Preparing a brochure for print

Hi all,
I've been preparing a fold-out brochure within illustrator; a lot of the brochure has required unique artwork, so InDesign has been out of the question, despite it being the norm to prepare within that program. I can understand the benefits of InDesign, though Illustrator works for me for now - one thing withstanding.
I need to place 'fold marks' for the printer, but I'm unsure of how to go about this, as there doesn't appear to be a dialog/tick box specifically for this. I've read that a dashed line, or 'dye mark' would do the trick, but my reaction to that is "surely that would print out" (though I'm not sure how to create a 'dye mark'...)~ What are my options here?
Many thanks in advance

I very often build such documents thusly:
1. Set up the artboard to the trim size plus a .25" bleed. (Ex: a trifold or z-fold brochure that trims to 9 x 12 would have an artboard measuring 9.5 x 12.5)
2. Posittion horizontal and vertical ruler guides .25" inboard of the artboard edges.
3. Use the Line Tool to draw my own trim and fold marks in the .25" "bleed" area. I also often put 6 pt. textual notes in that area. I color bleed area marks with Registration, and color the text labels and notes according to the seps I want them to appear on.
4. Deliver the file as a press-ready PDF.
This is a cheap imitation of the way FreeHand displays and prints a proper bleed area (similar to the way InD now does). But I find it less cumbersome than messing with Illustrator's Crop Area, and trying to remember how to coax its settings into retaining the bleed area when creating the PDF. Plus, it lets me put my own marks (such as fold marks) where I want them.
JET

Similar Messages

Need advice on "best" way to prepare book cover for printing

This newbie has created a front cover, back cover, and spline in Photoshop Elements with multiple layers consisting of a background image of a mountain, text, and on the front cover, an airplane. I've combined the three parts into a wraparound cover within a single indd file, which I've exported to PDF for upload to Amazon's CreateSpace (CS) for a print-on-demand book.
CS instructions say to "flatten" the cover. I've researched the term and found forum discussions that mention "raster" and "vector" and the pros and cons of different options for preparing a layered image for printing. I'm aware of the cautions about flattening being an irreversible process, and to never do that to a master copy. Beyond that, to say I'm confused would be an understatement.
I realize this is an InDesign forum, but I'm seeking advice on whether there are actions I should take in Elements before placing the three parts of the cover into the InDesign document for converting to PDF. For example, should I flatten them within Elements before placing them in the InDesign document, then convert to PDF? Or is it better to do that on the complete cover within InDesign?
Any assistance on clearing up this fog would be appreciated.

The print-on-demand site's instruction to flatten really has no direct relationship to InDesign, Peter. They don't say anything about what application you should use prior to creating the pdf, and that's what generated my original plea for help as to whether it would be best to flatten the individual images within PSE before placing them into InDesign, wait until they are combined and then do it, or if it is even necessary to do that at all.
I've been doing some additional reading on the CreateSpace forum and found a couple of very detailed (translation: too detailed for me) discussions on the differences in the output based on how you tell Adobe to create the pdf. I also found the following buried in the Help section:
                  Check the PDF settings that will be used to create your PDF file. If available, select "PDF/X-1a," "High-Quality Print" or "Press Quality" from the list of presets. If your system allows, make sure the following settings are chosen. Any other settings should be left to default in most cases.
                  Fonts and images are embedded.
                  Bookmarks, annotations, and comments are disabled.
                  Document security (any type) is not used.
                  PDF/X format is used. PDF/X is preferred, but if you are submitting non-PDF/X files (for example, PDF/A), any comments, forms, or other non-printing objects could be removed during our review process.
                  Transparent objects are flattened.
                  Spreads and printer's marks are disabled.
                  Downsampling, or decreasing resolution, of images is disabled.
                  Bleeds are enabled (if applicable).
                  Click "Export" or "OK" in the export dialog box.
                  Once created, make sure to open the PDF file to see that it appears as you intended. Otherwise, make the necessary adjustments in the native document and re-create the PDF file.
The mention of "High Quality Print" in the first line and the fact that it was InDesign's default setting for export left me with the impression that I didn't need to do anything other than export the cover and it would be in compliance with the requirements. Then when I read on the other forum about what each of the settings does to output, and all this discussion about which setting is best, I wasn't sure if the comment about flatttening applied to my output pdf or not.
As for bleed, yes, and I hope my math is correct in calculating the spline width for cream b&w paper, 374 total pages, trim size of 5.25x8, and a bleed of .125" all the way around, which increases the InDesign document by .25" in width and height over the trim size. I fully expect to have to do all that again, but such is life in the fast lane.

Creating PDF brochure for printing: Remove white margin

Hi guys,
I created a brochure in Idesign which has a black background color.
In order to print the brochure I want to create a PDF (with the right order of pages, e.g. page 1 next to page 8, 2 next to 7 etc.) via the "print function".
The page order is not a problem, but unfotunately I always get a white margin although there is no such in the original indesign document.
(When using the normal "export function" of Indesign there is no white margin, but then I cannot create a PDF with the right page order for printing...)
Has anyone an idea how to solve this?
Thanks for your help in advance!
Best,
Chris

In order to print with bleed you generally need to print onto a larger sheet and trim. I'm guessing you are trying to print this on a desktop printer of some sort, and unless specifically designed for "borderless" printing they always have a border along the edge that cannont be imaged.

Need advise on preparing .ai files for print house for labels design

Greetings!
I just got a freelance job to do label design for commercial products (cleaning, food products, etc).
Its a huge task as the company have lots of products in the market and they decided to drop the design
company that were doing the labels for them and hire me to be the main designer.
Since my main work with Illustrator and Photoshop is been for Web Design and screen graphics,
I am not sure how to use Illustrator CS5 the best way for preparing the final files to send to a print house
according to European or US norms, I would like to have some help from other users that maybe are experience with this kind of job.
My main concerns for now are:
1. Should I send .ai or .eps?
2. Pantones or CMYK ? And how to create the artboards that show the measures of the labels and the pantone colors palette
    (I have seen examples on some prints that have show me ), but have no idea if Illlustrator already have a template/tools for that.
3. About the size of the labels, if its a straight shape, like a square, you make the artboard on that size and just put some bleed,
    but since most products labels come in many shapes, how do you work around it?
   Since the artboard can´t have the same shape as the labels , will the white background being print?
4. When using effects like highlights, reflections, especially in Titles, how do you create the pantones for that ?
Hoping to have some help from the community here, you can send me some links, tuts,
everything that can help me to understand all this kind of process, I will be much appreciate.
Thanks!

Some of the following (but not all) repeats, but elaborates on or clarifies what others have said.
First, though: While I certainly don't mean to discourage you, you will be far better off getting started if you realize this:
Designing for commercial-quality print is a hugely different world from designing for the web. You are now dealing with characteristics and limitations of real-world, physical machines, inks, substrates, and many-step workflows. The most tragic (and potentially disasterous) error web-only designers (and their clients) make is naively thinking that moving from web design to print design is a simple lateral move involving nothing more than a few quick answers to a bullet list of questions (CMYK vs. spot, etc., etc.) If you fall into that camp, you are asking for serious and costly trouble.
A user forum like this is a very poor place to educate yourself. Forums like this are populated by more beginners than experts, many of whom are far too eager to post answers. More often than otherwise, answers are--if not downright wrong--not best-practice.
You need to gain a working knowledge of the printing processes with which you wll be dealing. Take a class at the local tech school. Visit the printing houses (and don't carry a designer's chip on your shoulder). Look for any opportunity to get your fingers dirty; offer to do some grunt-work in a press room to gain exposure. Read authoritative books on the subject.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
f1. Should I send .ai or .eps?
Nowadays, PDF is the preferred delivery format for whole documents. If the printing house is placing the artwork in a program that cannot place PDF as a spot graphic, it is conceivable that they may need EPS. Depends on the printing house's workflow. In print work, you need to communicate with the printing house--and you need to learn to speak their language.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
2. Pantones or CMYK ?
Don't say "Pantones." Pantone is a company. Say "spot color." Pantone makes both process and spot inks. Pantone is not the only source for spot color. Your question is "spot color or CMYK process." The answer depends on the specific project.
Labels may involve CMYK process, spot colors, or a combination of the two. You can't just add colors to your design willy-nilly. You have to plan and design for it. It depends on the printing budget, the printing capabilitites of the printing house, the printing method, and even the design (which may affect the substrate, which may not be suitable for process).
When designing for print, don't think in terms of colors. Always think in terms of inks, because that's what you're really dealing with. Each time you add an ink, you add a workflow process, and therefore cost. As soon as you add a number of inks in the design that exceeds the number of inkwells on the press on which it will be run, you have just necessitated another press pass.
Labels also commonly involve clear or translucent inks (varnishes), liquid lamination (flood or spot), metallic inks, and/or foils. Each of those count as an additional ink or even a different work process. Sometimes certain inks require drying time after previously-laid inks, which also affects costs.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
And how to create the artboards that show the measures of the labels and the pantone colors palette
Again, best practice depends on the printing house and its workflow. For example, it can be a no-brainer labor (i.e.; money) savings to gang multiple instances of a label design onto a design page (Artboard) set up to the size of the press sheet.
It can be advantageous to draw die cuts on a separate Layer, also ganged to match the artwork layout. Same may apply to foils, varnishes, and embosses. It's often advantageous to draw trim and fold marks in the bleed area of the page layout. It's often advantageous to add registration marks in a press-sheet layout.
Again, best-practice depends on the project--but the economical and turn-around advantages can be significant.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
(I have seen examples on some prints that have show me ), but have no idea if Illlustrator already have a template/tools for that.
Whenever you catch yourself thinking "I have no idea if Illustrator..."--read the instructions.
Most graphics programs (including Illustrator) provide options for including basic "printer marks" (trim and registration marks, separation labels) outboard of the page size. That doesn't mean it isn't often advantageous to add your own. For example, the auto printer marks setting will only add one set of trim marks for the whole page. That's pretty useless in a multi-up layout, which is quite common in label design.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
...but since most products labels come in many shapes, how do you work around it?
Pages (Artboards in Illustrator) are rectangular. One typically provides die cuts (and/or varnishes, foils, embosses, etc., etc.) as elements drawn accurately on a Layer dedicated to the purpose.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
Since the artboard can´t have the are same shape as the labels , will the white background being print?
There is no "background." This is an object-based program. Where there is no object, there is nothing. By default, even white fills don't mean "white ink"; they mean "no ink." (Remember, think inks, not colors.)
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
4. When using effects like highlights, reflections, especially in Titles, how do you create the pantones for that ?
Illustrator is primarily a vector based drawing program. Vector graphics are by nature and even by definition sharp edged. When vector programs try to provide "soft & fuzzy" features, they do it in either of two ways: either by programmatically creating additional vector paths and parameters (blends, grads, mesh grads), or by resorting to creation of non-vector "effects" (raster images). Whether such features correctly handle spot colors depends on the feature, and even on the version of the program.
So whenever working with spot color--in any program--you have to stay consciously aware of what you are actually doing (what kind of objects you are creating) when you apply such features. That's why it does no good in a user forum to speak of nebuous designerly terms like "highlights" when you ask technical questions. In order to get a correct answer, you ultimately have to state the kind of objects you are dealing with (and feature, and version, etc.).
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
1. PDF?? I only use .pdf to show the client the designs before approval but never as final file...also I have heard from some many places that if the print house needs to open the file on a different design program the best is to send them .eps
PDF is a delivery format. As such, it is very versatile. Design comps is only one of its many uses. But PDF is not meant to be an editable format. When you deliver a PDF that was created by Illustrator and which is fully editable on the receiving end, you are really embedding in the file a full second version of the file as native AI content. Whether this AI-native content is included is controlled by you when you export the PDF.
Editing PDFs that do not have the AI-native content embedded can be very cumbersome and problematic. Again: PDF is a delivery format, not an editing format. Ideally, the printing house should not have to edit your press-ready files. It is supposed to be up to you to build them correctly. That should be your goal.
I expressly forbid printing houses from editing my delivery files. If an edit is needed, it comes back to me, and I make the edits. If a printing house chooses to edit one of my files without permission--and a problem result--they eat it; not me.
Yes, yes, if print-side minor editing (like the afore-mentioned ingredients boilerplate scenario) is part of the established workflow, that's fine; its assumedly been agreed upon as the cost-efficient workflow. But generally speaking, the kind of designer who routinely relies upon the printing house as a "safety measure" to fix his files is...well...exactly the kind of designer I would not hire.
By the way: Hearing something "from many places" (especially in online user forums) in this business is no indication of correctness or best-practice. Quite often, the most-cited advice is the bad advice. Case-in-point: The ever-cited myth that everything for print should be rasterized to 300 ppi. 300 ppi is usually needless oversampling. This is especially true in reference to mere raster effects like those controlled by Illustrator's Document Raster Effects Resolution setting. 300 ppi is almost never needed for the most common uses of such effects: blurry drop shadows, glows, etc., etc. "Fuzzy" is the very purpose of those effects. All you have to concern yourself about is the potential for visible pixelation, which is directly tied to halftone ruling.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
...what I was mention is to be able create like a table where you list the pantones use, same time to put measures guides on the artboard itself, is this possible to do in illustrator?
Again, separation names are included in the Printer Marks option of the Print Dialog. See the documentation. Depending upon your delivery format and workflow, the printing house may not even use Illustrator's printer marks; they may use those in one of their prepress programs.
But you should always check the seps before sending a press-ready file. You can do this in AI's print dialog, or in Acrobat Pro. Regardless, it's your job to make sure the project color-separates correctly. It is very common to "finish" a job thinking you have been very careful and everything is right. It is just as common to preview the seps and find an object on the wrong separation plate, or knocking out something it shouldn't, or overprinting something it should knock out.
(There's also the whole matter of trapping, which this thread has yet to mention.)
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
...imagine I have a label that is a star with 200x200 px, and the artboard is white background with 300x300px,
I will add (with as much force as I can muster) my admonition to that which has already been given: when talking about actual, physical measure, forget about the web. Forget about Photoshop's rulers. Forget about pixels. A pixel is not a unit of measure. If you think it is, tell me: How big, in inches, is a pixel? I might as well ask you "how high is up?"
If you tell a printing house that the trim size of your document is 600 by 1200 pixels, he will (and should) laugh at you.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
if I print the artboard on my laser printer I get the label with the background also, so how does the print house manage to
not have the background of the artboard when they print?
If you print the artboard on your laser printer, you do not "get the background." Think about it: Do you have any white toner in your laser printer? (Think inks, not colors.)
All the above is offered in a spirit of helpfulness (and some tongue-in-cheek jest). Take it as such. Bottom line, though--and this is not meant to be the least bit insulting--unless the company you have just contracted with is a small mom & pop shop and/or has very basic labeling projects, it really sounds as if you are already in well over your head. I am certainly not saying any of this is rocket science. It isn't. A dedicated person can learn its ins-and-outs in relatively short time if that time is well spent. But an online user forum is a very error-prone, incomplete, inefficient, and therefore poor way to learn it. It doesn't sound like you have that much time to waste.
JET

Creating PDF brochure for printing: Black color adjustment

Hi guys,
I created a brochure in Idesign which has a black background color and in addition also some pictures with black backgrounds.
In order to print the brochure I want to create a PDF (with the right order of pages, e.g. page 1 next to page 8, 2 next to 7 etc.) via the "print function".
The page order is not a problem, but the black background color is rather gray instead of black - so there is quite a difference between the black background color of the pictures and of the whole background.
(When using the normal "export function" of Indesign I know how to solve the color problem, but then I cannot create a PDF with the right page order for printing...)
Has anyone an idea how to solve this?
Thanks for your help in advance!
Best,
Chris

Your images all use some form of Rich Black for the background, and that prints using all 4 CMYK inks. Your 100%K background will almost always seem gray next to that because it is, in fact, lighter. This will be true even if you use a profile conversion to make it also a 4-color black.
You can make your own rich black swatch and use it as the background (sample a few of the images to get some idea of a good mix), but in truth your images are still probably not going to match all that well. Images tend to have color variations across the background, and your ID background is a flat color, so even a slight mismatch can cause the edges to be obvious. There can also be differences in color on some printers caused by differences in the way raster and vector content are processesd.
I prefer to embrace that, or at least admit it is going to happen, and either use a completely different color for the background so the mismatch always shows, and looks deliberate rather than like a mismatch, or I add a stroke to the image frames, often paper, to break the continuity and disguise the mismatch.
As far as imposing the file and exporting, there are a number of free scripts, and an actual plugin, IDimposer which is also currently free, that can impose your file for you before you export. You can learn more about the plugin at Overview | IDImposer

Question about preparing CMYK colours for print

hey guys, Im preparing some artwork in CMYK to go on a CD cover
on the printers site they say that if you have up to 400% colour (so 100% in C,M,Y, and K) it can get too thick and start cracking and falling off.
"We recommend that you stick to a total of 230% wherever possible for any colour (i.e. the combined % of C, M, Y, and K add up to less than 230%)."
now I notice in my image the black areas are indeed up to 400% ink, is there a way I can reduce the colours correctly so nothing goes over 230%, without losing my lighter colours or blacks? thankyou

But black ink by it self should suffice.
Mainly for text and cartain graphic elements, in my opinion, or in completely b&w compositions.
Additionally it might cause registration issues when black objects overlap colored elements.
Spaciousmind, please provide a screenshot or lores of your layout, so that we can provide relevant advice.
And how did you arrive at 400% Total Area Coverage (TAC) in the first place?
Basically I would recommend
• to edit photographic and painterly images in their original RGB-spaces (which can be contained as Smart Objects in CMYK-files) and
• create only graphical and text elements in the seprataed CMYK-file.
230% TAC seems very low, as for example newspaper print requires that low a number (and probably some other processes that are not offset-print).
Please ask your printer to specify their CMYK-space by way of an ICC-profile.
Edit: By the way, even if the printer should provide an ICC-profile simply converting your CMYK-file to that will probably not be the best way to go.

Auto preparing file for printing Feature (extension)

do you know extension or plug-in for auto preparing a file for print?
I have a bunch of calling cards, flyers, brochures and etc.,
and I manually setting it up for print over and over again, sometimes I forgot 1 or 2 steps of doing that like missing cutting guides.
now I'm looking for that feature or similar, I know this is not impossible.
I have a idea but I don't know codes.

Hello IanHP8500,
Welcome to the HP Forums.
I see that you're having an issue getting your Officejet 8500 scanning on Windows 8.1. I will do my best to help you with this issue.
Did you upgrade to 8.1 from an older version of Windows?
If so, with it not scanning correctly. You can try just removing the HP Solution Center from programs and features.
Go to the bottom left corner of your screen right click on the Windows icon> go to Control Panel> Go to Programs> uninstall Solution Center if it's listed.
Next, instead of using the printer install wizard. Download the software from this link: HP Officejet Pro Full Feature Software and Driver. Let it run through, it should prompt to " add more software". This should allow you to reinstall Solution Center.
If you run into issues, there is something you may have to do. If you get a file missing error here, or the install hangs check your computer for the following.
McAfee Live Safe - Disable the "Realtime Scanning".
Check for and remove HPOINS*.dat or HPWINS*.dat. Here is a link to a post by JonW on how to do this: Re: installer setup hangs under Windows 8.1.
Try all of this, and let me know how you make out. Thank you for posting on the HP Forums.
I worked on behalf of HP.

Can FW CS3 be used for graphic for printing?

I am very familiar with FW but I do not like Photoshop,
however I have both I preffer to use FW. As I have seen on one
presentation new FW CS3 has CMYK pallete so my question is: can FW
CS3 be used for preparation of graphic for printing or what are the
obstacles? After preparing images in FW I will use InDesign for
text or maybe the text in FW is wector and maybe I could use FW
including text and not to use INDEsign far small projects? Does
anyone has any experience with this subject?
Regards
Martin

qnnick wrote:
> I am very familiar with FW but I do not like Photoshop,
however I have both I
> preffer to use FW. As I have seen on one presentation
new FW CS3 has CMYK
> pallete so my question is: can FW CS3 be used for
preparation of graphic for
> printing or what are the obstacles?
Fireworks does not operate or export in CMYK color space. It
was
developed for screen images only, and operates and exports in
RGB color
space. It is not recommended that you use it in preparation
of images
for print. You mentioned that you don't like photoshop. You
might like
Illustrator better.
Linda Rathgeber [PVII] *Adobe Community Expert-Fireworks*
http://www.projectseven.com
Fireworks Newsgroup:
news://forums.projectseven.com/fireworks/
CSS Newsgroup: news://forums.projectseven.com/css/
http://www.adobe.com/communities/experts/

Packaging .AI file to PDF ready for printer - MAC Tiger user

Hallo, I need some help please about sending artwork to printer who is using a FUJI colour Laser printer. (like most printers who are using laser here they reply to me to simply send them PDF, when I ask about embedded profiles or not to embed they tend to look at me blankly and say just send them a proof for me to compare colours)?!?!?!?
So, Please could someone confirm wether or not I have applied the best setting in my PDF conversions: I am running CS3 creative suite and acrobat version 8.0. thanks.
When you get the PDF options window on the " save Adobe pdf", On the first GENERAL page I set this to PDF/x-1a, (but why is there also the standard tab where I can do the same thing? so I set this also to PDF/x-1a. The compatibility goes to acrobat 4.0.
I now go to OUTPUT. here I set the following:
Colour conversion -- convert to destination preserve numbers
Destination (since this is laser I set it to -- Generic cmyk profile
Profile inclusion policy is grayed out.
In PDF/X box under output intent profile name is set to Generic cmyk, and that is all.
Before i did all this my global colour settings management policy is set to FOGRA27 (iso 12647-2:2004) and adobe RGB 1998 for the photos from photoshop cs3 of course. I then convert the document to the generic cmyk profile before packaging it into PDF and assigning these settings.
I have searched everywhere for detailed tutorials about precisely how to pakage your work for an outside printer, but the web is silent when it comes to laser printing. I would love to know if there are any resources which cover all the issues of preparing your artwork for print since this side of the job is a minefield of complicated presets and flattening and font changing techniques.
I am a memeber of Lynda.com and while they are excellent teachings and professional, I have unfortunately not been able to learn the gritty detailsof printing from them, only the basics.
I appreciate the person who takes the time to reply to this.
I thank you.
Kind regards
Chris Watts

Your settings should do the job adequately, but there is a much simpler and more reliable method. Get Acrobat Professional. Generate your artwork in AI and save it as an .eps file. Then use Acrobat Distiller to generate the .pdf file. The advantages are that AD produces MUCH smaller file sizes, much better .pdf files and has a number of presets from which to choose, depending on the intended purpose of the file.
Another hint as far as quality control is concerned - you should be working in the CMYK color space in Photoshop, if you are going to produce CMYK images in the .pdf file. CMYK is a narrower color space than RGB, so there is often a color shift upon conversion. You may have the image exactly the way you want it, as an RGB, but be disappointed in the printed version because of the shift in color during conversion. If you work in CMYK, you can adjust it to get the results you want.

Transfer edited photos to outside firms for printing

What Photoshop Elements 11 steps are necessary to enable the transfer of edited photo's to local Walgreen's for printing without using Facebook?

If you want to prepare the files for printing after editing, you could try the actions panel in Expert Mode. There is an action for 4 inch x 6 inch prints which will give your originals the maximum resolution. Then export the photos to a CD or thumb drive etc and take to your store or upload on-line.

InDesign or Creative Cloud for print ads/brochures?

For small business- only 1 person using program. Should I buy indesign or creative cloud? All I need it for is creating ads for print and high-end brochures. What would Creative Cloud have for me that InDesign wouldn't? Thanks!

The Creative Cloud is an "umbrella" name for all of the programs that are delivered/installed when you pay for a Cloud subscription
http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud/faq.html
http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/install-apps.html
Cloud Plans https://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud/buying-guide.html
http://forums.adobe.com/community/download_install_setup/creative_cloud_faq
what is http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/creative-cloud-desktop.html
Cloud Getting Started https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/topics/getting-started.html
You may use the Cloud and pay monthly, which means you always have the latest version of the program... as long as you know that the Cloud version stops working if you stop paying
Or you may make a one time purchase of the CS6 version... which will not receive future updates Creative Suite 6

Prepare for print from web design

Hi
think yet again I've confused myself - ok not difficult!
I've prepared a logo for a clients website which is shown at the top as RGB
The client now wants to use it elsewhere and has asked for a 15cm * 12cm version for printing.
So I created a new document selected printingstyle and set the size to 15 * 12 and using the left arrow clicked on my original and draggedit into the new blank document.
Nothing is placed I still see the empty page.
What step have I missed
thanks
Ian

Select all (RGB document)
copy
Edit >> Paste in Front (CMYK document)
Yo may need to do so me small tweak colors as going from RGB to CMYK some colors may be less saturated.

Color Shift in document being prepared for printer

This is about a book cover design being prepared to send to printer. It was on the back burner for a year. Synchronised color settings in Adobe Bridge to North American Prepress 2. Cleaning up palette (added unnamed colors and threw out unused ones). Converted all colors in palette to CMYK. A placed photo from Photoshop remains in RGB.
Two color warning dialog boxes have kept popping up:
"The RGB settings in this document are different than your current application color settings."
"The CMYK settings in this document are different than your current application color settings. "
I usually don't change what I don't understand because I'm afraid of a color shift.
At one point, however, I think I did: It suggested I change the RGB setting to Adobe RGB. I think I selected Adobe Working RGB. Since this is a document with print intent, I didn't think it mattered if I changed the RGB setting. I think it was previously sRGB. Seed right -- the Adobe RGB is more appropriate for print documents, right?
To make a long story short, the client is now complaining that the new PDF is different from the PDF sent a year ago. She printed the PDF on her inkjet printer and it is different also. The colors of the document elements in the older document appear much brighter, while the photo seems more subdued. The new document, the colors of the document elements appear duller and look less saturated, while the photo seems brighter and more saturated. The client prefers the colors in the old version.
I sampled each of the colors in the old PDF and the new PDF and they are the same (with the exception of one element in the old PDF that is RGB). So I know the problem is how the software is interpreting the color values, not that the colors have changed.
How do I get back the old colors for the document, which is ready to send to the printer?
I'm ever grateful for any help I can get.

I think the reason why this question is asked often is because the FAQ entry is pretty lame and incomplete, especially for Mac users that by default have a color managed browser and by default have a screwed up rendering mechanism for untagged images.
Depending on your version of Photoshop, you can convert to sRGB before or during the Save for Web operation.
cesspool13 wrote:
...I have been told that you are not supposed to embed the ICC profile in the document when saving for web because most monitors are untagged.
You convert to sRGB for the systems that do not fully support color management.
and...
You include the sRGB ICC profile for the systems that do support color management.
Doing both covers your bum in most situations. You may choose to omit the ICC profile if you are working on common interface graphics that do not require strict color management. The ICC profile adds a few kilobytes to the file size that are not necessary on lesser graphic elements on a web page.

Question about file preparation for print from Photoshop

I need to figure out the best method for saving for print from Photoshop. Here are the things that are confusing me:
Problem: When I create a design in Photoshop, I'm left with a few options on how to save my document. I would like to know which of the following is the best method:
Method 1: create a pdf and embed the required fonts. This method worries me because I've read that certain fonts will not open on the recipients end due to restrictions set by the font maker. Is this something I should be concerned with or is embedding fonts the best route to take?
Method 2: Convert all type to shapes. This method seems like the safest but I've read problems associated with this route as well. One website commented that having too much text converted to shapes can cause extremely long print times. Is this true?
Another problem I've encountered with converting text to shapes is when I have a paragraph that has more than one text color...converting to shapes converts everything to just a single color. I would love to know a work around to this. Currently I have to create separate layers for the different text colors and try to manually align them...very time consuming. I know InDesign would be best for this type of thing, but Photoshop works just fine for me, asside from this one little thing).
Method 3: Flatten my entire design (text and all) at 300dpi. Will my text look crisp flattening at this resolution?
Thank you to anyone who can help clear this up for me. I read so much inconsistant information online that I don't know what to think anymore.

Method 1: create a pdf and embed the required fonts. This method
worries me because I've read that certain fonts will not open on the
recipients end due to restrictions set by the font maker. Is this
something I should be concerned with or is embedding fonts the best
route to take?
Always embed fonts, but then again, Photoshop can't until you save a format that can like PDF. Some fonts do not allow you to do so. Outline the fonts or convert to shapes. Better yet, stop building text documents in Photoshop for print. It's generally a bad idea for many reasons like rejected jobs and lost money and time.
Method
2: Convert all type to shapes. This method seems like the safest but
I've read problems associated with this route as well. One website
commented that having too much text converted to shapes can cause
extremely long print times. Is this true?
Problems arise if you want someone to edit the files, but the same goes for a font that is missing. As far as the print slow down times - it depends upon the RIP and how complex the file is. Maybe or maybe not be an issue. After all, text in Photoshop is using a font as a vector shape layer and not a font in the traditional sense.
Another problem I've encountered
with converting text to shapes is when I have a paragraph that has more
than one text color...converting to shapes converts everything to just a
single color. I would love to know a work around to this. Currently I
have to create separate layers for the different text colors and try to
manually align them...very time consuming. I know InDesign would be best
for this type of thing, but Photoshop works just fine for me, asside
from this one little thing).
A paragraph? Please attend a school that teaches you the basics of design in graphics. It will do you a great service to get more studies under your belt. Photoshop text is for graphical art not type setting.
Method 3: Flatten my entire design (text and all)
at 300dpi. Will my text look crisp flattening at this resolution?
It depends upon the resolution of the output device. The higher the resolution of the output the worse your text will be.

Preparing Screenshots for Print

Hi-
I am looking for guidance for capturing screenshots, that will be for print. The company that I work for has a book being made that requires several figures from screenshots. The book is being printed in B&W. I do not have access to any other screen grab program other than Grab, and was wondering if anyone has any advice for making these grabs the best quality they can be for print. I am obviously concerned with resolution, but also the general quality of the images, bluriness when printed, as well as loss of quality and contrast when converted to B&W.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! The width of the all screenshots is 26 picas.
Thanks!
Lees

misslees wrote:
No I don't...I am on a mac...
In that case why not amble over to their forum?
http://forums.adobe.com/community/photoshop/photoshop_macintosh

Preparing a brochure for print

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