Table Of ContentReal World Print Production
By Claudia McCue
...............................................
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Pub Date: July 25, 2006
Print ISBN-10: 0-32-141018-1
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-321-41018-4
Pages: 368
Table of Contents | Index
What you see is not always what you geta truism that's nowhere more apparent than in print production, where
what you see on screen is often a far cry from what comes out on the printed page. Here to help you avoid the
production problems that plague many projects is a comprehensive guide to print production from one of the field's
top professionals. Author Claudia McCue draws on more than 20 years of prepress experience to show you how to
build healthy files that print exactly as expected. Realizing that printing problems can have their roots at many points
in the life of a job, Claudia begins with an aerial view of the lifecycle of a job. From there, it's on to major sections on
print production realities, content, and software specifics. Offering tips, tricks, and comprehensive explanations,
Claudia covers everything from rendering color to mechanical issues; binding and finishing; submitting jobs; working
with raster images, vector art, and fonts; useful graphic and desktop publishing programs; and more.
Real World Print Production
By Claudia McCue
...............................................
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Pub Date: July 25, 2006
Print ISBN-10: 0-32-141018-1
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-321-41018-4
Pages: 368
Table of Contents | Index
Copyright
Preface
Chapter One. Life Cycle of a Print Job
The Olden Days
Brave New World: Desktop Publishing
Job Submission
Scenic Tour of a Typical Printing Plant
Glossary of Printing Terms
Chapter Two. Ink On Paper
Fundamentals of Black-and-White Printing
Fundamentals of Color Printing
Press Issues
Digital Printing
Your Monitor is Not Made of Paper
Chapter Three. Binding and Finishing
One Size Does Not Fit All
Folding: High-Speed Origami
Imposition
Binding Methods
Moving Beyond Two Dimensions
Chapter Four. Preparing Raster Images
Ancient Times: B.P. (Before Pixels)
Now: A.P. (All Pixels, All the Time)
Resolution and Image Fidelity
Appropriate Image Formats for Print
Inappropriate Image Formats for Print
Chapter Five. Vector Graphics
Vector File Formats
Handling Text
Incorporating Images into Vector Files
Avoiding Unnecessary Complexity
Chapter Six. Fonts
Font Flavors
Activating Fonts in the Operating System
Font Management Programs
Font Licensing Issues
Chapter Seven. Cross-Platform Issues
Crossing The Great Divide
File Naming
Fonts
Graphics Formats
Chapter Eight. Job Submission
Preparations During the Design Process
Talking with the Printer
Planning for Print
Sending Job Files
Preparing for Proofing Cycles
Attending a Press Check
Chapter Nine. Photoshop Production Tips
Off to a Good Start
Working in Layers
Transparency
Silhouettes and Masking
Beyond CMYK
Beyond Pixels
Saving for Other Applications
Chapter Ten. Illustrator Production Tips
Why Versions Matter
Saving for Earlier Versions
Simplifying Complex Artwork
Using Filters and Effects
Creating 3D Artwork
Transparency
Flattening Transparency
Linked and Embedded Images
Blended Objects
Changes in Pantone Recipes
Saving for Other Applications
Chapter Eleven. FreeHand Production Tips
Fonts and Graphics
Special Effects
Simplifying Complex Artwork
Exporting Freehand Files
Chapter Twelve. InDesign Production Tips
Graphics
Using Native Files
Swatches
Converting Legacy QuarkXPress and PageMaker Files
General Document Issues
Transparency
Finding & Fixing Problems
PDF Creation Methods
PDF Creation Settings
Chapter Thirteen. QuarkXPress Production Tips
Versions
General QuarkXPress Cautions
QuarkXPress 7.0
Troubleshooting
Chapter Fourteen. Acrobat Production Tips
Acrobat Product Line
Where Do PDFs Come From?
Creating PDF Files
Editing PDF Files
Print Production Toolbar
Using External PDF Editors
Print Production Resources
Organizations
Conferences and Trade Shows
Design and Printing Books
Software-Specific Books
Publications
Destinations
Index
Copyright
REAL WORLD PRINT PRODUCTION
Claudia McCue
Peachpit Press
1249 Eighth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
510/524-2178
800/283-9444
510/524-2221 (fax)
Find us on the Web at: www.peachpit.com
To report errors, please send a note to [email protected]
Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education
Copyright © 2007 by Claudia McCue
Editor: Nancy Raiken
Project Editor: Becky Morgan
Production Editor: Lisa Brazieal
Technical Editor: Premedia Systems
Proofreader: Haig MacGregor
Compositor: WolfsonDesign
Indexer: Colleen Dunham Indexing
Cover design: Aren Howell
Notice of Rights
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information
on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact
[email protected].
Notice of Liability
The information in this book is distributed on an "As Is" basis without warranty.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the
author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to
any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the
instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware
products described in it.
Trademarks
Adobe InDesign, Adobe FreeHand, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe
Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Incorporated in the United
States and/or other countries. QuarkXPress is a trademark of Quark, Inc. All
other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their
products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this
book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as
requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services
identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the
benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No
such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or
other affiliation with this book.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed and bound in the United States of America
Dedication
For my mother, who taught me to love words. And for my North Star.
Preface
True confession: I'm not a designer.
Oh, I can place type and graphics in a respectable arrangement on a page, but
that's about it. I can't conjure up compelling concepts and award-winning designs.
But that's OK. I'm not supposed to be a designer.
I'm a printing person. I spent the first twenty years of my working life in prepress.
(Oops, there seems to be a little printing problem there. But, heyare numbers
really that important?) I'm at an awkward stage in my career. I'd like to lie about
my age, but I'm reluctant to abbreviate my résumé. Instead, I'll attempt to
convince you that I started in printing at a very young age ("Is that a baby with
an X-Acto™ knife?"). You know you've been in printing a long time if:
Your grocery list has hanging indents.
Your driver's license lists your eye color as PMS 5757.
Your shoe size is 6½ plus 1/ -inch bleed.
8
You refer to painting your house as a two-color job.
You decide to write a book called Real World Print Production.
Who Should Read This Book
If you are a designer or a production artist who would like a better understanding
of the pitfalls you encounter in using popular software, you'll find lots of pointers
in this book to help you avoid problems. Almost all software provides options that
are tempting to choose, but are dangerous under some circumstances. It's good to
know which buttons not to push. And it's valuable to know why those buttons
shouldn't be pushed.
In addition, the more designers know about the physical requirements of the
printing process, the more easily they can avoid problems and missed deadlines.
This book can explain why your printer sometimes asks you to modify your
designs for print. Better yet, you can beat them to it, and they will compliment
you on how well-prepared your jobs always are. Besides, working within
limitations can sometimes lead to imaginative solutions and more interesting
designs.
If you are a prepress production operator, you'll find many reminders of subtle
problems that can lurk in images, page layouts, and illustration files. If you're
new to printing, you'll find beneficial insights into what's happening on the other
side of the pressroom door. And if you're looking for a gentle way to educate
clients, well, a book always makes a nice gift, doesn't it?
As the lines between designer and printer become more blurred, some
professionals don't fall clearly into a single category. Many organizations are
responsible for both design and output, and it's especially important to know the
whole story if you're going to shoulder such a wide responsibility.
What This Book is Not
If you're in the market for a hot tips-and-tricks book, this isn't it. It's not a guide
for wow-your-friends special effects, unless you consider it a special effect to get
your job to print as expected. And, although this book demonstrates how to do
some useful things in the most popular desktop publishing programs, it isn't
strictly a how-to book either. In fact, there's so much "how not to" information in
this book that I considered calling it You Must Always Never Do This.
Are there any prerequisites for using this book? Only two, really. First, you should
have basic proficiency in the software you use on a regular basis. The other
requirement is arguably more important: You should have a healthy curiosity
about the printing process and a desire to build problem-free files.
About the Author
You never know where you'll end up. I was a chemistry major. Really. But I had a
knack for illustration, and I took some college art classes for extra credit. One of
my instructors (Michael Parkes, who has since become a well-known fine artist in
Europe), suggested that I change my career path from chemistry to commercial
art. I thought, "Well, I'll try it for a while," and took a job at a printing plant that
summer. I fell in love with printing, and never went back to the lab. Thanks,
Michael.
As a prepress production person, I always enjoyed discovering new techniques
and sharing those discoveries with coworkers and customers. I started in
conventional paste-up, and then moved into film stripping. (It's not what you
think. See the glossary in Chapter One, "Lifecycle of a Print Job.") And I was
extremely fortunate to be one of the first operators of color electronic prepress
systems in the U.S., so I've been pushing pixels around for a long time. Then,
because it could do the same magic as a Scitex or Crosfield system (minus the
million-dollar price tag), Adobe® Photoshop® lured me to desktop computers.
I always believed in educating customers so they wouldn't be intimidated by the
mysteries of printing. Not surprisingly, that led to my second career as a trainer,
consultant, and presenter at industry conferences. It's truly invigorating to
answer questions, illuminate software mysteries, and solve problems for my
clients and conference attendees.
Acknowledgements
I'm passing on to you some of the Basic Printing Truths imparted to me by a
number of fine old printing curmudgeons. Count yourself truly lucky if you're
befriended by a craftsman like Rick Duncan, who came up through the ranks,
learned how to do everything the old-fashioned way, and who was always patient
with a kid asking too many questions.
I'm quite fortunate to be part of an informal fraternity of graphic arts geeks
aficionados. While we each have our specialties, our common bond is the love of
learning and sharing new tricks. David Blatner, Scott Citron, Sandee "Vector
Babe" Cohen, and Anne-Marie Concepción are my InDesign brethren (and
sistren), going back to the days when we were considered page-layout rebels.
Mordy Golding's passion for Illustrator is contagious, and he shares my devotion
to enlightening designers in the mysteries of print. His URL says it all:
www.designresponsibly.com. Dan Margulis is my long-time Photoshop color-
correction hero (and a fine cook to boot), and I'm grateful to Chris Murphy for
putting color management into mere-mortal language. Mark Atchley has been a
wonderful cheerleader when I'm exhausted, and Steve Werner's insights into
prepress and software arcana have given me many "Aha!" moments. Chuck
Weger is in a class by himself, providing all of us the opportunity to publicly
humiliate ourselves in his delightful printing-trivia game shows. (Even Chuck's
jacket is in a class by itself. Well, actually it's in quarantine.) And I owe special
thanks to Olav Martin Kvern for lending me a cup of PostScript code for the
FreeHand chapter. These are some of the brightest and funniest people I know.
My appreciation to Carrie Cooper, Colin Fleming, and Maria Yap of Adobe
Systems, Inc., for kind encouragement when I struck out as a freelance
consultant and trainer. Adobe is also home to a number of other exceptional
colleagues, including Will Eisley, Dov Isaacs, Lonn Lorenz, and Whitney McCleary.
They all show a true passion for Adobe products, a realistic view of how things
actually work out here in the wild, and, most importantly, an affection for users
and a strong dedication to creating better software. I must also single out two of
Adobe's most energetic women: My heartfelt thanks to Noha Edell for her
continuing, inspirational support and encouragement, and my gratitude to Ashwini
Jambotkar for her unique insights into the challenges faced by designers.
Many thanks to Cyndie Shafstall and Shellie Hall at Quark for illuminating the
new features of QuarkXPress® 7.0. It's probably the best-ever version of the
program.
