Web2Print

Web-to-print From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Web-to-print, also known as Web2Print or remote publishing, is a commercial prepress process that bridges the gap between digital content online and commercial print production. This process allows a print house, a client, and possibly a graphic designer to create, edit, and approve computerbased online templates during the prepress phase. This process increasingly calls for a Portable Document Format (PDF) workflow environment with output provided by digital printing; although there is certainly no requirement that fulfillment be accomplished using digital production equipment; Web-to-print is also used today by printers with both offset and digital production facilities. Web-to-print is targeted toward commercial users or to the general public, and both groups may access public or private online storefronts or catalogues offered by print houses. Within these storefronts, customers can choose pre-designed templates where they can alter the typeface, copy, images, and layout within a template, or approve a template layout and design that has been created by another person. While most Web-to-print applications allow clients to customize pre-designed templates it also frequently possible for clients to upload their own unique content for automated print production. When a digital press is used for the final output, the template usually is transformed into a PDF file that serves as the ‘master plate’ for the digital press. In more traditional printing processes, like offset printing, the template is used to create a plate or plates that are used to produce the final printed product. Materials produced by a Web-to-print process include business cards, brochures, and stationery, among other printed matter, that can be printed in full color or in black and white on various papers and on various presses. Web-to-print systems are also expanding to handle personalization and distribution of other marketing materials such as presentations, seminars, logo items, and even email and other electronic media. This change is driven by enterprise clients seeking a single repository/tool to manage all marketing efforts including print.

Comparisons and differences The front-end of the Web-to-print process is similar to desktop publishing (DTP) in that individuals or graphic designers use desktop publishing software to create pre-defined templates. These templates are then posted online for later customization by end-users and automated production by a print house or commercial printer. Unlike DTP, Web-to-print can bypass the use of traditional design tools by the enduser as the templates utilized in this process are based upon a WYSIWYG (often browser-based) interface that can be edited and approved by a client and by the print house without a graphic designer’s assistance.

Commercial Web-to-print applications can include both Print on Demand (POD) or pre-printed materials that are pulled from inventory. (POD) documents can have static content or include elements of Variable Data Printing (VDP), a form of POD that is mainly used for personalization of marketing materials with product or customer data that is pulled from a database. VDP is geared toward mass customization, whereas Web-to-print focuses only on changes made from order to order. VDP pre dates Web-to-print although at that time the design process was carried out via close collaboration with the printer for documents such as invoices.

Origin of the phrase The origin of the phrase "Web to Print" is unknown, but Jim Frew made the earliest known public use of the phrase in an online article entitled, "From Web to Print," for Webmonkey, an online resource for Web designers, on 9 February 1999.[1] This article was geared toward Web designers who wanted to know more about DTP and the printing process from commercial, technical, and design aspects. The use of the term "Web-to-print" from the perspective of a transition between Web-driven technology to printed matter means that the term "Web" connotes the World Wide Web (WWW), rather than the web that is used as a term for a web rotary press developed by William Bullock. Bullock’s web press revolutionized newspaper printing, and the WWW is now used to alter how corporations and individuals create commercial and personal printed matter. The term has become ubiquitous, as businesses have picked upon the "Web2Print" phrase to name software designed specifically to manage the Web-to-print process. Graphic design and Web design firms that have branched out into print services also use the term to subhead their company trade name, or they use the phrase as a subheading for public relations materials.

History DTP’s history provides the groundwork for current Web-to-print expansion, and the onset of

Advantages and disadvantages Advantages to the use of a Web-to-print system include the ability for print houses, graphic designers, corporate clients, and the general public to access a private or public online catalog where last-minute changes to a prepress template are possible. Within this process, the client can approve the materials without the need for a face-to-face meeting with the printer. Additionally, templates allow print customers to control brand management and content, as portions of a constantly used template can remain

consistent throughout a series of print projects. This system is often cost-effective for clients and timeeffective for print houses. The disadvantage to this system as it exists today is that small- to mid-sized print houses and print brokers are limited in their access to software and server system solutions for a Web-to-print service offering to clients. Most proprietary and trade name software that was developed with Web-to-print projects in mind remains prohibitively expensive for this sector. Additionally, these systems often require the use of digital systems that only a larger print house would maintain.

Prepress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Prepress is the term used in the printing and publishing industries for the processes and procedures that occur between the creation of a print layout and the final printing. The prepress procedure includes the manufacture of a printing plate, image carrier or form, ready for mounting on a printing press, as well as the adjustment of images and texts or the creation of a high-quality print file. In today's prepress shop, the form of delivery from the customer is usually electronic, either a PDF or application files created from such programs as Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress.

Prepress processes The following items have each been considered part of prepress at one time or another:

1.

Typesetting involves the presentation of textual material in graphic form on paper or

some other medium. Before the advent of desktop publishing, typesetting of printed material was produced in print shops by compositors or typesetters working by hand, and later with machines.

2.

Copy-editing, is the work that an editor does to improve the formatting, style, and

accuracy of a manuscript.[1][2] Copy-editing is done prior to the work of proofreaders, who handle documents before final publication.

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Markup is an artificial language using a set of annotations to text that give instructions

regarding the structure of text or how it is to be displayed. Markup languages have been in use for centuries, and in recent years have also been used in computer typesetting and wordprocessing systems.

4.

Proofing involves creating an accurate facsimile of the artwork before beginning

production runs. This serves as a bond between the printer and their customer that the final product meets an agreed upon standard. Proofs in general can be done for all parts (images, illustrations, texts and colors) of print product. In this part, three types of proofing should be checked and printed out: the print-ready PDF files, the printer's proof and the imposition proof. Print-ready PDF files should be made after the layout using preflight at the printing house. The printer's proof should be printed out in high-resolution and checked by the customer. The imposition proof, which is usually done by the printers, should also be printed out to check and adjust the printing press.

5.

Proofreading traditionally means reading a proof copy of a text in order to detect and

correct any errors. Modern proofreading often requires reading copy at earlier stages as well.

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Screening and adjustment of a continuous-tone of images such as photographs

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Imposition, or the combination of many pages into a single signature form.

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Separation, or specifying images or text to be put on plates applying individual printing

media (inks, varnishes, etc.) to a common print. 9.

Manufacturing of plates The usage of different materials of plates should meet the needs

of printing method. Usually rubber, plastic,aluminum are used for plates as well as film which is the photomechanical exposure and processing of light-sensitive emulsion on a printing plate. Manufacturing of plates should be well planned and delivered beforehand. Also, the cost should be calculated as well. 10.

Manufacturing of a high-quality print (PDF) file, which is used for the final printing.

11.

Paper select, choosing a proper paper is also a very important step in prepress.

In most modern publishing environments, the tasks related to content generation and refinement are carried out separately from other prepress tasks, and are commonly characterized as part of graphic design. Some companies combine the roles of graphic design and prepress production into desktop publishing usually called DTP. The set of procedures used in any particular prepress environment is known as a workflow. Workflows vary, depending on the printing process (e.g., letterpress, offset, digital printing, screen printing), the final product (books, newspapers, product packaging), and the implementation of specific prepress technologies. For example, it is not uncommon to use a computer and image-setter to generate film which is then stripped and used to expose the plate in a vacuum frame; this workflow is hybrid because separation and halftoning are carried out via digital processes while the exposure of the plate is an analog one. That demonstrates that the borders around the prepress are very fluid. Furthermore – depending on the printing method and the print product – the elements of the prepress of a graphic print production can differ from case to case. This circumstance requires a management of the workflow. It is necessary to manage the responsibility for each part of the workflow. That can mean that employees, who are actually responsible for other parts of the production (e.g. Layout), have to attend to parts of the prepress.

Electronic commerce From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-comm, e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction's lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as email, mobile devices and telephones as well.

A large percentage of electronic commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual items such as access to premium content on a website, but most electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical items in some way. Online retailers are sometimes known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web. Electronic commerce that is conducted between businesses is referred to as business-to-business or B2B. B2B can be open to all interested parties (e.g. commodity exchange) or limited to specific, prequalified participants (private electronic market). Electronic commerce that is conducted between businesses and consumers, on the other hand, is referred to as business-to-consumer or B2C. This is the type of electronic commerce conducted by companies such as Amazon.com. Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce where the buyer is directly online to the seller's computer usually via the internet. There is no intermediary service. The sale and purchase transaction is completed electronically and interactively in real-time such as Amazon.com for new books. If an intermediary is present, then the sale and purchase transaction is called electronic commerce such aseBay.com. Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions.

PrinterShare® WebPrint You can now print documents directly from the web without having to install the software on your machine. The number of supported formats is limited to the following: •

JPG

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GIF

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BMP

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PNG

Note that with WebPrint you can only print documents but cannot share your printers. We encourage you to install the PrinterShare® software to experience the full functionality of PrinterShare® solution, to print document and share printers. However, if for any reason you cannot or don’t want to install the software, for instance the software is not yet available on your platform you may find WebPrint useful.

Start PrinterShare® WebPrint

WebPrint HOWTO: •

You need to have a file or collection of files ready before starting WebPrint

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Once the WebPrint starts click on the Select file button

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Select one or any number of files from your computer to print

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Make sure the files are of one of the following types: JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG

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Proceed to printer selection (where to print to)

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Enter nickname, email or PrinterShare® ID of the person you want to get the printout then click Find

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From the list of printers select the one you need to print on

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Enter user name and password if you have registered with PrinterShare® before or create a new account (it’s free)

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You may store account information on your computer so you won’t need to enter it in the future

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After clicking OK the printout will be sent to the target printer.

Copyright © 2006-2010 Printer Anywhere Inc. All rights reserved. Print it anytime, anywhere! FREE!

Introduction to the Offset Printing Process If you're a graphic designer, you're undoubtedly familiar with templates and creating full color designs to run properly on an offset printing press. Once the design is complete and sent to the printer, do you ever wonder how they take your graphic file and put it on paper? Knowing how this is done can help you become a better designer. For the uninitiated, here's a brief introduction to the printing process: Prepress Before your jobs get to the press, there are several things that must be done to make sure it will look its best. Busy printers have to balance a tight schedule, so they want to make sure that each project is properly prepared to avoid problems at the press. If you're having your job printed on an offset printing press, your printer will first take your digital files and make film negatives of them. These negatives will then be used to create metal plates through a process that's similar to camera film development. If you have a four color (CMYK) design, there will be four plates — one each for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Once the plates are made, your project is ready to be printed.

Printing An offset press does a lot of things in a very short amount of time to properly execute high-quality printing. Sheet fed offset presses and offset web presses use similar processes, though web presses use huge rolls of paper for high-volume printing, while sheet fed presses are just that — printed sheet by sheet — and are more suitable for short- or mid-range runs (250 to 50,000). Regardless of the paper feed type, once it is loaded on the press it passes under a series of rollers, two of which work together to put the printed impression on the paper. Before that happens, ink and water are applied to the printing plate, which itself is mounted on a roller. The ink binds to the part of the plate that contains design elements; the water is applied to the white space portion of the paper. Oil is mixed with the ink to ensure that the ink and water repel each other and there is no smearing or blotchiness on the finished product. The plate cylinder transfers, or offsets, the design onto a rubber blanket roller, which in turn transfers the design onto the paper. In four-color printing, this process is repeated three times (once for each color) before the printing is complete and the job is ready for finishing. Often, the wet paper is run through an oven to dry.

Finishing Depending on what you are printing, you might require finishing services such as binding and cutting. After your job is off the press, it will be put on another machine such as a stitcher for stapling, gluing and other processes. Finally, it will be cut to size and packaged for shipment. As you can see, graphic design is just one part of a very complex printing process. Each step of the process has a specifically designed benefit. Even though most offset printing presses work very much alike, the actual quality of your job depends on a number of factors, including your printer's attention to detail and press maintenance, the type of press it's printed on, the quality of the ink and paper and even the quality of your design. If you're unsure about how to find a great printer, try an industry-recognized company such

as PsPrint and make sure you ask plenty of questions to make sure your designs look great on paper every time.

Graphic Design Marketing: Branding This is the first article in a five-part series that details exactly what you need to market your graphic design business and make it a success. The realm of graphic design can present a difficult learning curve if you don't know how to properly market your business.

In this series of articles you will find the tools you need to cultivate a winning graphic design business. Importance of a branded image As a graphic designer, you undoubtedly understand the importance of branding. Without rehashing everything you've already learned about why you need to brand your company, we'll offer some tips to refresh your memory on how to build a successful brand.

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Define your niche - What is your niche in the graphic design industry? Do you do logos andcorporate ID packages, or do you prefer web-based work? Focusing on a niche is important to graphic designers, too - especially with so much competition on the high seas.

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Describe your benefits - How do you benefit your customers, and how are you different from the competition?

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Know your customers - Create a perfect customer profile from your top three customers. Study them. Live their lives. Know them, and you will know what problems they have that you can solve.

4.

State your mission - Where does your company stand today, and where do you want it to be in two years? Five years? Ten years? Your mission should encompass who you are and where you're going.

5.

Sum it all up - Your brand is an expression of all of these things. Jot them down and brainstorm potential taglines that represent your company's core identity. Pick the most memorable.

Branding through design Though this probably isn't necessary reading for professional graphic designers, it stands to reason that you must practice what you preach. Branding through design - logos, identity, website, etc. - is critical to longterm success. Don't get so busy with client work that you neglect your own branding needs! Next in the series: Graphic Design Marketing: What Do You Need?

Graphic Design Marketing: What Do You Need? This is the second article in a five-part series that details exactly what you need to market your graphic design business and make it a success. Marketing is an investment, not an expense. That's why you should print your materials through a low-cost, high-quality online printing company such as PsPrint for best results (one perk is that you can become a reseller and make money off of your clients' print orders, too!). Must-have graphic design marketing materials A little bit of marketing savvy can go a long way. Use these marketing materials to help your graphic design business hit the ground running.

Business cards - No business is complete without them. Literally your calling card, business cards should be sent with all other materials, handed out at networking events and distributed to happy customers so they can pass them along to other potential customers. Postcards - Postcards are one of the most cost-effective ways to market a graphic design business. Send them out before the busy season to drum up new business. Posters - With the right message and graphic elements, well-placed posters can motivate tons of response. Flyers - Flyers are perfect marketing materials for placement on bulletin boards, windshields, direct mail, storefront windows and more. Graphic design booklets/guides - Booklets are a unique and profitable way to give your prospects value. Use a booklet to showcase your work by presenting potential marketing campaign ideas to your customers. Brochures - Brochures are service industry staples, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring. Add pop and pizazz to your brochures with die cuts and oversized printing. Calendars - Not only will almost anyone take a free calendar, they'll also use it. What better way to put your message in front of potential customers 365 days a year? Greeting cards - Thanking your customers for their business and commemorating their special moments with greeting cards will earn you a special place in their hearts. Remember that most purchasing decisions are based on emotion, and then justified with logic. Stickers - Sticker marketing lets you shatter boundaries. Affix stickers to anything: ceilings, floors, magazines, notebooks, windows, cars - anywhere your target audience is likely to find them. Newsletters - A well-written and informative newsletter that adds value helps you stay connected to your customers year round and supplies the perfect medium to market new and ongoing services. Vinyl banners - Banners are an affordable way to draw attention to your business. You should also consider producing a website, door hangers and a corporate identity package with letterhead, envelopes, brochure, flyer, business cards and pocket folder. A website is a central online marketing tool, and a corporate identity package is perfect for marketing your services to upscale businesses.

http://www.psprint.com/booklets

Graphic Design Marketing: Copywriting This is the third article in a five-part series that details exactly what you need to market your graphic design business and make it a success. Your graphic design marketing materials should take advantage of professional copywriting conventions to motivate

prospects to take action. Follow this four-step process for incredible copy that motivates response: Four steps for writing winning copy Craft an attention-getting headline - Regardless of the marketing medium, your headline is what draws readers in to the rest of your copy. Make a bold statement that solves your customers' problems, alleviates fears or fulfills desires. When possible, include your offer as part of your headline. Highlight your benefits - Amateurs write about features; professionals highlight benefits. If you offer allin-one web development (feature), you have to tell your audience that this means they'll never have to worry about security, hidden costs, support, etc. (benefit). Develop an incredible offer - Great offers make money. Consider your services from your customers' point-of-view. What would it take for you to act? Your offer should have value to your customers and be time limited to get the greatest response in the shortest amount of time. Motivate with a call to action - Tell your audience in no uncertain terms what they must do next. Provide multiple response channels so you can cater to everyone.

Example landscaping postcard copy:

Give your Website a Makeover ... and Make More Money Get your FREE conceptual drawing today! Don't let your first impression be your last. A website makeover empowers you to take advantage of key online marketing strategies designed to increase leads, boost sales and send profits through the roof. Call 555-555-5555 or log in to www.websitedesignerman.com to get your FREE conceptual drawing today!

Adding value One superb device for increasing the shelf life of your graphic design promotions is to add value to them by including coupons, helpful charts and graphs, tips and other useful information that increases influence and motivates response.

PSPRINT ONLINE PRINTING GUIDE

CONTENTS Introduction Dealing with colors Process colors (CMYK) Spot colors Halftones Duotones, Duographs, Tritones and Quadtones Paper considerations Paper color Paper type Coated v. Uncoated Opacity Thickness Brightness Strength Paper size Envelopes Printing Designs Bleeds Varnish Post-printing designs Printing Methods Offset printing Direct-to-plate printing

Digital printing Printing Checklist Files Colors Paper information Other considerations Process Timeline Conclusion

INTRODUCTION Online printing is a very convenient service that gives a low cost solution to everyone who needs to have their business cards, custom flyers, personalized posters, brochures and any other type of print done quickly and effectively. You simply upload your files through the Internet, make your paper, color and design choices, and have your printed materials delivered to your door. Even if you do not have previous experience with online printing, getting your prints to look exactly the way you want is simple and intuitive. To make this process easier for you, we have developed this PsPrint Online Printing Guide. This Guide aims to help you discover everything you need to ensure your print will be exactly what you want, in terms of colors, paper and all the different aspects that are vital for a top-quality, vivid “on-paper” version of your requirements. We hope you enjoy reading this guide and find it clear, educative and, most of all, useful. top

DEALING WITH COLORS Process Colors (CMYK) CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. These are the basic colors used in four-color process printing. They are combined to produce a wide range of final colors, and, believe it or not, these four colors can accurately represent high quality, colorful images and designs such as, for example, a vivid photograph. The way this combination works is very similar to the way an image is generated on your computer’s screen: each color is formed by mixing certain quantities of the basic colors. The main difference is that, for your PC’s monitor, the basic colors are RGB (Red-Green-Blue) instead of CMYK.

In order to effectively obtain the desired printing results, every image on your screen must be converted from the RGB color system to the CMYK color system before printing. This will ensure that the color combination will be the best possible, as the ink-mixing is calculated by your graphics software rather than the printer. RGB is less accurate than CMYK and doesn’t handle the heavy routines necessary to process and generate accurate conversions on the fly. Spot Colors Sometimes you will need a specific color on your printing, not just an approximation. This is particularly true when you need to accurately reproduce a business logo or a representative image or design that needs to match other printed designs. Selecting a specific color is a task that cannot be left “to the eye”, since the same color sometimes looks different on different screens, or under different light conditions. Besides, on-screen colors are made of RGB values, not CMYK. For this reason, a matching system is required to ensure that the printer will effectively produce the exact same color that the designer wants. The most widely known and used system is the Pantone Matching System, or PMS. The Pantone color library is a big table containing thousands of colors, each one with a specific name. Generally speaking, both spot color printing and CMYK printing have their own pros and cons. CMYK is a low cost solution to achieve a really wide range of colors, although many of those colors are just close approximations. In contrast, Spot colors give you the possibility to match a specific color exactly. However, the extra ink is an added cost and might not suitable for brochures, flyers or other prints that need to be produced at low-cost. Halftones If you take a close look at a magazine, book or newspaper picture, you’ll see that it is made of tiny little dots of different colors, arranged so close together to give the feeling of more or less color strength. This is more noticeable on grayscale pictures, such as those on newspapers, in which the image is produced in several shades of gray despite that only black ink is used.

Halftones are useful to print color dithering, and to simulate shadows. Taking advantage of paper color, halftones are a great way to produce nice printing effects. Duotones, Duographs, Tritones and Quadtones

Duotones are halftone images made with two colors. Typically, one of the colors is black. By varying color intensities, the duotone image can be way better than a plain grayscale image. Similarly, Tritones and Quadtones are halftone representations using three and four colors respectively. The general (and obvious) rule, the more colors in the halftone, the more realistic the printed image will be, but of course the more expensive too. If cost is an absolute priority, you can go with a Duograph (known as a “fake duotone”). A duograph is in fact a one-color halftone printed on top of a solid color background, in a way that simulates a true duotone. However, the image quality is highly inferior to that of a duotone. If you are thinking of using a quadtone, you should consider a full CMYK printing, as it uses the same amount of colors (thus making the costs very similar) and allows for more accurate and defined images and designs. top

PAPER CONSIDERATIONS Paper Color In addition to the amount of ink colors used, the color of the paper should be chosen carefully, as it can heavily change the way a completed project looks. If chosen correctly, the right paper color can allow a designer to “play” a little, producing great effects due to color contrast. However, a bad color paper choice may make the printing much less appealing to the eye. Most designers will choose white paper for their jobs, especially for projects involving photographs. This is because everything that is white on a design will end up being the same color of the chosen paper, which can severely affect the way a photograph looks. A valid alternative is using a white paper with a very light background tint printed on it. This will allow you to visually simulate a colored paper while preserving the photograph’s white color. However, this may not be an option if you need a more professional finish, because the background will be made of tiny little dots, which will be evident in a close look. Believe or not, even white paper is colored. They come with a subtle shade of another color. Thus, you may find gray-shaded white paper, cream, green, blue or even pink shaded white paper. This shades are so subtle that, if examined separately, all of those papers look all white; however you will see the differences if you put different white papers one next to each other for comparison. If you are unsure of what paper color you should choose, here’s a quick way to find out: print your design on your regular printer (that is, your computer “normal” printer), on a transparent sheet. Take that transparency to your paper shop and place it over your possible paper choices, and see which color suits your project best. This, of course, will not look exactly the same as your professional finished printout, but it will help you get an approximate idea of how it will look. Keep in mind that colored paper is usually a bit more expensive than white paper, so if you need a large amount of printing (flyers, for instance), this can represent a higher total cost. Paper Type

There are a lot of possible paper choices, and this can be overwhelming, especially if you have no previous experience in professional printing. However, choosing the right paper is not so difficult: the most important thing to do is to consider what you are printing. Coated v. Uncoated The main difference between coated and uncoated paper is that uncoated paper is more porous, and thus absorbs more ink, than coated paper. This means basically two things: Ink takes more time to dry on a coated paper sheet; and The results will be less accurate on an uncoated paper sheet, because the ink bleeds into the paper due to its absorption, blurring the printed halftone. Uncoated paper is usually less expensive than coated paper, which makes it a great choice for large jobs, especially if printing quality is not a very important issue. In addition, uncoated paper doesn’t irritate the eye when reading for a long time. Newspapers, books, flyers, forms and similar projects are typically printed on uncoated paper. Coated paper tends to be more expensive, but makes printing jobs look more accurate and professional. Typically, coated paper is used to print business cards, brochures, postcards catalogs, and the like. There are many types of coating, depending on its brightness and texture. Matte, glossy and aqueous (water-resistant) are examples of coated paper. Opacity The term “opacity” refers to the ability of a paper to stop light from passing through. Simply put, a low opacity paper will let the reader see what is underneath, and a more opaque paper will prevent that from happening. Typically, newspapers, books and photographic projects that would look bad if the reader could see what’s under the print are printed on high-opacity papers. Low opacity (i.e. more transparent) paper can be used for fine wedding invitations or similar projects. Thickness Some projects, like postcards and business cards, will need to be printed on thick paper. Thick paper tends to be more resistant and heavier, and also more expensive. Books, magazines and similar projects that are printed on thick paper will seem to have more pages than they actually do. The right paper thickness depends on your specific project, but as a rule of thumb, postcards, cards and brochures will need paper that is thicker than that used for newspapers and flyers. Although in some cases this may be not true, generally speaking the thickness of a paper is directly related to its weight. The weight of a paper is defined as the weight of 500 standardsized sheets of paper, in pounds. The main aspect of the paper that directly influences its weight is its thickness; although it’s possible to find paper that is heavier than others while being less thick (i.e. coated paper is heavier than uncoated paper, so it’s possible to find uncoated paper sheets that are both thicker and less heavy than same-sized coated sheets.) Paper thickness is measured in points, and 12 pt. is considered very heavy cover stock. Brightness The brightness of a paper is a measure of how well it reflects ambient light. Coated paper is brighter than uncoated paper. The right brightness will help your printing seem more vivid, especially photographs. Except for flyers, newspapers and other projects that don’t require a

very high quality, a bright paper is usually a good choice; beware, however, of choosing a paper that is too bright, because this may make reading difficult. Strength The stronger the paper, the more resistant and durable it is. The strength of a paper is and indication of its physical properties, such as elasticity and flexibility. Special projects that will require a strong kind of paper include paper bags and big posters. Paper Size One of the key elements to consider for your project is the size of the paper sheets you will use. Although paper sizes are standardized, with typical predefined sizes for business cards, postcards, brochures, books and more, there are differences depending on the standard you use. In the U.S., U.K. and Canada, the most common standard for paper sizes is the non-metric standard. In this standard, paper sizes are measured in inches, with weight preceding height. Thus, “12x18” refers to a paper sheet that is 12 inches wide and 18 inches high. There are many other standards, so you should ask your printer which one they use, and their non-metric equivalent. When choosing the size of the paper, you should consider minimizing paper waste. Sometimes is better to choose a bigger size if it let’s you accommodate more designs on the same sheet, cutting down paper waste and reducing the number of required printed sheets.

Envelopes Envelope printing can be tricky, but once you got it right it will be really easy. The key is to choose an envelope size that is much bigger than what you need to print on it. This way, you can prevent errors and unexpected costs. Envelopes come in a variety of sizes and shapes, being the most common: Announcement: Commonly used for postcards and invitations. Baronial: Used mostly for formal invitations, i.e. wedding invitations. Booklet: These are used for mailing catalogs, folders, etc.

Commercial: These are the most common. They are used to send letters, documents and all kinds of everyday mailing. Catalog: These envelopes are used for sending magazines, reports, catalogs and similar material.

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PRINTING DESIGNS Bleeds Bleeds are objects that go beyond the defined paper limits for cutting. Suppose you are printing a brochure or any other project that requires an image to be placed in contact with the border of the document, then you will need to use bleeds. The process of cutting a sheet of paper may not be exact; many possible causes of error may cause your job to be trimmed the wrong way. Bleeds give some room for errors, preventing any inconvenience that an inaccurate trimming may cause. Here is an image explaining bleeds. Varnish Varnishing is a process that helps protect your final work by applying a protective layer above the already-printed job. Basically, it can be thought of as “non-colored ink”. Varnish makes your print brighter, and it’s better when applied on coated paper (because uncoated paper will absorb most of the varnish before it dries). You should not use varnish on a paper that is already too bright, as the result may make it difficult for a person to read your page. Post-Printing Designs Depending on the nature of your online printing project, you may consider additional processing of your printouts, to make it look more professional and more useful.

You can do several things with your pages, depending on the intended use of your print job’s results: Binding & Stitching: Booklets, calendars, notepads and similar projects will need to have all the pages joined together. This can be done by binding (a wire-spiral joins all the pages together) or by stitching (saddle-stitching is used mostly for booklets). Perforation: Perforation consists on making holes on the paper, to allow people to separate it easily (usually by hand). This process is used mostly for tickets, as well as coupons. The holes are usually small, and can be round holes or have a dotted-line pattern. Hole Drilling: This process is used for sheets that are intended to be stored into folders. Typically, hole drilling are used for personal planners’ and some calendar sheets. Die Cut: Die-cutting is a process consisting in cutting a sheet of paper into a non-standard (i.e. non-rectangular) shape. Coloring books for children are typically die-cut. Many printers like PsPrint have readily available cutting dies that you can use; or you can make your own custom one for an additional price. Scoring & Folding: This process is usually applied to postcards and similar projects, allowing them to be folder without forming unsightly creases. Numbering & Secure Foil: This process consists on applying a hologram or another design on the printout, as well as assigning a unique number to each sheet. This is useful to make each ticket unique and to prevent it from being copies. Secure foil and numbering is used for concert or event tickets. top

ONLINE PRINTING METHODS Depending on your desired printing quality, there are many possible choices when it comes to printing methods. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages, and of course each one may suit a different budget. Offset Printing Offset printing is a technique in which the actual printing is made by a rubber blanket. This blanket has been transferred the printing image from a plate, and then is used to actually “stamp” the ink on the paper. An image setter is used to make the film that will be used to generate the metal printing plate. It is usually combined with lithography, a process that consists on chemically treat the metal plates to accept oil while reject water, relying on the principle that water and oil don’t mix. Ink sticks to the plate where needed, and then the ink pattern is transferred to the rubber blanket. This offset lithography printing method produces high quality printing and less deformation, because the rubber blanket adapts itself to the texture of the paper. This printing method also preserves the plates from damage, because they don’t come in direct contact with the paper surface. Offset printing is ideal for high volume printing jobs that require a good quality. Direct-to-Plate Printing

The direct-to-plate printing method is similar to the offset method, except for one thing: the metal plates are made directly from a computer file rather than from film, which cuts down costs. The disadvantage is that, as there is no film involved, there’s no possibility to make a color correct proof before making the plate. Instead, you can get a digital color proof, which is less costly but also less accurate than a film color proof. The elimination of the film-creation step effectively reduces costs, so direct-to-plate printing is a much recommended choice for those projects that don’t rely on exact color matching. Digital Printing Digital printing is, in fact, a fancy form of color photocopying. It doesn’t vary too much from the regular printing that anyone can do in their home with their computers and an inkjet printer. Although, of course, the actual printer used is a bit more powerful and professional than a home, regular one. In this method, the image is sent directly to the printer: no film, no plates. For low-quantity printings, this is the most cost-effective solution, although for bigger bulks offset or direct-to-plate should be used. Although substantially cheaper, digital printing can only work with CMYK colors (i.e. no Pantone or other spot colors), and thus it may not be ideal for certain projects. Before deciding on which method to use, you should ask your printer what options they offer, and also what is the minimum quantity. It’s not uncommon to find that a supposedly cheaper method is indeed more expensive for larger jobs. top

PRINTING CHECKLIST With a working knowledge of how online printing works, you are now ready to you’re your designs to your printer. Before you submit your project, however, you should go through this checklist. If you miss one of these items, you may get undesired delays, or even end up with completely unusable printed pages. Files Carefully check the files you will need to send the printer. Be sure no file is missing, and remember that you will need to convert your files to CMYK color format, as it’s possible that they are in RGB. Double or triple check everything before submitting, or you may regret it later. Colors Check your designs for special colors that CMYK might not reproduce. These spot colors might have to be added on top of the four main colors for extra cost. If possible, try replacing it with a shade that CMYK can replicate. Paper Information Be sure to specify the exact paper you need your prints on. If you use a colored paper, provide the exact color code to your printer, not just a descriptive name. Also, remember to tell the right paper weight and thickness, opacity and type of paper to your printer, to avoid any possible confusion. Don’t let them decide on any particular subject, instead, supply them with complete and accurate information.

The size of the paper is also a major consideration; make sure you know which standard they use for measuring paper sizes (i.e. non-metric vs. ISO), and supply them with the correct information. Other Considerations If your project will require special post-print designs like drilled holes, die-cutting or perforation, be sure you are concise and clear when explaining this to your printing company. Make sure you clearly understand the pricing scheme, according to the quantity of prints you need. Also, be sure that you have a clear understanding of the timing involved (time before color proof, time of actual delivery time, etc.) top

PROCESS TIMELINE The typical printing process is rather simple. It involves a few steps that are necessary to ensure the best possible results. The process can be summarized like this: Submit designs: The first step, of course, is for you to reach an agreement with your printer and send them all your files and requirements, so they can start working. Printer develops proof: Within a day, the printing company will be ready to make a proof-print. Luckily, this will be similar to how the completed project will look. They may check that proof themselves for any mistake they may have made, and reprint it if they find something that is their fault. Printer sends proof: After 2 to 3 days, the printer will send the proof for you to check everything is correct. You should check it thoroughly, as once you approve it, the file becomes final. Check for color exactitude (if you chose to use spot colors), and make sure there are no typos. After proofing: If you find that everything is in order, then you will contact the printer and tell them to proceed with the work. If you are not happy with the proof, make the necessary changes and re-submit it to the printer. Start over from step b) until everything is perfect. Printing: After approval, your printer will start the actual printing process. Depending on the quality of service and the type of project, it may take up to 10 days for the printing to be completed. Shipping: The printer will ship the completed job to you. Shipping costs will depend on the shipping method used, the weight of the final job, and the cost of the actual printing (usually printers offer discounts on shipping for large projects). Receiving the printouts: After these steps are completed, you will receive the finished job. If you need to receive the results quicker, it may be possible to ask for express printing, which will allow you to get your prints within a week, but at an additional cost, or premium. top

CONCLUSION As you can see, getting the right online printing results is easy. Having your dream designs printed on paper is easy, may be much less expensive than you may think, help you deliver your message, and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Graphic Design Marketing: Ideas and Resources This is the final article in a five-part series that details exactly what you need to market your graphic design business and make it a success Creative marketing generates buzz, delivers value to your customers and increases profits for you. Find inspiration for marketing your graphic design business with the following ideas: Creative ideas Host an event - Host a print and web marketing seminar that demonstrates how the two mediums can work in tandem to deliver great results. Ask your customers to interact with you by critiquing their websites and collateral on the spot. Partner with others - Non-competing, complementary businesses can generate revenue and bolster your mailing list. Web developers, copywriters, social media marketers, ad placement firms and other businesses would be a good fit for a graphic designer. Promote unique angles - Instead of simply saying you design websites, try giving your services unique and memorable names: "Wickedly Wonderful Web Design" might work, for example.

Resources Here are a few links to graphic design business marketing resources you can use to bolster business: PsPrint - Full-service printing, direct mailing and mailing list generation. Direct Marketing Association - Information on direct marketing. Small Business Administration - Helpful guides, forms and sample marketing plans for small business. The SBA also supports Small Business Development Centers throughout the United States. SCORE - The Service Corps of Retired Executives provides free advice in the form of online information and business counseling. Simply contact one of SCORE's volunteer members for business mentorship. All Graphic Design - Links to many graphic design associations. Graphic Design Directory - A directory of graphic design resources. Google - The Google graphic design directory, powered by the Open Directory Project. iaphc - The graphic design professional resource network. Return to the first article in the series:Graphic Design Marketing: Branding