Acrobat is a very useful tool for many purposes. It enables a file to be viewed via a free third party reader no matter what the original creator program is. These files can be very useful but there are some tricks to ensure that the file is set up correctly, depending on whether it is to viewed on the screen or if it is to be printed.
The Acrobat PDF file that needs to be viewed or printed correctly requires that the fonts are embedded. The end user may not have the same fonts installed as you. A file that is to be printed needs to have enough resolution in the pictures and text to ensure a quality result. A PDF created for screen viewing only will have the pictures present at 72 dots per inch (dpi) and the result will be “blocky” or pixelated. A file ready for print will need to be at least 600dpi.
The use of certain programs to create PDF files can also have hidden problems. Multi-colour printing requires separations into component colours. For example full colour printing uses the CMYK process (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) to create the final result. Scanners, digital cameras and your humble TV work use RGB (red, green, blue). Many Microsoft products such as Word and Excel are only capable of creating a screen viewable PDF file that is in RGB and thus is not suitable for separation and press printing.
A PDF file can be very useful for design companies who have the knowledge to correctly set up a pdf for print. They can take their multi layered native files and embed all images and fonts into one pdf to email for proofing and also directly to the printers for final output. This can often save the hassle of needing to post a CD containing all linked images and fonts with the native files. It can also avoid troubles with different operating systems reading fonts and files differently than originally intended.
Lisa is a graphical and pre-press designer with more than 15 years experience. She runs her own agency Twilight Emerald from Ballarat, Victoria Australia.
To print pictures with enough quality the electronic file needs enough information to do so. A web/internet graphic is sized for screen viewing at 72dpi and will not be suitable for printing. Although a web graphic looks of good quality when viewed on screen, the printed product, especially when it comes to press printing is a very different kettle of fish. It is a common misconception that you can just pinch an image off your website and use it in print on your brochure or business card.
Any image without enough resolution for print (such as a website graphic) will appear pixelated, “blocky”, unclear and of poor quality in print.
It is also important to ensure your digital camera is set to a high enough resolution when taking photos to be used for a print job.
As a general guide, a colour photograph needs to be around 300dpi (dots per inch) at 100% actual size used for printing.
If the original image is of low resolution, re-sampling up to a higher resolution will not fix the quality and resolution much. It is important that the original settings on your scanner or camera are of high resolution.
Lisa is a graphical and pre-press designer with more than 15 years experience. She runs her own agency Twilight Emerald from Ballarat, Victoria Australia.
Setting up correct colour separation for Press Printing is one of the most critical things to get right when setting up art for print. If your colour separation is incorrect, parts of your art could go missing in the final print result. Printing presses use ‘plates’ and there is an individual plate for each colour ink that is to be used for the particular print job.
A common problem with the amateur designer trying ‘do it yourself’ is that they use programs like Microsoft Word which are actually incapable of setting up colour separations for press printing, rather they only use RGB format which is primarily used for screen or television viewing.
For 1, 2 and 3 colour press runs, your file needs to be saved in “spot colours” such as “Pantone” colours. In most programs that are capable of setting up jobs for press, you will find an option in your colour palette to create and save a colour as a “spot colour”.
In the case of a single colour press run, one option would be to save it all in black, if unsure of how your colour might separate as a pdf.
For a full colour or 4 colour print job you must ensure that your file and all related links are saved as CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black).
Lisa is a graphical and pre-press designer with more than 15 years experience. She runs her own agency Twilight Emerald from Ballarat, Victoria Australia.
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