Chapter 6: Print design

6.1 Printing tools and Equipment

A design becomes a product only when it is printed, cut and finished. Printing tools and equipment cover everything used between the finished file and the delivered job: software and devices that prepare and proof the artwork, machines that put ink or toner on a surface, and the cutting, folding and binding equipment that turns printed sheets into flyers, booklets and banners. A designer who knows what each machine can do designs files that the print shop can produce without surprises.

Example: a print and signwriting shop in Nakuru receives a file for 500 A5 leaflets and a vinyl banner. The leaflets go to a digital press and a guillotine, while the banner goes to a wide-format printer and is finished with eyelets, so the same file preparation habits serve two quite different machines.

The types and specifications of desktop printers such as inkjet and laser machines are explained under Graphic design equipment. This topic concentrates on production equipment, preparation tools, finishing equipment and their safe use. The printing methods that these machines carry out are compared under Types of printing.

Prepress tools

Prepress is the preparation of the file before any paper is used. It reduces waste, because a fault found on screen costs nothing, while the same fault found on a printed batch costs paper, ink and time.

• Design software: the vector, raster and layout programs used to build the artwork, with preflight options that warn of low-resolution images, missing fonts and RGB colours in a CMYK job.
• PDF export tools: create the print-ready PDF with bleed, crop marks and embedded fonts.
• Raster image processor (RIP): software that converts the page description into the pattern of dots the printer places; large-format and production printers usually have one that also manages colour.
• Colour management tools: a calibrated monitor, printer colour profiles and a colour chart help the printed colours match the screen.
• Proofing devices: a desktop or wide-format proofer prints a sample so the client can approve colour and layout before the main run.
• Imposition software: arranges pages on a large sheet in the right order for printing, folding and cutting.

Printing equipment

Finishing equipment

Consumables

• Ink and toner: each machine takes its own cartridges; wide-format and offset presses may use bulk ink.
• Paper and other materials: sheets, rolls, card, vinyl, canvas and fabric chosen to suit the machine and the job.
• Plates and screens: metal plates for offset and prepared mesh screens for screen printing.
• Cleaning materials: lint-free cloths and cleaning fluids recommended by the maker of the machine.
• Finishing supplies: staples, laminating film, binding spines and adhesive.

Care and safe use of printing equipment

1. Read the maker's manual before first use and keep it near the machine.
2. Keep the machine on a clean, level surface in a ventilated room away from dust and direct sunlight.
3. Switch off and unplug before clearing jams or opening covers, and never reach into a machine that is running.
4. Keep the guillotine blade guard and clamp in place, keep hands behind the cutting line, and leave the blade locked when not in use.
5. Allow a heat press or laminator to cool before storing it, and keep it clear of paper and loose clothing.
6. Clean print heads, rollers and sensors on the schedule the maker gives, and run a nozzle check on inkjet machines before important jobs.
7. Store paper flat, wrapped and off the floor, away from damp, so sheets do not curl.
8. Use a surge protector and keep a record of repairs and consumable changes for each machine.