These days, graphic designers are often categorized by their medium of choice: either Web or print. Those that are new to print or are trying to make the leap from Web to print, often make these common printing mistakes.
1. Designing in RGB instead of CMYK
Printers don’t print using RGB (red, green and blue), the colors that computers emit to produce what you see on-screen. Printers produce colors by combining cyan, magenta, yellow and black. (Actually, cyan, magenta and yellow pigments act as filters, subtracting varying shades of red, green and blue from white light to produce color. CMYK is considered subtractive colors, whereas RGB colors are considered additive because adding the colors together produce different colors.)
CMY = subtractive
RGB = additive
Printers use CMYK to produce color for print, which means when you’re designing something on your computer, the colors you see will be RGB. You can switch to a CMYK palette, quite easily though in Photoshop by changing the “Color Mode” option to CMYK Color. If you submit an RGB file to a printer, you’ll likely be asked to convert it to a CMYK file, or the printer will print your file without concern about the color accuracy. It’s up to you to make sure that your color is set correctly.
2. Not using Rich Black
When you have large black text (meaning not body text) or any image that needs a lot of black, it’s best to use Rich Black rather than just standard black (which is 100% K). 100%K looks like a dark gray, a washed-out black. Take a look at the image below to see the 100%K black on the right. (You might have to move your position in front of your computer screen to see the difference.)
What you should see is that the circle on the right is slightly lighter than the Rich Black circle on the left. The difference comes from using the other CMYK colors to fill in the black color. Rich Black is created from combining all four colors to saturate the color.
The problem with using Rich Black is that the registration, or alignment, of the plates can be a bit off. This creates a kind of 3D look to your text.
You can easily fix this by outlining your text with .5 of 100%K. Outline just inside the text or image so that registration is not noticeable.
3. Using the wrong resolution
A blurry image can make an otherwise great brochure or design ineffective at best and confusing at worst. Most printers print at about 300 dpi (dots per inch). The resolution of a computer monitor is 72 ppi (pixels per inch), which is the default setting in Photoshop and Illustrator.
All you have to do is change the dpi to 300 or more (some printers print at 600 dpi), found in the File – New menu that comes up when you start your document in Photoshop.
Filed under: PrintPlace Reviews
Very seldom is one given the opportunity to work for an individual or company that not only has a passion for what they do, but for the customers whom nourish their prosperity. I personally know that the percentage of America’s working class who actually enjoy what they do is very small. I had even come to the conclusion that being able to do what you love is a myth. However, my theory has recently been proven very wrong.
I began my career at PrintPlace in October of 2008. Many times, a new workplace with new tasks and new people may seem overwhelming; but I have been treated golden from the start. The PrintPlace management team has made sure that their employees and customers have every resource necessary to ensure that their experience with the company is a remarkable one. I have found that no matter what issue or problem I come across, if the solution wasn’t provided during training, it is only an instant message or telephone call away. I find it astounding that through an “unofficial recession” where so many people have become a statistic through lost employment, one company is able to turn the odds into an opportunity. With each call that I take, I learn that no company is perfect. Imperfection is expected with any venture, but I believe that mistakes are many times presented as an opportunity, an opportunity which this company has capitalized on; both inside the company and out. I have not found another company through chance or pro-actively searching that strives for customer retention as PrintPlace does. If a customer has an issue, we are not only willing to fix it, but prevent it from happening again in the future to someone else. Never have I seen another company who looks to exert their customer service to the level of calculating a Net Promoter Score via surveys. This not only enables us to see where we are excelling, but allows us to recognize areas that need improvement. The way we treat customers is a type of “financial karma” which can either benefit us, or not.
I believe that a company’s success is not determined solely by the status of the economy, but is self inflicted through strategic planning and implementation. PrintPlace has not only excelled at this, but through communication; both with their customers and employees alike. Not only does every customer end a phone call knowing who they just spoke with by name, but their email address and extension as well. They are comforted in a blanket of support each time they order to ensure that they remember us.
This is what each PrintPlace customer receives every time that they contact us. This level of professionalism isn’t just a first impression or a customer retention procedure; it’s the PrintPlace experience.
Brandon Hurtado
Filed under: News
Arlington, TX, December 19, 2008 – PrintPlace has established a sustainable printing process to minimize waste and reduce harm to the environment by using vegetable-based printing inks and chlorine-free, certified paper stock. With respected news outlets like the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times touting how to protect the environment, coupled with President-elect Barack Obama’s stated intent to curb global warming emissions, going green is clearly at the top of Americans’ minds.
PrintPlace is doing its part for the environment by using vegetable-based inks reduces the amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) released into the air during printing. VOCs have been known to be harmful to people, animals and plants.
PrintPlace also uses chlorine-free paper reduces the production of toxic chlorinated organic compounds, including chloroform, which is a known carcinogen. These compounds are released into waterways as part of the bleaching process, doing environmental damage to the aquatic environment.
This paper is certified by either the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Both organizations promote responsible forest management and protect natural habitats around the world.
PrintPlace also recycles all paper waste and uses plastic substrate that is 100% recyclable. It uses 100% recyclable shipping cartons and packs those cartons with 100% recyclable material.
But its printing process isn’t the only system being optimized for the environment: three-phase lighting provides power savings of up to 50%. And PrintPlace’s carbon footprint has been dramatically reduced by utilizing three shipping points across the United States so that shipping originates from the closest location to the recipient, reducing greenhouse gases.
About PrintPlace:
PrintPlace is a partnership between print professionals, designers and developers committed to delivering the best online printing experience. PrintPlace has an ISO 9001 certified manufacturing facility. They boast the industry’s most powerful and flexible quote tool. They have engineering a unique workflow that guarantees end-to-end color management. In short, they have established themselves as the best online printing company in business providing poster printing and brochure printing services.
Filed under: Design Inspiration | Tags: PrintPlace Reviews, poster printing, PrintPlace.com
With online display ads waning in popularity, it’s back to basics for many advertisers. This means using postcards, brochures and posters to catch consumer attention. If done correctly, a poster (of which billboards are included) can drive someone to stop into a store, visit a Web site or make a call to order a product. I’m going to break down the steps for you so that you can create a great poster.
1. Identify your audience. Yes, this is the first step you must take with any type of advertising and posters are no exception. You only have about 3 seconds to catch someone’s attention with custom poster printing. That means you need to know what your audience likes and what they want to see. You have to design a poster that will pull them in with a glance. If your audience is composed of children, then bright colors or images of their favorite cartoon characters will draw them in. If your audience consists of adults, you’ll obviously nix the cartoon characters and use a celebrity or an image that appeals to adults.
2. Focus your message. The best posters say one thing and say it quickly. You need to create a headline that is 8 words or less, but has enough meaning to get people to either read on or get them into your store. Posters with multiple photos that appear to have nothing to do with each other fail miserably. Posters with long headlines fail as well. You have to make your message clear and short – there’s no time for confusion.
3. Organize your info. Posters generally have a headline, a statement and then perhaps supporting material. Put the most essential info in the headline, which should be the largest of the poster’s typographical elements, and then the statement should be the next largest and supporting material should be in the smallest size font. By the time people get to the supporting material, they’re interested enough and have gotten close enough to your poster for the details.
4. Effectively use colors. Use colors to break up text info, to point to the most important info and to lend background color.
Use colors judiciously – don’t use colors just for the sake of using colors. Colors convey feelings – you can Google “color emotion” to find a list. For instance, blue is calming and red can mean aggression or love. Make sure the colors you choose convey your poster’s message.
5. Use font that’s easy to read. Your poster needs to be legible from at least 10 feet away. Designers recommend looking at your poster from at least 20 feet away, as if you were walking by it on the street or in a mall. Don’t use cursive font or handwriting font that is hard to read. Sans serif fonts (the ones without “feet” or “tails”, like Arial) are easiest to read from far away.
By focusing your message with colors that back up your message’s mood in a legible font, you’ll catch customers’ eyes and generate enough interest to make them make
We’ve all been there. Staring at a blank Word document or a blank piece of paper. Willing the creative ideas to pour forth onto blank slate. And yet, nothing. What’s commonly referred to as writer’s block can be a real pain. But writer’s block is completely natural and common, among writers – and even Stephen King suffered from it while writing The Green Mile. Most instances only last a few hours to a few days; the longest bout of writer’s block happened to Henry Roth, who couldn’t write for 60 years!
Luckily, there are ways to get past the dreaded writer’s block. I’ve found these strategies to work best for me. What kind of strategies do you use? Feel free to comment so that all of us creative types can learn from each other and hopefully ease some of the pain!
1. Take a walk. This is an old one, but it works for me. When I take a walk, I’m concentrating on the feel of the pavement or gravel under my shoes; the smells, sights and sounds; keeping my dog from walking in the middle of the road. All of these things seem to let my subconscious do its “thang” and by the time I come home, I’m in a better place to let the ideas flow.
2. Write about anything, including the kitchen sink. This can be hard for some people to do because it can be seen as a waste of time, but I say, you’re not writing anyway so what’s being wasted? Writing about my dog, childhood memories, writing a description of items in my house – all of these things help spur my brain into at least getting into the writing mode, which is probably what spurs on ideas once I get going. Writing about a bottle of water with mountains on it led me to write a great blog about a trip to Denver to see my sister. I wasn’t even thinking about her before that bottle!
3. Read news sites and blogs. Often local news or reading other people’s thoughts get my own thoughts going. Our brains are wired for some weird associations, so you never know what’s going to come up. You don’t have to read about your specific topic to come up with an idea for it. Our brains are powerful and will work on the idea while we’re reading about something else entirely.
4. Make an outline. Whether it’s a barebones outline or a totally fleshed out outline, any kind of semblance to the piece you want to write will help you come up with ideas. An outline can show you where the gaps are in your piece, and your brain will work hard to fill in the missing pieces.
5. Put on some music. Music lights up parts of your brain associated with creativity. Instead of taking a walk, if I put on some music and start dancing, not only do I get the physical benefit, I wake up my groovin’ brain. Classical music can help babies and toddlers learn, so I don’t see why disco and hip hop can’t make adults grow new ideas!
