ch9 - ArtWithFalk
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Transcript ch9 - ArtWithFalk
Electronic Prepress
and Digital Printing
Chapter 9
Computer Platforms
The platform of an electronic imaging system is the
computer system (hardware) that is used to
operate software
Word processing
Page composition
Drawing creation
PC (IBM personal computer)
Macintosh (Apple)
Applications, formats, or devices that work on
different platforms are CROSS-PLATFORM
Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP)
Text (Content Creation)
Word processing programs
Assign codes and format to text
Styles or tags
Page composition programs
Recognizes formats
ASCII files (American Standard Code for
Information Exchange)
Formatting is lost, but text can be repurposed
Reusing content intended for one medium by reformatting it for
another
Transfers data from one computer to another
IMPORTANT: Maintain original text and image files
Make copies and work from copies
Creating Computer Images
Paint programs
Draw programs
Digital photography
Electronic scanning
Paint Programs
Freehand drawings, easily edited
Bitmaps or raster graphics
Grid of pixels, filled in or empty
Enlarging bitmaps creates jagged edges
because resolution is reduced (aliasing)
Antialiasing diminishes jagged edges, fuzzier
Smoothing also reduces jagged edges
Draw Programs
Vector graphics, object-oriented graphics
line defined by start and end point
Can be scaled and represented at any resolution
(high resolution output)
Bezier curve is a vector graphic defined by two
endpoints and two or more other points that
control shape (anchors, handles)
Review Questions
1.
What is meant by cross-platform?
2.
Reusing content intended for one medium by
reformatting it for another is called _______
3.
List four methods that can be used to create
computer images
4.
What are two methods for diminishing jaggies
that should be smooth?
Manipulating Images
Adobe Photoshop
Cropping
Color and Contrast
Adding or removing visual information
Combining images
Sharpen, Blur, and Smudge edges
Mix, Choose and Apply colors
Paint and Draw
Clone
Apply Filters
Create Gradients and Textures
Raster Image Processors (RIP)
Vector graphics information is transferred from a design
workstation to a RIP
Hardware-software combination that converts vector images into
bitmapped images at selected output resolution
View screened files before imaging
Supports many font types
Offers different dot shapes
Can drive multiple output devices simultaneously
Interprets and separates color composite files directly
High-quality screening technology, reducing moiré patterns
Dot-gain calibration
Imagesetters
Typesetting device used to output fully-paginated text and
graphic images at a high resolution onto photographic film,
paper or plates
Output problems are likely to occur during the transmission of
files from the RIP to the imagesetter
Uses laser technology to output the page or color separations on
the selected medium
Manufactured by different companies and differ in speed,
precision, resolution, screening technology, and media
capability
Page Description
Languages (PDLs)
Serves as the interface between the page composition
workstation and the RIP
Format by which all the elements to be placed on the page,
their respective positions on the page, and the page’s position
within the larger document are identified in a manner the
output device can understand
Adobe PostScript
Adobe portable document format (PDF)
Hewlett-Packard PCL (Printer Control Language)
Adobe PostScript and PDF
PostScript
Describes the appearance of a page to an output device
Interpreter receives PostScript page descriptions and translates them
into dot patterns for a printer or pixels for a display
PDF
Based on the PostScript imaging model
Preserves a page’s original layout, type fonts, and graphics as one
unit to electronic transfer and viewing
Device-independent format- not specifically related to any particular
device, converts data without loss of information
PDF continued
Acrobat Distiller, Acrobat Exchange, Acrobat Catalog, Acrobat
Reader
Simple, compact, object-oriented files
Process quickly, page-independent, self-contained
Can be repurposed, downloaded
Contains extended job ticket
Customer info, proofing directions, trapping, imposition and ripping
parameters, finishing and shipping instructions
Review Questions
5. List at least five forms of manipulation that are allowed by image
editors/image manipulation programs
6. What is a raster image processor (RIP)? What is its major function?
7. What is am imagesetter? What is its major function?
8. What purpose does a page description language (PDL) serve?
9. What is portable document format (PDF) and what are some of its
main advantages?
10. What does it mean when a file format is defined as deviceindependent?
File Compression
Files should be reduced in size before being sent to printers
Lossless- no data is lost (PKZIP compression technology or zip files)
Unzipping the file will decompress it (.ZIP
Self-extracting are unzipped by opening (.EXE)
Decompressed image is identical to original
Preferred for images that are printed
Lossy- some data is lost (quantization, DPCM, and JPEG files)
Most video compression technologies
Eliminates redundant or unnecessary information
JPEG files
Joint Photographic Experts Group
International data compression standard for continuous-tone
digital still images
Open-system, cross-platform, cross-device
Contains bitmap information only and supports grayscale, RGB,
and CMYK color models
Should only be used on final images, at maximum quality
setting
File Formats
TIFF or TIF- Tagged Image File Format
Lossless or JPEG compression, grayscale, CMYK, RGB, indexed color
TIFF/IT-P1- Tagged Image File Format for Image Technology
Device-dependent format, Color Electronic Prepress Systems (CEPS)
EPS- Encapsulated PostScript
Stable and reliable file format
WMF- Windows Metafile and PICT- Mac
Bitmapped and Object-Oriented images
File Formats
DCS 1.0 and DCS 2.0-Desktop Color Separations
EPS graphic file, bitmapped and object-oriented
The Photo CD
Compressed photographic images on CD-ROM,
raster images
GIF- Graphics Interchange Format
Raster images, up to 256 colors, data compression
File Naming
Alpha-numeric characters, no symbols
No space at beginning
Unique
Use appropriate file extensions (.TIFF, .EPS etc.)
Storage Devices
Disk Storage: hard, floppy, CD-ROM, DVD
Storage Tape
Memory Cards
USB Drives
Page Composition
Formats pages of text and graphics
Gives more control over text flow, kerning, and
positioning of graphics
Allows importations of many graphic file formats
PageMaker, QuarkXPress, InDesign
Review Questions
11. What is the main difference between lossless and lossy
compression?
12. Which type of compression technique is preferred for images
that are to be printed? Why?
13. Name at least four of the commonly used file formats
14. Why is it better to use a page composition program to lay out
material than a word-processing program?
Preflighting
Orderly review of files to identify things that could cause problems
at the output or prepress stage
Discussion of file format and preparation with the service bureau or
printer while the project is still in the design stage
Problems with customer-furnished files:
Missing or incorrect fonts
Missing or incorrect trapping
File defined with incorrect color (RGB vs. CMYK)
Scans supplied in wrong file format
Graphics not linked
Incorrectly defined or underdefined bleeds
No laser proofs supplied
Missing graphics
Resolution too high or too low in customer-supplied scans
Preflighting Continued
Begins with printing out color separations and composite hard
copies
Can be referred to if problems occur
Graphics should be linked
Original art should be included if linked files are noneditable
Outline software and fonts used, trapping requirements, print
specifications, and other pertinent information
Font Format and Management
Printer should use same fonts used for original page composition
Page will change if fonts are substituted
Document reflow
Bad word or line breaks
Loss of kerning and tracking
Include fonts in files given to printer
Turnaround Time and Proofing
Nature and complexity of a job determine turnaround time
Review number of proofs
Samples for customer and guidelines for press operators
Made from digital files, generated from film, or run off on a proof
press
Iris Proofs- produces four-color proofs from digital file
Matchprints- produced from film that will create printing page
Bluelines or Diazo Proofs- produced from imageset film
Press Proofs- generated with a proof press that produces
photomechanical proofs
Color Proofs- photographic or photomechanical proofing system
Digital Printing Technology
Computer-to-plate (CTP)
Takes fully-paginated digital materials and exposes information to
plates in platesetters or imagesetters without creating film
intermediates
Long-run projects and short-run projects
Digital-to-paper
Printing of images directly on the press from electronic files,
eliminating preparation of film, plates and ink
Quick turnaround, flexibility, and cost-effective four-color short runs
Also know as Totally Electronic Printing (TEP)
Reimageable or no image carrier for transfer or ink-jet ink or toner
to paper, pixels (bitmapped images)
Review Questions
15. What is preflighting and why is it so important in prepress
production?
16. List five of the most common recurring problems with customerfurnished files
17. What problems can occur if fonts are substituted in a final
document file?
18. What are some of the ways in which prepress proofs are
generated?
19. What is CTP?
20. What are some of the advantages of totally electronic printing?