August 15th, 2011
Posted in InDesign Software, Prepress, Printing | Comments Off on Brochure Printing: From Paste-up to Computer Design
A colleague who started designing art files for book printing a few years ago asked me to distinguish between layout and paste-up. The question brought to mind all of the changes in the field of design and custom printing over the 34 years I have been in the business. I’ll provide an answer for the question my colleague asked, but I will go further to mention some of the other changes I have witnessed. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in InDesign Software, Prepress, Printing | Comments Off on Brochure Printing: From Paste-up to Computer Design
August 10th, 2011
Posted in Printing, Screen Printing | Comments Off on Screen Printing with an Online Printing Company: Print on Almost Anything
At some point in your schooling, maybe even in grade school, you probably did some screen printing. Maybe in art class. Using a frame with a stretched nylon screen, perhaps not as fine a mesh as a stocking, you used a squeegie to force printing ink through a stencil attached to the screen and onto the paper below. It’s a simple process, and essentially the same as commercial silkscreen (also known as screen printing or serigraphy). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Printing, Screen Printing | Comments Off on Screen Printing with an Online Printing Company: Print on Almost Anything
August 5th, 2011
Posted in Bumper Sticker Printing, Label and Sticker Printing, Label Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing | 2 Comments »
What do you need to know about printing custom stickers? It seems this would be a fairly straightforward genre of printing, but there are actually a number of things to consider when buying custom stickers (or labels). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Bumper Sticker Printing, Label and Sticker Printing, Label Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing | 2 Comments »
August 5th, 2011
Posted in Book Printing, Negotiations, Paper and finishing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | 4 Comments »
No matter how long you’ve been buying custom printing servcies from online printing companies the time will come when something goes wrong. Online printing companies are staffed with human beings, who are fallible, so from time to time it will become necessary to work through a difficult job, to find a solution the digital printing service can provide that will satisfy your needs. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing, Negotiations, Paper and finishing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | 4 Comments »
August 1st, 2011
Posted in Large-Format Printing, Poster Printing, Printing | 2 Comments »
Here’s a trick I once saw at a business printing vendor who was doing large format poster printing for a client of mine. The job in question was a process color poster with a heavy coverage PMS border around a central, full-color image. After having problems with mechanical ghosting, the custom printing service tilted the entire poster on the press sheet. I’d never seen this before; nor have I seen it since. And I’m sure it made for challenges on the trimming equipment. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Large-Format Printing, Poster Printing, Printing | 2 Comments »
July 28th, 2011
Posted in Pocket Folder Printing, Printing | 2 Comments »
A client came to me recently with a question about custom pocket folder printing. She and I had been working with a local custom printing service with an HP Indigo digital press. My client had a short-run pocket folder (250 copies) to print, and she wanted to know whether the Indigo would be appropriate. The pocket folder dimensions were 9” x 12” plus a 4” pocket with no build. Could an Indigo print this short-run custom pocket folder job? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Pocket Folder Printing, Printing | 2 Comments »
July 22nd, 2011
Posted in Large-Format Printing, Printing | Comments Off on Large Format Printing: Selling Sex Appeal
Let’s face it. Pure and simple, it’s sex appeal. The “Wow” factor. When you see Michael Jordan slam dunk a basketball on a poster hanging the entire length of a building, it takes your breath away. And with large format printing, this is just the beginning. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Large-Format Printing, Printing | Comments Off on Large Format Printing: Selling Sex Appeal
July 20th, 2011
Posted in Book Binding Options, Book Printing, Hardcover Book Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing With Online Printing Companies: Subliminal Design Elements
A dear friend and I recently had a misunderstanding based on the imprecise nature of Internet communications. Fortunately he called me on the phone, we reconnected, and everything was good. We had both been trying to be respectful and kind through our emails, but the inability of email to reflect tone and nuance of speech had hindered our communications. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Binding Options, Book Printing, Hardcover Book Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing With Online Printing Companies: Subliminal Design Elements
July 19th, 2011
Posted in Book Binding Options, Book Printing, Hardcover Book Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing Case Study Update: Hardcover/Softcover Split-Run Error
Online Printing Services
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog entry about a client of mine whose online book printer had transposed the number of hardcover copies and the number of softcover copies of a book he was producing for her. I just learned the outcome, and I wanted to share this with you. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Binding Options, Book Printing, Hardcover Book Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing Case Study Update: Hardcover/Softcover Split-Run Error
July 13th, 2011
Posted in Book Printing, Catalog Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing | 10 Comments »
We’ve been discussing thicker paper in the PIE Blog recently, how to buy paper for catalog printing that will feel substantial between the fingers of an avid reader. But there are equally important reasons, in some cases, to specify very thin paper when requesting bids from catalog printing companies. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing, Catalog Printing, Paper and finishing, Printing | 10 Comments »