Printing Basic Process:

Pre-press: Photography, design or creation, typesetting, film outputting, plate burning, etc.

During Printing: Transferring the content on the printing plate to the substrate through printing machinery and specialized inks to form the finished product.

Post-press: Finishing processes for printed materials, including laminating, paper backing, cutting or die-cutting, window patching, box gluing, quality inspection, etc.

 

Resolution:

Determines the level of detail in bitmap images. Generally, the higher the resolution of an image, the better the print quality. The resolution settings for different printed materials are as follows:

Four-color printing (e.g., regular magazines): 250-300 DPI.

Album printing: 350-400 DPI.

Newspaper printing: 150-200 DPI.

Inkjet printing: 25-72 DPI.

Indoor photographic printing: 72 DPI.

Outdoor advertising printing: 25 DPI.

 

Bleed:

To avoid white edges or content being cut off after trimming, designers usually add a 2-4mm "bleed" around the trimming position of the image.

 

Color Mode:

Commonly used color modes in printing include CMYK, grayscale, bitmap, and duotone. Fill color settings are generally CMYK, not spot colors or RGB.

 

Common Paper Types and Their Uses:

Coated paper: Smooth surface, high color reproduction, often used for packaging materials.

White cardboard: High hardness, stiffness, and thickness, often used for calendars, book covers, etc.

Kraft paper: Sturdy and water-resistant, often used for making paper bags, envelopes, etc.

Offset paper: Non-coated printing paper, suitable for magazine and periodical interiors.

Matt paper: Weak reflection, fine printing pattern effect, often used for high-end albums, etc.

 

Issues to Note in Printing:

Verification of hue, ink tone, dot gradation, specifications, and registration accuracy are key points to note when approving proofs.

Factors such as paper moisture content, ink-water balance, and printing pressure all affect print quality.

The dryness of ink, pigment properties, and ink color concentration also affect the color effect and adhesion strength of printed materials.