Things to keep in mind when submitting art for print.

When creating artwork for print, there are a few things to consider.

All images to be used in print materials should be at least 300 dpi.

Artwork that extends to the edge of the printed piece must include a “bleed”. This means extending the artwork past the final trim by 1/8".

Why your printed proofs look different from screen art.

Most printed materials use CMYK or spot colors as their color profile. These inks are combined in the printing process by forming small rosettes which create the illusion of a complex color.

Pantone spot colors are universally known ink colors with specific mixing instructions to ensure the color matches each time.

RGB color stands for Red, Green and Blue, which are the colors that are displayed by an electronic screen.

The reason that colors on the printed piece look different from the colors on your monitor is that RGB color is displayed using electronic light produced by your monitor. Printed materials rely on surrounding light to display their colors. Printed materials also tend to be slightly less vibrant due to paper type, and ink selection.

The designers at Henry Printing can assist you with paper selection and color choices before starting a project.

How to save yourself time and money when sending art.

Save yourself time and money by following these steps when submitting a complex project to Henry Printing. Rather than doing the layout yourself, you might find it easier to submit an unformatted text document along with photos and other images. Our designers will then place the photos and images while flowing the text around them. This way your final document will have the correct margins, bleeds and folding panels.

You should not manually put crop marks on the artwork.

If at all possible use our email proofing procedures. Review your proofs very carefully before returning them (proof read, check content for errors/omissions). Download Acrobat

How to set up your art work for a bleed.

If you are creating artwork that has no margins (artwork that extends all the way to the edge of the printed piece), create a bleed. Bleeding artwork means that you extend it past its margins preferably 1/8".

If you aren't sure how to do this talk with the designers at Henry Printing, so they can recommend the best option for your document.

Common design terms that you may hear in the printing process.

Bleed: Printing that goes to the edge of the sheet after trimming.
CMYK:Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and blacK inks and toners used to simulate complex color.
Coated paper: A clay-coated paper with a gloss, dull, or matte finish.
Crop marks: Printed lines showing where to trim a printed sheet.
Duotone: A halftone picture made up of two printed colors.
Four-color process: Combining four basic ink colors to create the illusion of many colors.
Halftone: Converting a continuous tone to dots for printing.
Knock out: To mask out an image.
PMS: The abbreviation for Pantone Color Matching System.
RGB: Color is displayed using brightness values of Red, Green and Blue
Saddle stitch: Binding a booklet or magazine with staples in the seam where it folds.
Score: A crease put on paper to help it fold better.
Stock:The material to be printed.
Trapping: The ability to accurately print one ink over the other.
Uncoated paper: Paper with no clay coating as in common letterhead and copy papers.