Artwork to print processes
Introduction
This article provides some guidelines to laying out artwork for professional print / repro (reproduction) and an overview of the repro workflow processes.
NOTE: You may wish to read our article on Colour and Image modes article in order to understand how to prepare images for print (as 300dpi / CMYK bitmaps).
NOTE: You may also wish to read our article on Page Layout Programs.
Overview of complete professional artwork to print/repro processes
- Copywrite text
- Create and/or buy images
- Layout in Photoshop or a page layout program
- Deliver to print/repro company
- Printing plates created by a platesetter.
- Proof generated and delivered to client
- Proof signed of on by client
- Plates made
- Print duplication process
- Finishing (trimming, folding, stapling etc)
- Delivery to client
Image resolution for print
It is important to create your images at sufficent resolutions for the output print process.
| Print type | Source image dpi | Print dpi |
|---|---|---|
| Standard print resolution | 375 dpi | 300 dpi |
| Newspapers | 150 dpi | 100 dpi |
| Glossy magazines | 375-450 dpi | 250-300 dpi |
| Billboard posters | 40 dpi | 25 dpi |
| Hi-quality art books & prints | Up to 1500 dpi | Up to 1200 dpi |
Choosing an artwork creation program
You can create artworks in Photoshop or a page layout program. Artworks must be in 300dpi / CMYK colour mode if you want professional full colour print by a professional printing company.
| Single page documents | Use Photoshop or a page layout program |
|---|---|
| Multi-page documents | Page layout program only |
Page layout programs (for multi-page documents)
An artwork (or page) layout program is used for assembling text, graphic and images components into a finished piece of multi-page artwork. QuarkXpress and Adobe InDesign are the pre-eminent applications for doing this. You can use Photoshop to create single page artworks (such as flyers) but you cannot make multi-page artworks in it.
A page layout you use you must ensure that it does the following ...
- It must allow you to specify Process Colour (Pantone).
- It must output a file that contains CMYK separations (the professional full colour print process uses at least 4 separate plates and inks).
- It must allow you to import CMYK EPS and TIFF or Photoshop images for inclusion in your layout.
- The file format it creates must be acceptable by the print / repro company you intend to use. Generally Quark, InDesign or PDF 300dpi/CMYK/PostScript files.
Note: DO NOT use a word processing program, it will NOT produce CMYK separations.
As you lay out your artwork consider the following ...
- When you import images into picture boxes, the program creates on-screen low resolution previews for you to work with. Sometimes these don't look too great but don't panic, they're only previews. Some programs allow you to raise the quality of previews at the expense of performance in screen re-draws as you move from one page to another.
- Specify all your layout colour (rules, boxes, fonts etc) from the Pantone Process colour palette.
- Avoid spot colour if you don't want the expense of an additional plate. Spot colour requires the mixing of an additional ink and another pass through the printing press.
- Try to use only PostScript or OpenType fonts.
- Make sure that images which bleed over the edges (or trim marks) of your artwork do so by at least 5mm.
Example artwork creation workflow
Here are 2 example workflows in detail ...
Flyer artwork in Photoshop (single page document)
- Buy or take photographs
- Create illustrations
- Copywrite text in a word processor, refine it and spell check it
- Create a new 300dpi / CMYK document in Photoshop
- Import and edit photographs and illustrations
- Copy and paste text from word processor to a new layer and style
- Find a print/repro company and ask them how they would like the artwork delivered
- Create a high quality JPEG and email to your print/repro company
- Create a high quality PDF and email to your print/repro company
- Save a high quality Photoshop file and ftp or put on a disc and deliver to your print/repro company
- Optional: Ask your print/repro company for a printed proof in order to check colour balance before reproduction
CD inlay and booklet artwork in a multi-page layout program (InDesign or QuarkXpress)
- Buy or take photographs, edit them, and convert them to 300dpi / CMYK colour mode
- Create illustrations, edit them, and convert them to 300dpi / CMYK colour mode (convert any text in eps files to outlines)
- Copywrite text in a word processor, refine it and spell check it
- Create a new document in your page layout program in 300dpi / CMYK colour mode
- Create a grid, trim marks, master page guides and a structure of pages as appropriate
- Create image boxes and import and arrange photographs and illustrations
- Create text boxes, and then copy and paste text created in the word processor into them
- Create character and paragraph styles to apply to your text
- Specify any colour for lines, boxes and text etc in an appropriate colour mode (normally Pantone Process)
- Find a print/repro company and ask them how they would like the artwork delivered
- Create a disk with your artwork file, accompanying image files, and a folder of fonts used (illegal but necessary as a fail safe) and deliver to your print/repro company
- Create a high quality 300 dpi / CMYK PDF and email to your print/repro company
- Essential: Ask your print/repro company for a printed proof in order to check colour balance before reproduction
- Create a web ready 72dpi / RGB colour mode version for distribution by email and the web if necessary
Options for print (repro(duction)) processes
Reproduction involves printing multiple duplicates of your artwork and finishing them (trimming, scoring, folding, stapling etc). There are several choices.
- You can print at home on a domestic quality colour laser (or inkjet) printer and spend a few evenings in finishing with a scalpel and ruler but it is unlikely that the full quality of your artwork will be realised.
- Have them printed on a professional quality colour laser printer. Many image setting bureaus and graphic design studios use such machines to produce proofs and may agree to a short run (50-300) for you. Quality will be superb but you will probably be limited to one paper type, print will be single sided only and once again you will have to finish them yourself.
- For medium runs (500-1000) it may be cost effective to have them printed digitally and finished by a bureau or print / repro company with a professional Indigo printer or the like.
- Longer runs (over 1000) will require professional repro (known as offset litho printing) by a print / repro company. Such a company will probably offer a package deal which involves scanning and positioning photos, platesetting, proofing, duplication and finishing. Shop around.
Delivering artwork to a print/repro company
| Single page documents | JPeg Photoshop file Page layout program file with accompanying images and fonts |
|---|---|
| Multi-page documents | Page layout program file with accompanying images and fonts |
Using PDFs
Many (most?) printers now prefer to receive artwork in PDF format for the following reasons ...
- All the elements (text, images etc) are contained (embedded) within the file so everything should look exactly like the original page layout artwork file from which it was derived.
- Fonts are embedded in the file (or converted into outlines) which gets around the problem of incorrect font substitution during the repro process.
- Files are sometimes small enough to be emailed.
- The printer can more easily store these files for future print re-runs.
- It makes the repro process cheaper for you them and therefore you.
Proofing
You MUST proof your artwork before it is duplicated. A proof is a one-off print of your artwork which you can check for any technical, layout and colour errors. For the first time you will be able to see with accuracy what your pixel based images (photographs) will look like.
You can buy a proof from a print/repro company or an Image Setting Bureau. There are several different types of proofing from digital laser printers, dye sublimation and colour photographic proofing systems right up to an actual short offset litho run itself, but know this. A cheap colour inkjet WILL NOT DO.
The only accurate way to proof colour is to have a proof printed on the final output printing device, be it laser printer or offset litho printer.
A word about PostScript
PostScript is a language that can describe a complete artwork layout (fonts, images, graphics and all). High quality output devices such as laser printers, digital colour printers, and platesetters for offset litho printing require PostScript files to drive them.
The process of converting a 300dpi / CMYK artwork into a PostSCript file is called Ripping. The PostScript ripping software is often built into the device itself and generates the PostScript code required to drive the hardware elements of the device.
As you prepare your artwork you may encounter many references to PostScript. If the artwork program you are using can generate a file containing the necessary CMYK colour separations, or output a PostScript file, and is acceptable to the Bureau or print / repro company you intend to use, you will be able to have your artwork duplicated professionally.
Because both InDesign and QuarkXpress are universally used by all graphic designers to create artwork layouts, the files they create are acceptable by most printers for PostScript RIPing.
Related downloads
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