Digital Printing Process Design Q & A

Digital presses have received increasing attention due to their flexibility and versatility. They can print ultra-short four-color print jobs. However, in digital printing, special attention should be paid to the choice of paper and the preparation of pre-press electronic documents. This article is a brief introduction to how to prepare a digital printing process.

The ability to print short-lived, four-color prints has created more creative space for digital printing. These prints are extremely uneconomical if they are produced using traditional offset printing processes. For this reason, more and more digital prints are entering the market. There are more options for production, but digital printing is not a simple process and there are many variables to consider.

Here are some frequently asked questions.

1. Q. Can I choose different types of paper when the product needs to be printed on a digital press?

A: Only the paper type that matches the digital press can be selected. However, more and more types of paper are now available for digital presses, so there is an increasing possibility of selecting paper according to design requirements.

Before the design work begins, communicate with the printing company and obtain the company's suggested pattern. Each digital press manufacturer will provide its own optional paper type (coated and non-coated paper), and they usually guarantee the quality of the product printed on this type of paper. In addition to the paper recommended by the printing equipment vendors, some printing companies also conduct a large number of paper tests and recommend them to users.

With the ever-increasing popularity of digital printing, digitally printed paper is also growing, with a variety of colors and surface effects. Many paper mills plan to launch a digital paper production line in 2005. The PaperSpecs.com website lists paper suitable for various types of digital printers, lasers, or ink-jet printing, enabling faster understanding of digitally printed paper.

2. Q: Can I use a digital press if I use different types of paper in the same print?

Answer: Yes. However, it is necessary to confirm whether the digital printer is suitable for these papers.

For example, the NexPress Model 2100 digital press can handle 3 different types of paper at the same time without additional paper handling or manual paper change. If the number of paper types specified exceeds the amount that the device can handle automatically, additional charges will be required for manual paper change.

3, Q: Can digital printing achieve Pantone color reproduction?

A: Most digital presses convert Pantone colors to their own CMYK equivalents and print in this manner. Some printers allow the operator to specify the conversion formula. Since Pantone to CMYK color conversion technology is also used by offset printing, color conversion does not affect product quality.

If a specific Pantone color must be selected, the HP Indigo digital press is the best choice. It uses IndiChrome on-machine and off-line color inks, which is currently the only digital printer digital ink certified by Pantone.

4, Q: How to best proof?

A: Digital proofing can be used, such as high quality desktop inkjet printers for proofing. If you want to get more accurate proofs, you can also complete the proofing on a digital press. Unlike traditional offset presses, digital presses can perform single or discrete print jobs, so they can be used to print small print jobs for the same or final proofs.

5. Q: What should I do if there is a large area of ​​color printing?

A: Toner-type digital presses, such as Xerox iGen and NexPress, do not replicate very well with large-area real-world colors, causing problems with color bars or color mixing during the printing process. Ink type digital presses, such as HP Indigo, may have such problems, but the odds are much less.

If a design requires a few square inches or more of solid color patches, then use fine patterns in solid patches, or reduce the number of colors. If you have any doubts, you can communicate with the printing company before designing, and take a few samples first to see how the design works and what is not feasible.

6, Q: Some people may encounter the black printing of the digital printing machine is a deep phenomenon, how is it ?

A: If you are not satisfied with the printing quality of the black solid blocks, you can use CMYK four-color mixed printing methods, such as 60% of C, 40% of M, 40% of Y and 100% of K, which is completely offset printing Consistent. Adding black to other colors will cause the area to accumulate too much toner or ink, and the black color will look very deep and there will be some slight sheen.

7. Q: How do I print white text on a black background and look more refreshing?

A: Please use the method described above to print dark black, but it is appropriate to reduce the black percentage. When printing, it is important to consider the thickness of the letter strokes and the size of the font, and conduct a large number of experiments to obtain a satisfactory printing effect. Also keep in mind that the dark, white or stained paper will affect the expression of the white lettering on a dark background, making the text appear less refreshing. Use bright, white paper for the best results.

8. Q: How can the text be as small as possible and still be readable?

A: The printing resolution of digital presses is always increasing, so perhaps it is more concerned with how people look and feel comfortable than with the press itself. It is better to use 10 and 12-pound (fifth-word) fonts, the font size of the text. Avoid using fonts less than 4 points. (to be continued)