Commercial Offset Printing vs. Desktop Printing

Ever been confused when somebody tells you to just send your file to your printer, or when someone asks you to talk to your printer? I mean, there's a big difference when you talk to a printer thing and a person printer. As one article said, when someone asks you to talk to your printer, it doesn’t mean that you should look like an idiot and try to talk sense to your laser printer or dot matrix, although from time to time, that may be a good idea to vent out your frustrations and ire to get the job done. Nevertheless, the phrase simply means that you should ask your commercial offset printer if you have any queries regarding your printing requirements.

When you go to a printing outfit for a professional print job, we call it Commercial Offset Printing. On the other hand, when you just get the assistance of your dot matrix to reproduce your file for you, that's Desktop Printing.

Man vs. machine

When comparing a commercial printer and desktop printer, the latter refers to the actual piece of hardware such as dot matrix printers, laser printers, and inkjet printers. They are usually applied in printing documents at home or in businesses. They are commonly small enough to fit on top of a desk or a table, thus the name. However, businesses may also use larger floor-model printers. Again, these are equipment used to print documents on paper or transparencies or other materials.

And as mentioned earlier, with a desktop printer, a digital file is sent to a printer connected to a computer (or its network) and the printed page is available in a short while.

On the other hand, a commercial printer is actually a business with its owner and employees as the printing professionals and experts. A print shop may have printer machines for digital printing but they also oftentimes have web or sheet presses for offset lithography and other commercial printing processes.

A commercial printer is a printing company that prints a file using one of a variety of methods, often involving a printing press. How the digital file must be prepared depends on the printing process to be utilized. Commercial printers usually require very specific file preparation or prepress tasks.

Spot the Difference

There are primary differences in offset printing and desktop printing. You have to consider the colors of ink and the way it is placed on paper, as well as the kind of equipment to be used for the task. The method of printing also dictates how the desktop publishing document must be prepared.

Both utilize the CMYK colors. Dots of Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow, and BlacK are placed next to each other in specific patterns that trick the eye into seeing millions of colors. In addition, offset printing can use premixed inks in a variety of specific colors as well as metallic and fluorescent inks. These are what we call spot colors.

Inkjet printing puts all the different ink colors on the paper in one pass through the paper.
Desktop printing usually utilizes some type of inkjet or laser printer. The inkjet printer has ink cartridges that place the ink directly on paper. These are self-contained units connected to a computer through cables. Offset uses a web or sheet press that may consist of multiple units. Photographic printing plates of the file to be printed are made, which then accept the ink and then transferred to the paper.

So next time somebody tells you again to "talk to your printer" you would be able to know that what he means is to consult your commercial print outfit about your print job, and not your dot matrix or laser printer.

Postcards: Enabling a Digital Reality

The popularity of postcards can be traced back to their broad subject appeal. Almost any subject imaginable has been, at some point or another, portrayed on a postcard. As such, postcards continue to be the most popular form of souvenir as well as communication tools for personal and business enterprises. In addition, they are the cheapest form of marketing medium.

Whether you are looking at creating company postcards or simply for sending to clients and customers, postcards can be a great tool to get your message across. In fact, many businesses opt to send postcards as a reminder for appointments, or to say thank you for repeated business.

If you are a starting actor or actress and you want to impress, you'll want to send postcards to industry executives. When you’re seeking new representation, or announcing a change in management, chances are you'll want to include your photos on your postcards.

With the onset of digital technology, postcards printing is set to a new level- that of the excellent quality printing at the quickest time. At the same time, postcards are able to reach its optimum capability of becoming a medium of change from the conventional way of communication to the more advanced global technology.

From the early part of the 1800s, postcards were intended as souvenirs and placed on sale at an Exposition in Chicago. People were buying the postcards as their own reminders of something significant that had happened during their time. From being just a souvenir, postcards had evolved to become a highly used tool for people to keep abreast of what's happening not only in their vicinity, but with the whole world as well.

With digital technology, postcards have also become the epitome of its dynamism and change. Gone were the days when people used to send postcards that are bleary, images that are distorted, and colors that are dull. Advanced technology has come up with state-of-the-art equipment and machines that allows for excellent quality printing at a much faster rate. In fact, excellent quality printing can be reproduced not only a hundred, but a thousand times over.

What's more, online printing is also at hand due to the birth of digital technology. We need not go out and hand over our orders. With digital technology, all we need is a computer and an Internet connection for us to be able to have our postcards printed and delivered right at our very doors.

Not to mention that with the wide world of the Internet, digital postcards are becoming the in-thing nowadays. Digital postcards are working on the premise of sending as many postcards to recipients in less time possible with just one click of the mouse. From conceptualization and design, until the final touches and sending to different emails, the Internet is hands-on in providing the best designs and formats, and the fastest way for them to get to the recipients. Making it more convenient and flexible, without the previous hassle of traditional printing. Add to this that more people are reached in the four corners of the world.

Thanks to digital technology, postcards have become the most convenient way of getting in touch with people globally.

E-Postcards: Does it have the same effect as Printed Postcards?

I don't know about you, but I feel that with the onset of digital technology, everything from writing a letter to sending a flower is getting to be a little bit impersonal nowadays. Gone were the days when getting things from my mailbox is an exciting time for me especially during holidays and special occasions. I get excited just thinking about the postcards and mails that I am supposed to be getting from friends and loved ones. Not to mention the junk mail that I get.

In my opinion, e-postcards just don't make me feel special like it does with printed postcards. Sure, they're less expensive because you don’t have to go out and haggle with a postcard printing company about specifications and costs. Sure, you create them in less the time it took for you to conceptualize, design and print the traditional postcards. Sure, with just one click of your mouse you could easily send one postcard to a hundred- even a thousand recipients in an hour. (I think that's getting a little exaggerated.) But the fact remains that e-postcards just got the "personal" out of sending postcards and mails to your loved ones.

So what's the difference? As a postcard aficionado, I believe that printed postcards do several things that e-postcards cannot.

• Printed postcards cannot be easily deleted. Ever received a postcard in your email from somebody you don’t know and instantly send it to the Trash? It's so easy for you to just put them in the bin, or accidentally send them as trash. With printed postcards, you could easily retrieve the material when suddenly you realize that the postcard is important or significant for you.

• Printed postcards carry designs and formats that are more personal. It doesn't get more personal when you know that the person who sent you the postcard took time and effort to design that postcard. Add to that the fact that the person went to so much trouble of going to a postcard printing company and getting their nerves stretched to its limit because they believe in having their specific terms delivered on target and on time. It just goes to show how special they feel for the people they are sending the postcards to.

• With printed postcards, it directly goes to the hands of the recipients. For you to be able to view your e-postcard, you must visit the host site first. What if your internet server didn't work the way it's supposed to?

• You don’t need a computer or electricity to be able to read your printed postcard. If you're the type of person who is not too keen with the use of computers, you should probably stay with the traditional postcards and let other professionals do the job for you.

• Printed postcards can be posted in the refrigerator and be used as decoration particularly on the Christmas tree. Can your e-postcard do that? I don't think so.

• You could actually see and feel the texture, quality and great image in your printed postcard. Can you hold and feel your e-postcards? With e-postcards, the recipient doesn't get an actual postcard. Instead, the recipient gets an email inviting him/her to click on a link to retrieve it.

• Printed postcards allow you to help other people. When you let a postcard printing company handle your requirements, you provide that company and its people a source to generate income and profits. Thus, more people are happy, not only your loved ones, friends and colleagues. You might not know it, but your job order might just be the bonus that the production personnel of your printing company were waiting for. You just made many people happy with your postcards.

The way I see it, whether its printed postcards or e-postcards, it is up to you to decide which is more suited to your needs. Whatever your objectives, postcards are a great way to get your message across to people. They are affordable and the returns in terms of benefits are many, be it personal or business-wise. Postcards are versatile. You could use them to seek business from target clients or simply by informing everybody you know of certain events or things that happened to you recently.

And for great postcards printing, nothing beats Rush Printing Services. Their Rush Postcard Printing services are very affordable and results are guaranteed excellent quality.

Plug-Ins and XTensions: InDesign Indexers, QuarkXPress Catalogers, Photoshop Fixers

What are Plug-Ins?

According to Webopedia, it is a hardware or software module that adds a specific feature or services to a larger system. The idea is that the new component simply plugs in to the existing system.

About-the-web.com says that they are small applications that add new functionality, multimedia, or audio-video capability to a program.247.aw.com defines plug-ins as software programs you can download from the Internet that allow you to add features to your software. For example, Shockwave, RealPlayer, and Java plug-ins allow users to view animations and other multimedia features. Ameritech-hosting.net says that they are software programs that enhance other programs or applications on your computer. There are plug-ins for Internet browsers, graphics programs, and other applications.


Plug-ins let you add extensions to files and folders to encode or process them, let you remove them from files to decode them and let you change file extensions to translate one type of file into another.

What are Extensions?

Mantex.co: They are the three or four letter or number code used to identify files. They come after the full stop following the filename. Common types include .doc and .txt for word processor documents. Files ending in .gif and .jpg generally contain images. Files ending in .exe and .com usually contain executable programs which load into memory and carry out a set of instructions.

What are the latest plug-ins and XTensions?

InDesign Plug-ins for Figures, Footnotes and Indexes

One great source of InDesign plug-ins is Virginia Systems Inc. The company produces a variety of software for document searching, document imaging, automatic index and table of contents generation, cross- referencing, footnote/endnote management, figure/table numbering, and automatic PDF hypertext linking. Their latest plug-ins help you automatically number and keep track of figures, tables, footnotes, endnotes, and indexes. The following are their latest programs:

Sonar Bookends InDex Pro version 4.0 is the newly updated automatic indexing plug-in for Macintosh and Windows that can use either character or paragraph style sheets to mark items to index. The marked items are extracted automatically and compiled into a list. The index created using the list can consist of either all pages where the items in the list appear, or only the pages where the items are marked with a particular style sheet. It can also index items in InDesign tables.

Sonar Bookends InFnote version 4.01 is a footnote/endnote management product for InDesign desktop publishing system. It can move footnotes from page to page automatically, and ensures that each footnote is on the same page as its reference. A separator line is automatically drawn above all footnote text boxes that actually contain footnotes. Also, additional numbering scheme for footnotes is available.



InDesign Plug-in for Cross-References The same company, Virginia Systems, offers Sonar Bookends InXref as a cross-referencing plug-in for InDesign that lets you mark anything in a document, such as a table, figure, photo, among others, and then refer to its page number elsewhere in the document. If the item moves, its page number reference updates automatically. This product uses a "labeling" system to mark both where referenced page numbers are to be inserted and where the material being referenced is found.


QuarkXpress Plug-In

QuarkXpress is layout software that lets you combine writing, editing, and typography with color and pictures to produce dynamic final output. With Em Software Inc. introduced Xcatalog 6.2, the software that helps you create bi-directional links between a QuarkXpress 6 document—text selections or whole text and picture box contents— and an external database. You can now link any picture or text element, from a single character to a phrase or paragraph or entire story. Once the links are established, changes can be made on either the XPress side or the database side, and the changes pushed in the other direction. It helps you update prices, graphics, product information, or change versions or even swap languages. What's more, you can do all of this automatically. Em Software also has a version for InDesign named InCatalog.
Photoshop Great Image Fixers

These plug-ins by The Imaging Factory are for correcting perspective, angle, and lens distortions such as light falloff and magnification at the edges of wide-angle lenses, and color fringing.

Debarrelizer version 2.0 corrects quickly and easily barrel distortion, as well as Chromatic Aberration.

Perspective version 2.0 is for pictures taken with a slightly tilted camera. It corrects perspective distortion while providing live visual feedback.

Squeeze version 2.0, for those group shots that tend to become "larger than life". With this tool, you will be able to squeeze them back to normal proportions.

Vignette version 2.0 is built to quickly and easily remove lens and telescope vignetting defects or uneven

Photo Quality of Digital vs. Conventional Cameras

The past years have seen major technological breakthroughs especially in the digital field. Mostly, if not all, electronic devices from CDs to MP3s are built on the same basic premise of converting conventional analog information into digital information.

The digital camera is one of these devices that exemplify the big difference between the world of analog and the digital. It is totally different from its predecessor, the conventional cameras. Obviously, conventional cameras depend entirely on mechanical and chemical processes. You don't need electricity to operate on one. In addition, with conventional cameras, film is needed to take photos, which leads to a lot of problems such as film flatness, inconsistent development, or scanners. All digital cameras have a built-in computer, and all of them record images in an entirely electronic form. As such, images can be previewed immediately- no more trips to camera shops to drop off film then picking it up again. Not to mention, no more worries on airport x-rays.

Aside from the basic disparity of the process of operation, photo quality also makes a world of distinction between the two.

Conventional

Film is an analog medium, so it doesn't have "pixels". The finest films (which are slow and need a lot of light) have very fine grains. Finer grains mean more grains per inch. This means more detail in your image which will allow you to enlarge your photos to a much bigger size without the visibility of deterioration. If your objective is to take advantage of these pixels, you need to work on your lighting conditions and the quality of the optics used. The latest generation of Pro Digital Cameras is reaching these resolutions but at prices that are 5 to 10 times higher than that of a conventional camera that could equal the kind of resolution you want.

If you want to get the maximum advantage from your film, you need to use the best optics you can get from your camera system. Cheap optics can have a low resolving power due to imperfections in the glass quality and the coatings used. In addition, sharpness, brightness and contrast depend strongly on the quality of your lenses.

Next to pixel count, each grain can be set to display any color, color intensity and brightness. On a digital camera, this is limited by the "color depth" as each pixel can be set to a limited number of levels.

One important factor to be considered with conventional cameras is that the images are only previewed by you after they are processed at the lab, not during the time you took the shot as in the case of a digital camera. You are completely in the dark whether it's good or bad images. Furthermore, you have to pay for all your prints. There is also little you can do to post process your shot unless you have access to a well equipped darkroom.

Digital

The highest resolution available is 14 mega pixels with a very expensive professional camera. But 6 Mega-pixel pro-summer digital cameras can be bought at a much cheaper price. These digital cameras are already capable of producing a 3000 x 2000 pixels image. This means that it is capable of producing an A4 size image.

Digital cameras have larger image sensors than the average pocket digicams. They produce better images than that of a pocket camera with the same resolution. This is possible because the larger image sensor of the digital camera is less sensitive to stray electrical signals. A smaller sized sensor produces more 'noise'. Noise in digital cameras is much lower than grain in film. This can be seen as small variations in color and tone in image. As the 'amplifiers' in the sensor make the electrical signals stronger with each higher ISO setting, the amount of noise will also increase. This is comparable to bigger grains on high speed conventional film.

The advantages of digital cameras are many and very popular. Direct preview of results make it possible for you to re-shoot and adjust the composition or exposure as needed. And unlike its conventional counterpart, once you bought your equipment, there is no additional cost in the pictures you take even when it's more than a hundred times. Just simply store your shots, and when you want some prints, you can simply send them to your local photo lab and print only what you need and want. These help you to become more unconventional and try out different experiments that you would normally avoid with conventional film. More shots increases the chances of good images, thereby making you a better photographer.

But don't get me wrong. I love the conformity and traditionalism of having a conventional camera. In fact, it may even be decades before digital cameras completely replace film cameras. Your choice between the two cameras depends entirely on what you want to do with your images. When you need A3 size (or even larger) print with superb professional quality, you still need to go for the more conventional camera, especially those that are top of the line. They're just a bit expensive though. Digital is going through a fast stage of development and sometimes doesn't have the same resolution capability as that of its counterpart.

Also, if you're not too keen with the use of computers, you should probably stay with conventional cameras.

Nevertheless, if you are primarily concerned with taking relatively small images for email or to use on a web page, then an inexpensive digital camera will do. Combined with appropriate post-processing, you are now able to create artistic and creative results with the range of digital cameras in the market today.

How to Lead Like a Professional

The role of a businessman in society, especially the role of a digital printing provider, has changed a lot over the years. Sure, digital printing entrepreneurs are still concerned with the basics of numbers and the calculator is always a good friend to have. But aside from profits and income, businessmen today are beginning to focus more on values- values that help in creating a better world for all of us to live in.

For instance, one digital printing company is now providing services that cater to demands that are provided on a need basis. When before people are hesitant to use printing outfits because of the high costs it entails and the large amount of requirements before one could avail of their services; nowadays, individual customers are more than welcome to enjoy the benefits of digital technology. With the advent of technological advancements in digital printing, companies like Color Printing Wholesale now provide rush printing services that provides output when you need it and according to the amount you specify. No more worries that printers cannot accommodate small job orders.

Thus, printers today are more appreciated rather than criticized for considering personal values and beliefs, along with the marketing and efficient business practices. As society begins to regard digital printing outfits on personal terms rather than as business entities, printers have become concerned with combining traditional and sensible business practices with efficient and more customer-friendly environment.

So aside from traditional business practices and techniques, how does one lead like a professional in the world of digital printing?

As a person well-versed with the services provided in digital printing, I believe in two credos in which to develop a more human version of the printing industry.

1. Convey Credibility.

Customers and client want one thing and one thing only- REASSURANCE. They need reassurance that what we say and promise is legitimate. It doesn't have to be flowery or full of guarantees to melt even the most hardened hearts. We need to reassure them that what we offer is legitimate. Because credibility is crucial to the success of our business, convincing clients that we can deliver on target and on time is key to everything.

Because of the onset of advertising and marketing in the wide world of the Internet, many sad stories come and go. In all likelihood, we might never come face to face with clients or business contacts especially when we deal with designers, graphic artists, developers, web masters, and such. Thus, conveying credibility through the Internet is even more of a challenge. Convincing people of our integrity from a distance definitely presents a more formidable task. But by giving clients and site visitors the facts, we definitely can overcome this hurdle. Straight and unadulterated facts.

Let's make it our goal focused on helping our clients reach their own goals. We can only do this when we have gained our clients trust. To be chosen for their next project, we have to find a way to prove ourselves. After all, the more credible we are, the more likely our prospective clients will contact us.

2. Eliminate the phrase, "Sorry, that's our policy."

It is really a huge turn-off for me when I ask for something and a company representative would tell me that it cannot be done because it's "Company Policy". "Sorry, that's our policy" is such a great letdown. I will definitely not come back to that company again even if they are the last firm standing and tomorrow is the end of the world.

Come on. We are literally in an industry where imagination is a must to get the edge. Such statement comes off as very stiff and not very creative. We are operating on services that create art and designs that rely a great deal on our creative juices, and you have the audacity to tell me that you cannot do something because it's policy?

And the worst part of it is, when clients feel the same frustration I had, most probably that ten people and friends will hear about it. Definitely a no-no when it comes to building a good reputation.

Change is the only thing constant in this world. Things and even people do change. Thus, it is of utmost importance that we realize at the start that our clients' needs and wants will definitely change. Resistance to deviate from regular procedures and to what are considered normal will definitely reveal a preference for our needs over theirs.

Even if it costs us a little time and money, we need to see the bigger picture and make room for changes. We have to make the effort to meet our clients' needs. If it is not too unreasonable just be friendly enough and mention that we are just happy to make an exception in this one instance. Bending a little will go a long way in forming a lasting relationship. And remember, ten people and friends will surely hear about it.

Wouldn't it be great to hear words like, "You have provided the most complete, professional, responsive and courteous service I've ever had. You're genuinely a pleasure to do business with." Considering that you are providing a service that is otherwise known for its indifference and sometimes more concerned with the ROIs, it is a plus to meet someone that caters not only to the numbers but also to the human aspect of service.

But if we want to be able to continue in this industry, a little more support and the ability to broaden our field on the way we respond to our clients' needs will definitely go a long way for our profits and ROIs.

Digitalize It! : (Modification of images with tools such as Adobe CS and Corel)

Then it was a choice among crayons, paints and palettes for an artist and designer to create art. It was a box of crayons that make one happy designer during his early years of formation.

Nowadays, designing has gone to the new age of advanced technology that utilizes computers and programming. As a designer used to handling tangible products such as the ever reliable crayons, computer technology is oftentimes scary and heart palpitating. With all that computer code and HTML tags and styles, it's no wonder that most designers break out in cold sweat every time they are forced to put computer code around a text in a Word document to get the layout they want.

To help designers and artists alike to make their lives simpler, Adobe offers a complete package that brings designs straight from concept to the online world. On the other hand, Corel has also introduced new programs to help ease the burden of creating works of art with the use of the computer.

The new applications ensure that every designer's nightmare will be gone, helping him/her to sleep more soundly at night. These programs can help designers utilize simple sites quickly and effectively.

The CS Advantage…

The new Adobe Creative Suite combines Adobe's graphics applications and an efficient workflow that answers the needs of nearly every creative professional, from conceptualization to implementation, from print to Web. Not only do designers get one program at a time; rather, a whole suite of the latest versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and GoLive software. It also includes the new Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional software to Acrobat Professional.

The Creative Suite is Adobe's attempt to bind the applications together. Now, Adobe's creative products use not only the same graphics engine but also the same type and color-management engines. Files that are created in one application can open easily in others with all their features intact. With a consistent user interface, moving from one application to another is easy.

And holding it all together is the new file-management and version-tracking technology Version Cue. The Version Cue lets you create and publish content for print and the Web faster, more easily, and more affordably. That's why Adobe is introducing this one whole package as "the complete design environment for print and Web publishing".

• Adobe Photoshop for image editing- easily manage your images with the improved File Browser, quickly share design variations with Layer Comps, and instantly improve contrast with Shadow/Highlight correction; perform more precise editing and retouching with expanded support for 16-bit images and monitor changes to your image in the Histogram palette, which dynamically updates as you make adjustments.

• Adobe Illustrator for drawing and vector graphics- with powerful new 3D features, advanced typographical controls, and a host of groundbreaking new design tools, this powerful upgrade from Illustrator 10 delivers the performance you need to make the most of your creativity; import Photoshop image compositions directly to Illustrator- or create drawings in Illustrator and import them directly into Photoshop; create native Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files using settings and options consistent with Adobe Acrobat Distiller software and get fast, consistent print results with features like Fit to Page, Print Preview, and support for Print Settings.

• Adobe InDesign for page layout and design, and Adobe GoLive for Web layout- import your native vector and bitmap artwork directly into InDesign CS software for sophisticated print layouts or into Adobe GoLive CS software for powerful web pages. With the support of Adobe PDF and XML, you can easily output your pages to both print and the Web.

The Corel Advantage…

With the introduction of Corel Painter IX, commercial designers, photographers, and professional artists are able to use their natural talents and techniques to create breathtaking works of art. Corel ensures that the new program is a must-have software for creative professionals, whether they're in film making, game development, commercial design, illustration, photography, or even fine arts.

With regards to performance and productivity, the Corel Painter IX boasts of significantly improved speed, new and enhanced Brush Control Palettes, Frames-per-Second Control, and Customizable Shortcut Keys. Professional users can extend their creative possibilities with new enhancements that include Artists' Oils Painting System, Snap-to-Path Painting, improved Digital Watercolor, and Quick Clone.

What is exciting about this new software is that the Corel Painter IX is more compatible with other professional technologies, providing enhanced support to Adobe Photoshop, Wacom (including the Wacom Intuos3), and Color Management.
What's more, getting started is easier than ever. Corel has provided various support guides to help end-users control their fear of tackling a seemingly intricate world of softwares and programs. Corel has provided a revitalized User Guide, the Painter IX Handbook that includes tutorials from leading creative professionals, access to free training videos, and academic courseware specifically designed for educators.

With powerful applications such as the Adobe CS and Corel, artists and designers alike can now combine both worlds of traditional art and sophisticated technology. The intricate tones of traditional art skills and techniques they've developed during their formation years as artists can be integrated with the incredible benefits that digital media can provide. Every creation can now be worthy of the exaltations and awe reserved for those found in galleries and exhibits. In addition, these art forms are now made at a faster and quicker rate than their original counterparts.