Turning the intangible into matter Part 2
05. The First Milk: Die Cuts
Never start processing unless you have the final die cuts on hand. Even very small differences can be fatal in cut/crease, step and repeat or nesting. Knowledge of the printing material is important as well. One needs to keep in mind that white ink has a different viscosity, so if the white underprint in an artwork only cuts in a certain areas, it is expected that the cutter will have to be replaced more often.
This can be important in either the cost of the job or the processing and the client should always be informed beforehand about their options and have confidence in your extensive knowledge.
06. The Food: Inks And Colors
Everyone needs a specific type and specific quantity of food. In our case it is the type of inks and the number of colors. This is the first thorn in the side of processing, not because it’s the most important -everything is important- but because it is visible at first glance.
One should inspect the print material. Check its absorbency and calculate the amount of ink necessary.
How rich should a rich black be? Is it an exaggeration to put all of the CMYK colors in a certain percentage? What is the dynamics of the method used to print? How does the color of the substrate interact with the ink?
Perhaps the proverbial baby is thirsty, resulting in the texture of the substrate affecting the absorbency of the ink. Is it a transparent ink?, UV?, solvent?, electronic?, low migration? How is hot/cold stamping applied on this material and how does it behave?
One must communicate with the printer and adjust the processing to fit the needs of the press and the substrate.
07. Candy: Embellishment And Finishing
Embellishment and finishing is a lot of fun but one must not forget about the limitations. Distances from cutting and clearances as well as the limit of how much can be used, will define the final result. One must always keep in mind that the hot/cold stamping, if applied at the edge is likely to create problems.
The same is true for sizes and pressures; if the artwork involves both thin and thick elements, one must be aware that the pressure of the cliché on the substrate can become clogged resulting in details failing to print correctly. Account for this in the processing phase in order to make the necessary modifications.
One must also account for the possibilities special and spot varnishes give, in order to create special effects, as well as the emboss/deboss, high/low tactile. Each one has specific rules and special costs. Exaggeration does not provide a more aesthetically pleasing result; on the contrary, it can reduce the value of the artwork.
Learn and suggest the candies wisely, the substrate and the printing method are important factors. Protect the customer from exaggerations. Less is more.
08. The Housekeeping: Resource Economy
The family budget must never be stressed. Thus, substrate color consideration, color correction, color reduction or increase depending on the circulation and production schedule, should be in the back of one’s mind when it comes to management.
It’s very important to know both the quantity of production and the production planning. The reason for this is quite simple: It doesn’t make sense to add a 5th color for a small output, while in a large run, the difference in print speed is significant as long as the press can run.
Furthermore, if the tirage is small even if the customer has included a 5th color in their artwork it can easily be converted into 2 colors by using CMYK, which will help the production by not adding extra stations to the press, which will in turn have to be washed afterwards unless similar jobs with the same 5th color are queued. This way, both inks and man-hours are saved and waste from processing is minimized.
Replacing elements of the artwork can be welcome, if the changes offer a better print result while, at the same time, protecting the customer from bad readability of a barcode or fines due to misprinted signals.
Thus, keeping a folder with lineworks (pictos) of international signals along with their specs for CMYK, pantone as well as blackN’white and proceeding to replace what must be replaced for optimal results is a service that is definitely appreciated.
This reduces the time of pre-printing inspection, post correction and eliminates the possibility of total rejection of the product from the shelves. Re-generation of barcodes with the correct reduction, color and readability check has to be done before the work goes to the press.
Creating separate layers in artworks can help one to easily replace specific elements (eg texts or logos) in case of changes etc. Time saving, the reduction of unnecessary actions and the waste of raw material are serious matters.
