January 3rd, 2012
Posted in Digital Printing, Large-Format Printing, Poster Printing, Screen Printing, Standees | 4 Comments »
As noted in prior PIE Blog articles, in addition to other custom printing related pursuits, I install “standees” and signage at movie theaters. This gives me first-hand access to many printed products I otherwise would not see. I’d like to make a few observations that you may find useful, whatever kind of custom printing products you yourself may buy. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Digital Printing, Large-Format Printing, Poster Printing, Screen Printing, Standees | 4 Comments »
January 2nd, 2012
Posted in Book Printing, Digital Printing, Hardcover Book Printing, Offset Printing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing and Commercial Printing: Overage and Underage
Printing trade custom allows offset printing companies to deliver up to 10 percent more, or 10 percent fewer, copies of a job. The commercial printer or book printer can then apply this surcharge (or discount) to your invoice for the actual number delivered. The key word here is “actual.” This is not an arbitrary number. The printer can only charge for what he hands off to the customer. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing, Digital Printing, Hardcover Book Printing, Offset Printing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing and Commercial Printing: Overage and Underage
January 1st, 2012
Posted in Book Printing, Digital Printing, InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: How to Make Illegible Type Legible
A client of mine just produced a “galley” of her book, 100 digitally-printed reader’s copies for her reviewers to critique before the final offset custom printing run. She loves it, but her husband thinks the type is too small. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing, Digital Printing, InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: How to Make Illegible Type Legible
December 31st, 2011
Posted in InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Prepress, Printing, Proofing | Comments Off on Commercial Printing: Making Corrections to Your Files at the Proof Stage
I recently received a digital proof for a small poetry book I had designed for a client. The following paragraphs describe the items I looked for in checking the proof. You may want to take a similar approach in reviewing your proofs. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Prepress, Printing, Proofing | Comments Off on Commercial Printing: Making Corrections to Your Files at the Proof Stage
December 21st, 2011
Posted in InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Prepress, Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Preparing Your Printing Job for Commercial Printers
You have found the custom printing vendor‘s FTP site and you’re about to send your files to press. With bated breath, you hope that you caught all the errors, formatted all the files correctly, and didn’t make any mistakes that will be expensive to fix. Before you push the send button, here are some things to check. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Prepress, Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Preparing Your Printing Job for Commercial Printers
December 16th, 2011
Posted in Book Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Paper Choices Case Study
A client of mine runs a small publishing house for literary works: poetry, fiction, memoirs, and such. She has recently sent a book to a commercial printer for a short run of 100 reader copies. These are also called “galleys.” Reviewers will read the copies and make suggestions, then the author will update and correct the text. After this step, a book printer will produce between 2,000 and 3,500 copies of the final edition. The commercial printer will produce the short run digitally on an HP Indigo press. The book printer will run the job on an offset press. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Paper Choices Case Study
December 12th, 2011
Posted in Box Printing, Paper and finishing, Paperboard Packaging | 1 Comment »
For decades, diecutting has been a labor-intensive, materials-intensive, time-intensive, post-press finishing process. Commercial printers have had to wait for outside vendors to create the cutting dies and then set up and operate a letterpress or diecutting press to accomplish the cutting work. Even the die-makers have had to store raw materials–wood, metal, and rubber–in warehouses along with the finished dies themselves, which are kept for future work. So the die-makers must absorb the extra storage expense, insurance expense, and other costs of holding inventory. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Box Printing, Paper and finishing, Paperboard Packaging | 1 Comment »
December 12th, 2011
Posted in InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Prepress | Comments Off on Custom Printing: InDesign and Photoshop Tips
I have been doing more freelance design work recently, working in Photoshop and InDesign, preparing layouts for commercial printers. I have learned, or relearned, a number of tips and tricks that you might find helpful in your design work. Here they are, listed in no particular order but separated into two categories: Photoshop and InDesign. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Prepress | Comments Off on Custom Printing: InDesign and Photoshop Tips
December 7th, 2011
Posted in Book Binding Options, Book Printing, Offset Printing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: More Ways to Cut Costs
In a few recent postings, I have been describing an ongoing book printing job. My client wants to reduce the cost, and she has therefore been considering various formats, bindings, and color schemes. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Binding Options, Book Printing, Offset Printing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: More Ways to Cut Costs
December 5th, 2011
Posted in Offset Printing, Postcard Printing, Prepress, Printing, Proofing | Comments Off on Custom Printing of Photo Notecards: A Case Study
A client of mine is a professional photographer. Among other items, she sells gorgeous, full-color photo notecards of a myriad of multicolored flower species. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Offset Printing, Postcard Printing, Prepress, Printing, Proofing | Comments Off on Custom Printing of Photo Notecards: A Case Study