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Print terms + production notes > 2007 Print Production by Claude McCue > Flashcards

2007 Print Production by Claude McCue Flashcards

1
Q

Why do you need to know a bit about production when you finish your part of the design work?

A

The more you know, the more you can do to prevent problems and missed deadlines.

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2
Q

How was the design process 25-years ago?

A

Graphic arts professionals were clearly defined, wasn’t overlap of skills or responsibilities. Designers weren’t required to perform prepress and printing endeavors.

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3
Q

What did production artist do 25-years ago?

A
  • Production artist created page layouts by gluing down photo prints with wax or rubber cement to piece of thick illustration board, creating a mechanical artwork
  • Type corrections were done with X-Acto knives and rubber cement, very much like refridgerator magnet poetry
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4
Q
  1. Who generated text using phototypesetting equipment?
  2. Who did trade shops employ to create color separations and shoot line shots of mechanicals?
  3. Who performed color corrections by etching film with acid solutions to change the size of dots?
A
  1. Typesetters, after deminse of lead-based hot type
  2. Trade shots employed cameramen
  3. Dot Etchers performed color corrections
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5
Q
  1. Who combined line shots and color separation filsm from the camera to create final page film?
  2. Who created final composed page films into photosensitive materials?
  3. What does color key proofs consist off?
A
  1. Film strippers combined line shots and color separation films
  2. Page proofs were created by exposing final composed page films
  3. Color Key proofs consisted of individual color overlays, one for each printing ink
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6
Q

What is a matchprint?

A

A matchprint consisted of color layers luminated to printing stock

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7
Q

What is Cromalin proof?

A

A Cromalin proof were made by dusting pigment onto sticky image

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8
Q

What happened after proofs + films were handed over to the printer?

A

An imposition was made

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9
Q

What are bluelines?

A
  • Single-color proof that actually weren’t always blue
  • It was exposed from imposed flats, folded, to check mechanics of page contents
  • Check imposition
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10
Q

_______ were burned from imposed flats, then mounted on press

A

Plates

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11
Q

What is a makeready?

A

It is when the pressmen adjusted ink coverage on the press during the process of getting the press up to speed and the ink behaviour optimal

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12
Q

When would you attend a press-check?

A

You would attend a press-check after the makeready to assure everything is okay.

MAKEREADY: After the pressmen adjusted ink coverage on the press during the process of getting the press up to speed and ink behaviour optimal

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13
Q

What revolutionized the art of color separation?

A

The introduction of electronic scanners and color eletronic prepress systems (CEPS)

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14
Q

What replaced the X-Acto knive and hot wax applicators in 1985?

A

Apple desktop units, advent of page-layout programs such as Ready, Set, Go! and Aldus Page Maker.

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15
Q

What turned laser printers as viable output devices for camera-ready art?

A

Adobe PostScript

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16
Q

Can you compare the ‘color break’ method in the old days with today’s product ready to print files?

A
  • In the old days, the color break method was usually the prep workers in color trade shop. They would cut out masks to accomplish mechanical color.
  • Today, designers have a finished product ready to print with color break as panel option in Illustrator.
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17
Q

When does preflight usually happen?

A

Prepress department

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18
Q

What is the difference between the ‘sales’ person and ‘customer service representative’ at the printing plant?

A
  1. Print salesperson will be your first contact. You can ask them about special stock like vellum or heavy cover stock. Finishing treatments like embossing and die cutting.
  2. The Customer Service Representative (CSR) prime contact throughout the remainder of your job. You send your corrected files to a CSR, they usually speak design and printing concepts.
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19
Q

How does the planning, scheduling and estimating work at a printing plant?

A
  • You get a job ticket which will have job materials
    • Job number
    • Client info
    • Internal contacts (sales person, CSR)
    • Intended press
    • Inks, including speciality inks
    • Due dates
    • Line screen
    • Custom handling required
  • The printed hard copy with disk goes inside a job jacket
  • Some printing plants use bar codes on their tickets
  • Planners establish basic flow of your job, including timeline
  • Schedulers track all jobs running at any given time
  • Estimators determine job cost, including labor, paper, ink, press and bindery time
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20
Q

What are some dedicated preflight software used for QuarkXPress or In Design?

A

FlightCheck Professional from Markzware

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21
Q

What are some PDF-specific software you can use to prefligt PDF files?

A

Enfocus PitStop

PDF/X Checkup from Apage

Adobe Acrobat Professional + Print Production Tools

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22
Q
A
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23
Q

Why is dedicated film strippers and light tables increasingly rare?

A
  1. Because of overwhelming move to computer-to-plate (CTP)
  2. Strippers would be called upon for last-minute corrections by paing out or grafting in replacement in film pieces
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24
Q

What are some typical ways the designers worked with the printer using FPO images in their workflow?

A
  • The printer / designer would provide a low-res scan of FPO art
  • The printer would scan high-res art
  • The printer would replace FPO images + silhouette of images
  • This will add job cost and time
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25
Q

Name 3 things a prepress operator will still need to tweak on your job

A

RIPing (raster image processing)

Trapping

Imposition

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26
Q

Your job contains a large solid area of black.

What would the prepress production operator do with the single black ink?

A

He will replace the single black ink with rich-black mix
as C60-M40-Y40-K100 to facilitate good outcome on press

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27
Q

You have a gradient pattern in Quark file.

What would the prepress operator do to the gradient created inside the program?

A

He would replace it with a Photoshop gradient to prevent banding appearance in output

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28
Q

What is banding?

A

It is when the image prints stripes or ‘horizontal bands’ across the page.

It happens seldom in QuarkXpress with gradients

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29
Q

What does RIP mean?

A
  • Specialize software that converts PostScript or PDF info into bitmap
  • Drives an imagesetter to image film or platesetter to image plates
  • RIP interprets incoming page-descriptions (PostScript or PDF) information and converts that data to a literal bitmap
  • Instructs the marking engine of output device how to image the film, plates, or, electrostatic drum
  • In-RIP trapping
    • Low-resolution to high-resolution image swap functions
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30
Q

What is PostScript?

A

PostScript is actually a programming language that is used to describe and define pages so that output devices know how to image those pages

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31
Q

What is trapping?

A

Trapping provides a combination of colors at the edges of abutting color areas to camouflage any slippage

The majority of trapping now takes place at the RIP

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32
Q

What is imposition?

A

Imposition operators combine individual pages in proper pagination for plating

Using plating functions

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33
Q

What is the difference between a blueline or color match on press (contract proof)?

A

A color or single-color proof (blueline) after prepress production is used for customer markup and approval before proceed to imposition or output of film or plates. It is also used in bindery to check imposition.

The color match on press maybe a single page, reader spreads, viewed under controled conditions in viewing booth. Painted in neutral gray and uses special lights for standardized environment. Color temperature is intended to mimic daylight. You sign off and it is a contract between you and the printer.

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34
Q

What is the difference between a printer alteration and an artist alteration?

A
  • Printer alteration (PA) is result of mistake made during production, volunter changes to job to ensure satisfactory printing
  • Artist alteration (AA) is customer alterations requested by designer or their client
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35
Q

How do / did they create plates?

A
  1. Film taped down in flats on large, clear carrier sheets
    • Expose printing plates with powerful lights
    • Error in aligning the individual pieces would affect quality
  2. Computer-to-pate: imposition is digitally created
    • Printing plate is directly exposed in large image device
    • No intermediate film
    • Photosensitive coating on imaged plate is photographic film, baked, for printing
  3. On-press imaging: smller-format presses.
    • Unexposed plates mounted on press
    • Image units expose plates in position
    • Reduce makeready time b/c plates are in position
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36
Q

Name 6 types of printing press options you have

A
  1. Offset printing
  2. Gravure
  3. Flexography
  4. Letterpress printing
  5. Screen printing
  6. Digital printing
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37
Q

What is the difference between Offset Printing and Gravure?

A

Offset printing is used most frequently

Gravure is used for long runs typical catalogs or magazines

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38
Q

What is the difference between Flexography and Letterpress printing?

A

Flexography is used for flexible packaging such as wrappers, foil bags and labels

Letterpress Printing is used for artistic applications such as invitations and special publications

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39
Q

What is the difference between Screen Printing and Digital Printing?

A

Screen printing is only for clothing, t-shirts, fine-art pieces, print on irregular surfaces such as cans, bottles or other containers

Digital printing is used for short-run printing jobs such as brochures, product literature, mailings and small-circulation magazines

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40
Q

You want to customize information for your postcard. How do you do this?

A

Variable data

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41
Q

What are some things the pressmen will do during preparation in pressroom?

A
  1. Adjusting ink coverage
  2. Varying the pressure of ink-bearing plates
  3. Transfer blankets
  4. Adjust paper-feeding mechanisms
  5. Basically fine-tuning the mechanics
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42
Q

The term ______ refers to the process of getting the press up to speed and ink behaviour optimal

A

makeready

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43
Q

The press crew will be using approved ______ ______ to guide them in setup

A

contract proofs

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44
Q

Name 6 types of finishing functions that traditionally operates in the finishing department or bindery.

A
  1. Trimming
  2. Folding
  3. Stitching
  4. Die Cutting
  5. Binding
  6. Gluing
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45
Q

When do they trim? What is trimming?

Give an example.

A
  • Large, heavy-duty trimming equipment used to cut printed sheets to final size
  • Cut apart ganged content such as business cards
  • Signatures of book trimmed after bindery (pages clearly aligned)
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46
Q

What is folding? When does it happen?

Give an example?

A
  1. Simple folding performed inline such as printed sheets off press
  2. Complex folding with pocket folders or packaging
    • Folding equipment for complex folding
  3. Some require handiwork, which adds cost to job
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47
Q

When do a piece require stitching? What is saddle stitching?

Give an example.

A
  • Stitching is when a thread may be used to anchor the pages of a signature for a finished book
  • Wire is often used for stitching during stapled pieces
  • Saddle stitching refers to group of pages that is help, draped over a saddle, while it is stitched
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48
Q

How does die cutting work? How is it made?

Give an example.

A
  • A die is a shaped metal cutter that is used to trim the edge of printed paper into special shape or hole through the piece
  • Tabs on edges of dividers are simple die cutting
  • Standing dies for tab creation supply a template for existing dies to avoid cost of a custom die
  • Interlocking panels, scoring, after die cutting for packaging can add cost
  • The assembly of custom die requires skilled craftspeople which is why it can be very costly and time-consuming
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49
Q

Name 5 types of common binding

A
  1. Saddle stitching
  2. Perfect binding
  3. Coil binding
  4. Comb binding
  5. Wire binding
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50
Q

What is perfect binding?

A

Perfect binding is when you have multiple signatures combined into a bundle, anchored with an adhesive, bound with tape or paper binding to hold together.

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51
Q

Which binding method requires providing areas for gluing?

A

Perfect binding, pocket folders and packaging

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52
Q

What are some of the mailing and fullfillment services some printing companies provide?

A
  1. Fullfillment is useful for product literature and other pieces with a long life span, such as pocket folders and presentation binders
  2. The printer keeps inventory of the store boxes or materials, ships as needed
  3. Some specialize in mailers such as catalogs
  4. Offer mailings as part of job cost and process: variable data addressing
  5. Mailing of deliverable
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53
Q

What is aqueous coating?

A
  1. A water-based coating applied over entire printed area.
  2. Protect the printed ink
  3. Enhance appearance
  4. For ex: pocket folder might benefit from aqueous coating because it will prevent scuffing as pocket folders repeatedly handled
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54
Q

What is a baseline?

A

An imaginary line at the base of a row of text. All text sits on a baseline, with descenders such as the lower case y and g extending below the baseline

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55
Q

What is a bindery?

A
  • Sometimes also called finishing department
  • Bindery performs trimming, folding, gluing, stitching for finished pieces
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56
Q

What is a blanket?

A
  • An intermediate, rubber blanket used in offset printing to transfer the printing ink to the paper surface.
  • The inked printing plate transfer ink to the paper surface.
  • The inked printing plate transfers ink to the blanket, which then applies the ink to the paper
  • The use of intermediate blanket is the reason the printing process is called offset printing
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57
Q

Why is it called ‘offset printing’?

A

The use of intermediate blanket is the reason the printing process is called offset printing

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58
Q

Define blueline

A
  • A single-color proof made by exposing photosensitive paper to strong light source through film
  • Usually a multipage, imposed layout for plate
  • Bluelines are used for proofreading, checking for scratches in film, correct pagination of flat
  • In CTP environment, bluelines are often digitally output on large-format inkjet printers
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59
Q

What is a cameraman?

A
  • In the days before scanners, camera-men used masking and exposure techniques to create film color separations on large cameras.
  • Transparencies, color prints, original artwork were mounted on a large platen and the photographed through color filters
  • Generate the films for printing inks
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60
Q

What is camera-ready art?

A
  • Ink drawings for illustrations, logos, finished mechanicals ready to be photoshoped by cameraman.
  • The line shots of the clean, camera-ready artwork were used as starting point for film stripping.
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61
Q

What does CEPS (color electronic prepress system) mean?

A
  • Specialized computer system for retouching and assembling of images
  • Cost million dollars: Scitex, Crosfield, Linotype-Hell and Dainippon Screen
  • Largely rendered obsolete by advent of Photoshop
  • Obsolete by affordability of Macintosh
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62
Q

What is a chase?

A

A wooden frame that contains metal printing components sued in a letterpress printing press

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63
Q

What is coil binding?

A
  • Also known as spiral binding.
  • Pages are punched (usually at left or top edge)
  • Single coil (spiral) of plastic or wire is threaded through punched holes to anchor pages together
  • Coil binding is useful for presentations and workbooks because pages lie flat when finished piece is opened
  • No printable spine
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64
Q

What is spiral binding?

A
  • Also known as coil binding.
  • Pages are punched (usually at left or top edge)
  • Single coil (spiral) of plastic or wire is threaded through punched holes to anchor pages together
  • Spiral binding is useful for presentations and workbooks because pages lie flat when finished piece is opened
  • No printable spine
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65
Q

What is a color break?

A
  • How color should be used in various areas of the page.
  • Physical mechanicals + colored markers were used to mark a tissue paper overlay so that film strippers would know how to apply color to type, rules and boxes
  • Headlines might be circled and marked to print as M100-Y100 and quick sweeps of blue marker, accompanied by written instruction
  • Coloring books for adults
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66
Q

Describe Color Key

A
  1. The Color Key proofing system used individual photosensitive color overlays to create proofs.
  2. Each sheet was exposed to a high-powered light source through the appropriate color separation film (cyan, magenta, yellow, black or spot color).
  3. After development in alcohol-based bath, the unexposed areas of the sheet would wash off, leaving the exposed areas to represent the printing ink.
  4. The overlays were aligned, and then taped to a white paper base.
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67
Q

Describe color separations.

A
  1. Individual sheets of film for each printing ink in reproducing artowkr.
  2. 4-color designs, 4 pieces of film
  3. 1 is for cyan, magenta, yellow or black
  4. Duotone image, two films generated
  5. One for Black ink
  6. One for Spot Color
  7. Tritones, 3-pieces of film
  8. Formerly created by cameramen until intro of scanners
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68
Q

Describe color temperature

A
  1. A standardize measure of value of light source to control viewing conditions
  2. Piece of iron heated in furnace
  3. As temperature increase, color given off by piece of iron goes from dull to red, followed by orange
  4. The standard in graphic arts industry was 5000K (Kelvin) viewing conditions - often refered to as D50 lightning
  5. Now move to brighter, 6500K (D65) lightning
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69
Q

Define comb binding.

A
  1. A binding method in which pages are punched, comb-like piece of curved plastic inserted (at left to top edge)
  2. The teeth of curved comb curls into punched holes, curvature of insert draws it closed
  3. Comb binding allows finished piece to open flat, suitable for textbooks and workbooks
  4. The spine can be imprinted
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70
Q

Define comp

A
  • It is short for comprehensive
  • A representation of the final printed piece, usually printed on a desktop printer and manually assembled to show a client how the finished piece should look
  • Comps are helpful for checking pagination and planning complicated pieces such as thos involving inserts, tabs, custom trimming
  • Sometime called a mockup
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71
Q

Define Computer-To-Plate

A
  • Direct imaging of a printing plate from digital information
  • CTP replaces previous methods of generating intermediate film and exposing plates
  • Imposition is clearly created, printing plate is exposed in large imaging device using no intermediate film
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72
Q

How do we get a “continuous tone” in print?

A
  1. A smooth transition from one color to another, such as variations of color in a color photograph
  2. Emulsion of photographic print can replicate continuous tones, printing presses cannot
  3. Printing process approximates a variety of color by using halftone dots
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73
Q

What makes is possible to replicate continuous tones in photographs?

A

Emulsion of photographic print can replicate continuous tones, printing presses cannot

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74
Q

Define contract proof

A
  • A proof intended represent appearance of the final printed piece
  • It is used for color and content matching on press
  • Exposing proofing materials through final film, now generated digitally from same information used to generate plates
  • Signing contract proof constitutes agreement with printer + client
  • The printer is then obliged to match the proof on press
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75
Q

What is Cromalin?

A
  1. Product of DuPoint
  2. Cromalin proofing offers analog (film-based) and digital proofing options
  3. Use photosensitive coatings adhered to heavy carrier sheets
  4. A layer of photosensitive coatings is exposed to high intensity light source through film for one printing inks
  5. Positive acting: exposure hardens area of photosensitivity coating, leaving remainder slightly sticky
  6. Another layer of photosensitivity is CARRIER and exposed through the film for the next color, etc
  7. Now less film is generated, more digital
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76
Q

What does it mean when you have to ‘cure’ a printed piece?

A
  • Minimize smearing or scuffing
  • You dry, harden or apply another material
  • Heat, pressure, air or ultraviolet light
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77
Q

What is custom-mixed inks?

A
  • To mix a custom color to get exactely the right shade
  • Printer should provide a “ink draw-down” which is a thin film of custom ink applied to paper (idealy the actual printing stock)
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78
Q

You created a custom mixed ink and need to know how the ink will print on your paper. What do you need to request from the printer?

A

Printer should provide a “ink draw-down” which is a thin film of custom ink applied to paper (idealy the actual printing stock)

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79
Q

How do they make die cutting?

A

Use pressure and shaped metal dies to cut a printed piece into a shape

Sometimes done by printer or otuside subcontractor

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80
Q

What is a ‘digital press’?

A
  • Plateless printing device that looks like Offset printing
  • High-end, toner based
  • Presses that enable on-press imaging of conventional plates
  • Enable customization of each piece
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81
Q

What is a dot etcher?

A
  1. Skilled craftsperson perform color corrections
  2. Delicately etching color-separation films in mild acid baths
  3. Acid eroded the edges of halftone dots, alter the diameter, amount of ink that result printing plate would hold
    • Etching a positive film, lighten color
    • Etching a negative film, increase color
  4. Paint on varnish-like portective mask to prevent etching in some areas
  5. Mask removed with solvent
  6. Now we do color corrections in Photoshop
  7. Dot-etcher is completely extinct
82
Q

What is dot gain?

A
  1. The tendency of ink to spread when applied to a substrate
  2. Result in perceived darkening of printed image
    • For ex: fine point pen to a paper towel will bleed
  3. Plate imaging and press control can mitigate dot gain
  4. Contract proofs should approximate the result of dot gain so the printed piece isn’t a surprise
83
Q

What can mitigate dot gain?

A

Plate imaging and press control can mitigate dot gain

84
Q

Define embossing / debossing

A

Using pressure + shaped dies to press paper three-dimensional relief

  • Embossing raises the surface
  • Debossing indents the surface
  • Blind Embossing is unprinted area
85
Q

What does an estimator do?

A

Part of printing plant’s front line

Responsible for estimating time, labor, paper, ink and other materials

86
Q

Define film stripper

A

Film stripper was equivalent of production artist today

Trained craftsman who use tape, photographic masks and darkroom techniques to combine type and images for final film

87
Q

Define finishing

A

Manufacturing process that can include folding, binding, trimming, diecutting, embossing and foil stamping

88
Q

Define FLAT

A
  • Pieces of film taped to large clear plastic carrier sheets for subsequent exposure
  • Film strippers taped component parts of the page to flats
  • Exposed it, in certain order, through masks
  • Create finished film for individual printing inks
  • Platemakers taped down films for pages in correct position as part of very large imposed flats
  • Now with computer-to-plate technology, these processes very rarely used
89
Q

What is flexography?

A
  • Fast-drying inks and plastic, rubber or photopolymer plates
  • Raised images carrying the ink
  • Transfer ink directly to printing surface, rather than intermediate blanket, as in off-set printing
  • Used for printing flexible subtrastes such as plastic sheeting or thin packaging foils
  • Inappropriate for higher quality work
  • However, there have been improvements in ink and plate materials
90
Q

What printing proccesses transfers ink directly to printing surface, rather than intermediate blanket?

Which printing processes transfer ink to an intermediate blanket, than to printing surface?

A

Flexography

Off-set

91
Q

Define foil stamping.

A
  • Embossing for elegant events
  • Use pressure, heat to transfer film-backet sheet of color to paper
  • Foil stamping uses a die to transfer a shaped design
  • Accentuated printed type
92
Q

What is a ‘folding dummy’?

A

A blank sheet of paper folded in the configuration that will be used in finishing the job. It can be made by the planning department or imposition operators and is used to check for correct folding and imposition.

93
Q

Define FPO

A

For Position Only

Placeholder content replaced later by final, high-resolution images

94
Q

What is Ganged?

A
  1. Combining images in one mounting to be scanned simultaneously
  2. Business cards and similar pieces maybe ‘ganged up’ together for simulatenousely printing
  3. Separated when the printed sheet is trimmed apart
  4. Ganging saves time and labor
95
Q

Define Gravure printing

A
  • Using engraved metal cylinders
  • Chrome-plated gravure cylinders capable of extended printing runs
  • Appropriate for publication and packaging applications
  • Chrome plate can be stripped off and replaced
  • Cylinder can be reused
96
Q

Define Halftone

A
  • Predominant printing process approximate wide range of color
  • Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
  • Printed with halftone dots of varying diameters
97
Q

What is hot type?

A
  • Create type with raised printing surface by injecting molten metal into shape form called matrix
  • Combination of lead, tin, other metals, filled the mold and cooled to form printing surface called the slug
  • The concept and terms remain, but we no longer have to pour hot lead
98
Q

What is a slug?

What is leading?

A

A slug might be a single word, portions of a page, entire page

Leading is thin strips of lead that were placed between lines of text as shims to provide space between lines

99
Q

Define imagesetter

A
  • Digital driven device for imaging film
  • RIP converts incoming PostScript info to very high-resolution bitmaps
  • Guide imagesetters marketing engine to expose the film with a laser or light-emitting diodes
100
Q

Define imposition

A

Place individual pages of multipage document in correct position for final printing

101
Q

Define kock out

A
  • An area where no ink prints
  • For ex: white text knocks out an area of black ink, leaving unprinted paper
  • Creating a silhouette of portion of image, knocking out an object so background dissapears
102
Q

Define laminate

A
  • Coat printed piece with clear film by using heat, pressure and adhesive
  • Use to protect pieces from abrasion and other wear and tear
103
Q

Define Leading

A

The amount of space between baseline of text and baseline of following line of text, expressed in points

104
Q

What is letterpress printing?

A
  • Printing from a raised plate or collection of printing components
  • Held together by a chase
  • Pressure of letterpress printing creates slight indentation, especially in heavy stock
  • Slow, mechanical, hand-intensive process but creates unique pieces
  • Used by Gutenberg to prin his famous Bible
  • Once standard of printing process before offset printing began to replace it in 1950s
  • Used mainly for invitations, announcements and fine-art printing
105
Q

When did off-set printing replace letterpress printing?

A
  • Letterpress used by Gutenberg to prin his famous Bible
  • Once standard of printing process before offset printing began to replace it in 1950s
  • Letterpress mainly used now for invitations, announcements and fine-art printing
106
Q

What is a linen tester

A
  • Small, rectangular, folding magnifier used to check artwork, proofs or printed pieces
  • Called a linen tester because of its origin in fabric industry
107
Q

Define line shots

A
  • A camera did shot of black-and-white, hard-edged artwork such as type or line drawings.
  • High-contrast film eliminated shades of gray, producing sharp image with no soft edges
  • Digital equivalent of line-art scans
108
Q

Define lithography

A
  • A printing process based on mutual repulsion of water and oil.
  • Oil-based ink adheres to areas of lithographic printing plate that are not moistened by water
109
Q

What is a ‘loupe’?

A

A small, folding magnifying glass that is used to examine small details in artwork, on a proof, or printed piece.

A loupe folds into itself horizontally, wheras a linen tester pops vertically.

110
Q

What did the term lower case originally refered to?

A

Uncapitalized text compared to upper case

Originally, the term referred to physical location of wooden case containing uncapitalized letters that were made of molded lead

111
Q

Define makeready

A
  • Process of getting printing press up to operating conditions
  • Adjusting ink feed, paper tension, blanket pressure
  • Refer to waste material produced during process
112
Q

Define matchprint

A
  • Digital system using high-quality inkjet proofing
  • Originally a film-based proofing system
  • Marketed by 3M, became product marketed by 3M spin-off company, Imation
  • Kodak Polychrome Graphics
113
Q

Define mechanical

A
  • Mechanical consisted of hand-inked artwork and black-and-white photo prints that were affixed to heavy artboard with adhesive wax or rubber cement
  • Line shots of mechanical was used by film strippers as starting point for creating film for printing
  • Term is sometimes used to describe finished page-layout file
114
Q

Define offset printing

A
  • Based on lithographic principles
  • Takes advantage of repelent properties of oil + water
  • Imaged area attracts oil-based inks
  • Non-imaged areas attracts water
  • On each revolution on press, thin film of water is applied to plate
  • Followed by film of ink, which adheres to only not coated with water
  • Ink image is transfered to blanket, which transfer ink to paper
  • Use of intermediate blanket is reason it is called offset
115
Q

What is open prepress interface?

A
  • OPI is a method developed by Aldus Corporation
  • Allowed use of low-resolution (smaller) images in creating layout
  • Images represent high-res images
  • Contain PostScript comments that indentify high-resolution replacement
  • During final imaging, a server or RIP based process replaces low-resolution image with high-resolution image
  • Used less today but still implemented in workflows that deal with high volumne images, such as catalogs
  • Pronounced oh-pea-eye
116
Q

Define page proof

A

A proof of an individual page, which is usually created to obtain customer approval of color and content at fair early stage in the job

117
Q

Define perfect binding

A
  • Combine multiple signatures into bundle
  • Anchors the bundle with adhesive
  • Applies a tape or paper binding to hold together
  • Flat spine
  • Printed cover + info printed on spine
118
Q

What is personalization?

A
  1. A data-driven method of inserting recipient name or other personal information during printing
  2. In offset print environments, it is done via press-mounted inkjets
  3. Data-driven processes become sophisticated, inkjet units faster and more refined
  4. Possible to personalize with more than just a few lines of type
119
Q

Define pica

A

A unit of measurement

There is six picas in an inch

A pica is equal to 12 points

120
Q

What is a planner?

A
  • A printing company specialist who establishes with press what will be used to print a job
  • How the job will be imposed for press
  • What finishing processes should be scheduled to complete the job
  • Involved in job scheduling
  • Job of estimating may overlap
121
Q

Define platesetter

A

Output device that uses laser or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to expose the photosensitive surface of printing plate by using digital information

122
Q

Define point

A

There are 72 points in an inch

Text size, leading, baseline grid, thickness of rules and strokes measured in points

123
Q

Define PostScript

A

Program language used to describe contents of page

Imaging device such as laser print, an imagesetter

Platesetter can produce output

124
Q

When was PostScript developed?

A

1985

125
Q

What was the major driving force in birth of desktop publishing?

A

PostScript

126
Q

Define Preflight

A

Inspecting job files at an early stage of job to find content errors that might prevent the file from printing

  • FlightCheck
  • Markzware
127
Q

Define prepress

A
  • Preparatory work that takes place before actual printing
  • Prepress includes preflight, production work to correct or modify files for printing, proofing, trapping, imposition, and plating
  • Also include scanning, retouching and color correction
128
Q

Define Press Checks

A

Once makeready is complete and printing press is optimal running state, client ask to approve the printed output for content and color

129
Q

When is it often neccesary to go on press checks?

A

When custom inks or tricky substrates are involved; components may be difficult to represent faithfully with proofing

Since printing companies often operate 24 hours a day, you may find yourself invited to a press check in middle of night

130
Q

What is a press-proof?

A
  • It is when under special add-ons such as custom inks, applied varnishes, that may represent a challenge.
  • For exacting jobs such as complex promotional pieces, or annual reports, it may be neccessary to perform a small press run to determine if everything looks okay.
  • It can add considerably to job cost, it may be worthwhile to ensure the finished piece meets expectations.
131
Q

Define printer spreads

A

The printing position of pages on press, determined by imposition requirements of job

For ex: pages 2 print next to page 7, page 3 prints next to page 6

132
Q

Define proof

A
  1. Simulation of final printed piece, used to check the content of job
  2. Necessary corrections should be marked on proof
  3. Signing a proof indicates you consider everything to be correct on proof
133
Q

Define registration

A
  • Alignment of all inks printed on press
  • Each color is applied by individual unit of press, there is some possiblitiy of successive colors not aligning
  • While modern presses have sophisticated controls for mainting proper registration, mechanical or environmental problems may cause slight misregistration, as can stretching or deofmation of paper itself during printing process
  • A multi-color fringe at edge of color areas is symptom of misregistration
134
Q

What is misregistration?

A
  • While modern presses have sophisticated controls for mainting proper registration, mechanical or environmental problems may cause slight misregistration, as can stretching or deofmation of paper itself during printing process
  • A multi-color fringe at edge of color areas is symptom of misregistration
135
Q

Define raster image processor (RIP)

A
  • Specialize computer that uses combination of proprietary software and hardware to translate PostScript or PDF input
  • Very high-resolution bitmap image that drives the marking engine of output device, such as an imagesetter, platesetter or desktop printer
136
Q

Define ROOM (Rip Once, Output Many)

A
  • The practice of processing a page in a RIP, and then using the same information from the RIP to generate proofs, film (if neccesary) and plates, rather than reprocessing the original digital information through different RIPs for different output
  • It ensures no processing errors to creep in
  • Use one vendor’s RIP for proofing output
  • Different vendor’s RIP for platesetting can result in proof that does not represent what will be on the plate
  • Surprise is not a positive thing in printing
137
Q

Define saddle stitch

A

Binding multiple pages together with staple-like metal stitches

Often used for magazines and catalogs

138
Q

Define screen printing

A
  • Finely woven stretched screen carries a hand-cut or photographically exposed mask
  • The mask acts as a stencil and ink is squeezed through mesh of screen to open areas of mask onto intended subtrate
  • Used for t-shirts, spot applications of scratch-off coverings for game pieces, scratch-and-sniff areas, printed on irregular surfaces such as molded pieces
139
Q

Define a scheduler

A

A printing-company specialist who determines when each portion of job occurs (barring errors or other problems). The scheduler must consider how long each process takes and must factor in effects to other existing jobs, staffing resources, and required final deadline.

140
Q

Define score

A

To press a groove into paper or board for easier folding

Ensures smooth predictable blend while lessening change that paper or board will tear when folded

141
Q

Define sheetfed press

A
  • Offset press that takes in single sheet of paper from stack rather than a roll. Typically sheetfed press paper sizes are around 20x28 inches or 30x40 inches
  • Larger-format presses
142
Q

Define signature

A
  • Printed sheet folded one or more times to create single section of multisection piece
  • Pages are imposed in correct position so that when the sheet is folded, trimmed and bound, the pages will be in proper reading order
    *
143
Q

Define silhouette

A

Eliminate background surround important element in image

Erasing background or by creating a mask or path

Knockout, dropout, blockout, silo or KO

144
Q

Define transparency

A
  • Transparent, positive color image such as 35mm slide
  • Larger format include 4 x 5 and 8 x 10
  • Advent of digital photography has made transparency less common
145
Q

Define trade shop

A

Print service provider that works for other printing providers and performs services such as scanning, retouching, and other prepress services. Some trade shops provide printing and finishing services.

146
Q

Define trap

A

To create overlapping areas of common color in order to minimize gaps during slight misregistration on press

Trapping is usually performed at RIP stage

147
Q

Define typesetter

A
  • Responsiblities of typesetter changed with technological advances
  • Typesetters no longer handle tiny molded lead characters locked in a chase (container).
  • Currently, typesetter usually refers to specialist who uses page-layout tools to set type with emphasis on readability and style in long documents
148
Q

Define Universal Product Code (UPC)

A
  • Machine-readable identifier that consist of bar + human-readable numbers
  • First 6 digits identify product manufacture, remaining digits identify product itself
  • Provide check digital used by code reader to determine if code has been read correctly
  • Legible on white rectangle
149
Q

What was the origin of term uppercase?

A

Originally, the term referred to physical location of wooden case containg uncaptilized letters, which were made of molded lead. Capitals were kept in upper case, hence the name.

150
Q

Define variable data printing (VDP)

A
  • Personalization of printed piece by inserting recipient’s name or address
  • Extensive customization esp. digital presses
  • Each impression on toner-based digital press is unique anyway, database driven process can insert custom text, even images, to narrowly target printed pieces to recipient’s demographic or buying history
  • Response rate is substantially hire
  • More expensive
151
Q

Why is the use of variable data more expensive?

A

Because of programming and planning; as well as cost of demographic information and mailing lists

152
Q

Define viewing booth

A
  • Cubicle-like area provides controlled viewing environment for judging color
  • Standardize light conditions and surfaces
  • The surfaces of viewing booth are painted in neutral medium gray, using matte paint to avoid reflections
  • Specific color temperatures are used
  • Originally D50 (5000K) bulbs but now D65 (6500K)
153
Q

Define web press

A
  1. Roll-fed printing press
  2. Trimming to individual sheets
  3. Inline unit called a sheeter, printed web may be rolled up to takeup reel for offline trimming.
  4. The size of the web press dictates the with of paper roll it accepts
154
Q

Define wire binding

A

Similar to comb binding, but wire binding uses wire that is bent into tooth-like prongs

155
Q

Define screen ruling

A

Also called screen frequency

Is measure of halftone-dot frequency usually expressed in lpi (lines per inch)

156
Q

What is the typical lines per inch for newspapers, magazines or books, high-end magazines?

A

Typical screen ruling range from 65-85lpi, used in newspapers

133-150 lpi, used for magazines and books

200-300 lpi, used in high-end magazines

157
Q

How many colors is a black-and-white job?

A

1 color - black

158
Q

Why wouldn’t everything be printed as 300 lpi?

A

Because printing conditions impose certain limiations.

The coarse stock of newspaper simply won’t support fine line screens.

Ink sinks into absorbent stock and spreads, dot gain.

159
Q

When do you use DPI, LPI, PPI and TLA?

A

DPI - describe resolution for desktop printer 600-1200 dpi; resolution of imagesetter or platesetter is usually 2400 dpi or higher

LPI - Describe frequency of halftone dots, measured along rows of dots

PPI - Describes image resolution. The rule of thumb should be 1.5 to 2 times printing screen ruling, but common convention to save images at 300 ppi

TLA - Three letter acronym

160
Q

Which pattern is formed by dots?

A

Rosette

161
Q

Which pattern is important to avoid?

A

Moire

Optimal screen angles add up to form rosette pattern but it’s not noticable.

Incorrect intervals between screen angles can result in distracting moire.This can also be caused by combination of screen angles and image content such as woven fabric.

162
Q

What can you do when you have a moire pattern?

A

Screen angle combinations such as 30-degree, 45 degree or 75 degree can minimize patterns. The angle of each color is chosen to minimize interference with other colors when all inks are combined in printed piece.

163
Q

Why do you never see a moire pattern with print out from your desktop?

A

An inkjet printer, have stochastic output device which scatter arrangement of tiny dots to create an image, very randomly

It is also called frequency modulation

164
Q

Define Stochastic screening

A

An inkjet printer, have stochastic output device which scatter arrangement of tiny dots to create an image, very randomly

It is also called frequency modulation

165
Q

What are some of the PROS and CONS of Stochastic Screening?

A

PROS: Reduced change of moire, able to use lower resolution, print images containing more than 4 ink colros wihout screen angle, retention of smaller details in image, reduced ink usage, misregration on press less obvious, smoother rendition of skin tones

CONS: The need for extreme cleanliness. Dust may be bigger than stochastic dot. Modifications to RIP can be expensive ($15,000+), Slightly increased RIP time, On-press dot gain is higher than conventional screening, possiblity of visible graininess in large highlighted areas. More expensive because of special handling.

166
Q

Why would images you see on the screen print disappointingly dull?

A

Because of the limitations of printing-ink spectrum

The range of color in RGB spectrum is larger compared to CMYK spectrum

167
Q

When is a spot color neccesary?

A

When it fall outside of the range of CMYK

For ex: fluorescents, metalilics, bright orange or navy blue

168
Q

What is the PMS swatchbook?

A
  • Pantone Matching System swatchbook
  • Patone 4-Color Process Guide

Recipe book for print service providers

Provides ink-mixing formulas for creating over 1,000 standard colors, many of which cannot be actually rendered for specifying colors

169
Q

Why is it better to go to a spot color compared to 4-color job?

A
  1. Using spot color can eliminate problems caused by slight misregistration on press
  2. Difficult to keep balance of four inks consistent from one part of paper to another or from one sheet to another, multipage job
  3. Any variation will result in color shifts
  4. Replacing process build with single ink, simplifies registration and color-consistency issues
170
Q

What does the term ‘coated’ and ‘uncoated’ refer to?

A

The paper no the ink

171
Q

If you want to use Pantone 185C, Pantone 195U and Pantone 120M

What does it mean?

A
  1. Pantone 185C: Coated paper
  2. Pantone 195U: Uncoated paper
  3. Pantone 120M: Matte paper
172
Q

What is matte paper?

A

Surface texture falls between coated and uncoated

173
Q

Why do we use the abbreviations for coated, uncoated and matte in our swatchbooks?

A

The idea is to mimic ink behavior on different stocks.

174
Q

What does CVU and CVC mean?

A
  • CVU means Computer Video Uncoated
  • CVC means Computer Video Coated
175
Q

What does the TRUMATCH Colorfinder provided since its inception?

A

TRUMATCH Colorfinder provided only CMYK builds

176
Q

What are 3 CMYK-based color specifiers?

A

PC, EC and DS

  • Solid to Process
  • Solid to Process (Euro)
  • Process Specifier
177
Q

What does ‘solid to process’ mean?

A

Use same familiar Pantone numbers but indicates process builds

178
Q

What does ‘solid to process (euro)’ mean?

A
  • Same concept as solid to process.
  • But with slightly different CMYK equivalents.
179
Q

What does ‘process specifier’ mean?

A

Does not use ancestral Pantone numbers, which may avoid confusion

180
Q

What is one approximation you have to consider with spot and process colors?

A

Translate of PMS color can become a close approximation of CMYK

Expect color approximation

For ex: Navy blue SPOT prints slightly purple as CMYK

181
Q

Which swatchbook can help with selecting colors for a process job?

A

TRUMATCH Colorfinder

Pantone process guides

182
Q

Which swatchbook would show Pantone spot-color formula next to closets process equivalents?

A

Pantone Color Bridge provides helpful, side-by-side swatches

183
Q

What are some common problems you can anticipate as you build your files to facilitate printing?

A
  1. Registration
  2. Trapping
  3. Large Ink Coverage Areas
    • Rich Black
    • Problem Inks
    • Speciality Inks
    • Custom Mixed Inks
    • Coatings + Variables
      • Aqueous
      • Ultraviolet
      • Varnishes
184
Q

Why does slight misregistration occur?

A
  • Paper is subject to small amounts of stretching due to physical stress of traveling through the press
  • Press conditions are awful
  • Art my suffer very small shifts
  • Print that artwork in shades of single color
185
Q

How would you use trapping to solve a color issue?

A
  • Create a rim of common color areas that don’t share a common ink
  • Basically, the darker color defines the edge of object being trapped to each other, and that determines which objects spread (expand), which objects choke (contract), which objects remain sharp (unchanged)
186
Q

COMPLETE SENTENCE:

Depending on the color, a shape may be _______ (expanded), ________(shrunk inward), or _____(neither).

A
  1. spread
  2. choked
  3. left sharp
187
Q

What is a double hit?

A
  • Most ink is translucent, not opaque
  • Apply to passes of ink
  • Overlay, heavy final appearance
188
Q

What happens to solid black areas, larger than 1” x 1”?

A

They need to be beefed up or appear anemic

189
Q

When does misregistration happen with black?

A

4-color rich black

190
Q

What type of problems can happen when you work with inks?

A
  • inadquate drying time
  • absorbent shocks
  • poor adhesion
  • pigment of color
  • For ex: Reflex Blue is notorious for scuffing, smearing, and slow drying times
191
Q

You want to use reflex blue in your printed piece. What do you have to take in consideration?

A
  • It is notorious for scuffing, smearing and slow drying times
  • Tack on additional post-press drying time
  • Additives can speed up drying process
  • Expect slight subcharges for protectic coatings like aqueous coatings
192
Q

What is special finishing process involving heat, pressure, and thin sheets of metallic foil?

A

Foil Stamping

193
Q

What are some of the problems metallic and fluorescent inks poses?

A
  • Pigments introduce other tinges
  • Metallic inks as accents are not troublesome but such inks can mottle over large areas.
  • Metallic inks are opaque which affects trapping + order ink is printed
  • Metallic inks adhere poorly to previous inks
  • Metallic flakes can dislodge inside your printer because of stress of being passed through a laser or inkjet
194
Q

Unlike wine, ink ______ improve with age

A

doesn’t

195
Q

Why are coatings applied?

A

Special visual effects to protect ink from scruffing or rubbing off

196
Q

Can you describe 3 types of coatings in print?

A
  1. Aqueous coatings are water-based coatings
  2. Ultraviolet (UV) coatings cured by UV light for quick drying
  3. Varnishes are also applied on-press (as last ink or 2nd pass through)
197
Q

Why would adding a spot varnish require some work?

A

You will have to create a varnish plate

198
Q

What was some of digital printing’s problems?

A
  • The color consistency between impressions were problematic
  • Innocent environmental influences such as humidity were mortal enemies of registration
  • Halftone reproduction on high-speed, black-and-white machines-was miserable
  • Only used for basic direct mail or text-only pieces
199
Q

What is the definition of a ‘short run’?

A

Toner-based digital printing

Without plates to burn

Minimum run for digital job can be 200 or less

No ‘makeready’ process like in OffSet

200
Q

What features in In Design or PageMaker can help when you work in Variable Data?

A

MailMerge or Data Merge

201
Q

What are some issues with digital printing?

A
  1. Behavior of toner on paper
  2. Paper size limitations
  3. Large areas of uniform color are problematic
    • Full bleed build CMYK will look mottled compared to conventional offset
  4. Design around it
    • Use collage of images
    • Smaller areas of color

Print terms + production notes (4 decks)

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