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How to Achieve the Digital Print Quality You’re Looking For
When designing print pieces for digital print production, one of the best practices to adapt is to proof consistently. Because digital proofs are printed on the actual production device to show an exact sample of the print piece, adjusting files, reviewing revised proofs and repeating the process for satisfaction ensures that each step of the process is monitored and optimal design capacity is reached.
Top of the line digital technology like the Xerox iGen4 pioneers color consistency, but optimizing larger areas of flat tints is still important. Digital color presses are excellent at reproducing color, but for larger areas the designer can choose lighter or darker percentages to ensure evenness. Imaging software like Adobe Photoshop can also assist with creating textures and patterns with mid tone tints or long blends to accommodate the larger areas.
With offset printing presses, black coverage over large areas is executed with rich blacks, which are created through a mixture in percentages of process colors. The Xerox iGen4 digital press utilizes an optimal formula that provides a 100 percent clean black, but other digital presses use process colors to improve solid black coverage. If your commercial printer is using a digital press like the Xerox iGen4, note that adding colors to a 100 percent black base will produce a colorful range of blacks that can be applied as a creative and not a necessary application.
While the use of image compression enables you to download files quickly and easily, it can cause the loss of valuable data and information which cannot be restored. Compressed files, like JPEGs must be opened with Adobe Photoshop and decompressed, or saved as TIFF or EPS files. Digital type reproduction is also much different from offset. It is possible that smaller typefaces will be more challenging on the digital press, but knockout types on black can work well. You must proofread the readability and effectiveness of your typefaces and ensure that the applicable changes are made.
In terms of resolution, if your print piece includes scans of text and line art you must produce a 600 to 1200 dpi. Continuous tone images will require a 300 dpi. If you are using variable data printing, increasing the resolution will have a minimal impact on continuous tone images and contain more data than is necessary. In terms of color and images, images with RGB will have a larger color gamut than CMYK. The programming of the digital press understands the optimal color translation to ensure color reproduction and flexibility.
Nonetheless, each print job will have specific requirements that must be met and the best way to ensure that your digital design meets your expectations is to seek advice from your printer on how to improve your proofs. Before you commit to any job with any printer, you should discuss your needs and feel out the experience and skill set of the printer.
Want to learn more about digital printing? Explore Master’s digital solutions here.
