Understanding Your Prints: All About Offset Printing

Understanding the offset printing process can help you become a better designer

, as well as improve the printed materials that your business uses. Here is a look at the basics of offset printing and what you should know.

Prior to the press

If you have designed your printing project using RGB, then one of the first things that your printer will do is convert this to CMYK. CMYK is the color process used in offset printing. Some online printers may do this automatically when you upload your files, while others will have to do this manually. You can save time on the printing process by doing this conversion yourself or utilizing RGB during the entire design process.

Once this process has been completed, the printer will create etched metal plates with your design. One plate is done for each color in the CMYK process: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Once this is completed, your printing job can actually begin.

Creating the prints

During offset printing, there are two different types of printing presses that might be used. Sheet fed presses are a type of printing that use individual sheets that are manually fed through the presses. Web presses are a type of printing that uses large rolls of paper that are then cut into the appropriate size during the finishing processes. Web presses are usually reserved for large printing jobs, whereas sheet fed presses can be used on shorter runs.

Regardless of the type of press that is used, the printing process remains the same. Ink is applied to the metal plates that were created, and then the paper is loaded. The metal plates will transfer the ink to the paper during the printing process, and then the procedure is repeated for each of the four colors, creating your full-color project.

Finishing the job

The finishing process involves everything that has to occur to your product after printing and before it is delivered to you. This includes being cut into the appropriate sizes, being bound, or being folded. For instance, business cards are usually printed in a large sheet and then need to be cut down to the appropriate size. Booklets need to be bound before they are completed, and brochures need to be folded.

Most of the time, this part of the printing process will be done by machine. Your printer likely has a machine that can cut through hundreds of sheets of paper at once, as well as one designed to automatically fold papers. This allows them to complete those parts of the process quickly and efficiently.

Binding can take more time, ranging on the type of binding utilized. Binding options include stapling, stitching, and gluing, depending on the project at hand.

As you can see, the design of your printing project is just the beginning. Offset printing requires numerous steps to turn your design file into a finished product. By understanding these steps, you will find it easier to design your printing accordingly so that you will end up with the highest quality product.

by: Frank Salsa

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