Pro (2003). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Workflow

This Is Print

Everyone who has worked with color proofs knows that proofing systems are fundamentally flawed. A color proofer represents the output of the offset press.

PrintMedia (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress