Design Process 02 Creating Print Materials Right Tools. Right Results. More Goodness. More Happiness. 

Gather the Facts. Get Organized. •  Refer  to  the  crea+ve  brief/checklist     (created  during  client  interview)   •  Flesh  out  requirements;  determine  project  scope   •  Design  content  dictates  the  tools   •  Photographic  imagery,  backgrounds?     •  Typographic,  text-­‐only,  highly  stylized?   •  Simple  single  page?  Mul>page?   •  Large  amounts  of  text,  mixed  with  images?   

General Tool Guidelines Get You Started… •  Use  Photoshop,  when  job  involves   •  Playing  with  pixels   •  Retouching  and  color-­‐correc>ng  photos/bitmap  graphics   •  Designing  photo-­‐realis>c  images/backgrounds     (single  page)   •  Complex  layered  raster  effects   

General Tool Guidelines Get You Started... •  Use  Illustrator,  when  job  involves   •  Messing  with  vectors   •  Building  illustra>ons,  logos,  vector  art   •  Designing  simple  text-­‐based  layout   •  Sharing  color  paleKe,  art,  fonts  between  artboards   •  Grouping  separate  artboards  within  one  file   

General Tool Guidelines Get You Started… •  Use  InDesign,  when  job  involves   •  Cranking  out  documents   •  Designing  mul>page  layouts,  brochures,     booklets,  long/complex  documents   •  Combining  bitmaps,  vector  graphics,     formaKed/styled  type   •  Master  pages,  styles  and  page  numbering     for  consistency   

Get It Right. Confirm Client Criteria. •  Designing  for  print  is  not  like  designing  for  screens!   •  Mistakes  are  expensive;  details  maHer   •  Before  star+ng  a  print  project     you’d  beHer  find  out   •  Final  dimensions  of  printed  piece   •  Color  requirements   •  Print  vendor  preference(s)   

Size Up The Situation •  Unlike  Web  design,  Print  design  does  not     allow  variable  page  sizing   •  Know  the  exact  dimensions  required     and  set-­‐up  files  correctly   •  Understand  and  account  for  any  bleeds,     folds,  special  shapes,  etc.   

Every Drop Counts. Every Color Costs. •  Each  color  (ink)  costs,  billed  Ink-­‐by-­‐ink   •  CMYK  (Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Black)  jobs     are  billed  for  four  colors  (i.e.  4  inks/press  passes)   •  This  four-­‐color  process  (4C)  =     print  industry  standard   •  Extra  inks  (4+)  =  extra  passes  on  press   •  Specialty  inks  (PMS,  spot  colors,  metallics,  fluorescents)     •  Varnishes,  gloss/maKe  coa>ngs   •  More  work  =  more  cost   

Meet Your Maker. Make Things Right. •  Iden+fy  the  chosen  print  shop/vendor   •  Contact  them,  and   •  Discuss  project  goals,  requirements  and  scheduling   •  Acquire  press-­‐specific  info  and/or  template  files   •  Follow  their  advice   

Start Building. Create Your Creation. •  Launch  InDesign  >  Create  New  Document   •  Select  Print  for  your  intent   •  Page  Size  must  match  exact  physical  specs     of  (trimmed)  final  piece   •  US  LeKer  size  =  8.5”  x  11”   •  US  Business  Card  =  3.5”  x  2”  (or  2”  x  3.5”)   

Start Building. Create Your Creation. •  Add  bleed,  if  necessary  for  job     (standard  bleed  =  .125”  all  sides)   •  Color  mode  for  Print  =  CMYK  (four-­‐color  process)   •  Units  for  Print  =  Inches  or  Picas     (can  be  switched  as  needed) 

Or, Start Assembling. Template Solution. •  Can  purchase  templates  online     (stocklayouts.com,  etc.)   •  Many  varie+es  available  with  produc+on     details,  styles,  and  marks  included   •  No-­‐brainer  layout  construc+on  –     Open,  add  your  stuff  and  edit 

Resolve Your Resolution. Right Size, Fear Not. •  General  Rules  for  Resolu+on/Size   •  Use  Raster  images/photos  that  are  300  ppi  @  100%  (final  size)   •  Never  (place  and)  scale  images  above  100%  (i.e.  no  upsampling)   •  If  resized  (upsampled)  above  100%,  image  will  pixelate     (get  the  ‘jaggies’)   •  If  print  vendor  has  different  PPI  recommenda>ons,  follow  them   •  Best  Prac+ces   •  Always  use  Photoshop  for  image  sizing,  not  layout  applica>on   •  Always  create/save  a  source  file  at  full  resolu>on  (for  prin>ng)   •  Downsample,  downsize  (and  export/save  a  copy)     as/if  needed,  later   

Control Your Color. Save the Day. •  General  Rules  for  Working  with  Color   •  Mode  for  Web/Screen  Materials  =     RGB  (Addi6ve  Color/Mixing  Light)   •  Mode  for  Prin>ng  Documents  =     CMYK  (Subtrac6ve  Color/Mixing  Inks)   •  Mode  for  Edi>ng/Color-­‐Correc>ng  Raster  Images    =     RGB  (Photoshop)   

Control Your Color. Save the Day. •  Save  original  raster  image/photo  in  RGB   •  As  .psd  –  this  is  your  master  (edi>ng/backup)  file     •  Maintain  the  largest  size  at  original,  or  highest,  resolu>on     you  an>cipate  needing  for  future  print  projects     •  RGB  preserves  high-­‐fidelity  color  version     •  Create/resize/crop/etc.  and  export  CMYK   version(s)  for  Print  projects,  as  needed     •  Possible  Excep+ons  for  Prin+ng  Color  with  CMYK   •  Large  format  printers  or  specialized  presses  =     RGB  (some>mes)   •  Presses  that  support  RGB  (placed  images,  bitmaps,  etc.)   •  Confirm  with  printer,  first   

Basics About Black. Think About Your Ink. •  Black  ink  (K=100),  used  alone,  displays  as  slightly  Gray   •  Large  areas  of  solid  black  may  call  for  a  Rich  Black   •  Unique  CMYK  ink  combo;  typically  C=60,  M=40,  Y=40,  K=100   •  May  be  varied  for  warmer/cooler  effect  (M+,  C+)   •  Ask  print  vendor  for  their  specific  values  (for  offset  press)     •  Rich  Blacks  aren’t  necessary  for  toner-­‐based  digital  presses   •  Never  use  Rich  Black  for  Text   •  Causes  paper  oversatura>on,  poor/difficult  registra>on     and  muddy  results   •  S>ck  to  100%  Black  (K=100)  for  Text   •  Confirm/re-­‐adjust  to  100%  Black,  especially  if  impor>ng     text  from  MS  Word  docs   

Keep It Legible. Good Layout, Good Connection. •  Typographical  Goodness   •  Set  text  content  to  8  points  or  higher  (Too  small  =  Too  bad)   •  Remember  Typography  basics  (not  too  fancy,     limited  typefaces,  good  contrast)   •  Common  Font  formats  are  OpenType,  PostScript     and  TrueType   •  Use  Fonts  from  trusted,  established  vendors;     avoid  sketchy/corrupted  files   •  Spa+al  Goodness   •  Adjust  type  (ver>cally/horizontally)  to  control  sizes,     and  whitespace,  in  layout   •  Always  respect:  guides,  margins,  guKers,     folds  and  alignments 

Plan for the Unexpected. Run Your Tests (Every Time). •  Calibrate  monitor  if  possible  =  beHer     representa+on/match  to  finished  piece   •  Delete  unused  elements  from  the  pasteboard     or  artboard  (smaller  files  =  good)   •  Proof.  Proof.  Proof.  And  Preflight…   everything,  every  step.     •  Confirm  or  Correct   •  Spellcheck,  grammar  check,  typo  check,  overset  text   •  Folds,  cuts,  bleeds  and  all  measurements   •  Printer’s:  marks,  registra>on,  and  instruc>ons   •  Hide  guides  and  non-­‐prin>ng  layers   •  Color  Mode,  Image  Resolu>on  and  Sizing   •  Output  test  prints  and  create  full-­‐size  dummy  comps  (mock-­‐ups)   

Tests Done, Fire the Gun. Prep Files for Printer. •  Best/safest  bet  =  provide  PDF  vs  NaLve  files     (InDesign,  Illustrator,  Photoshop)   •  PDFs  encapsulate  layout  and  fonts  (prevents  edi>ng)   •  Excep>on  –  printer  may  need  na>ve  files     to  make  last  minute  changes   •  Contact  printer,  acquire  (their  unique)     PDF  preset,  if  available   •  Install  it  and  use  for  expor>ng/saving  your  PDF   •  Usage  should  ensure  best  results/match     for  their  press  requirements   

Submit File(s) to Printer. Hand It Over. •  Use  short,  descrip+ve  name  for  PDF     (think  seman+cally)   •  Ex:  Acme005-­‐Postcard-­‐8x6.pdf,  Acme012-­‐Flyer-­‐4C.pdf   •  Avoid  spaces  and  special  characters  in  the  name   •  Print  vendors  usually  rename  your  file  using     an  internal  job  number   •  If  providing  a  “packaged”  folder  of  print  elements     •  Account  for  all  support  files:  na>ve  docs,  fonts,     image  files,  and  linked  files   •  Use  consistent  naming  system  for  all  elements   •  Save  them  in  one  folder;  compress  the  folder     into  a  ZIP  file  (.zip)   

Submit File(s) to Printer. Give ‘em What They Want. •  Print  vendors  usually  make  it  easy  to     send  them  the  PDF,  or  na+ve  files,  via   •  Online  Form     •  FTP  Site   •  Other  file  delivery  methods  may  include   •  Sending  the  link  to  a  DropBox  file   •  AKaching  the  PDF  to  an  email  message   •  If  producing  a  complicated  job  (and  working     with  a  local  print  shop)  it  may  be  worth     •  Delivering  the  files  via  USB  drive,  and     •  Discussing  job  details  in  person 

Learn More. Get Better. Be Happier. •  Expor+ng  to  PDF  –  InDesign   hKp://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/expor>ng-­‐publishing-­‐ pdf.html   •  Save  to  PDF  –  Illustrator   hKp://www.dummies.com/how-­‐to/content/how-­‐to-­‐save-­‐to-­‐pdf-­‐ with-­‐adobe-­‐illustrator-­‐cs6.html   •  Adobe  Crea+ve  Suite  Prin+ng  Guide   hKps://wwwimages2.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/ designcenter/pdfs/CS6_PrintGuide.pdf   •  Wiki  –  Portable  Document  Format  (PDF)   hKp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF   •  Print  Design  Tips  for  Web  Designers   hKp://designshack.net/ar>cles/graphics/print-­‐design-­‐>ps-­‐for-­‐   web-­‐designers/   

Learn More. Get Better. Impress Boss, Clients and Friends. •  Glossary  of  Prin+ng  Terms   hKp://www.prin>ngforless.com/prin>ngglossary.html   •  How  to  Make  a  Brochure  with  InDesign   hKps://helpx.adobe.com/crea>ve-­‐cloud/learn/start/indesign.html   •  Templates  for  Print  Documents  –  StockLayouts.com   hKp://www.stocklayouts.com/   •  Using  Fonts  –  InDesign   hKp://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/using-­‐fonts.html   •  Prefligh+ng  Files  –  InDesign   hKp://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/prefligh>ng-­‐files-­‐ handoff.html#package_files 

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