Questions tagged [prepress]
Refers to the specific process of preparing a file for print. Historically, it referred to the preparation of films, printing plates and setting up the printing press.
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How did they prepare an image for printing before Adobe?
How were images even prepared for printing before Adobe? What was the printing process? I really seem to be missing what they were doing between the Gutenberg press and the Adobe software when it ...
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Why does non-proportional scaling cause a problem on a printing press?
I'm in prepress and for a long time I have know that it is a no-no to have images non-proportionally scaled but no one has ever explained why? Does it error out when it gets to the RIP? What is the ...
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Why is there a colour difference in the end result in a PDF: cmyk-to-cmyk and rgb-to-cmyk workflow comparison
My Illustrator working profile is set to sRGB/Coated FOGRA39 and to preserve embedded profiles. Conversion Adobe ACE / Perceptual.
I did a test. I made a print ready PDF in two different ways:
In the ...
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Understanding colorbar dimension
I'm trying to create a "Perfect" Colorbar. But despite my best effort, I could not make sense of the very first page:
Press is model XYZ from vendor ABC. It is a 30-inch, four-color, offset,...
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Why would you not scale down pages for digital proofing?
I read a good book on DTP.
The author stated, that one should not scale down the pages for digital proofing. (To cut costs). Instead he advises, that one should pick the most significant fragments of ...
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Do not attach ICC profiles to placed images
I just read a good book on DTP.
The autor stated, that one should not attach color ICC profiles to images placed in a publication (say when placing an image into InDesign document). The author doesn'...
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In a Print-Ready PDF, does the Printer who receives file need to have all the fonts on their machine?
I have a design for an ad that I've done for someone as a favour (I do a lot of web graphics work in Adobe Illustrator, but haven't done print work up until now).
When I send them a print-ready PDF, ...
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How to fix ink coverage over 320%
When preflighting a magazine advert, I am getting a warning about ink coverage being over 320%. The problem is that the colours causing this are in an image with a green filter. Unfortunately I cant ...
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Small Brown Text for Print Register, avoid blur text
I have two paragraph of 10pt texts in my postcard design. One on white, and one on an image. Both text require using brown color. Currently the values is at C42 M65 Y96 K41, I am worry that the result ...
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In printing: Is there a standard colour for transparency?
Sorry if this has already been asked,I'm not entirely sure how to search for this.
I'm working on a design that has a gradient on it. The idea is that part of this is actually transparent when printed ...
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Prepress: I do not know the printer, what color profiles should I use?
IMPORTANT: I dont know who the printer is or will be -- the PDF goes to an unknown layout person who will incorporate it in the publication (book). That would make it for offset printing I believe.
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How to correctly adjust color saturation in picture when preparing it for magazine print?
I made a magazine and all pictures currently are in RGB color mode. Now I need to prepare them for print and after converting them to CMYK in Photoshop CC, their color saturation (black parts) are ...
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InDesign: preparing artwork for Varnish or UV coating
I am working on a multipage document for a client. On the first page (the document cover) we need to overlay some basic shapes (squares) and prepare these to be varnished in production. My experience ...
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How to convert global color swatches to local colors in Illustrator CC 2017?
I have a document that is using global process colors - I need the colors to be local. However, when uncheck the global color box in my swatch options, it doesn't actually affect any objects in the ...
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Printing Pure Cyan from Epson Inkjet Printer
I am trying to print out a design (made in Illustrator and Photoshop) that requires pure Cyan lines/elements in the final from my Epson WF-7520 printer. However, even though the image element colors ...
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Same film different pantone colour
I am doing press project that needs to be mass produced soon. The Metallic Green 7870C is only available at this print shop. I have gradient artwork and using tint, working in AI CS6. If I use ...
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Full print foil bag setup using InDesign?
I have recently designed a food product bag design to be printed on a 3 seal laminated foil bag. I produced graphics for the design in Illustrator, retouched product photography in Photoshop and laid ...
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Preparing design for duotone printing?
I've been asked to design a poster that will be printed in two inks: black and pantone 631c. It's a simple design, a photograph and text. Should the photo be in grayscale mode + duotone in monocrome (...
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Placing press quality pdf's directly into a layout
I've been doing layouts for years, always using .tifs when placing artwork. I recently received a job (started by another designer) where they were placing the press quality pdf's directly into the ...
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How to prepare vector halftones for print
I have layout with images processed and saved with vector ink halftones, but have no idea of angles used for color plates:
Does anyone have idea how to process these images so I could print them in ...
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Trying To Print to PDF in Illustrator
I'm trying to set it up "with separate color layers (CMYK)" as the printer request, but the Mode is greyed out. I don't have an actual printer installed, and a PDF is the result I want. I do have up ...
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Coworker wants to set up all files in spot color—even when printing in-house
I am working on refining our brand guide and color builds. Another graphic designer in our department thinks we should set up all files with PMS spot colors, rather than CMYK, so that we get more ...
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Preparing PDF file for black and white offset newspaper print
The print shop is asking me for a PDF in CMYK colors even though they will use only black ink for printing.
My pages are originally laid out in color. Should I simply convert the page to grayscale ...
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Can I use DXF files for prepress artwork?
My client is providing Autocad DXF files (which open in Illustrator) and suggests that I should be placing our packaging artwork into this to supply for prepress.
These templates have no standard ...
user57563
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Preparing document for print to have reverse creases
I have a wedding invite that has been created as one page but it will fold like an accordion. It's a portrait page split into 4 with 3 creases.
How do you go about preparing a document to have some ...
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What does it mean when printers have told me my colour is not a Pantone colour, but in my file it is?
I've recently designed a cosmetic label for a client and I've given them the final file to have it printed at their designated printer companies.
But a few have them have come back and said that they ...
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print service who uses only photoshop to raster, is it normal?
I'm not an expert let me just say, so with the risk of sounding a little stupid I have a question.
I had to send .pdf and .ai files (around 100-300mb each) to a print service to have them printed on ...
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How to prepare a spot varnish; does it need to have trapping if there's a gloss and matte one?
On a project that has a selective varnish, the print-ready file usually needs to be prepared separately in one spot color, a bit like a dieline. Only the area where the varnish will be printed should ...
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What exactly does the rasterize effect do in illustrator?
What exactly does the rasterize effect do in illustrator ... as compared to object>rasterize, which certainly does rasterize the objects, and I completely understand what it does and it's purpose, but ...
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What is the safest / most precise way to convert spot colors to process in post production?
I work in prepress production at a publishing house and often times only have access to .PDF cover files which contain spot (pantone) colors from their former offset printing days. Because I set up ...
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Text Outline coming up as less than 1pt for pre press
So I'm working on an album for a 12 inch record.
The printer has a preflight profile that I have to pass through before uploading to their site and printing the job for obvious reasons.
My issue is ...
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What affect, if any, does Document Swatches play in printing?
When saving a file for print I check in Bridge to ensure the correct swatches are present:
However to get to that point, I cleared out the Swatch panel. Otherwise I might get something more like this:...
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Print Shop telling me file size is too big?
I work for a company that needed a 44x10ft banner to be printed through a print shop that was local. As "conscientious" as I was about file size. (using vectors, flattening images and going down to 1/...
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Preparing Print Docs — Recommended Reading
Although I've been working as a designer for a number of years, I feel a little inexperienced in preparing documents for print (a lot of my past work has been designing for digital).
I'm looking for ...
user23891
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Stochastic Printing DPI?
Does anyone know the DPI for the stochastic screening?
We got a new Heidelberg CTP Suprasetter and we're just testing... and the results are amazing... but the resolution that we're working on are ...
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What is a "cromalin"?
I've been asked by a client to design a full page advertisement for a catalog. The specs I received mention that beside a PDF of the page we should also supply "imperatively a cromalin: Without a ...
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How To Ask Fellow Designer For Native Files For Prepress Purposes Only?
I am the graphic designer and sole prepress person for a small quick print shop. I often come across issues with a file to be printed and cannot make the needed changes or compensations as they arise ...
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Is it possible to print duotone gradient images using two pantone neon colors?
What should I be aware of and be careful with when preparing the image?
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Invisible barcodes?
This may border on the 'too technical' side of graphic design but I'll give it a try. We have a contract with a printer who requires a barcode on the interior and cover of our books so that they can ...
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Large Printing, how to know how it will look [closed]
I took an arial photo with a Gopro hero3 12mp, and I'm going to to print it at 90cm x 60cm. I'd like to know how it will look like before I print it.
I know about the print size option in Photoshop ...
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Do full bleed laser printers exist?
I was told that full bleed laser printers do not exist because the toner is too messy. Today, I stumbled upon this video (it's in Dutch, sorry) that claims to do full bleed high volume printing. I ...
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Is there anything that can read, import or convert CMYK SVG?
Short question: I have SVG files with CMYK colours, specified as according to the SVG specs. I want to get this into a design program - any design program - to finalise the design and prepare it to ...
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What's the point of converting RGB images to CMYK TIF/TIFF before placing them in InDesign?
Currently we receive CMYK TIF/TIFF images of photographs from our design agency (who get them from the photographer). Our in-house designers then place them in InDesign for posters and magazines, or ...
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Scanning line art for press
I would like to know what's the standard resolution for line-art if you'll include it in a for-press production?
I intend on this process:
scan image (as RGB or Grayscale)
convert to grayscale if ...
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