What do you do if your graphic design isn't translating well to print?

Very few designers today really know wat it take to lay down inks on board. This is when pre planning meetings are so important.

The reason why monitor and print colors are so different is because the monitor is using light to mix colors (the RGB gamut) where all colors combine to create white, while printed colors are using inks to mix colors (the CMYK gamut) where all colors combine to make black. Some colors will overlap, but many do not. The RGB colors tend to run a lot brighter and vibrant, and this is why if you have a design that you like on screen, and then you print it, it comes out dull or much darker than you expected. Today, programs are sophisticated enough to allow you to preview your work between RGB and CMYK on screen. This can give you an idea of how to adjust your colors beforehand, but I always prefer to look at a proof as well.

Unpleasant surprises in printing outcomes usually are due to: 1) Inconsistency of the artwork with the printing house requirements. (i.e. resolution, cropmark placement, pdf print ready file.) 2) Selecting inappropriate stock (usually the printing house can advise ahead of time) 3) Technical issues on behalf of printing house.

Conocer muy bien los procesos de producción es crucial para prevenir errores en la impresión, eso te permite prever el comportamiento de materiales, tintas y todas las variables físicas, conocer y usar los instrumentos de medición para la correcta reproduccion de color es indispensable y por ultimo un pensamiento / entrenamiento critico del dise?ador para analizar y entender estas variables permite aplicar las correcciones necesarias antes de enviar a producción. Por supuesto que las pruebas de color, el uso de formatos de imagen o la calibración de monitor ayuda, pero sin comprensión y estrategia por parte del dise?ador para controlar estas variables, estamos condenados a prueba y error. Tratemos de evitar los reprocesos.

U may need to adjust colors if they don’t translate well to the stock… Different stocks have very different absorbency’s. If your stock is uncoated this can result in a dull mushy image..

Well this may be true for coated but for uncoated the opposite is true… You may well need to go with 175 or less depending on the absorption rate of the stock,. Back to higher quality coated, enamel stock U may want to use stochastic screening this creates the best high quality resolution on high end jobs… There r so many elements that better mine which way to go. Best advice is to work closely with your printer.. Let him know what your specs r and ask him how to best achieve them during or before u even start to design your art..

I agree, a 300dpi is best for the print. However if you are an illustrator then you need to know your print requirements first before creating the illustration. Sometimes the illustrations/images/elements used are already low in quality, to which even a 300dpi might not help.

I completely agree with this statement as I’ve said previously you should always work closely with your print professional before u design your piece for best results!!

Very important! Hence test prints are essential. Try out your designs on multiple paper types before locking it. This will help you know the print on paper type better.

Most printers have published specifications and will perform a pre-production review of artwork. There are minimum and maximum tolerances listed for each critical component that a printing press is capable of. One of the first considerations for a printer will be the number of inks - if the press has 6 color capability but the job is 7 colors, that’s a problem. Most printers will assist with identifying these basic parameters.

This will ruffle some feathers - branding isn't your inaugural consideration. For young brands, the focal point is establishing a memorable logo, while the giants emphasize on the beloved flavors or variants—tapping into consumer nostalgia and preference. Go that extra mile, and check whether your designer is getting into the skin of the game beyond basics & discussions. Once the KLD is set, next comes the process of partitioning the importance pie chart kicks off. The proven formula allocates - 30% to the subject. 20% to key marketing points and feature details claim. 10% should be dedicated to secondary features 10% reserved for product functionality. 30% should be designated as breathing space, also known as negative space.

Yes yes. Adjusting design sometimes is just what you need. It is important to know that the screen views color with RGB and the print uses CMYK and both have different color gamut. The RGB color gamut has a wider range than the CMYK color gamut meaning you can’t have all color showing on screen on your print. Also it is important to have a little bit of print knowledge as a designer. It saves you from stress. Know what font size work best for readability on print. Know how to impose job or arrange before print and always make sure you have bleed areas whenever you are printing to avoid designs cutting off and also not to have white out after print.

I quick review of files by the printers pre press dept. and production to feed back any issues before the project is released. Especially finishing like foils and embossing. We live in an era of cmyk so if you are adding PMS colors especially metallics run it by production. Last try to print UV Vs conventional inks.

Talking to your printer can make the difference between a finished product that looks great, to an on press nightmare that doesn't look like it should. When I ran our label division, our in house graphic artist would show me the artwork before she went to plates and I often made suggestions on how to make a new project work well on press with changes to traps, screens, etc. Things like separating screens from solids, subtle changes in font and other small changes can turn a production stopping nightmare into a smooth running job with good results. Communication is key!

This means that your own grammatical and linguistic skills need to be up to par. You cannot correct a spelling error if you don’t know how it should be spelled. If you’re not confident in your own ability to use correct grammar and spelling, then absolutely get a second opinion. Projects that have to be reprinted to correct errors are both time-consuming and expensive.

The science of printing is amazing and filled with many legacy terms and practices. For example, CMYK is a subtractive process meaning that as colors are printed the substrate is covered by each ink. The amount of substrate visible, and colors visible to the observer, is determined by the brightness of the substrate. Try it on your home printer with different colored papers ??

I started my design with printing experience before moving more into digitals. Hence, I make sure that my team is well aware of the project’s need. If it has to printed then right from the beginning of project which begins with illustrating the elements to printing, are made in good resolutions. Test prints are done throughly and discussed with the clients before printing everything thing. These small practices would help you save the time and money. ?