4 Commercial Printing Concepts All Customers Should Know
Commercial printing is one of the most commonly used business services in the world. Given how important it is at most enterprises, it's wise for customers to understand some of the basic concepts of the industry. Here are four commercial printing concepts all customers should know.
Sizing Matters
When you're creating a digital printing project, it's important to size the workspace in your publishing program to the printed product's size. Yes, the printing company can re-size things for you, but that risks things not quite meeting your expectations.
As you set up the file, bear in mind the printer will need room for bleeds. These are the areas where the ink runs up to the edge. If you're using full-bleed, for example, the color needs to cross the boundary where the printer will cut the page to ensure the ink goes the whole way.
Resolution and DPI
Especially when you're working with photos and photo-like images, resolution, and dots-per-inch matter. If you have a low-resolution image at a low DPI, the images in the final product are going to look blocky or stippled. Make sure to maintain the highest-quality versions possible of all your project's imagery so things will look good. This is particularly important if you're making a large-format print, such as a banner.
Color Processes and Profiles
A commercial printing job will always use what's called a color process. This is a set of colors selected for the ink. CMYK is a popular process, and it's often called a four-color process. More colors in a process will improve the quality of the imagery, but it will also drive up the price. If you only need a few colors, don't use a higher-quality process.
Similarly, the digital files for all projects use color profiles. These are separate files that determine what all of the colors are supposed to look like on screens and in prints. If you want to match the blue in an image as closely in the final print as possible to what was on your screen during editing, learn how to use and embed color profiles properly. Also, include the profile files with each project in case the printer needs them.
Paper Weight
No, this isn't an object meant to hold papers down on windy days. Paperweight refers to how heavy the paper is. A higher weight is stiffer and won't let the ink bleed through as easily. 50- to 100-pound paper is considered card stock, while the 20-pound paper is used for draft printing. 25-pound paper is normal for business letters. Contact someone like Eastman Kodak Company to get started.
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