Whenever you are thinking about how you should save your raster images, you need to think about what you will be using them for. Most of the time, you are limited to the file types supported by the software you are exporting the images to. Most commonly us formats have usually been TIFF and EPS.
File formats you should not use for print include PNGs,BMPs, GIFs and JPEGs. All of these are primarily used for onscreen and Web. PNGs have no support for CMYK color space, as with BMPs. GIFs tend to have low resolution and a color palette limited to 256 colors. JPEGs compress image information, which causes pixelated looking images in print.
JPEG vs RAW
JPEGs offer a compress format, and most cameras deliver their images as JPEGs. Now some higher level cameras can deliver images as Camera Raw. RAW has little to no compression, which is greater for the quality of your images, but you also end up with larger file sizes. RAW files can also be color corrected without losing much information in the file.
The word "pixel" is short for "picture element." Pixels are the smallest unit of measurement in a digitized image. Zoom into any image onscreen and you'll see the little squares of color that make up the image.
ppi stands for pixels per inch. Knowing how many pixels there are per inch tells us the resolution of an image. When it comes to Web, the final image resolution is always 72 ppi. Typical resolution for print is said to be at 300 ppi, while some say you should have a little more and others say it's okay to have a little less. It mainly depends on what type of products you're printing and what you think the final product should look like.
Bitmap images are sometimes called "line art images." This is because they only contain black and white pixels with no shades of grey. Bitmap images are very compact, so they can have a very high resolution, but still have small file sizes.
When it comes to cropping, you can't always anticipate what all you will need to include in an image when saving a digital file or scanning in an image. Sometimes you can guess ahead and go ahead and crop out what you don't need while placing the image into your computer, but if you aren't completely sure you should go ahead and place the whole thing onto the computer. You can always crop it out later.
When you rotate images, the only completely safe way to to so is to rotate in 90 degree increments. If you rotate at any other degree, you will cause the image to lose information and look softened/blurred.
Vector images are pixel free, so this means that you can scale vector images as big or small as you'd like without the images looking pixelated or jagged. Shapes always stay smooth when they're vector. Vector file formats include EPS, which is the most common file type, or the AI format, which is native to Adobe Illustrator. Adobe PDF can also store vector images. If you are planning on placing the vector images in InDesign, it would be a good idea to save the files as AI. InDesign allows you to use transparency and blending modes that are available in Illustrator. Vector formats that are not appropriate for print include WMF, EMF or raster formats.
When you embed fonts in an EPS file or AI file, then that will allow you to be able to see that font information for display and printing. While that is very helpful, it does not allow you to edit embedded fonts. You still have to have that font active on your computer if you need to edit the text.
Outlining texts get rid of the "hints" that font files carry, and some don't like that fact. But you shouldn't have to worry about outlining fonts if you are printing with a high resolution platesetter or imagesetter. Lower quality printers cause outlined text to look bloated, but you won't have that problem with higher quality printers.
When you are working with vector images, sometimes you draw out your own paths to create shapes. You may think that the more points you include in the paths of your drawing will mean that you have a more details or better drawing, but you can still achieve the same image with less points. And if your images turn out a bit bumpy, Illustrator has tools that help smooth out the paths. The more points you have on the paths you make, the larger the file size, and we all should like to save space where possible.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Self-Promotional Notepad Project
Our first project in Digital File Prep is a notepad that showcases what we do best. It also includes a QR code that links to this blog, so that your audience can see what other work you've done besides the notepad. You can view the information I have found on QR codes here.
My thumbnails:
My rough draft:
The rough draft is drawn to the actual size of what the final product will be. I have chosen to use the 2nd thumbnail shown as my final piece. I'm not quite sure what font I want my name to be in. I guess you'll have to wait to see the finished product! After all the trimming the image (which will be made in Illustrator) will be 3.5 inches by 3 inches and will have a light enough opacity so that whoever is using the notepad will be able to write over the image and see what they've written clearly. The image on the notepad will be a vector Illustrator image.
My target audience is anyone who needs website work or design work done for them, and I with also advertise that I can do some studio product photography. If they take a picture of the QR code with their smartphone, they can see most of the school work I've done, and they can also get information to contact me if they would like to see more.
The requirements for this project include: a 5x7 or 7x5 inch notepad with a 1/8 inch bleed, 50 pages for the notepad, along with padding and a corkboard backing. We will only be printing with black ink for this project and I will be printing on white paper. If I were to get 100 of these printed it would cost $131.43. To print a single notepad it would cost me $3.79.
All vector images (the illustration in the corner and the logo with my name) were created by me in Adobe Illustrator. I created the grayscale raster QR code that links to this blog on Kaywa.com.
My thumbnails:
My rough draft:
The rough draft is drawn to the actual size of what the final product will be. I have chosen to use the 2nd thumbnail shown as my final piece. I'm not quite sure what font I want my name to be in. I guess you'll have to wait to see the finished product! After all the trimming the image (which will be made in Illustrator) will be 3.5 inches by 3 inches and will have a light enough opacity so that whoever is using the notepad will be able to write over the image and see what they've written clearly. The image on the notepad will be a vector Illustrator image.
My target audience is anyone who needs website work or design work done for them, and I with also advertise that I can do some studio product photography. If they take a picture of the QR code with their smartphone, they can see most of the school work I've done, and they can also get information to contact me if they would like to see more.
The requirements for this project include: a 5x7 or 7x5 inch notepad with a 1/8 inch bleed, 50 pages for the notepad, along with padding and a corkboard backing. We will only be printing with black ink for this project and I will be printing on white paper. If I were to get 100 of these printed it would cost $131.43. To print a single notepad it would cost me $3.79.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Chapters 1, 2 and 3 Review
One thing we learn about in this class is what a folding dummy is. A folding dummy is a handmade replica of what a printed piece should look like. It also shows where the gripper margin is supposed to be, which is something that needs to be taken into account when getting ready to print something.
Finishing processes can include a variety of things such as coating the printed product to protect it or highlight certain areas with a glossy look, die cutting, stringing/hole drilling, eyelets and double mounting. All of these things have to be done after the paper or other substrate is completely done with printing. Other processes include: trimming, folding and mounting. There are many finishing processes you can choose from to add extra pizzazz to your product.
An imagesetter is a high resolution output device that is able to transfer electronic text and graphics directly to photo-sensitice paper, film or plates. It can be thought of as a very high quality expensive printer. Imagesetters use a laser and a dedicated raster image processor.
There are 12 points to a pica. A measurement in picas is usually represented by a lowercase "p". Points are the smallest unit in typography and it is commonly abbreviated as "pt". Points are the usual measurement for font size and leading, while picas usually measure lines of type.
Die cutting is a manufacturing process of cutting out many of the same shape in different substrates. The die shapes are often called "blanks". Cookie cutters can be considered useful for die cutting. Each blank is exactly the same size and shape and can be helpful when you need to produce a lot of the same thing.
Registration in printing is important because when you have your final product, all colors and images need to be lined up correctly. There are many types of registration such as: T-bar, pin-hole, and eye-balling.
The importance of a raster image processor (RIP) is that it converts digital data into something a printer can understand. The term RIP is generally used to describe software applications used to enhance the printing process in different ways.
Variable data printing offers customized, targeted products that can apply to a general group, a specific group of people or an individual person. VDP allows us to customize a product such as a postcard advertisement that can appeal to a single person or a group of people.
A two color print job is best when you are trying to create something such as a logo that has a vibrant color that only Pantone can achieve. You should use a 4 color CMYK printing process when you are printing things such as photographs. A two color print job allows you to get unique colors that wouldn't look quite right if you were using CMYK.
DPI stands for dots per inch and it measures the density of dots in an image, when in turn tells us the resolution of an image. LPI stands for lines per inch. It tells us how close the lines are together. The closer the lines, the greater the resolution. PPI stands for stands for pixels per inch and it is used as a unit of measurement on a computer screening, also telling what the resolution of an image is.
Spot color printing is a type of printing that uses one or more pre-mixed colors. Spot printing uses a color system called Pantone. CMYK printing uses the colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black to print with. The colors are mixed to create various colors on a printed piece.
Sources:
http://www.marketing-playbook.com/glossary/index.php/term/%26%23160%3B,Folding+dummy.xhtml
http://www.talonzippers.com/trim_solutions/print/finishing_process/
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci825229,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_(typography)
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-die-cutting.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_registration
http://www.ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2009/03/raster-image-processors-rips-1-1.html
http://www.dcfb.com/Pages/2-color-designs.html
http://www.visiondesign.com/2010/04/printing-cmyk-vs-spot-color/
Finishing processes can include a variety of things such as coating the printed product to protect it or highlight certain areas with a glossy look, die cutting, stringing/hole drilling, eyelets and double mounting. All of these things have to be done after the paper or other substrate is completely done with printing. Other processes include: trimming, folding and mounting. There are many finishing processes you can choose from to add extra pizzazz to your product.
An imagesetter is a high resolution output device that is able to transfer electronic text and graphics directly to photo-sensitice paper, film or plates. It can be thought of as a very high quality expensive printer. Imagesetters use a laser and a dedicated raster image processor.
There are 12 points to a pica. A measurement in picas is usually represented by a lowercase "p". Points are the smallest unit in typography and it is commonly abbreviated as "pt". Points are the usual measurement for font size and leading, while picas usually measure lines of type.
Die cutting is a manufacturing process of cutting out many of the same shape in different substrates. The die shapes are often called "blanks". Cookie cutters can be considered useful for die cutting. Each blank is exactly the same size and shape and can be helpful when you need to produce a lot of the same thing.
Registration in printing is important because when you have your final product, all colors and images need to be lined up correctly. There are many types of registration such as: T-bar, pin-hole, and eye-balling.
The importance of a raster image processor (RIP) is that it converts digital data into something a printer can understand. The term RIP is generally used to describe software applications used to enhance the printing process in different ways.
Variable data printing offers customized, targeted products that can apply to a general group, a specific group of people or an individual person. VDP allows us to customize a product such as a postcard advertisement that can appeal to a single person or a group of people.
A two color print job is best when you are trying to create something such as a logo that has a vibrant color that only Pantone can achieve. You should use a 4 color CMYK printing process when you are printing things such as photographs. A two color print job allows you to get unique colors that wouldn't look quite right if you were using CMYK.
DPI stands for dots per inch and it measures the density of dots in an image, when in turn tells us the resolution of an image. LPI stands for lines per inch. It tells us how close the lines are together. The closer the lines, the greater the resolution. PPI stands for stands for pixels per inch and it is used as a unit of measurement on a computer screening, also telling what the resolution of an image is.
Spot color printing is a type of printing that uses one or more pre-mixed colors. Spot printing uses a color system called Pantone. CMYK printing uses the colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black to print with. The colors are mixed to create various colors on a printed piece.
Sources:
http://www.marketing-playbook.com/glossary/index.php/term/%26%23160%3B,Folding+dummy.xhtml
http://www.talonzippers.com/trim_solutions/print/finishing_process/
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci825229,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_(typography)
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-die-cutting.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_registration
http://www.ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2009/03/raster-image-processors-rips-1-1.html
http://www.dcfb.com/Pages/2-color-designs.html
http://www.visiondesign.com/2010/04/printing-cmyk-vs-spot-color/
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
QR Codes
A QR code's name is short for Quick Response and they come to us from Japan. QR codes hold pieces of information that cell phones are able to read quickly. We are starting to see them around everywhere: billboards, magazine ads, websites and much more.
You can easily generate codes on websites like Kaywa or any other website you are able to find. You should use QR codes to help you viewing audience find a quick way to use your products or services. But QR codes don't have to be limited to just those. You can use a QR code for anything you want to direct people to look at.
One way to track a QR code is through Google Analytics. You can also track the codes through other websites that you create your codes in.
I found this information here.
The Printing Preflight Process
Something that is an important part of the printing process is preflight. It helps us remember what needs to be done before we do any printing.Preflighting helps us catch any errors we may have made while creating our projects before they are printed. It also saves us valuable time and money.
An example of a preflight checklist may include:
An example of a preflight checklist may include:
- Does the physical size of the layout match the specifications?
- Are all the page elements there?
- Are the fonts supplied or embedded correctly?
- Is there sufficient resolution for the chosen output?
- How many colors are supposed to print?
- Are spot colors listed consistently?
These are not the only questions you should ask yourself before sending your file off to print. Double check all of the requirements of the file and make sure everyone has what they need to make things run smoothly.
One job that will require you to use a printing preflight checklist is the Preflight Technician. Their job is to load the customer's files onto the pre-press server. They also have to check the customer's files for completeness and potential problems. Another part of their job is to check for any missing components and make the customer aware of them. The average salary for a preflight technician is around $48,000.
Information source: http://www.dtphints.com/softwaretips/preflighting-for-success-use-checklists and http://blog.printingcenterusa.com/tag/preflight-process/
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Digital File Prep
My Digital File Prep class is a writing to learn class, so I'm going to be using this blog to do writing assignments and show off the projects we create in this class. Stay tuned!
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