Prepress Output: Tips and Notes

1. Simplify the EPS image - If you want to say the final reason, in the PostSript file, the overly complicated path is the culprit that makes the file not print correctly. Too many nodes with paths or smooth settings will increase the complexity of the file, causing the laser printer or imagesetter to freeze, resulting in fatal LimitCheck or VMError PostSript errors. In particular, when sending files to high-resolution output devices, you should divide complex paths and set high smoothness in Illustrator or Macromedia, or use FreeHand to simplify the path of instructions. When using Adobe Streamline strokes, use path simplification to reduce path complexity. Use high tolerance readings in Photoshop to reduce the number of nodes when the selection becomes a clipped path. Do not nest EPS images in other EPS files. Like this: Several EPS images are imported into an Illustrator file, stored as EPS, placed on a QuarkXPress page, stored as an EPS, and placed into another QuarkXPress file. If you are lucky, that file happens to print. However, as each layer is put into the EPS, the chance of success will be less and less. If you have to convert a full-page QuarkXPress EPS to a file that can be dot-patched by Photoshop. Let Photoshop turn the file into a bitmap and save it as Photoshop's EPS or TIFF. Neither of these two formats adds extra layers to the PostSript language.

Smooth Gradations - Gradients using mathematical operations by QuarkXPress and Illustrator work well over short distances of a few inches, but if you try to make a fine gradient of the entire page, PostSript's limits may be banded. The effect is to make the gradient into a lattice image (using Add Noise) in Photoshop and enter it into other applications. However, you can't use Photoshop to handle layers made in Illustrator. Compared to gradients created directly in the Photoshop palette, Illustrator files processed by Photoshop do not produce the ideal intermediate gradient.

3, use the font - many output centers do not want to see TrueType words, PostSript has become a standard. TrueType usually has the same word name as the corresponding PostSript word, causing conflicts. TrueType must be manually downloaded into the RIP of the imagesetter. This is a time-consuming task. Contact the export center in advance. Do not use font commands to create bold or italic effects. It is best to select the desired font effect directly from the application font menu. For example, if the font does not have the desired rough or oblique effect and the font command is used, the MAC will forge a bold or italic effect for each character, but this is only on the screen. If it is output on the printer, the final printing effect looks as if it has not been used at all. So what's the effect of using the underline? Don't use fonts that do not have the effect that the font itself has. If you are using a beautiful serif or fine-brushed font (Bodoni is a good example), and the size of the word is set to be very small, do not separate the words. Otherwise, even slight misalignment of the plates will cause overprinting of the most sensitive parts.

4. Color Conversion - Before converting the file to output, convert the RGB color to CMYK. Of course, RGB colors look great on the screen, and many professionals prefer to use RGB mode, but do you know? What does the image of these RGB modes look like after being color-separated or printed (many previous publishing software couldn't even separate RGB images). Before the images are placed into the layout software or sent to the output center, they are converted into CMYK format (in Photoshop or other software that can do this conversion). To make sure that you did not specify a spot color as a separation, or vice versa, assign a separation as a spot color. One such mistake may destroy a film. If your time is precious and you spend money on your own film, this is definitely not what you want. Be sure to define the colors you have defined in your typesetting software. Use the same name as used in image processing software. Otherwise, the layout software will treat the separations defined in Illustrator and FreeHand as spot colors. QuarkXPress and PageMaker can now recognize this color and put in the color list any color names contained in the EPS file placed into it. Therefore, this danger is not too great, but here I still mention it to you.

5. Using numbers - Now every typesetting software provides two methods for determining the size and position of page elements. One method is clicking the perceptual method of dragging the mouse, and the other is an objective method of entering numbers from various dialogs and control panels. To make sure that the exact width of a box is exactly one and one-half inch, the only correct way to do this is to enter 1.5" in the width column instead of using the head or aligning the guides and dimensions.

6, set the layout page to the actual size - in the previous period of less satisfactory days, prepress workstations and imagesetter can not record the bleeding area beyond the page range. If you want to get the right bleeding, you have to change the page size in the layout software to adjust the actual page size and bleeding. This must have a larger page size in order to manually draw and place cutting lines, which is easy to make mistakes. Today's prepress equipment is no longer hampered by these restrictions (the imagesetter now can record a larger format and use a wider film). Most printing devices recommend setting the file size to the actual size of the page, allowing the application software to automatically generate correct positioned cutting lines.

7. Organize the documents - talking about this may be superfluous for the veteran, but for the newcomer it has to be stronger again. In addition to carrying all the image files used in the file, you also need to bring the PostScript word lattice words (screen display) and outline words (printer) used in the file to the output center. Now that most typesetting software is similar to the QuarkXPress Collection and Output Document command, you can get a detailed report about the file and automatically copy the file to a folder, floppy disk or SyQuest disk. If the output center has a higher configuration, they will have Adobe fonts so that you don't need to bring the words together.

8. Check the documents - mentioned in steps 4 and 7, which ones can be done and which ones can't be done. Do you hear the fog in the clouds? In fact, it is a very simple check. The checks should include: checking each page element that was missed, colors and PostSript errors that were not properly defined. The inspection tool is simply like the Lepton Technology\'s ​​documentDoctor for QuarkXPress or Adobe\'s CheckList for PageMaker, and the sophisticated ones like Systems of Merritt\'s LaserCheck or Acquired Knowledge\'s Dowmload Mechanic. Panther Proof or Adobe PrePrint Pro can perform low resolution output screen previews so that you can check and resolve common Postscript errors before exporting. "Huawei Proofing" software has the powerful function of finally checking whether the document is wrong.

9, print documents - proofing output files, to indicate separation. If you can't find a color printer around you, then the color annotation method used in the past is very useful. It also needs a large number of separations, which is very useful for hollowing out and overprinting!

10. Make a phone call and contact the export center—not at the end of the workflow—to contact the export center. Contact them from the beginning. By contacting the person responsible for the final output, many output problems can be avoided. Do not think that the files that look good on the MAC screen must meet the requirements of the output center and how good it is after printing. Be sure to find out the resolution (number of lines per inch), ink, and paper used for printing. Then set the corresponding number of network cables in the application software. When you have a negative film, you should explain it to the output person, otherwise the output person will give you a positive film as usual. Time is precious to every publisher. Is the secret of the above 10 graphic experts saving you some time? Hopefully, the introduction of the above 10 articles will give you some inspiration. The original output is not terrible.