Xerox iGen4 Press, Color 800/1000 Presses, C75/J75 Press, 560/570, DocuColor 8080 digital press User guide
Quảng cáo
Quảng cáo
Digital Printing
Reference
Version 3 (CS6)
Xerox
®
Job Preparation
Guide for Designers
2 Digital Printing Reference
Xerox
®
Job Preparation
Guide for Designers
Digital Printing Reference
Digital Printing Reference 3
4 Digital Printing Reference
Xerox
®
Job Preparation
Guide for Designers
Digital Printing Reference
Digital Printing Reference 5
Creative Know-How
Want to stand out in a crowd?
Digital print can get your attention with vibrant colors, short runs, on-press proofs and fast turnaround.
And though it sounds that easy, you’ll need to master your craft to achieve success.
With this book in hand, consider yourself an expert in the art of designing for digital print. It has the tools you need to turn jobs around fast— and with better color consistency.
The examples in this book are intended to be printed from an iGen4
®
press. Viewing this document on the monitor or from prints of a different output device may not render the printing characteristics of the iGen4 accurately. See the black-on-black logo at the end of this guide to determine if this copy was printed on the iGen4.
6 Digital Printing Reference
Contents
2
3
1 i
4
5
Intro—Digital Production Color
• Introducing the Production Color Lineup
• Benefits
• Specifications
Stock—Choosing Stock
• Stock Properties
• Size and Weight Specifications
• Stock Recommendations
Setup—Before You Begin
• Which Color Model to Use
• Achieve Color Consistency
• Soft Proofing
Design—Things to Consider
• Text, Graphics and Images
• Microsoft
®
Office
• Designing for Variable
Preflight—Preparing to Print
• Preflighting
• Sharing Files
Printing—Final Results
• File Formats
• Print Settings
• Finishing Options
Index
Digital Printing Reference 7
Intro
i
Intro—Digital Production Color
• Introducing the Production Color Lineup
• Benefits
• Specifications
Digital Printing Reference 9
Introducing the Xerox
®
Digital
Production Press
The Xerox
®
Digital Production Color Portfolio uses revolutionary imaging technology and gives your business an enormous edge through new services that you can offer to your clients. For starters, printers can easily produce on-press proofs on the fly. This means that proofs can be made with short turnaround times and are the exact output of the job, on the same stock. This eliminates the need for simulated proofs traditionally produced by offline proofing devices. The Xerox
®
iGen4
®
Press further expands its features with automated intermixing of different insert and cover stocks within a job, with no waiting for ink to dry. Colors remain vivid across all papers, even uncoated stocks. Furthermore, the
Xerox
®
iGen4 Press has a tremendous ability to handle the most basic to the most complex variable-information printing jobs, enabling you to support high-value customer marketing programs that will grab the audience’s attention and increase customer loyalty and/or response rates
.
10 Digital Printing Reference
Benefits of the Xerox
®
Digital
Color Production Press
New business opportunities, new revenue streams
• Longer short-run digital color jobs
• Fast turnaround
• Personalized, customized communications
Versatile, high quality print
• Print quality that rivals offset
• Wide array of stocks, weight and sheet sizes
• Mixed stocks in a single run
Increased Return on Investment (ROI) for your marketing dollars
• Sell more effectively
• Get your message to market faster
• Competitive advantage
Rapid turnaround of jobs
• On-demand, on-press proofs
• Speeds up to 6,600 impressions per hour, auto duplex
• No drying time
Reduced operating costs
• Elimination of warehousing costs and inventory disposal rates
• Automatic collation with offset stack delivery
• No hazardous waste
Digital Printing Reference 11
Inside the Xerox
®
iGen4
®
Press
Specifications
Printing Speed: Up to 6,600 full process color A4 (letter) 4/0 impressions per hour (impressions per minute); 1,500 A3 (tabloid) 4/4 sheets per hour
Image Quality: Resolution 600 x 4800 dpi
Line Screens: 150 lpi, 175 lpi, 200 lpi, 300 lpi: 256 levels of gray
12 Digital Printing Reference
Process Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stock Format: Maximum standard sheet size 14.33 x 20.5 in.*
(364 x 521 mm); Extra Large Paper Option 14.33 x 22.5 in.
(364 x 571 mm); Minimum sheet size 7 x 7 in. (178 x 178 mm)
Image Format: Maximum image area 14.2 x 20.4 in.
(361 x 519 mm); Optional 14.2 x 22.4 in. (361 x 569 mm)
Stock Weight: 16 lb Bond to 130 lb Cover ( 60 g/m
2
up to 350 g/m
2
)
* Optional kits are available for sheets sizes 14.33 x 22.5 in. or 14.33 x 26 in.
Digital Printing Reference 13
Stock
1
Choosing Stock
• Stock Properties
Brightness
Finish
Shade
Formation
Impurities
Opacity
• Size and Weight Specifications
• Stock Recommendations
Digital Printing Reference 15
Choosing Stock
The type of stock used for digital printing has a significant effect on color reproduction. Paper reflects unabsorbed light back to the eye of the viewer, so the more reflective the surface of the paper, such as coated paper, the wider the range of colors produced that can be perceived.
Choosing the right paper calls for a strong knowledge of paper characteristics and their relationship to the specific print technology.
Xerox
®
Digital Presses use dry ink, which is a very fine powder. The following stock properties interact with the dry ink to determine the quality of color images.
16 Digital Printing Reference
Brightness
Brightness is the measure of blue light at 457 nm. Brighter papers produce images with higher contrast. Be aware that some artificial brighteners can affect color reproduction by reflecting colors unevenly. A bright blue-white paper may reflect more blue and less red and green, affecting how the eye perceives the paper color.
Blue-white papers contain ultraviolet (UV) brighteners that break down over time when exposed to UV light. As UV brighteners break down, the paper shade may change from bright white to a warm white (yellow cast).
UV light exists naturally indoors and outdoors.
Recommendations for Brightness
•
As a general rule, use brighter papers when printing documents with photographs, halftone images or complex graphics.
Digital Printing Reference 17
Finish/Smoothness
Finish is the smoothness or roughness of a paper’s surface. Paper is processed to have a specific type of finish, ranging from very smooth to highly textured. Finish can significantly impact image quality. If paper is too rough, light patches and graininess appear in solid areas. Halftone images also appear grainy. Dry ink may not fuse properly to extremely rough paper, which may cause deletions where the ink rubs or flakes off.
Smooth and coated papers produce sharp images because they reflect light more directly than rougher papers.
Sheffield is a test that measures the smoothness of paper. It measures the rate of air flow over the surface of a sheet. The lower the Sheffield smoothness number, the smoother the sheet.
The following two tables provide descriptions of the paper finish categories and descriptions of the coating categories.
18 Digital Printing Reference
Table 1-1 Paper finish categories
Finish
Smooth
Regular
Rough
Description
All coated papers
All uncoated papers with
Sheffield smoothness between 40 and 225
All uncoated papers with
Sheffield smoothness above 225
Examples
• Coated text
• Coated cover
• Uncoated papers that are highly calendared or very smooth
• Papers with low texture
(vellum)
• Uncoated papers for digital color printing
• Papers with highly textured finishes
(felt, linen)
• Bristol papers
• Index papers
Digital Printing Reference 19
Table 1-2 Paper coating categories
Paper Coating Types Common Names/
Descriptions
High Gloss
Gloss Range
(% Reflectance)
Cast, Chrome coated,
C1S/C2S, Cast coated and any other high gloss special process media
80+
Gloss
Semi-Gloss
Satin
Gloss, Enamel, Art
Dull, Silk
Satin, Velvet
50 to 80
35 to 50
23 to 35
Matte Matte, Reply Card 10 to 25
The gloss ranges in Table 1-2 are measured at a 75 degree angle with the TAPPI test method T 480. Gloss ranges are not rigidly fixed, which accounts for the slight overlap in values. You can normally use the name or description of the finish to determine the coating type. Note that paper mills may not be consistent in how they describe coatings.
20 Digital Printing Reference
Recommendations for Finish/Smoothness
•
Use smooth or coated papers for proper dry ink transfer to ensure the best color density and image detail, and to increase the appearance of glossiness. Using a very smooth paper is especially important when printing fine lines and detailed images.
Shade
Shade is the color of the paper. Paper shade may change the colors of printed images because dry ink is applied in dot patterns that allow the paper shade to show through. Lighter images reveal more of the paper color than darker images.
Recommendations for Shade
•
Select a true white for the truest colors and natural-looking skin tones.
•
Be aware that shaded paper will affect image colors and overall hues.
•
Remember that paper shades can vary significantly among brands and lots.
Digital Printing Reference 21
Formation
Formation is the distribution of fibers and fillers in paper. Fibers and fillers should be distributed evenly throughout the sheet. Although formation is not included in the manufacturer’s specifications, you can check it by holding a sheet up to a light. If the sheet looks even throughout, it has good formation. If you see uneven light and dark areas, formation is poor.
Good formation is especially important when documents include halftone images of photographs or high ink coverage. Halftone images appear sharper on paper with good formation. Solid images can appear uneven or spotty when printed on paper with poor formation.
Recommendations for Formation
•
Choose paper with good formation to ensure uniformity of color images.
22 Digital Printing Reference
Impurities
Impurities in the paper-making process can leave tiny specks in some stocks. The specks can appear as marks or spots in printed images, especially in high resolution images, fine type and fine lines.
Impurities in recycled papers consist of inks and adhesives (from window envelopes, stick-on notes, labels, etc.). These elements are difficult to remove during the recycling process.
Recommendations for Impurities
•
Use high-quality, non-recycled papers when the best image quality is required.
Digital Printing Reference 23
Opacity
Opacity impacts the ability of a printed image to show through from the opposite side of a sheet or from another sheet below it. To increase a paper’s opacity, filler may be added to increase thickness or applied as a coating.
Opacity is measured according to how much light a sheet blocks and is expressed as a percentage between 0 and 100. Most papers fall within the 80% to 90% range. However, an opacity of 98% will prevent a printed image from showing through on the opposite side of the sheet.
Recommendations for Opacity
•
Choose paper with high opacity when printing on both sides of the paper or when heavy dry ink coverage will be applied.
24 Digital Printing Reference
Size and Weight Specifications
The following links provide the locations of a number of digital press specifications sheets.
iGen4
®
http://www.xerox.com/digital-printing/digital-printing-press/ color-printing/xerox-igen4/spec-enin.html
Xerox
®
Color 800/1000 Presses
http://www.xerox.com/digital-printing/printers/digital-press/ xerox-800-1000/enin.html
Xerox
®
DocuColor
®
8080
http://www.xerox.com/digital-printing/digital-printing-press
/color-printing/docucolor-8080/enin.html
Xerox
®
Color C75/J75 Press
http://www.xerox.com/digital-printing/printers/digital-press/ xerox-c75/enin.html
http://www.xerox.com/digital-printing/printers/digital-press/ xerox-j75/enin.html
Xerox
®
Color 560/570
http://www.xerox.com/digital-printing/printers/digital-press/ xerox-color-550-560/enin.html
Digital Printing Reference 25
Stock Recommendations
There is a long list of stocks that can be printed on a digital press. See your printer or service bureau for a list of the supported media.
Table 1-3 Stocks that can be run on a digital press
Stock Types Recommended
• Bond • Perforated and scored paper
• Bristol • Preprinted
• Cover weight—coated and uncoated • Recycled
• Drilled paper
• Index
• Label stock
• Synthetic papers and plastics
• Text weight—coated and uncoated
• Tabs
Xerox takes extra steps to ensure consistent quality among our offerings.
See www.xerox.com/supplies
26 Digital Printing Reference
The following stocks are not recommended for a digital press:
Table 1-4 Stocks that should not be run
Stock Types Not Recommended
Highly conductive papers, such as foil-backed papers
Stocks with melting points at or below 365° F (185° C)
Stocks outside the size and weight ranges listed on the product specification sheets
Non-paper backed transparent stocks (iGen4
®
only)
Stocks with caliper greater than 500 microns (18 pt)
Stocks containing talc or plasticizer
Preprinted sheets printed with non-laser compatible inks or inks that are not sufficiently cured
Preprinted sheets that were dried with offset drying powder
Digital Printing Reference 27
28 Digital Printing Reference
Setup
2
Before You Begin
• Color Model to Use
• Color Decisions
• Color Consistency
Adobe
®
Creative Suite
®
QuarkXPress
®
• Soft Proofing
Digital Printing Reference 29
Color Model to Use
Each color space has a defined gamut—a range of possible colors. There is no single color space that can reproduce all the possible colors from the entire spectrum. Some color spaces can reproduce more shades of red but fewer blues, while other spaces can produce a wide range of blues but fewer reds.
A digital press can produce many colors that are outside the gamut of traditional U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 offset systems such as vivid blues, bright purples and brilliant magentas. Maintaining image files in the
Adobe
®
RGB 1998 color space allows designers to take advantage of the digital press’s wider color gamut. The answer is not so simple, however, because there are benefits to working in CMYK as well.
30 Digital Printing Reference
CMYK
CMYK color spaces typically have color gamuts that are smaller than RGB spaces. That means fewer colors and usually less vivid colors. The benefit, however, is that a color space such as SWOP CMYK has a color gamut that is achievable by most CMYK printing devices. This is helpful in terms of color consistency if jobs are to be printed across different print devices.
Preserving or editing the black channel (or curve) is also possible when the color space is CMYK.
Figure 2-1 CMYK
Digital Printing Reference 31
RGB
The RGB color space has a larger color volume compared to CMYK and is preferred when jobs are sent to the printer. Generally, larger color spaces are able to reproduce more colors that are brighter and saturated in color. Maintaining files in RGB also allows for greater repurposing to a diverse range of processes such as Web, digital media or printing. Most print devices use CMYK inks, so at some point the RGB elements will be converted to CMYK. The print shop can do the conversion at the RIP just prior to printing, generally yielding the most pleasing results.
Figure 2-2 RGB
32 Digital Printing Reference
Color Decisions
It is possible to design artwork using CMYK values to get the desired color break but also maintain images in the Adobe
®
RGB 1998 color space to yield the most vivid colors the press is capable of. RGB and CMYK elements can be placed in the page layout application such as Adobe InDesign
®
or
QuarkXPress
®
and then exported as PDF/x-4 for print to a digital press. In an optimized color managed PDF workflow, color conversions are delayed to time of printing and referred to as Late Binding. If unsure, discuss the details with your print provider.
Figure 2-3 Example of CMYK and RGB image color spaces
CMYK RGB
Digital Printing Reference 33
Color Consistency
You will have greater predictability and consistency of what the output will look like when you use color preference settings that are consistent with the print provider’s recommendations. When the print provider is unknown or not available, apply the following Adobe
®
Creative Suite
®
6
(CS6) recommendations to all of your Adobe applications and other graphics applications.
Color Settings for Adobe Creative Suite 6
1. Launch the Bridge application and click on [Color Management] located at the bottom center of the window or from the Bridge menu [Edit:
Creative Suite Color Settings...].
2. Choose [North American Prepress 2]. This is a good color setting to use for high-end printing when you want to have all your images and/or documents in one particular color space. Using this default setting will always prompt you when an image or a document is tagged with an ICC profile that does not match the current application working space.
3. Click [Apply] to activate these settings for all of the Adobe CS6 applications.
34 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 2-4 Adobe
®
Bridge (CS6), Suite Color Settings
Note:
If you are using the Adobe
®
Creative Suite 1, you will need to set up all of the applications individually.
Digital Printing Reference 35
QuarkXPress
®
Color Settings
For consistency, apply the same color settings from the Adobe
®
Creative
Suite
®
color settings to QuarkXPress.
Figure 2-5 QuarkXPress Color Source Setup—RGB
36 Digital Printing Reference
The Color Management window can be found by selecting
[Edit: Color Setups: Source…].
Figure 2-6 QuarkXPress
®
Color Source Setup—CMYK
Digital Printing Reference 37
Soft Proofing
Soft proofing is often used to make color-critical decisions from the monitor by both designers and prepress operators. Computer monitors use the RGB (additive) model to display colors. To display correctly, a captured image is translated to pixels (picture elements) that can be projected as rays of red, green and blue light. Since not all monitors are exactly the same, you will see differences in color from one monitor to another.
Digital presses use the CMYK (subtractive) model to produce colors. Cyan, magenta and yellow inks are placed on white reflective paper. Each then absorbs, or subtracts, its opposite color from the white light that it reflects back. Black (K) is primarily used to change the color’s luminosity value
(lightness or darkness). With the inherent differences between additive and subtractive systems, you will see differences in color from the monitor to the printed output.
For the best method of implementing soft proofing in your environment check with companies like x-rite that offer products to do this.
38 Digital Printing Reference
Monitor Calibration and Characterization
To achieve optimal soft proofing, you should calibrate and characterize the monitor. Calibration is the first step in the process for getting accurate results. Calibration takes into consideration display white point brightness and ambient viewing conditions. Characterization requires special color management software and hardware, for example a colorimeter, though it is well worth the small investment and is usually easy to use.
Your print provider may be able to provide recommendations on tools or methods to use.
Figure 2-7 Example of a poor monitor-to-print match. Use of monitor characterization may improve situations like this.
vs.
Digital Printing Reference 39
40 Digital Printing Reference
Design
3
Things to Consider
• Design Considerations
Text
Graphics
Overprinting
Transparency
Saving Graphics Files
Images
Saving Image Files
• Microsoft
®
Office Design
• Variable Print Design
Digital Printing Reference 41
Text Considerations
General
• Include all fonts in both page layout and vector graphics files.
• OpenType
®
(either OpenType CFF or OpenType TrueType
®
) fonts are recommended for the ability to seamlessly utilize these fonts on both
Windows
®
and Macintosh
®
versions of common software. Multiple
Master and Type 3 fonts are not recommended.
• Preserve text rendering with actual fonts; do not “outline” or “rasterize” text unless absolutely necessary to achieve special artistic effects that cannot otherwise be achieved.
42 Digital Printing Reference
Type Color
• Create solid black text with 100% K only for the most dense black. The iGen4
®
produces high-quality solid text. Compared to offset, black text is especially sharp due to the iGen4 black toner being very dense.
• As with any digital or offset printing system, saturated text presents the best appearance. When a tint is used, the halftone screen may be visible on the edge and cause a jagged appearance. Text containing at least one ink of 100% C or M or K presents the best appearance with solid, rich colors. The examples in Figures 3-1 and 3-8 show some samples of text reproduction.
• RGB solid text, such as 100% red, may reproduce as a tint. Define solid color text in CMYK if possible.
• Avoid mixing RGB and CMYK text color. If you want them to match or are using transparency-blending space in either RGB/CMYK, keep RGB/
CMYK consistent to that mode.
Figure 3-1 Colored text
An example of saturated text
(C91, M55, Y3, K0)
An example of unsaturated text
(C25, M0, Y3, K20)
An example of text containing at least one solid
(C100, M22, Y3, K0)
Examples of gray text
10, 20, 30, 40,
50,
60, 70, 80, 90,
100
(K only)
Digital Printing Reference 43
Type Size
• For positive solid text, use a minimum of 2 point and 3 point for reverse.
• For positive tinted text, use a minimum of 4 point and 6 point for reverse.
• When using Kanji fonts in either positive and reverse/negative text, the minimum type size should be 8 point or larger for best results.
• With smaller text, sans serif fonts are recommended.
Figure 3-2 Serif text and sans serif text
This is 1 pt. Palatino type
This is 2 pt. Palatino type
This is 3 pt. Palatino type
This is 4 pt. Palatino type
This is 5 pt. Palatino type
This is 6 pt. Palatino type
This is 7 pt. Palatino type
This is 8 pt. Palatino type
This is 9 pt. Palatino type
This is 10 pt. Palatino type
This is 11 pt. Palatino type
This is 12 pt. Palatino type
This is 12 pt. Palatino type
This is 11 pt. Palatino type
This is 10 pt. Palatino type
This is 9 pt. Palatino type
This is 8 pt. Palatino type
This is 7 pt. Palatino type
This is 6 pt. Palatino type
This is 5 pt. Palatino type
This is 4 pt. Palatino type
This is 3 pt. Palatino type
This is 2 pt. Palatino type
This is 1 pt. Palatino type
This is 1 pt.
This is 12 pt. Helvetica type
Helvetica type
This is 2 pt. Helvetica type
This is 3 pt. Helvetica type
This is 4 pt. Helvetica type
This is 5 pt. Helvetica type
This is 6 pt. Helvetica type
This is 7 pt. Helvetica type
This is 8 pt. Helvetica type
This is 9 pt. Helvetica type
This is 10 pt. Helvetica type
This is 11 pt. Helvetica type
This is 11 pt. Helvetica type
This is 10 pt. Helvetica type
This is 9 pt. Helvetica type
This is 8 pt. Helvetica type
This is 7 pt. Helvetica type
This is 6 pt. Helvetica type
This is 5 pt. Helvetica type
This is 4 pt. Helvetica type
This is 3 pt. Helvetica type
This is 2 pt. Helvetica type
This is 1 pt. Helvetica type
This is 12 pt. Helvetica type
44 Digital Printing Reference
Graphics Considerations
Color in Graphics
• Colors for fine rules or small graphics, such as bullets and icons, print best when at least one color separation (other than yellow) is set to a solid or near solid color, such as 90-100%.
Color Consistency Across Stocks
A unique characteristic of digital press dry ink systems is that color consistency can be maintained very closely across stock types.
• If you are creating a job that will be printed on a mix of papers through the digital press, you can be more confident that the colors will be fairly consistent across the stocks.
• If you plan to print your job on both a digital press and an offset press, you will want to work with the print provider to decide on stocks that will allow for the best matches.
Figure 3-3 An example of the same color printed on a variety of stocks on iGen4
®
(top) and offset (bottom)
Digital Printing Reference 45
Spot Colors (PANTONE
®
)
• Select PANTONE colors by choosing them from the PANTONE color library.
• Do not change the name of PANTONE colors (for example, PANTONE
106C to Sunshine Yellow or to PANTONE 106C copy).
• When PANTONE colors are desired, refer to a printed press sample provided by the print shop.
• Be sure to specify the color as a [Spot] color. This will allow the digital press to provide the best possible match to the Pantone spot color.
See Figures 3-4 and 3-5.
Figure 3-4 PANTONE 266 and 402 designated as Spot and Process colors
Spot Process Spot Process
• When selecting some Pantone spot colors, it is possible the CMYK print may not exactly match the intended color (custom ink swatch). This occurs with a small percentage of colors that are outside of the digital press's color gamut. Ask your print provider for a proof or swatch of this spot color printed on the actual press.
46 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 3-5 QuarkXPress
®
Edit Color
Gray
• Gray text, graphics and gradients will be best produced if they are created with K only in a CMYK working space.
• Gray balance is dependent upon selections made at the printer. If you are creating gray colors with RGB or CMYK combinations, consult your print shop for the appropriate values needed to achieve good neutrals.
Digital Printing Reference 47
Black (iGen4
®
only)
• The Xerox
®
iGen4 produces the most dense black with 100% K only.
Adding C, M or Y to 100% K will generally lighten blacks. This means that Rich Blacks may not produce the results you normally expect with traditional printing.
• When printing black on uncoated substrates, add a small amount of
C, M or Y to improve uniformity and minimize paper texture. It may, however, produce a black slightly less dense than just 100% K only on an iGen4 press.
• The iGen4 can produce a varnish effect by contrasting 100% K with graphic elements that are almost solid, such as 95-98% K.
See the last example below. Let your print provider know if you want to create this effect.
• Setting Black to overprint is not recommended when printing to the iGen4 press.
Figure 3-6 Effects with Black
All boxes are filled with 100% K only; circles are filled with colors noted below.
100K, 40C 100K, 40M 100K, 40Y
100K, 60C,
40M, 40Y
48 Digital Printing Reference
100 C, M, Y 96K
Tint Uniformity
Digital printing systems, in general, may show slight variations in color within large areas of mid-density tints. Color variation may be emphasized with coated stock due to smoothness of the paper.
• Design with smaller areas when using tints and/or design with colors that are less than 40% or greater than 70% in value.
• Sensitivity to color variations may be reduced by introducing a texture or by adding text or graphic objects. See Figure 3-8.
Figure 3-7 Example of a poorly reproduced uniform tint
Digital Printing Reference 49
Figure 3-8 Four examples of reducing sensitivity to color variations
50 Digital Printing Reference
Photoshop filter effects
Digital Printing Reference 51
Graphic Edges
• Edges of tinted areas may also have a jagged appearance, dependent on line frequency and the angle of the halftone screen with respect to the angle of the edge. When selecting the color for fine rules or elements, better results will be achieved by choosing saturated colors or setting at least one separation (other than yellow) to 100%.
Lines
• With a digital press, lines can be printed from sizes of 0.03 points and larger. Reverse lines will be preserved from 0.09 points and larger. Note, however, that lines with less than 0.3 points of separation may print as a uniform screen tint instead of an individual line.
Figure 3-9 Examples of gradients 5 and 11 in. (normal) and 11 in. with added noise
52 Digital Printing Reference
Gradients
The best produced gradients will be created when using vector gradient tools in programs such as InDesign
®
and Illustrator
®
, which take advantage of PostScript
®
Language Level 3 smooth shading operations.
Following are suggestions for achieving the smoothest gradients:
• To ensure enough gray levels, gradient lengths should be <7.5 in.
• Use a color change of 100% for at least one color separation for gradients <7.5 in. long and a change of 50% for gradients <3.25 in.
• Adding Noise or a Gaussian blur can improve gradients in Photoshop
®
.
• Saturated colors generally produce the smoothest blends.
• Avoid creating gradients that blend from a very dark color (for example, navy blue) to white. They have a tendency to have more banding.
• For gradients blending to white, set the same color to 0%. Do not use white. For example, first color PANTONE 032C: 100%, second color
PANTONE 032C: 0%.
Digital Printing Reference 53
Overprinting
By default, overprinting is enabled for both InDesign
®
and Illustrator
®
.
We recommend that you turn this feature off when printing to the
iGen4 digital press. Maintain Black overprinting when printing to other digital presses.
Overprinting in InDesign
• Turn 100% black overprinting off.
• Attributes of page objects set to off.
• InDesign > Preferences > Appearance of Black.
Figure 3-10 Attributes
Figure 3-11 Preferences
54 Digital Printing Reference
Overprinting in Illustrator
®
Note: iGen only.
• Choose Edit > Edit Colors > Overprint Black.
• Attributes palette [Window > Attributes].
Figure 3-12 Overprint Black
Figure 3-13 Attributes
Digital Printing Reference 55
Transparency
Some of the more recent digital front end RIPs (DFE) have Adobe
®
Print Engine
®
(APPE) capability. APPE provides true native rendering of
PDF files using common rendering with the Adobe Creative Suite
®
. This technology ensures output matches your creative vision, including effects such as live transparency, blending modes and drop shadows.
The APPE and legacy PostScript
®
pathways can result in visual output differences based on job characteristics. Most DFEs allow the choice of using either the APPE or legacy PS processing. It is recommended to use the APPE path especially when exporting PDF files that have live transparency.
Transparency features in graphics applications allow users to create elements with drop shadows, overlays, blends and feathering. Because transparency effects can be complex, be sure to consult your print provider for best results.
Figure 3-14 Examples of transparency
56 Digital Printing Reference
File Creation
Even with the ability to process files through the APPE, there can be variations in processing times and color when comparing this to the traditional CPSI PostScript
®
pathway. It is always best to create files appropriate for the intended production workflow. Image source color profiles, common color conversion working spaces and live versus flattened transparency should all be considered prior to creation for best end results.
Transparency in Illustrator
®
• Select [File: Document Color Mode] and choose [CMYK Color].
• Set the [Effect: Document Raster Effects Settings] Color Model to [CMYK] and the Resolution to [High (300 ppi)]. Any effects that require rasterization will use the value specified here.
• Use the Transparency palette and [Effect] stylize menu to control transparency effects. Note that [Filters] can produce unpredictable results.
• The [File: Document Setup: Transparency: Preset] should also be set to
[High Resolution].
• The Flattener Preview palette [Window: Flattener Preview] can identify areas that have transparency applied or are affected by other objects.
• Be sure to enable [View: Overprint Preview] for the most accurate display of what the final design will look like.
Digital Printing Reference 57
Transparency in InDesign
®
• Select the [Edit: Transparency Blend Space] to [Document CMYK].
• Use the Transparency palette to control transparency effects.
• The Flattener Preview palette [Window: Output: Flattener Preview] can identify areas that have transparency applied or are affected by other objects.
• Be sure to enable [View: Overprint Preview] for the most accurate display of what the final design will look like.
Printing with Transparency
• When designing with transparency it is recommended to export to a
PDF/x-4 file rather than print to PS which would automatically flatten the file using the color preferences for Transparency Blend Space and
Transparency Flattener Preset.
• Print providers often define flattening settings or flatten artwork themselves. Consult with your print provider to determine if your work should be submitted flattened or with live transparency. Note that transparency effects will always flatten when printing to PostScript
® or EPS, or if they are exported using the Acrobat
®
4 (PDF 1.3) format.
Transparency effects will remain “live” only if exported using the Acrobat
PDF 1.4 or higher.
58 Digital Printing Reference
Cautions
• Use spot colors in transparency effects with discretion. When spot colors contact CMYK objects with transparency, the best practice is to make sure they are on the top of the stacking order.
Note: Many of the issues caused by layering transparent spot colors with other color objects have been resolved by printing with APPE.
• Avoid transparency designs that contain both RGB and CMYK content.
• QuarkXPress
®
8 and higher does have built-in support for transparency.
Digital Printing Reference 59
Saving Graphics Files
While you are working on files, you’ll want to save them in the application’s native file format (for example, Adobe
®
Illustrator
®
Document). When you are ready to place them in the page layout application, however, you might want to consider the PDF format for the best portability.
Saving Illustrator CS6 files
• Use the Save As feature to save files as PDFx-4 to maintain an editable file with live transparency (recommended).
• By selecting [Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3)], you will automatically flatten any transparency effects present in the file. Acrobat
®
PDF 1.4 or higher formats will preserve live transparency attributes.
• PDF files can be edited later if the [Preserve Illustrator Editing
Capabilities] option is selected.
• The PDF format can often provide better previews (than EPS) when placed in page layout applications.
60 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 3-15 Illustrator
®
Save As PDF Options—General and Output
Digital Printing Reference 61
Saving Graphics or Page Layouts as EPS Files
Though the PDF format is preferred, occasionally you may need to save files from Illustrator
®
, InDesign
®
or QuarkXPress
®
in the EPS file format.
When saving graphics or page layouts, the following are recommended:
• Use TIFF 8-bit color preview.
• Do not assign a color space when possible and select [Leave
Unchanged] or [As Is].
• Use [Transparency: High Resolution] when flattening graphics with transparency.
• Embed all or complete fonts.
• Send all image data.
• Include CMYK PostScript
®
in RGB files.
• Only use OPI if the printer requests it.
• Use Binary format.
• Use Adobe
®
PostScript Language Level 3.
62 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 3-16 Illustrator
®
Save As EPS Options
Digital Printing Reference 63
Image Considerations
Opening Image Files
Though most images are either acquired through a digital camera or scanner, Photoshop
®
is generally the first step in assigning the color space of an image. If images come from an outside source, you might want to request that they always be supplied with an embedded ICC profile of the source color space.
If the Color Settings in Photoshop are set to [Ask When Opening] for
Missing Profiles, you may encounter a window asking how to handle the color of an image being opened.
Figure 3-17 Missing Profile
64 Digital Printing Reference
If no embedded profile is detected when the file is opened, you may choose one of the following options:
• Leave as is—will not embed a color profile into the image. However, for operations that require a color space definition, Photoshop
®
will use the
RGB or CMYK Working Space defined in the Color Settings preferences; for example, when performing a Mode change between RGB and CMYK
(not recommended).
• Assign Working Space—assign the profile of the Working Space defined in the Color Settings preferences. Select this option when you want to consistently use one working space or if your default working space matches the source space of the received file.
• Assign Profile—assign a specific profile if the source color space is known when the image file is opened.
Assigning the right color space from the start will give you a better idea of how the file will look when assigning the correct source profile and when softproofing for print. Remember to calibrate and profile your display especially if you evaluate and edit color.
Digital Printing Reference 65
Things to consider in choosing a source profile:
• If the RGB or CMYK source space of the image is known, you can assign the profile that matches that color space or you can convert to the assigned working space.
• RGB images that do not have a source color space attached may require guesswork to assign the appropriate source color profile. sRGB IEC61966-
2.1 has a smaller gamut than Adobe
®
RGB (1998), but is generally the default working space for images coming from consumer digital cameras and coming from the Internet (or destined for the Internet).
Adobe RGB (1998) has a wider color gamut and may work best for images that come from professional cameras or contain vivid colors.
• For Unknown CMYK images, we recommend Coated GRACoL
®
2006* for
U.S. markets and Fogra ISO or FOGRA 39* only for Europe.
• When working with images that have unassigned profiles and you have a good calibrated and profiled display, you can preview a color space before assigning it to an untagged image. When merging images in
Photoshop
®
having multiple source profiles, it is best to convert the images to one common desired source RGB space (Photoshop will warn you when copying from one space and pasting to another).
Note: Both of these industry offset press profiles are based on ISO 12647-2:2004
66 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 3-18 Example of Adobe
®
RGB 1998 and sRGB IEC61966-2.1 images
Adobe RGB (1998) sRGB IEC61966-2.1
If an ICC profile is detected, you can either:
• Use the embedded profile. Photoshop
®
will automatically honor the embedded profile when the Color Settings are set to [Preserve] under the
Color Management Policies.
• Convert to the common color working space (e.g., convert sRGB
IEC61966-2.1 to Adobe RGB (1998) if additional merging of images will be performed.
Digital Printing Reference 67
Size and Scale
• Ideally, images should be edited, rotated, cropped and sized in an imaging software application such as Adobe
®
Photoshop
®
. Do not re-size, crop, rotate or adjust images in page layout applications, if possible. Place images into the page layout at 100%.
• In order to obtain high-quality output, the recommended image resolution should be 300 dpi at the actual finished size. Scale images with bicubic sampling and crop all images in Photoshop. Do not use page layout applications such as QuarkXPress
®
to enlarge images.
• Also note that submitting images with higher than needed resolution adds unnecessary processing time, creates larger files and may degrade image quality.
• For the best print quality, do not include transfer functions or screen angles since this information is most likely unnecessary when using a digital press.
68 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 3-19 Example of 300 dpi and 72 dpi resolution
300 dpi resolution 72 dpi resolution
Total Ink and Dot Gain
• The Xerox
®
iGen4
®
is designed to expect a total ink limit of 325% and the traditional commercial print amount of dot gain (this is set by default when the North American Prepress 2 color settings are used in CS6).
• No special considerations are necessary.
Digital Printing Reference 69
Saving Image Files
Embedding Color Spaces
All images have a source color space. Whenever possible, discuss with your print provider if you should embed that source color space (such as the camera or scanner profile). This can allow the RIP to perform the color conversion from the assigned color space to the printer’s color space (for example, iGen4
®
or DocuColor
®
8080). This workflow can provide good color matches.
• Embed the correct source color space with each image saved in TIFF file format. Note that some printers may request images in JPEG format for jobs that are Variable or require faster productivity.
• ICC profiles in TIFF files generally cannot be embedded into the
PostScript
®
code on print. They are mainly used for output previews and to convert from one color space to another within applications such as
Photoshop
®
and QuarkXPress
®
. The EPS format, however, can embed the color information (CSA) into the PostScript code and then be picked up by the RIP at the printer.
70 Digital Printing Reference
Photoshop
®
TIFF Format
• When saving images as TIFF files, embed the ICC Color Profile, if possible.
• Save the file in TIFF format.
• Check [Embed Color Profile] in the Save As window.
Figure 3-20 Photoshop TIFF Options
Digital Printing Reference 71
Image Compression
• It is recommended that you use JPEG compression when saving the final image file or when exporting to PDF. While editing or retouching an image, saving it multiple times using JPEG compression can degrade image quality.
• If upsampling is required, although this is not recommended, use bicubic.
• Images higher than 450 dpi at the final size can be downsampled using bicubic sampling.
Figure 3-21 Example of no compression, 300 dpi
72 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 3-22 Example of JPEG low quality (maximum compression), 300 dpi
Figure 3-23 Example of bicubic upsampling from
72 dpi to 300 dpi
Digital Printing Reference 73
Microsoft
®
Office
Design Considerations
PDF Creation
Creating PDF via distillation of PostScript
®
from Office applications is not recommended.
When Acrobat
®
is installed under Windows
®
, a PDFMaker module is installed into Office applications that allows a PDF to be directly created using Save as Adobe PDF from the File panel or Create Adobe PDF from the ribbon. The High Quality Print settings should work well.
When this is done, R=G=B text and vector content comes out as true grayscale automatically in the resultant PDF. Profiles in placed images are passed through along with image (including CMYK-based images) to the
PDF file. Gradients and live transparency are also maintained.
EPS graphics placed in Office documents should be avoided since they will not properly appear in the generated PDF with this workflow.
Note: The best Office PDF output is obtained from Windows-based systems with Acrobat Pro installed.
74 Digital Printing Reference
Approximating PANTONE
®
and CMYK Colors
To create a close match to a PANTONE color within Microsoft
®
Office applications:
• Ask your print provider for the exact CMYK PANTONE color values needed, or go to www.PANTONE.com and select [Support: Color Library
Updates] for a close approximation. Download the PDF Color Chart and Value List for your system to obtain the latest 1,089 PANTONE equivalent values.
• Using Photoshop
®
, create a new color with the corresponding CMYK
PANTONE values to determine the RGB equivalents. Make sure the Color
Setting in Photoshop is set to [sRGB] for the RGB working space and
[SWOP CMYK] for the CMYK working space, unless otherwise directed by your print provider.
• Use RGB values from Photoshop to create new color equivalents in
MS Office.
Digital Printing Reference 75
Designing for Variable Print
What is Variable Information (VI)?
Variable information, as defined by Adobe
®
, is a digital print run where each printed page is different and personalized because the page content relates to customer information in a database. This type of information is also referred to as Personalization, 1:1 marketing, Variable Data Printing
(VDP), Versioning, Direct Marketing, Mass Customization and others.
Personalized documents are created by extracting names, addresses, purchase information or other account data from records in a database.
The data fields, such as last name, zip code and even images, are called variables because they change, or vary, for each record.
One of the most commonly used VI file formats is PDF/VT which offers a single viewable container for your VI project. The Adobe PDF Print
Engine
®
APPE version 2.6 and higher offers similar benefits when applying transparency to VI elements.
76 Digital Printing Reference
Generating Variable Information Jobs
There are a variety of Variable Data Printing (VDP) applications in the marketplace offering a broad range of capabilities. They range from mail merge applications to multi-user enterprise systems. Some are simply a plug-in to Quark
®
(Darwin, DesignMerge
®
) or InDesign
®
(uCreate
® component of XMPie
®
, VIPP
®
Pro Publisher) while others are standalone applications (Lytrod
®
, PageFlex
®
), web-based (iWay™), with multiple components for design, database logic and production (XMPie). Common output formats include XML, VIPP, VPS, PPML or optimized PostScript
® and PDF. Output can be in the form of email, dynamic Web pages or a file to be printed.
The VDP applications are designed to meet various needs. For example,
XMPie is geared toward cross-media Direct Mail or one-to-one marketing and Printshop Mail
®
allows an easy way to create mail. Another application for mainframe users is Exstream Dialogue™, which is designed to build transactional documents for statements and billing traditionally associated with health care or financial services industries.
Benefits of Using Variable Information Applications
The output file is created such that static elements should get ripped only once and reused as needed. Both static and variable images, graphics and text can be printed on the same page. In many cases, large elements, such as images, are not embedded in the output file, similar to an OPI workflow (referred to APR by Creo™). This allows the output file to be much smaller.
Designing Documents with Variable Information
Unlike designing documents for offset presses, careful consideration must be given to the placement of static versus variable information. Graphic artists should have a good understanding of database and printing technology. They must also understand the capabilities of the software and hardware they are using to successfully design a variable document.
Digital Printing Reference 77
Layout and Design Considerations
• Avoid using Quark
®
frames on elements that contain variable information.
• When designing VI documents, keep in mind that trapping text at the
RIP may not be applied to variable elements.
• When using variable imposition, ensure that all document pages are the same size and orientation.
• Printing documents containing simplex and duplex pages within the same document may not be supported. If documents must be printed with simplex and duplex pages within the same document, insert blank pages in the original layout and duplex the entire document.
• Whenever possible, embed all fonts or else the font must have the exact match at the RIP. However, OpenType
®
fonts are cross- platform compatible.
• Type 1 fonts may have problems with kerning (may not be able to supply the kerning file).
• Some VI applications that create VIPP
®
will take PDF resources and convert them to EPS, but the result can be unpredictable. When creating resources (for example, images, graphics) to use in applications that create VIPP, create EPS according to the guidelines specified in
Chapter 3.
• Avoid applying drop shadows, blending modes or transparency effects to variable objects. Many VI workflows compose variable objects on the fly and cannot add these effects. Work with your print provider on the best approach for your needs.
• Unflattened transparencies will typically negatively affect RIP speed for VDP jobs.
78 Digital Printing Reference
Image Quality Considerations
• For the best performance, ensure that all images are set at 300 dpi.
Using a different resolution may slow down the RIP or reduce image quality.
• Ensure that all images are at their final resolution, size and orientation.
All variable elements for a specific area should be cropped to the same size. Rotating, scaling and clipping images during the RIP will slow down performance and could cause improper placement or scaling.
Variable Formats
• Some VI languages may not comprehend layering.
• If the VI authoring tool allows, position variable elements above static objects (bring to the front).
• When using APR with variable images, ensure that the names of the variable images conform to the same naming restrictions associated with APR and static images.
Digital Printing Reference 79
80 Digital Printing Reference
Preflight
4
Preparing to Print
• Trapping
• Bleeds
• Imposition
• Preflighting
• PDF: Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
• Export PDF
Digital Printing Reference 81
Preparing to Print
Once the layout and design of a job are complete, you’ll need to decide how to hand off your files. It is best to send the file as a PDF/x-4; in rare cases you may need to provide the source files. Either way, you’ll want to run though a preflight checklist.
Preflight Checklist... Are You Ready?
• Ensure that all graphics and images are in their final size and correct resolution, 100% at 300 dpi.
• Rotate, scale and edit images and graphics prior to placing them in page layout applications.
• Image files are linked properly.
• All spot colors should be designated as spot colors and not as
CMYK recipes.
• Spell check your document.
• Remove any trapping (allow the printer to apply trapping).
• Check for transparency and notify its use to your print provider.
• All bleeds should generally be set to 0.125 in. (3 mm).
• Gather all source files: fonts, graphics, images and layout documents, if requested. Use the [Package] feature in InDesign
®
or the [Collect for
Output] in QuarkXPress
®
.
• Perform a visual preflight using overprint preview, color separations preview and transparency flattener preview.
• Prepare a mockup to give the printer as a finished sample.
82 Digital Printing Reference
Trapping
• For best results, trapping should be applied by the printer and not in the application. Trapping settings made in the application are not included in the PostScript
®
when printing with the Composite mode.
• Avoid instances where trapping to gradients or images is required (the change in color may not reproduce well).
Bleeds
• It is recommended that you do not design sheets to be printed to the edge without using bleed. The press is designated to maintain a small blank border around the edge of the sheet. This prevents excess dry ink from contaminating later sheets.
• For full bleeds, use a larger paper and trim to the finish size.
• Include a 0.125 in. (approximately 3 mm) bleed for all areas that extend off the page when trimming is required.
Imposition
• Imposition should be performed by the print provider. Work with the print provider in the early stages of your design for proper setup of bleeds and pagination.
• If you plan to use binding, leave ample room for the gutter.
Digital Printing Reference 83
InDesign
®
CS6 Prepare to Print
Preflighting
Use the preflight feature that is part of the [Package] feature under the File menu to make sure all fonts, graphics and image links are present.
A more in-depth preflighting window can be found under [Window >
Output > Preflight], which will show other attributes like color and transparency used.
Figure 4-1 Package Summary
84 Digital Printing Reference
Packaging
Use the [Package] feature under the File menu to collect all fonts, graphics and images used in the job. This will ensure that all elements are collected when the job is delivered to your print provider. Instructions and contact information can also be included by the designer for the print provider.
Figure 4-2 Bottom half of InDesign
®
Packaging Settings
Digital Printing Reference 85
QuarkXPress
®
Prepare to Print
Usage...
Use the [Usage...] feature in the Utilities menu of QuarkXPress to review that all fonts, graphics and images are linked correctly in the file.
Figure 4-3 Usage... Pictures
86 Digital Printing Reference
Collect for Output
Use the [Collect for Output] feature in QuarkXPress
®
to gather all fonts, graphics and images used in the job. This will ensure that all elements are collected when the job is delivered to the print provider. Note, however, that you will need to gather fonts from imported EPS or PDF pictures manually unless they are already imbedded into the EPS or PDF file.
Figure 4-4 Collect for Output
Digital Printing Reference 87
Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
11 Settings
To create a PDF file, the preferred method is to export to a PDF/x-4 file rather than save to PostScript
®
and then use Distiller. For InDesign
®
, always export PDF. For Illustrator
®
and Photoshop
®
, always save as
PDF. Use PDFMaker on Windows
®
with Office 2007–2013. For other applications that can not export to PDF, you may need to use Acrobat
Distiller.
Consult with your print provider to obtain preferred PDF settings. You can otherwise use the following custom Distiller recommended settings when creating PDF files from PostScript.
• Create PostScript from the source application using the Acrobat
Distiller PPD.
Note: Transparent objects will be flattened.
• Be sure to use the Binary data format and include all fonts.
• Use the Smooth Shading feature in Acrobat Distiller.
• PDFWriter no longer exists. PDFMaker on Windows with
Office 2007–2013 is recommended over PDF via PostScript and Distiller.
88 Digital Printing Reference
The following recommended settings have been optimized for high image quality printing. In some instances, productivity may take priority over image quality and, therefore, require different settings (such as adjustments in compression).
Open Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
and go to the Settings menu. Select [Edit: Adobe
PDF Settings...]. Create a custom set choosing the following recommended settings and select [Save As...] using a new file name (for example, iGen4 or Xerox
®
Digital Press). Distiller will save the file in the right place so it can be accessed as a new Job Option set. The following pages reflect the settings for an iGen4
®
Press, but you can use these settings regardless of what Xerox
®
Production Print Device you have.
Figure 4-5 Acrobat Distiller
Digital Printing Reference 89
General
• Select Acrobat ®
8.0 (PDF 1.7) for the best compatibility. If you are working with a PostScript
®
file, there is no need to select Acrobat 4.0 compatibility for transparency concerns (writing files to PostScript always flattens any transparency effects and why PDF/x-4 is unavailable).
• To ensure that the orientation of the pages prints correctly, do not select the Auto-Rotate Pages feature.
• Embed Thumbnails is optional. Versions of Acrobat 5 and higher are able to dynamically create thumbnails on the fly.
• The Optimize for Fast Web View feature may cause files to take longer to distill. Consult with your print provider if this function is preferred on or off.
90 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 4-6 Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
General Settings
Digital Printing Reference 91
Images
To preserve the best image quality, compression is generally not recommended. If compression is needed, consult with your print providers and get their preferred settings.
Figure 4-7 Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
Images Settings
92 Digital Printing Reference
Distiller
®
11 contains a Policy button. You will need to decide the threshold of the level of resolution that is appropriate for the quality of the job and if the job should pass, fail or warn the user.
Figure 4-8 Policy Settings
Digital Printing Reference 93
Fonts
• If jobs fail while distilling, check the job for missing fonts. The following settings recommend canceling the job when fonts are missing to ensure the document prints correctly.
• To guarantee the font information is successfully included in the
Adobe
®
PDF file and will view properly on the monitor, the required fonts should reside either in the system folder of the computer or in the PostScript
®
file.
• A higher percentage value is generally recommended for
[Subset embedded fonts…].
94 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 4-9 Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
Fonts Settings
Digital Printing Reference 95
Color
• The Settings File selection under Adobe ®
Color Settings should usually be set to [None], [Leave Color Unchanged].
96 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 4-10 Acrobat Distiller Color Settings
Digital Printing Reference 97
Advanced
• Many of the Advanced settings are dependent on the preferences recommended by your print providers. Always consult with them for best results.
• The Convert Gradients to Smooth Shades feature can help smooth vignettes/sweeps/gradients with Vector-based programs such as
QuarkXPress
®
. Using this feature with Microsoft
®
Office jobs may or may not improve the job due to the way sweeps are generated in those applications.
• As a precautionary measure, use the Save Adobe PDF Settings Inside
PDF File feature. The recipient of the PDF may be able to troubleshoot problem files more easily if the settings are included with the job.
98 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 4-11 Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
Advanced Settings
Digital Printing Reference 99
PDF/X
• When choosing Acrobat ®
8 (PDF 1.7) compatibility under the General tab, compliance standards become unavailable. PDF/x-1a and PDF/x-3 are older standards and it is not possible to create a PDF/x-4 compliant file using Distiller
®
from PostScript
®
.
Figure 4-12 Acrobat Distiller PDF/X Settings
100 Digital Printing Reference
Exporting PDF Files
When exporting files from InDesign
®
or QuarkXPress
®
, you can apply many of the same Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
recommendations discussed previously.
InDesign CS6—Export PDF
The PDF options for InDesign are fairly similar to those in Acrobat Distiller.
If there is a custom set saved from Distiller, it will be selectable from the PDF Export dialog box. Use the PDF/x-4 preset when exporting from
InDesign. There is one additional group of settings, [Marks and Bleeds], that can be set to your preference.
Digital Printing Reference 101
Figure 4-13 InDesign
®
Export Adobe
®
102 Digital Printing Reference
QuarkXPress
®
—Export PDF
In QuarkXPress, be sure to click on the [Options...] button to access all of the available controls over PDF settings.
Figure 4-14 QuarkXPress Export as PDF
Digital Printing Reference 103
Figure 4-15 QuarkXPress
®
PDF Export Options
You will want to check the options under the Job Options and the
Output tab. Take special care to ensure the Color [Output Type] is set to
[Composite] and that [Print Colors] is set to [As Is].
Spot colors in QuarkXPress will print correctly whether the selected output style is Composite CMYK and Spot or As Is.
104 Digital Printing Reference
Preflighting PDF Files
Preflighting PDF Files
Once you export to PDF, you can use the Acrobat
®
Preflight tool to check your PDF file with the PDF/x-4 default verification profile default. If you are not familiar with this tool, you may want to talk with your print providers first. They may be able to provide you with a customized profile or walk you through the process. Also refer to the Adobe
®
documentation provided with Acrobat.
Figure 4-16 Acrobat Preflight
Digital Printing Reference 105
106 Digital Printing Reference
5
Printing
Final Results
• File Formats Supported
• Print Settings
• Finishing Options
Digital Printing Reference 107
Printing
When creating PostScript
®
or PDF files for print, consult your print provider for the recommended settings. When the print provider is unknown or unavailable, the guidelines that follow can be used.
Keep in mind that there may be special settings such as imposition or bleeds that may be unique to the printer’s preferences—always discuss printing specifics with the print provider.
File formats supported by Xerox
®
Digital Presses
• PostScript Language Level 1, 2 and 3
• Portable Document Format (PDF) version 1.3 and above
• TIFF (Tag Image File Format)
• JPEG*
• Xerox
®
FreeFlow
®
Variable Information Suite
• PPML 2.1 *
• TIFF/IT*
• PDF/x-1a through PDF/x-4
• Brisque™*
• Prinergy™*
• DCS 2.0
• CT/LW*
• Microsoft ®
Native file formats (for example, .doc, .xls)
* Several file formats supported are unique to a specific configuration or are available only as options. Check with your print provider or Service
Bureau for their preferred formats.
108 Digital Printing Reference
Color Spaces and Supported Spot Colors
Any color space (RGB, CMYK and CIELab Indexed and the Pantone spot color library).
Selecting Your Print Settings
If you print PostScript
®
directly to a digital press, use the following general print settings in your applications.
InDesign
®
and QuarkXPress
®
printing information follows next.
• Use either the printer’s (for example, iGen4
®
or DocuColor
®
8080) PPD
(supplied by your print provider) or the Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
PPD for your
Printer Description (PPD)
• Print a composite file (not separations).
• Be sure the paper size in the Page Setup is the same as in the Print dialog box.
• Set bleeds to 0.125 in. (3 mm) or desired size, if applicable.
• Do not apply color conversions when printing unless the print provider instructs you to do so.
• Send all data (graphics and images) in binary format, when possible.
• Images should be full resolution. Do not use sampling.
• Always download all fonts.
• Always use PostScript Language Level 3.
• Set the Transparency flattening level to the highest quality setting.
Digital Printing Reference 109
InDesign
®
CS6 Print Settings
The majority of Xerox
®
digital presses have the Adobe
®
PDF Print
Engine
®
(APPE) enabled and therefore it is not recommended that you print directly but rather Export and send a PDF/x-4 for printing. As mentioned previously in this document, the process of printing converts the document to PostScript
®
, which will flatten any objects containing live transparency.
For older classes of digital presses that do not have APPE, you may use the following guidelines for print settings.
General
• Use either the printer’s (for example, iGen4
®
or DocuColor
®
8080) PPD
(supplied by your print provider) or the Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
PPD for your
Printer Description (PPD).
110 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 5-1 InDesign
®
General Settings
Digital Printing Reference 111
Setup
• Be sure the paper size under both the [Paper Size] in the Print Dialog box and the [Paper] in the Page Setup dialog box match. This will ensure that your document prints correctly. Also, check that the orientation is correct.
Figure 5-2 InDesign
®
Setup Settings
112 Digital Printing Reference
Marks and Bleeds
• If bleeds are used, 0.125 in. (3 mm) is generally recommended for printing on Xerox
®
Digital Presses, like most other printing systems.
Figure 5-3 InDesign
®
Marks and Bleed Settings
Digital Printing Reference 113
Output
• Always print with Output Color set to [Composite Leave Unchanged] to prevent any color conversions. This allows the RIP to convert both RGB and CMYK objects to the printer’s color instead of InDesign
®
. Only use
[Composite CMYK or RGB] if the preference is to have the entire job in one single color space.
• Do not use [Text as Black]. This will convert all color text to black.
This feature should only be used for quick proofing.
• Do not use [Simulate Overprint]. This should be used for low-end proofing only as it may convert spot colors to process.
114 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 5-4 InDesign
®
Output Settings
Digital Printing Reference 115
Graphics
• Use Send Data [All] for Graphics, Images.
• Always Download [Complete] fonts.
• Check [Download PPD Fonts] to preserve all fonts.
• Always use PostScript
®
[Level 3].
Figure 5-5 InDesign
®
Graphics Settings
116 Digital Printing Reference
Color Management
• Color Handling should be set to [No Color Management] to prevent colors from converting.
Figure 5-6 InDesign
®
Color Management Settings
Digital Printing Reference 117
Advanced
• Only enable OPI if your print provider requests it.
• Set the Transparency Flattener Preset to [High Resolution].
• Use [Ignore Spread Overrides] if styles are thought to be set incorrectly.
When checked, a single transparency flattener style will be applied to the document and will override all other flattening settings.
118 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 5-7 InDesign
®
Advanced Settings
Digital Printing Reference 119
QuarkXPress
®
Print Settings
Use the following print settings for QuarkXPress when sending files to the printer or when preparing PostScript
®
files for PDF.
Note:
• When using Mac OS
®
10.4.x to create PostScript files, you will need to enable [Create PostScript File for Later Distilling]. This setting can be found in the pull-down list [QuarkXPress: Preferences: PDF]. When this radio button is selected, Quark
®
will generate a PostScript file instead of a PDF file whenever [Export: Layout as PDF] is selected from the File menu. Mac OS 10.3.x users are able to create PostScript files as usual— without making any changes to the QuarkXPress preferences. In the print window, simply select [Output Options] in the pull-down menu and select [Save as File, Format: PostScript].
Layout
• Do not print with Separations.
• For duplex printing, select [Print Blank Pages]. This will ensure that chapters start on the right-hand page.
• If bleeds are used, 0.125 inch (3 mm) is generally recommended for printing on Xerox
®
Digital Presses as with most other printing systems.
120 Digital Printing Reference
Figure 5-8 QuarkXPress
®
Device Settings
Digital Printing Reference 121
Device
• Use either the printer’s (for example, iGen4
®
) PPD (supplied by your print provider) or the Acrobat
®
Distiller
®
PPD for your Printer Description.
• Be sure the paper size under both the [Paper Size] in the print window and the [Paper] in the Page Setup window match. This will ensure that your document prints correctly. Also, check that the orientation is correct.
122 Digital Printing Reference
Output
• Always Print Colors [As Is] to maintain original source color. Using a setting such as [Composite CMYK] will convert any non-CMYK colors (for example, RGB images and graphic elements) to the Composite CMYK profile selected under the Profiles tab. Instead, allow the printer (for example, iGen4
®
or DocuColor
®
8080) to convert all colors (RGB and
CMYK) from its source spaces to the printer’s destination space to render the best output.
• Halftoning will be determined at the RIP.
Note:
• When Blends are made with PANTONE
®
colors in Quark
®
8, they will print as RGB when the Print Colors selection is set to [As Is]. To preserve
PANTONE Blends, set Print Colors to [Device N]. Using [Device N] will, however, convert any RGB text, objects and images to CMYK.
Digital Printing Reference 123
Figure 5-9 QuarkXPress
®
Colors
124 Digital Printing Reference
Options
• Pictures Output should be set to [Normal] for high resolution printing.
• Always use [Binary] Data.
• Consult with your print provider if [Overprint EPS Black] should be used.
• Select [Full Resolution TIFF Output].
Figure 5-10 QuarkXPress
®
Pictures Settings
Digital Printing Reference 125
OPI
Do not enable OPI unless instructed to do so by print providers. Follow their recommendations.
Figure 5-11 QuarkXPress
®
OPI Settings
126 Digital Printing Reference
Profiles
• The Separation and Composite profiles should be set to [None].
• Do not use [Composite Simulates Separation] unless instructed to do so by the print provider. This feature is used for proofing to printers other than the final output device. One of the many benefits of Xerox
®
Digital
Presses is that proofs can be made on the same output device.
Figure 5-12 QuarkXPress
®
Profiles Settings
Digital Printing Reference 127
Finishing Options
How the final design is finished is up to you. Virtually any finishing option that would be available for a commercial print job is a possibility.
Coating and Laminating
As with traditional lithographic printed pieces, coating and laminating are excellent ways to improve the durability of digital output for end uses such as direct mail, transport or heavy usage. Choosing between coating and laminating is a trade-off between cost and the requirements of the piece.
In general, laminating is 10 times the cost of coating but provides much stronger protection.
Optimal coating considerations:
• The paper type does affect coating performance. Coated, glossy stocks at weights above 148 g/m
2
typically provide the best results.
• Uncoated stocks tend to absorb the coating material, which may curl lighter weight papers. UV coatings are not recommended for uncoated substrates.
Optimal laminate considerations:
• Uncoated stocks yield a better laminate film-to-paper bond than coated stocks and are more cost effective.
128 Digital Printing Reference
Booklet Making
The production of saddle-stitched, folded and possibly trimmed booklets is an important job type for the Xerox
®
Digital Press and the feature set makes it easy to do. Job programming at the front end enables the automatic imposition of pages into signatures with just a few keystrokes using pre-built templates. When inline finishing equipment is installed, the system can deliver fully-collated sets ready to be finished as booklets to the stacker. This finishing option is best suited to low-page-count publications.
Optimal booklet making considerations:
• Dry ink can cause cracking on the paper fold. This can be avoided by designing the piece so that dry ink is not placed on the fold. If this is not possible, cracking can be minimized by scoring the sheet and/or laminating or UV coating it.
Perfect Binding
Perfect binding is most often used for larger page counts and is common in textbooks, software documentation and paperback novels. The image may crack at the cover folds with repeated use of the book. The best way to avoid this is to design the cover image to eliminate image in the cover fold areas, if possible. Alternatively, reverse creasing may yield acceptable results.
Digital Printing Reference 129
Optimal binding strength considerations:
• For body sheet design, a 2–3 mm image-free gutter at the binding edge, if possible, will optimize bind force.
• For cover design, the inside surface should be free of image where the cover interfaces to the spine of the book block plus 2–3 mm at front and back edges, allowing for good adhesive to substrate engagement. Toner in this area will yield a low-bind force, as the adhesive doesn’t bond well to it. Minimize image bleed into the spine as much as possible.
• Uncoated stock (or C1S for cover) yields better adhesion characteristics.
• If coated stock is required, matte/silk versions have higher bond strength than gloss versions.
Lightfastness
In accelerated lightfastness testing, the iGen4
®
prints are exposed to intense radiation that simulates about four years of typical office environment exposure or around two weeks in a south-facing window.
Cyan, yellow and black dry inks are extremely stable and exhibit barely any perceptible shifts in color. The magenta dry ink changes somewhat more, with a moderate loss of saturation. This compares favorably with lithographic inks, where magenta, cyan and black are relatively stable while yellow fades almost completely away in similar tests.
130 Digital Printing Reference
Durability
For the most part, images will be durable and resistant to erasure.
However, scratch resistance can vary by stock used. Depending on the end use, coatings may be needed to improve durability.
Mailing Operations Guidelines
Typical post office equipment includes friction feed mechanisms that may stress digital output. Uncoated stocks will perform better than coated stocks. Knowledgeable design and coating or laminating of the piece can improve results.
• Certain postal processing steps may be avoided by following United
States Postal Service pre-sort guidelines (http://www.usps.com/ businessmail101). If bar coding is to be used, it is recommended that you print it with the address as part of the variable data print job.
• In Europe, local postal services should be contacted for mail regulations.
• To ensure a successful mailing, especially for a large run, the process should be tested. In the United States, there is no charge for this testing by the USPS.
Digital Printing Reference 131
132 Digital Printing Reference
Index
Digital Printing Reference 133
Index
A
CS6 34, 35, 60, 69, 84, 101, 110
B
black 13, 31, 38, 43, 48, 114, 125,
Effects with Black 48 rich black 48
bleeds 81, 82, 83, 101, 108, 109,
C
calibrate 39 characterization 39
color
color consistency 6, 7, 29, 31,
color management 34, 37, 39, 67
color settings 34, 35, 36, 64, 65,
color space 30, 31, 33, 34, 62, 64,
D
Distiller 81, 88, 89, 91, 92–93, 95, 97,
dry ink 16, 18, 21, 24, 45, 83,
E
134 Digital Printing Reference
F
file format 60, 62, 108 file formats supported 108
file formats
PostScript 53, 56, 62, 70–72, 77,
flattener 57, 58, 118 flattening 62, 109, 118
G
graphics 17, 34, 42, 45, 47, 56, 62,
H
Digital Printing Reference 135
I
iGen4 6, 12, 25, 27, 43, 45, 48, 69,
70, 89, 109, 110, 122, 123, 130
Illustrator 53–55, 57, 60–63, 88
image
image quality 18, 23, 68, 72, 79,
InDesign 33, 53–54, 58, 62, 77, 82,
84–85, 88, 101–102, 109–117, 119
print settings 107, 109–110, 120
J
K
L
M
N
North American Prepress 34, 69
O
136 Digital Printing Reference
P
creating PDF files. See Distiller
PDFF/x-4 33, 58, 82, 88, 90, 100–101,
105, 108, 110
Photoshop 51, 64, 66, 68, 71, 75
PostScript 53, 62, 70–72, 77, 83, 88,
PostScript Color Management 34,
preflight 34, 82, 84 preflighting 34, 69, 84
profiles
Q
QuarkXPress 29, 33, 36–37, 47,
59, 62, 68, 70, 82, 86–87, 98, 101,
103–104, 109, 120–121, 124–127
R
resolution 12, 57, 62, 118, 125
RIP 32, 70, 78–79, 114, 123, 140
Digital Printing Reference 137
S
stock 16, 18, 20, 24, 26, 45, 49, 128,
opacity 24 recommendations 17, 21–24
size 13, 27, 44, 68, 72, 78–79,
T
text 42–44, 47, 49, 74, 77–78, 114,
solid text 43–44 tinted text 44 type size 44
Transparency 43, 56–60, 62, 74, 76,
flattener 57–68, 58, 118 flattening 58, 62, 109, 118
138 Digital Printing Reference
U
V
Variable Data Printing (VDP) 76
W
working space 34, 47, 65–67, 75
Digital Printing Reference 139
Michael Riebesehl—
Subject Matter Expert
Michael is a Training Manager for workflow and Marketing
Manger for Xerox Confident Color in the Graphic
Communications Business Group at Xerox Corporation.
He is an IDEAlliance Color Management Professional and
G7 Expert, sets image quality and color standards goals for product development, and creates and promotes Business Development tools that help Xerox customers integrate digital print.
Michael was the technical author for the
Xerox
®
Job Preparation Guide for
Designers and coauthored the book The Art & Science of Digital Printing,
The Parsons Guide to Getting it Right together with the Parsons New
School University. His color expertise and technical knowledge contribute to Xerox’s commitment to build strong relationships with its Graphic
Communications Partners.
Michael has over 25 years experience in the printing industry. He is an
Adobe
®
Solutions Partner member, presenting at many of Adobe’s creative conferences. He is also an accomplished freelance photographer applying his knowledge to the art of digital photography.
Proof It Was Printed On iGen4
®
How can you tell this book was printed on iGen4?
If the word “iGen4” in the box below appears darker than the background, you’ll know for sure this book was printed on the Xerox
®
iGen4 Press.
Depending on your printer’s brand of RIP and CMYK settings, the block’s color differences from text can vary.
If the word “iGen4” appears lighter than the background, it was probably printed on a different printing device.
iGen4
140 Digital Printing Reference
Xerox
®
Graphic Arts
Premier Partner
Use this area to promote your company.
Digital Printing Reference 141
Printed on a Xerox® iGen4® Press on Xerox® Digital Color
Elite Gloss® 100 lb Cover and Text.
©2013 Xerox Corporation. All rights reserved. Xerox®, Xerox and Design®,
Digital Color Elite Gloss®, DocuColor®, FreeFlow®, iGen4® and VIPP® are trademarks of or licensed to Xerox Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. 08/13 T647 BR7378
702P01840
Tải xuống
Đã cập nhật liên kết công khai
Liên kết công khai đến cuộc trò chuyện của bạn đã được cập nhật. You may view and manage your chat links after registration here.
Liên kết công khai tài liệu
Quảng cáo
