Considerations for the Design Process
Color Space
When designing in a digital environment, the default color space is RGB, offering a variety of nuanced colors. However, the color range of the CMYK four-color ink process used in print production is more limited. Soft proofing with CMYK is important to understand how your design will appear in print and adjust your expectations accordingly. Additionally, calibrating your monitor is critical to ensuring that what you see matches what your printer prints.
While color values can be universally communicated through systems such as the Pantone Matching System, achieving accurate color matching may require the addition of spot colors to the CMYK process. Spot colors are often used in 2-color setups for things like business cards, but incorporating a fifth color into a complete tonal range is a special requirement and can be costly. For books, custom colors are typically only available on offset orders.
DPI and PPI
Digital designers work in pixels, while printers work in dots per inch (DPI). High-resolution screens (such as Retina displays) behave differently than paper. The fundamental difference is size and scale. In the print world, an item is not 800 pixels wide; It is 8 inches. Pixels or points represent density, not proportion. There are various factors that influence the required density, such as the size of the product, viewing distance and design details.
For book printing, 300 dpi is the standard, but for billboards, 100 dpi may be enough due to viewing distance. When selecting images and exporting files, make sure they fit the intended print size. Low-dpi images will look poor if they print out larger than they appear on the screen. Consider the proportions and textures of the physical product during the design process to ensure the content is appropriate.
Design for physical objects
It's important to remember that you are creating a tangible object that will be physically assembled. When designing a book, aligning content at the gutter can be challenging. Designing on a flat screen makes it difficult to predict how the fold of a page or the curve of a cover will affect the layout. Even with bleed and trimming guidelines, there are no absolute certainties. When creating your layout, consider the physical nature of your books. How will it feel in the reader's hand if the reader may not be able to lay it completely flat? How do you adapt to the way your eyes navigate physical space?
The Five Major Mistakes Designers Make in Printing Documents
1. Failed to include bleeding lines. When sending the document to the printer, it must include bleed lines to allow the printer to grip the printing surface as it passes through. Blurb's Adobe InDesign plug-in automatically sets up the artboard with the necessary bleed lines. However, if using different software, make sure your file contains at least 3 mm or 0.25 inches of bleed when designing to the edge of the page.
2. File output and RIP settings. When your design includes transparency, gradients, or shadows, it's important to ask your printer about its preferred settings. Each printer uses a different raster image processor (RIP), which affects how it interprets the data in the PDF and generates the project. While this applies to all printed materials, transparency, shading, and color gradients can be particularly challenging. Improper handling of these elements in print files can result in unexpected output. Make sure your print files are compatible with your specific printer to avoid errors.
3. Font selection. Given that our screens can display finer detail than most inks and papers, it's important to consider your font choices carefully. In addition to the complexities of font licensing, it's also important to validate your font design. Make sure the font you choose and its size remain legible after printing. Most printers have specific tolerances, and fonts below 6 points or strokes and serifs below 1 point may not be visible due to ink and paper texture. Check your printer's guidelines to make sure you meet its requirements from the start.
4. Frame. When a book is made, the pages are printed individually, assembled, and then trimmed. Achieving a border that is perfectly parallel to the edge of the page during printing and assembly is challenging and can result in page-to-page and copy-to-copy variations. Therefore, be sure to err on the side of caution and even avoid using borders that rely on page edge alignment.
5. Total Ink Coverage (TIC). Similar to any physical printing process, there are inherent limitations that need to be considered. The texture and viscosity of the ink determines how it is applied and how long it takes to dry. Papers have absorbency limits, which means they can only hold a certain amount of ink without deforming or losing clarity. Additionally, the printer is limited in the amount of ink it can output before the printhead wears out or a paper jam occurs.
It's important to note that while your monitor may display deep blacks and vibrant colors, replicating these on paper can be challenging. In the CMYK printing process, there is a limit to total ink coverage, usually no more than 300% of all colors. For example, the printer can print 100% cyan, 100% magenta, and 100% yellow, or 50% cyan, 100% magenta, 50% yellow, and 100% black. When designing color and opacity, you must keep this in mind and prioritize saturation based on color importance.
The most effective approach is to have an extensive discussion with your printing expert. It’s easy to overlook the technical complexities involved in printing a design, especially in the age of digital printing where the process has become much easier. It's not just a matter of pressing a button, with careful attention your work can harness great graphic design expertise and the art of beautiful print design.