Chapters 4 & 5 Summary

Chapters 4 and 5 of Print Production discuss raster image preparation and vector graphics. These are the two types of images used today. The main difference between the two is that raster images are pixel-based and vector images have no pixels or resolution.

Chapter 4 -- Preparing Raster Images

Prior to the digital technology of today, image capture and scanning worked entirely with film. Scanners then progressed technologically and began outputting digital data. At this point, pixels were created as physical images were scanned into a digital format. Today, with digital cameras, images originate in a digital form, cutting out the middleman.

Most of the current personal "point-and-shoot" cameras output JPEGs, a compressed format of images that exhibits loss of data along with said compression. Higher end and DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) cameras now have the ability to output Camera RAW images as well as JPEGs. The RAW format shows all of the information captured by the sensor(s) of the camera and exhibit minimal to no compression. RAW files are far larger than other formats and cannot be placed into most software programs. However, this can be dealt with by opening the files in Photoshop (or other compatible software) and saved in a different format.

The amount of pixels in an image is directly related to the resolution of the image. Resolution is vitally important when it comes to raster images, and is usually measured in ppi (pixels per inch). As you might expect, high resolution images have a higher ppi, while low resolution images have a lower ppi. What this boils down to is the more pixels there are in am image, the smaller they are, and the finer the details appear to be. Conversely, less pixels mean that the pixels will be larger, and the image will be fuzzy and have little detail. Though opinions differ on what ppi/resolution is best for print, one solid rule to follow is to never scale a raster image up or down, as it will affect the clarity of the image.

When it comes to cropping images, it is always best to play it safe. Avoid cropping it early on if there is any question as to whether or not it will need to be cropped further in the future. At the very least, keep the uncropped, original version of the image as a back up, just in case. Similarly, when considering rotating an image, it is safest to either to keep it at its original rotation or make sure it is scanned at the proper angle, or to rotate it at only 90-degree increments. This is due to the fact that rotating an image requires the software to interpolate (redrawing the image and placing the pixels in the appropriate location for the newly rotated image) the pixels within the image. Rotations of 90-degree increments are easily done by the software and do not effect the detail of the image. Any other angle of rotation will result in some loss of detail, and multiple rotations will increasingly deteriorate image quality.

One common type of raster image is a bitmap, or line art, image. This format uses only black and white pixels and should not be confused with the grayscale format which uses black and white pixels along with various shades of gray. Bitmap images can be very useful in situations that require handwritten type or signatures, especially considering the very high resolution of their scans.

Appropriate raster image file formats for print include TIFF (tagged image file format), Photoshop EPS (encapsulated PostScript), Photoshop Native (Photoshop document), and Photoshop PDF (Portable Document Format). Each of these has its pros and cons, but each should produce acceptable prints. One thing to keep in mind with Photoshop Native files deals with how it creates transparencies. The issue here is that other software like Illustrator, InDesign, etc. do not properly handle the blending used in Photoshop. The easiest way to avoid issues is to create elements which would normally pose problems in InDesign or Illustrator. File formats inappropriate for print are PNG (Portable Network Graphics), BMP (bitmap), GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), and JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). These all have different issues, whether it be with color or resolution, which can make for poor quality printed images.

Chapter 5 -- Vector Graphics

Unlike raster images, vector graphics do not contain pixels and are generated mathematically. As a result, these images are completely resolution independent and can be scaled freely without affecting quality.  

File formats for vector graphics include EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) and Native files (Adobe Illustrator). Vectors can also be exported into PDFs. This can often be the ideal choice when printing because it doesn't require fonts to be supplied along with the file. There are several vector formats that are not appropriate for print like WMF (Microsoft Windows Metafile Format), EMF (Enhanced Metafile Format), and any of the raster formats like TIFF, JPEG, PNG, and BMP that are offered for exporting. Each of these formats could cause all or part of the file to be rasterized.

Many fonts are available to be embedded within Illustrator for EPS or AI files so that they may be placed into other programs. Embedding fonts into a file includes the proper font information to allow for display and printing of the text, but not editing. Embedding a font does not always guarantee that the information will survive through the printing process. Opening the file without the proper fonts installed, using fonts that forbid embedding, or issues during imposition or processing by the RIP (Raster Image Processor) could cause corruption of information.

Outlining text (or converting fonts to outlines) can eliminate issues with fonts included in vector graphics. This turns the text into an image rather than copy. However, fonts contain information (called hinting) that refines the display and printing, and this information is destroyed during outlining. Without hinting, some fonts could have a "bloated" appearance on smaller printers. Still, outlining can be a good substitution to embedding fonts.

One final thing to remember about vector images is to simplify your paths. This means that you should make less clicks, even if you might think that more points makes for more detail and a better image. Years ago, drawings with too many points would overload the RIP, causing printing to slow dramatically or even stop altogether. Though that is not an issue today, it is still best to minimize the number of points in your drawings as it will lead to smoother images.

                                                                                                                   

Sources:

McCue, Claudia. "Preparing Raster Images." Real World Print Production with Adobe Creative Suite Applications. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit, 2009. 77-96. Print.

McCue, Claudia. "Vector Graphics." Real World Print Production with Adobe Creative Suite Applications. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit, 2009. 97-105. Print.

Note Pad

For our first project in Digital File Preparation, we are supposed to design a self-promotion note pad that would showcase some of our skills, provide a QR code that would link back to our blogs (which would, by then, be a sort of portfolio of some of our past work), and serve as something that we might give to an employer to remind them of what we have to offer.

Specifically, we were to plan for a 5" x 7" note pad with 50 sheets per pad and a chip board backing. Designs were to be black ink only, with or without bleeds, and, as I mentioned, include a QR Code. I chose to go ahead and plan a 1/8" bleed and 1/4" margins, just in case.

The first steps of the designing process were already set for me. The purpose of the notepad was to promote my blog and urge my target audience, potential employers, to use the QR code, or URL, to navigate to the blog.

So, I began work on some rough thumbnails. I struggled to come up with designs that captured my skills, partly because I don't have too many yet. I've only taken two classes for my Commercial Graphics major so far, and I'm not to sure what kind of job I'll be looking for in the future. Also, I didn't want to come up with any designs that were too busy, because it is a notepad after all, and there needs to be plenty of room for writing. Scans of my thumbnails are below.

After drawing up my thumbnails, I spent some time looking them over and marking some off the list of possibilities. I narrowed it down to either the one with the black, jagged header (second page, fourth down) or the "KMK" logo with arrows (first page, second down). I liked the jagged header design because it was bold and clean. When drawing that design, I tried to play off of the squares within QR codes to create the bottom of the header. As for the "KMK" design, because my first and last names both start with K's, I've always been playing around with different drawings of them. I added some simple arrows that followed the lines of the K's on either side of the image which would get progressively thinner and lighter as they moved towards the edge of the page.

I ended up choosing the second option, because I felt it was more specific to me. I drew up a larger, rough sketch of the design, which can be seen below.

This design has a 1/8" bleed and 1/4" margins. The QR code will be brought in from PhotoShop, while the arrows and logo will be created in Illustrator. The sizes and placement of the arrows are very general at this point and will likely change once I get the components onto the layout. I plan to have them run off of the left-hand size of the page. Also, I may decide to make the components on the top of the page a big smaller, just to ensure there's plenty of room for writing on the page. I don't have a specific font chosen at this stage, but I will probably choose a clean, sans serif font for the contact information at the bottom. 

As far as pricing goes, I emailed several companies to get quotes. I received three responses. First was Pronto Print out of Salina, KS. Pronto Print has said that for 100 notepads, the cost would be $1.55 per pad with a production time of 3 days, and that they would require a PDF file with the design 2 up on an 8.5" x 11" sheet. Second was Antioch Printing in Kansas City, Missouri. Their cost would be $148.60 for the 100 notepads, which comes out to $1.486 per pad, so they're a bit cheaper than Pronto Print. Finally, I received a quote from Pittcraft Printing Inc. from here in Pittsburg. The quote from them said that the total cost would be $175.00 ($1.75 per pad) with a production time of 5 business days, and they would require either a PDF file or a packaged design file. Even though Pittcraft's quote was higher than the others, I would most likely choose to order from them, so that I could support local business and keep the money here in the community.

Update: Here is a screen grab of my final PDF file for this project. After quite a bit of tweaking on my own part and taking some suggestions from others during our On-Screen Critique, I came up with a piece that I'm really pleased with. I'd like to point out that I toned everything down opacity wise after the On-Screen Critique. I had intended only to make the arrows a bit lighter so the KMK popped more. But, after I did that, I decided to make it a dark gray instead of black and to lighten up the contact information, as it seemed a little too bold.

                                                                                                                   

Master Image List Elements: The QR code fulfills the Grayscale Raster requirement, while the rest of the images will vectors created by myself in Illustrator.

Copyright statement: The only piece of my layout that I will not be making myself is the QR code, which I will likely be generating at Kaywa. Kaywa's site says that QR codes can be used for non-commercial use only.

Sources:

http://www.antiochprinting.com/

http://www.prontoprint.com/ 

http://www.pittcraft.com/

http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

Chapters 1, 2, & 3 Summary

The following are definitions from Chapters 1, 2, and 3:

Finishing Processes: Once a job has been printed, there are several different processes it can go through to meet the client's requirements, including: various coatings and varnishes (aqueous, UV protection, etc.), lamination, chop or die cutting, string/hole drilling, addition of eyelets, double mounting, and many more.

Purpose of a RIP: A RIP (Raster Image Processor) turns vector images and text into high-resolution raster images. This is necessary because printers, without RIPs, need the images and text to be translated into a series of small dots.

Folding Dummy: A full-size sheet, folded to the specifications of the current job, and marked with page numbers to insure proper imposition and placement of pages during printing.

 VDP: VDP (Variable Data Printing) is a form of printing where components of the may be changed from one piece to the next, such as in direct mailings.

Imagesetter: This is a super-high resolution large-format printer that requires large rolls of paper, rather than sheets.

Two color print job: This is a print job which only uses two colors instead of the usual four.

Pica vs. Point: A pica is equivalent to 1/6 of an inch, while a point is 1/12 of a pica. Therefore, there are 72 points in one inch. Both of these measurements are used in the printing industry.

DPI, LPI, PPI: DPI (Dots Per Inch) is the common specification for resolution in most output devices, such as desktop printers and monitors. LPI (Lines Per Inch) is used in commercial offset printing. PPI (Pixels Per Inch) is an image's true resolution based on the density and size of pixels within the image. A higher PPI makes for a more detailed image.

Die Cutting process: This process is used to mass produce a set shape after printing. It can be used to round corners, cut slots, or cut pieces to be folded into various way such as cards or boxes. In this process, there is usually either a generic die or a custom-made die, depending on the needs of the client. Using increasing pressure, the die is pressed down onto the paper until the cut is made. This is usually an expensive process, especially if the die is custom.

Importance of Registration: Registration ensures that the overlapping colors used properly create a desired color.

CMYK vs. Spot Colors: Spot colors consist of one or more pre-mixed ink colors, which is general more expense than other processes. CMYK is a subtractive color process which uses four pigments (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) to produce an image. CMYK is also the most common printing process.

                                                                                                                   

Sources:
http://www.talonzippers.com/trim_solutions/print/finishing_process/
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/rip/a/rip.htm
http://printwiki.org/Folding_Dummy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_data_printing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagesetter
http://www.dcfb.com/Pages/2-color-designs.html
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/370714
www.odeecompany.com/die-cutting.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_registration
http://www.visiondesign.com/2010/04/printing-cmyk-vs-spot-color/
Information for "Pica vs. Point" and "CMYK" colors received from previously taken courses at Pittsburg State University.

The What and Why of QR Codes

QR codes (or Quick Response codes) are relatively new in our world, and they're becoming increasingly popular. You've surely seen these little squares all over, whether it's on posters, online, or on some of the products you buy in the grocery store. They look like a random bunch of black and white pixels, but truthfully, they're a form of matrix barcode. Initially created for use in the automotive industry for high speed scanning and tracking of vehicles during production, QR codes have evolved to have many more uses for both industry and society. Now, they can be scanned with mobile phones (equipped with a camera and the proper application) and used to do anything from bringing up a URL to sending an text message to a specific recipient.

Scan this QR code with your smartphone!

QR codes have extensive uses including: links to YouTube videos, Google Maps locations, and Twitter or Facebook pages; showing plain text or telephone numbers; sending specific SMS Text Message or Emails to certain recipients; providing contact details; WiFi logins on Android devices; and many more.

The best part about QR codes? They're simple to generate and anyone can do it! Sites like Kaywa, QRstuff, and many others allow for quick and easy generation of your own QR codes for download. You can then take these codes and use them on blogs (like mine), websites, posters, business cards, products, t-shirts, or however else you please.

QR codes also have to ability to be tracked. A popular method of doing so is through Google Analytics. This service allows you to track and monitor your website traffic. Combined with URL shortening (to make a simpler, faster-to-scan QR code), this is a fantastic way to see just how much activity your codes are getting! Working with Google Analytics is a fairly simple process. You just enter the URL of your choice, and Google will add a string onto the end that it will then track to compile the information. After that, you just enter the rest of the information for your campaign, use any URL shortener on the new link Google generates for you, create your QR code, and start spreading the word (or, in this case, code!).

With so many possibilities available for the usage of QR codes, it's easy to why so many companies, organizations, and individuals are taking advantage of them. They provide more bang for your buck, in a way, by taking up very little room and supplying far more possibilities than text or graphics of equal size could. Also, with how quickly they can be scanned, people are more likely to get out their phones and check it out just to see where they will be lead to.

So, now that you have the information, get generating!

                                                                                                                   

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
http://www.qrstuff.com/
http://blog.redclayinteractive.com/how-to-track-qr-codes-in-google-analytics/
http://www.google.com/analytics/

Preflighting

Preflighting is a process that must be gone through prior to printing/output a desired file or set of files. Specifically, Preflighting makes to that such files are present and correct, properly formatted, and of the necessary type for the job at hand.

The Preflight process is a vital step, as it ensures that all of the necessary components of the file(s) are included and ready to be printed/output. Additionally, preflighting helps prevent delays during production that would be caused when encountering any missing or improperly prepared items in the file.

Above clipart from ClipartHeaven.com

A typical Preflight checklist would ensure that:

• images and graphics within the file are available and not corrupt.
• fonts are accessible, not corrupt, and in a compatible format.
• image files are able to be processed by the application and are of the correct color format and resolution.
• required color profiles are included with the file(s).
• the layout's document size, margins, bleeds, marks, and other information with within the printable area of the device and meet client specifications.
• color separations set to be output are correct.

 More advanced Preflight processes may also:

• flatten transparent objects into single opaque objects.
• convert fonts to paths.
• gather and place all images/graphics into one central location
• compress images.

                                                                                                                  

Oftentimes, the Preflight process is carried out specifically by a technician. This sort of job would first entail reviewing electronic file(s) submitted for printing/output. Then, the technician would check the file(s), going through the Preflight checklist to ensure completeness and to eliminate potential problems. Any issues with components of the file(s) would then be brought to the attention of the customer and production staff so that they may be solved prior to printing/output. Such technicians could earn between $30,000 and $50,000 annually, depending on the area or specific company they are employed within.

                                                                                                                  

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-flight_%28printing%29
http://www.graphiccommcentral.org/employ/preflight-technician.html
http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Printing-Pre-Flight-Specialist-l-Mount-Pleasant,-IA.html
http://www.jobsonamap.com/surrey-jobs-pre-flight-operator-printing-position-minuteman-press-surrey-job-Z1292496-zELueY
http://www.careerbliss.com/salary/alphagraphics-printing-graphic-designer-and-preflight-specialist-salaries-189592/

This is merely a test.

*tap tap* Is this thing on?