OUGD504 - Design for Print

Print Terminologies

Colour management 

Ensures the accuracy of colour reproduction between different equipment and processes in print production

Gamut

RGB, CMYK and hexachrome (CMYKOG)
Describes how accurately particular systems can reproduce certain colours
RGB only reproduces 70% of what we can actually see 
If select colour outside Gamut will try and select colour closest which is often wrong

Colour profiles 

Often predefined in relation to specific printing equipment and stock
There are preset colour profiles in different Adobe softwares which show different colour profiles relevant to their needs

Coated and uncoated

Paper coating affects quality of print
Uncoated is softer so absorbs more ink whereas coated creates sharper images 

Spot colours

These are more expensive and create less muddy colours
They are identified in  a different layer -
Use Pantone system and are colours that  often lie outside the working gamut system
Pantone codes will not look the same on screen as they do in print, there are specific spot colour pantone strips for you to see what they would look like
They are appllied as a whole block not halftone

Lithography

This is the most common printing method for commercial methods 
The process uses plates which ink is applied to. 
The individual plates have to be payed for then after this just the units are payed for
Digital print is better for small runs , however lithography is more cost effective for larger runs
Plates are needed for each colour
The ink is oil based so only ink transfers. The ink is applied on the basis that oil and water repel each other. Ink from the plates are offset onto a rubber printing surface
Web describes high volume printing such as newspapers

Black or 'registration black '

In offset lithography black is on one plate in the printing process
Registration black is achieved by printing all four process colours in the same space
Registration black is used to apply registration marks to ensure accurate alignment of the litho plates

Bleed

For 'full bleed' images they are printed beyond the margins, so there are no white edges after trimming

Crop marks

Communicates the trim regions

Finishes and specialist techniques

Tipped in page describes an insert section of a different paper stock which is printed separately
Tip on describes content glued to a page or cover
Duplexing involves gluing two stocks together allowing different textures on either side of page
Foiling means coloured foil is pressed into the stock using a foil stamp
Embossing has a  raised surface
Debossing has a indented surface
Die cutting means a design is cut out of surface using metal dye or kiss cut for stickers
Laminate is a  plastic coating that is heat sealed onto a stock to create a crisp finish that is a liquid resistant surface
Varnish is a colourless coating which is applied like spot colours 
Standard book formats are based on original paper sizes and named according to how many times it had to be cut down.