Graphic Print Production
Graphic Print Production can be defined as “All the steps that are taken to produce a printed product.”Factors to Be Aware of:
• There are multiple roles / people
• Success is partnership dependent
• Costs can be unpredictable
• Proper planning and knowing what to ask pays off
A word about “The Graphic Print Production Flow”
Today, thanks to technology, one person can and is often expected to do more different jobs whereas, in the past it used to take more people, each specialized in particular parts or areas of the production process.So who does what? And what’s the process?
There are 8 basic Steps to Graphic Print Production…
… and together these make up 4 Phases
A. Idea and Concept
1. Strategic work ( the thinking part )
2. Creative work ( that would be us )
B. Creative Production
3. Image and text ( the grunt work )
4. Layout ( the fun part )
C. Industrial Production
5. Prepress ( the last chance to make big changes)
6. Printing ( the loss of control )
7. Finishing and Binding ( putting all the pieces together )
D. Logistics
8. Distribution ( getting the project to the end client )
Idea and Concept: Strategic Work
Who does the Thinking?What do they ask or figure out?
What are the goals for the project?
Who is the audience?
What will it be used for?
Idea and Concept: Creative Work
Developing the design. Determining the message. Figuring out how to best communicate with the audience.What type of printed product should be crated?
What should this product say?
How should it say it?
What will it look like?
Creative Production: Images and Text
Thanks to digital devices, and technology advances now everyone’s an expert. Right?• issues with image quality
• issues with size
• issues with cropping or edited info
• issues with archiving / organization
Image editing consists of both checking for technical quality and achieving creative goals. There are basically two types of images that we will work with:
1. Pixel based images
2. Object graphics
Creative Production: Layout
The preparation of the layout for printed products extends beyond making it visually appealing.Elements within layout consist of:
• typography
• manuscript / content
• image use (selection and editing)
• color choice and use
• knowledge of the printing process
Industrial Production: Prepress
So what is prepress exactly? The steps and techniques required to create print-adjusted digital files that can be the foundation for the production of printing.• creating PDFs
• print adjustments of images
• proofing
• imposition
• rasterizing
Industrial Production: Printing
There are various types of printing methods. They are typically determined by:• quality requirements
• edition size
• printing material and format
• type of finished product
There are basically two types of printing:
1. Printing press technique
2. Printer technique
And then there’s digital printing which is based on the “printer” technique but is capable of competing with the traditional expectations of an off-set press.
Industrial Production: Finishing and Binding
This should be considered from the beginning of the process because what you want to produce and how you intend for it to be handled by the user is directly impacted by the binding and or finishing process.Basically Finishing & Bindery has 3 areas
1. surface processing
2. off press processing
3. binding
How / Where / or Who takes care of the Finishing or Bindery work will vary depending on its complexity.
Logistics: Distribution
The final step, is otherwise identified as how the product gets where it’s going to be (i.e. mailing or shipping) often can be more expensive than printing itself. This is frequently a service provided by a third-party vendor.Reading Assignment
• TEXT: A Guide to Graphic Print Production: pgs 18-36Before Production
Before you begin any work some consideration should be given to the following:1. Why are you making it? (what is it’s purpose)
2. Who should it reach?
3. How should they be reached?
4. What kind of printed product should this be?
5. What are the quality demands?
In thinking about these different factors and how they interrelate you will make some key decisions about your work or project that will directly affect or impact the decisions you make in the production process. In answering these questions you will be organize and formulate your process for acquiring or obtaining job costs.
1. Why are you making it? (what is it’s purpose)
The answer(s) to this question should begin to lead you into what format you need to be considering for the project. And in large part it’s the format that will set the stage for the project planning and job costing. For example:
• If you want to persuade someone to buy something,You make an advertisement.
• If you want to impart information,You make a newsletter
• If you want to entertain or educate,You make a book
• If you want to package something, You create packaging
2. Who should it reach? & How should they be reached?
Your target audience will help you formulate some layout decisions with regard for type and graphic / visual style. Determining your “target” audience will also lead you to consider media or how best to reach your audience.
Some examples of “target audience types”
• Youth
• Retired people
• Median Income
• Food lovers
Some examples of “media”
• Large advertisements around town
• Ads in the newspaper or magazines
• Direct mail
4. What kind of printed product should this be?
The type of printed product will be set by the audience type and the media combined. For example if you were doing a direct mail project you would be most likely completing a postcard or flyer and NOT a poster. And if you are doing a direct mail project for a select audience (i.e. 55 plus members of a small community) the distribution would be small enough that a self mailing brochure becomes a viable option.
On the other hand if you were doing a 50,000 plus general coupon mailing to a less specific audience, it may be more cost effective to produce a simple 2-sided postcard.
5. What are the quality demands?
Knowing how the product will be used will help to determine the quality standard for which you should work toward. Keep in mind that the demands put on quality will directly affect your costs. Typically the better or higher the quality, the higher the cost. In considering quality, it is best to calculate the relationship between the end user or “target audience” and how the piece will be produced. Some questions to help formulate your plan might be:
• should it last a long time
• should it be of archival quality
• will it be leafed through frequently
• is it going to be thrown away immediately
Production Costs
Now that you’ve considered1. Why are you making it? (what is it’s purpose)
2. Who should it reach?
3. How should they be reached?
4. What kind of printed product should this be?
5. What are the quality demands?
and likely come to some conclusion about what you are producing you will have some of the information required to do some comparison shopping.
So what affects or impacts the production costs?
There are many inter-related elements that can either increase or lower your printing costs. It is up to you to make informed decisions to manage your costs. There are some projects that will require an accounting and allowance for each of these factors, but some projects may only utilize a select few. (i.e. you may not always elect to include the archiving as part of your job costing.)
1. The “Makeready” or Setup Involved
2. Edition Size / Format / Volume
3. Color Use
4. Image Editing
5. Layout work
6. Prepress
7. Finishing / Binding
8. Paper
9. Packing and Distribution
10. Archiving
11. Environmental Concerns
Vendor Selection
Your vendors are your “friends”—and your relationship with them and how and when you utilize them will have a direct impact on your success as a designer. So choose them wisely and consider them as a partner in your production process. Respect their role, and be considerate of their work. Some Factors to Consider When Selecting a Vendor
• quality and competence
• delivery times / guarantees
• capacity and resources
• organization and working together
• proximity and availability
• references and direction
• routines and conditions
• quality and environmental work
• economy and future
Planning
Generally the planning comes after you’ve collected your offers on printing. This can be the most challenging part of the process due to the variables and the number of participants you must rely on to complete the project.As a general principle when it comes to planning production, one should “expect the unexpected” and plan accordingly.
Some things to consider and anticipate in planning:
• Who is in charge?
• Are you qualified to be in charge?
• Who should be included in the project?
• Who is responsible for what parts?
• Who should check proofs?
• Who will be giving the project final approval?
• What vendors are needed for the project?
• What will you be doing?
• What will your vendors be doing?
• Do you have these contacts already?
• Who should be keep informed of what and when?
• How will you guarantee quality and time frames?
In order to answer these questions and lead a project:
• you must understand the production process. There are 8 basic steps.
1. Strategic work
2. Creative work
3. Image and text
4. Layout
5. Prepress
6. Printing
7. Finishing and Binding
8. Distribution
• you should be aware of how each step impacts the next
• you should be able to assign reasonable time allowances for each step to take place
When planning
• start with the delivery date and work backwards
• be aware that changes in the early stages are notnearly as costly as those that take place later
• be sure to set check points
• allow for errors / build in some padding or at a minimum be aware of where some flextime can exist if needed.
Reading Assignment (PREP)
• TEXT: Getting it Right in Print; Chapter 1; pgs 7-18• TEXT: Getting it Right in Print; Chapter 4; pgs 31-36
00: Overview | 03: Evolution of an Industry / Types of Printing
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