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Prepress related articles
Managing your company logos
By Donna Catanzaro
Do you find yourself hunting for the right
logo file only to find your computer—or the company server—scattered
with files called “logo”?
Are you uncertain which logo is for the web, for Word documents, for company brochures, or for trade show signage? Have you asked your printer or graphic designer over and over again for the same logo because you keep losing it? It’s time to manage your logos!
Naming logos
The first step is to come up with a naming convention, something
that makes sense to you and your co-workers. Consider...
• all the ways you use your logo,
• the various formats required by your vendors, and
• which graphics applications are used internally and by
your vendors.
Also remember that your logo may be used, printed, and displayed
in different colors: black & white, process (CMYK) color,
RGB for monitor and presentation display, and Pantone color(s)
for stationery.
Here are some examples for naming your logo files. For simplicity,
the extensions are left off, but remember that you should include
the proper extensions (.tif, .eps, .jpg, etc.) at the end of
your files.
- By usage. LogoWord, LogoWeb, LogoBrochure, LogoPowerPoint, LogoSigns, etc.
- By image quality. Logo72ppi (72 pixels per inch for the web.), Logo1000ppi (high resolution bitmap for print), or LogoVector (for use in Adobe Illustrator or drawing program suitable for high resolution printing and sign making.) If the term ppi is confusing to logo users, you could name them LogoLowRes and LogoHighRes.
- By color. LogoCMYK, LogoRGB, or LogoK. (K stands for black in the printing world.) Or LogoBW (Black & White.)
- By format. Do you have two line logos, or logos with optional tag lines? Logo2Line, LogoTagLine, LogoHorizontal, or LogoVertical may work for you.
Taking a logo inventory
To examine your logo inventory, you may need Adobe Photoshop to open the graphics to see what the resolution is and whether they are CMYK or RGB. A graphics specialist should test all re-named logos to make sure the files are properly labeled. This will prevent problems when placing logos into artwork.
Maintaining logo integrity
To prevent logo users from altering the design or colors in your logo, lock all the files so no one can open them up and change them. To lock them on the Mac, click on the file once, choose “Get info” from the Edit menu, and click the Lock button. On the PC, right click on the file, choose Properties, and click on the “Read Only” button.
Storing logos
Once you name your logos, store
them all in one folder on your hard drive or company server.
Then back up your logo files by copying them to a CD, floppy,
or Zip. If your hard drive crashes, or your server goes down,
you’ll be glad you have backup copies! When you need to
use a logo, copy it to your work folder. To copy them without
moving them, hold down the Control (PC) or Apple (Mac) key while
dragging.
Good luck!
Scanning dark photos - 5 steps to appealing results
By Donna Catanzaro
Scanning photos with especially dark objects such as black dogs, people in dark suits, etc., can be challenging.
1. Examine the original photograph.
Is there detail in the black area, or is it a totally black solid? If there is no detail in the black area of the photograph, then your scanner will not create detail. It will only scan what it sees.
2. Check your scanner’s Dmax
Blacks areas are the most difficult for a scanner to record because it’s hard to maintain detail in the dark areas. The ability to record the darkest areas is called the Dmax or the Dynamic Range. The higher the Dmax, the better the scanner. The maximum Dmax you’ll likely find is 3.9. If you have a scanner with a low Dmax, you may never be able to capture black details. Consider having your service bureau or printer scan these difficult photos.
3. Adjust your scanning software
All scanners scan dark out of the box. If your scan has yielded solid blacks and solid whites where there should be more detail, Photoshop will not be able to recreate those lost details. Look for the gamma correction feature in your scanner software. This is a curve that predominantly lightens the darkest areas. Try a gamma curve of 1.8 to start, and experiment from there. If you’re ready for more precise calibration–not just what looks good to your eye–you can use a test strip to linearize your scanner using gamma correction.
A scanner calibration kit is available in our Resource Library.
4. Fix individual scans
Once you’ve got your scanner working properly (or better!), explore your scanner’s software and look for curves and histograms that will lighten each scan.
5. Experiment
All scanners are different. If you experiment with the color correction features in your scanner software you should be able to find a setting that will capture the details in the dark areas. And when you do, try to save the setting for future scans. The key to better scans is adjusting the darkness and lightness during the scanning process, and doing the fine tuning later in Photoshop.
Printer Styles
By Donna Catanzaro
Tired of all those pesky print setup menus? Quark, PageMaker, and InDesign have a feature called “printer styles.” These are parameters you can set up, save, and then choose when you go to print. You can select the printer, ppd, size, crop marks, paper size, separations, etc. and save it as a printer style. This is especially useful if you have more than one printer. It not only saves time when you go to print but also eliminates mistakes, such as choosing the wrong ppd.
What to do when a file won’t print
By Donna Catanzaro
Because so many document files today are exchanged electronically between companies, advertisers, ad agencies, vendors, co-workers, Web site developers, and end users, this issue focuses on printing troublesome files.
If you are having trouble printing a file it could be the result of many conflicts, involving both hardware and software. The first thing to do is narrow down the problem to one of seven areas.
1. Printer problems
Did you just hook up a new printer or update your system software? Do you regularly have problems printing from different applications? Then the problem is probably with the printer software or hardware.
Did you follow all of the instructions that came with the printer? Did you load the software properly? Printers come with ppds - PostScript printer description files. These files contain all the information about the printer including page sizes, margins, etc. ppds must be loaded in the correct places and chosen in the print dialog box in order to print correctly. It is always a good idea to check the printer manufacturer’s Web site to see if there is an updated ppd for your particular printer. Make sure you are using ppds that are compatible with your system software.
If your printer comes with a pdf (a printer description file, not an Acrobat file) this file belongs in your QuarkXPress printer description folder, inside your Quark folder. You need this file to print correctly from Quark 3.3.2.
Another facet of printing software is the printer driver. On the Mac it could be Apple’s Laserwriter 8.6.5 or Adobe’s PSPrinter 8.3.1. These come with the system and software programs. You can go to either the Adobe or Apple Web sites and download the latest drivers. Be sure they are compatible with your system and your printer.
Read the “Read Me’s” that accompany the printer drivers. You can load more than one driver on the Mac so you can try different drivers to see which one is most efficient. On the PC it is a bit trickier. The Adobe drivers may perform better than the Microsoft drivers that came with your system. Unfortunately, loading more than one printer driver in Windows can cause problems, so be very careful here. Only change printer drivers in Windows if you have done a lot of research and you know it is going to be compatible with your programs and printers. If not, you will be making a lot of calls to technical support.
Your printing problems also could be hardware related. Check the cables, and try a new cable if you have one. Are you printing across a network? Sometimes competition for a printer could be the problem. Check and see if anyone else is printing at the same time.
2. File problems
Is it only one particular document that will not print? Does it have a lot of graphics? It may be that your printer simply doesn’t have enough memory to process it.
Try turning your printer on and off to free up memory. Then try printing one page of your document at a time. If that doesn’t work, try printing with the “low resolution graphics” box checked. The pictures won’t look as nice, but at least you will be able to output a proof.
If you have another printer on your network, try printing to that one. If you have access to a different computer, try printing your document from there. If that doesn’t work it’s time to troubleshoot the document. Problems usually occur with either bad graphics or fonts.
3. Corrupt graphics
Try printing without graphics. Most programs have a box you can check in the print dialog box or you can delete all the graphics from the file. (Remember to do a “save-as” first!) If the document prints without the graphics then you have narrowed it down to corrupt graphics. tiff files will almost always print unless they have become corrupt. Try opening the tiffs in Photoshop. If you can open them and they look fine then they are most likely OK.
Photoshop eps files are often a problem. We recommend saving Photoshop files as tiffs because they are simpler, smaller, more reliable, and as a result, they print faster. A large Photoshop eps file that has been reduced drastically in your page layout file will take a very long time to print. Instead, open it up in Photoshop, scale it down to the proper size, and save it as a tiff. However if the image is a duotone or has a clipping path, then it needs to be saved as an eps. You will need to update the graphic in your page layout file and resize it there. If you must save a Photoshop file as an eps be sure to select the proper boxes in the “Save” box. (See example above.) If you choose jpeg encoding your files may not print at all. Choose Binary or ASCII encoding in the “eps Options” dialog box.
Illustrator and Freehand are now being marketed as page layout programs. While they have enhanced their typesetting features, they are still not designed to handle complex documents made up of various graphic elements. If you must use these programs for page layout and you place large tiffs and graphics in them you will find that your files take an unreasonably long time to print. The same file constructed in Quark, PageMaker, or InDesign will take a fraction of the time to print, because these programs are designed to handle the complexities of page layout. Use illustration programs for just that – illustration.
Illustrator eps files are notorious for causing PostScript errors. Open eps files in Illustrator and examine the art. Are there any gradients or gradient meshes? Under “Document Setup” click on the “Compatible Gradient” printing box. (See below right for example.) Some versions of Illustrator often create corrupt eps files, especially version 7.0. Upgrade if you can, and always check the Adobe Web site periodically for the free bug-fix upgrades.
4. Font problems
If your document still doesn’t print, then check the “print without fonts” box in the print setup box. Does it print without the fonts? If so, then trouble may lie with the fonts.
Try eliminating each font one by one in the document. Often free or inexpensive fonts can be a problem, or sometimes a reliable, older PostScript font will suddenly go bad. It’s a good idea to back up your fonts when you purchase them so you can reload them if necessary.
Fonts used in Illustrator or Freehand files can cause problems. Try converting the fonts in these files to outlines.
Avoid mixing different font technologies in the same document. If you mix PostScript fonts with TrueType in the same document you may experience problems. And if you use the same font, such as Times Roman, in both PostScript and TrueType formats in the same document, you are guaranteed to have problems!
5. PostScript errors
Are you getting PostScript errors – those mysterious ominous messages that appear on your screen when you attempt to print? If you have a PostScript error handler loaded on your computer, the error messages are printed on the page where you expected your document. These messages sometimes hold clues to the problem. The article on page 3 is an explanation of a few of the most common PostScript errors.
6. Don’t have the software?
What if you don’t have the software that created the troublesome artwork, but you have to print it? There are some tricks. You can open up almost any eps file in Photoshop and rasterize it. Unfortunately this will degrade the quality. Choose between 300 -1000 ppi in the rasterizing box. Save it as a tiff and reimport it.
If you can’t open it or place it in Photoshop you can, as a last resort, copy and paste almost anything into Photoshop. This will be a low resolution, 72 ppi, low-quality image, but it will work in an emergency. Again, save it as a tiff. If whoever gave you the file also gave you a hard copy, you can scan it in and save it as a tiff. There will be a loss of quality but it will get the job done.
7. Non-PostScript printers
If you are using a printer that is not PostScript compatible and you print from PostScript applications such as all the major desktop publishing programs, your document will simply not print properly. You need a PostScript-compatible printer to print eps graphics and complex layouts.
Written by Donna Catanzaro, prepress specialist at Morgan Press.
Postscript Errors
By Donna Catanzaro
Here are some of the more common PostScript errors and a brief explanation of what they might mean. A PostScript error handler, often available as an option in the print dialog box, will not cure your PostScript problems. Rather, it is a utility that prints the error across the page. Note that sometimes these printed errors messages are not accurate, but it could be a clue to solving the problems you are having.
configurationerror - Usually caused by the wrong ppd. Select proper ppd in print dialog box.
dictstackoverflow - Usually caused by nested graphics (one graphic placed inside another, inside another...) Simplify your graphics. Open eps graphics and recreate.
dictstackunderflow - The program used an end instruction at the wrong time. Something is corrupt. Troubleshoot your graphic files.
interrupt - Program was interrupted deliberately. Not usually an error. Did you cancel or crash?
invalidfont - Something wrong with a font. Could be corruption of a downloaded font. Try using different fonts to identify which one is at fault.
ioerror - A I/O error may have occurred, such as a disk fault, or problem controlling a printer. Check cable connections. In PostScript Level 2 this also can be bad information or corruption. Check graphic files.
limitcheck - The printer has reached an internal limit. Very complicated clipping paths can cause this, or not enough printer memory. Try printing one page at a time.
rangecheck - A value was outside the acceptable range for the printer, or just wrong. Look for objects well off the page. Possibly, corruption. Can be caused by sending a Level 2 file to a Level 1 printer.
stackoverflow - Too many items on the operand stack. In PostScript Level 1 there is a fixed limit; in Level 2 the limit is much higher. Try printing fewer pages.
stackunderflow - Can be caused by corrupt files. Troubleshoot graphic files.
syntaxerror - The PostScript is not understood. Can be caused by corruption. Check graphics.
timeout - The printer is waiting for something to happen, but it didn't happen. A job is taking too long. Free up computer resources by restarting the computer and try printing again.
typecheck - Usually corruption. Can be caused by trying to use a Level 2 file on a Level 1 printer. If offending command is “div” this may be caused by a bug in Adobe Illustrator 7.0. Save it again in a newer Illustrator version.
undefinedresource - Sent a file to the wrong device, or a poorly configured device.
VMerror - Printer out of memory. Use a lower resolution, if available. Switch printer off and on.
showpage - Usually computer-related. Reboot computer and try to reduce the number of other programs running at the same time.
The above articles were published in the Morgan Press Newsletter,
"Briefings."
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