Hints for Your Prints

Image Resolution

Resolution (“DPI”) is the term used to describe the number of dots on paper, or pixels on screen, per inch in an image or file. Image resolution is typically described in pixels per inch (PPI), which refers to how many pixels are displayed per inch of an image.

Print Resolution

Higher resolution mean that there are more pixels per inch (PPI), resulting in more image information and detail. Images with lower resolutions have fewer pixels and tend to reproduce very blurry. High-end printers require images to be 300-600 PPI.

Screen Resolution
Screen is different than print because of the pixel dimensions of different size displays, rather than PPI. Use PPI for printed images, and use pixel dimensions of the image to determine the size and quality on digital devices.

Digital Images
A photo taken from the Internet WILL NOT reproduce a high-quality image. These files have been compressed to a smaller file size with 72ppi for use on websites for speed and fast loading rates. Less quality equals smaller files sizes because of less digital information. Most 4:3 aspect projectors have a display of 1024 x 768 pixels, so an image that is 1024 x768 pixels with a 72 PPI resolution would be an ideal image size to be displayed from a digital medium.

File Format
The file type you use depends on your print project. Your files have to include images, fonts, color profiles, so choose which format is best for your project.

PDF: Portable Document Format (PDF) is a universal file format to transmit documents. It’s popularity is based on its ability to embed fonts, styles and images with little or no loss of quality during compression. Large files seamlessly transferred over the net with no loss of quality. PDFs is the most commonly accepted file type by printers.
JPEG: This is the most common image file format. It’s a Raster (pixel-based) format used for photos and graphics. The compression levels are easily adjustable. Low compression setting can make JPEGs perfect for all types of print projects.
TIFF: Also, pixel-based and popular for photography and graphics. TIFs are very large files but produce high-quality prints.
AI / EPS: Vector images, for logos or digital illustrations can be exported to several other formats and can be sized big or small without quality loss. Fonts can be outlined and images can be embedded.
PSD: is your standard Photoshop format. Drawbacks include large file sizes, and also some printers don’t use the program. You’ll generally compress, collect or embed JPEGs for print.

Make It Bleed!
If you’re new to the world of print, then you may not understand what full bleed printing is. To prevent your printed product from having unsightly white lines around the border, you must set your document up with bleeds. Bleed refers to an 1/8” (.125”_ of image or background color that extends beyond the trim area of your printed piece. The project is printed on an oversized sheet that is then cut down to size with the appearance that the image is “bleeding” off the edge of the paper. It is best practice to set up your bleeds at the very beginning of your project so you don’t have to adjust at the end. There are a few extra terms you must understand along with bleed are trim, safety, and borders. Trim Line: the final size of the document after the last cut is made Safety: The safe area of inner margin in which to keep all the important elements (such as logos and page numbers) within to prevent them from being trimmed off. This margin should be at least 1/8” inside the edge of the trim line Borders: All framed borders must be at least 1/4” from the trim line or 3/8” from the bleed line.

Canva Bleeds
You’ve created this awesome ‘thing’ simply and beautifully online using CANVA. So awesome – that you want to have it professionally printed for the world to see. So, you download a PNG file and send it off to the printer to print. But, the printer responds with: “In order for us to print this awesome ‘thing’ you made you’ll need to provide a file with bleeds.” These are the steps you should take when sending your CANVA files to a professional printer: Create/Open an existing design in CANVA Click FILE, Select PRINT BLEED to show you where you need to have your images extend for the bleed. Resize or stretch images to cover the area between the dotted line and the edge of the canvas. When you are ready to print, click SHARE, Select DOWNLOAD, in the FILE TYPE select PDF PRINT and make sure the box for CROP MARKS AND BLEED is selected before downloading. Review your file to see that the bleeds and crop marks are there and then you can send your file to the printer.

RGB vs CMYK
Here at Fotorecord, we are dedicated to making your print the best it can be. So here are a few tips on color profiles that can really make your document shine! First off, there are 2 widely used color most people use (among many): RGB or CYMK. RGB is used for electronics (cameras, monitors, projectors, TVs) and CMYK is used for printing. RGB (or Red, Blue, Green) are mixed together on a screen to create everyone other color you see on electronic platforms. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is a subtractive color model because it subtracts the brightness from white. The colors from CMYK also come from the RGB colors being mixed whereby cyan is a mix of green and blue, magenta is a mix of red and blue and yellow is a mix of red and green. Black is added to the CMYK model as the 3 RGB colors cannot be mixed to create the color of black. When you are ready to print, it’s best practice that your document is saved in CMYK format. Saving a file as RGB for print can sometimes impact the way certain colors are printed, meaning you won’t get the finish you are after. Saving in CMYK will give you a better understanding of how your final piece of artwork will print.

Which Way to Fold 'Em?
Folding is one of the post-printing processes. The operation is intended to fold sheets in a straight manner. Folding can be manual or machine assisted.

Fold Requirements
Page sequence must be observed Folds must be perfect No wrinkles are allowed No blurred impressions are allowed Adequate signature constructions should be observed Folding types Number of folds depends on product’s size and features. In case of paper thicker than 170 gsm, folding is preceded by a creasing operation. Types of Folds: Each subsequent fold is perpendicular to the previous one Each subsequent fold is parallel to the previous one Printed sheets get folded perpendicular and in-parallel Creasing facilitates the process of folding. Folding is used to form a signature or other product from sheets that are already printed.

When to Use PMS Colors
If CMYK process printing is like making cookies from scratch, PMS process printing is a little like using pre-made cake mix. You don’t have quite as much flexibility with your recipe, but it’s a great choice if you’re looking for consistency. PMS (Pantone Matching System) facilitates the use of standardized color formulas across a wide range of products and industries, including graphic design, fashion, product design, furniture, and printing. Each color has a ‘PMS’ or “Spot Color” number assigned to it which is used to identify the exact color needed. Examples of PMS Color Uses: BRANDING/LOGO REPRODUCTION - Using PMS colors for your logo and stationery will allow you to ensure color accuracy and establish a standard that anyone working with your artwork will be able to match. When you print with us and our Fuji JPress, we guarantee we’ll hit 98% of the PMS colors out there – conventional printing is closer to 65%. You can trust us with matching your brand colors. COLORS OUTSIDE OF CMYK - With our Brand Color Optimizer software on our Fuji JPress, we can match 98% of the PMS colors in existence. Some colors such as fluorescents and metallics can’t be produced with a CMYK mix. Know your PMS numbers you intend to print. There are easy to find in most color swatch libraries. 

Know the PMS numbers you intend to print and make sure to use the “U” for uncoated papers and “C” for coated papers when selecting the Pantone / PMS color for the best results.

NOTE: In 2023, Pantone Colors were removed from Adobe platforms, but we still have books to match colors.