Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com A reader of the PIE Blog posted a comment recently describing problems that have occurred in his transition of some titles from offset printing to digital printing, mostly insofar as his digitally printed halftones (and presumably any area screens) printed lighter than expected. For my response to this reader, I assumed (from the wording of his question) that he was referring to print books produced on uncoated paper using laser printing technology (also referred to as xerography or electrophotography). Here’s the reader’s question as well as my an ..read more

Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com I would like to begin by saying that there is no right answer to the question I’m about to pose. Rather there is, perhaps, just an approach to answering it in your own print buying and design work. The question is, “How do you determine quality when choosing offset commercial printing vs. production inkjet?” First a definition. What is production inkjet? It is the blending of inkjet technology with the traditional durability of offset printing presses along with increased custom printing speed. It is a good choice for short- and medium-run print bo ..read more

Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com What is a giclee? Actually, the word, which is derived from the French, means to “spray, spout, or squirt” (Wikipedia). It refers to a high-end inkjet print used as a work of art (perhaps like the one printed above). Back in the 1980s when I was a graphic designer, inkjet was a very new technology. Instead, analog color prepress proofs (Matchprints, Color Keys, and Cromalins) were made from mixed color powders or overlays on a base that was different from the final selected commercial printing paper. So late in the ‘80s when I started reading about ..read more

Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com “Production inkjet.” When I hear the word “production,” I immediately think high volume. The company, or industry, is serious about getting the work out. When I used my first inkjet printer, I was an art director/production manager for a large non-profit educational foundation. It was the ‘90s. The inkjet was slow, and the colors were somewhat garish, but we were happy to be able to see the overall look in mock-up form. The output was good enough for us to visualize the printed end result and communicate this appearance to clients. We were grateful ..read more

Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com A client of mine came to me this week with a question, “Can you print directly on kraft paper tubes?” She is the senior VP of design at a firm that makes, packages, and sells lip balm. She didn’t want to print and affix labels to the cardboard tubes. In these days of digital commercial printing, a question like this elicits two further questions: “How can you print directly on cardboard tubes?” and “Why would you do this?” I’d actually like to add a third question, “What vendors do this kind of work?” since as a commercial printing broker I’m taske ..read more

There are many online printing companies out there in the market, and each one claims to be the best in the industry. In a situation like this, how to figure out one of the best online printing companies that can provide you with quality services at an affordable cost? This infographic will help you with some important tips on how to select the best service provider in the entire town. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in! The post How to Find the Best Online Printing Company? appeared first on Printing Industry Blog ..read more

Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com To reverse the common maxim, “Every silver lining has a cloud.” This also holds true for digital custom printing, the relatively new technology that has brought to commercial printing both a much wider color gamut than offset printing and the ability to make each printed piece different from every other piece in the press run. Digital printing is wonderful. However, it has some pitfalls. And the best way to proceed is to consider ways to approach your print job to sidestep these potential flaws. To begin my research for this article, I Googled “dig ..read more

Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com About twenty years ago when I was consulting with a congressional publisher I attended a birthday gathering at which I saw my first printed cake. I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the concept. I couldn’t picture how it had been done. Inkjet, I assumed, but I couldn’t envision the print heads elevated over a three-inch-deep sheet cake. Also, I thought about the health issues. How could you print on a cake and not compromise the health of those who ate it? Fast-Forward to the Present Here we are twenty years later and this is the going rage ..read more

Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com I’m not a gearhead. I don’t get excited about car specifications or even computer specifications, but when it comes to custom printing, I’m actually getting very excited about the developments in digital printing. In this arena, I do get pumped about equipment specs. Why? Because I remember the 1990s, when inkjet printer output was garish. We had an inkjet printer in the design studio, but we used it only to give clients a general idea of how the printed product would look. Now, digital printing is running neck and neck with offset printing. Back i ..read more

Photo purchased from … www.depositphotos.com Designing for digital printing is a subject that needs regular attention these days. Digital and offset printing are not the same. While each has its benefits, they both have potential drawbacks that you can minimize based on your approach to the design of your custom printing project. Moreover, between the quick turn-around requirements, versioned printing and variable-data printing requirements, and ultra-short print run requirements of recent years, it behooves you to study the various ways to minimize the visibility of the flaws inherent in dig ..read more