How to work out paper weight in grams

To work out the actual physical weight of a printed item without the aid of scales can be calculated very simply. Paper stock is measured by ‘grams per square metre.’

In order to calculate an individual non-printed item use the following formula.
width(m) x height(m) x stock(gsm) = grams

Example A: a flat sheet measuring 270x613mm printed on 90gsm Matt Art would be calculated by the following:
0.270 x 0.613 = 0.16551
x 90 grams per square metre
= 14.8959 grams

Example B: A standard A4 sheet of 80gsm Bond copier paper would be calculated:
0.210 x 0.297 = 0.06237
x 80 grams per square metre
= 4.9896 grams

Please note that this does not take into consideration ink; special finishes like foiling or spot UV. A general rule of thumb I use is with each process add 1 gram to the equation.

Example A = 14.8959gram + cmyk 2 sides(+1), spot UV(+1) and foiling(+1).
Total weight would be rounded to 18 grams.

custom vinyl graphics

Producing custom vinyl cut graphics are a cost effective print process which is used in a variety of applications to enhance or add graphical information to just about any surface.

Recent applications (below) have been used to apply branding to a office desk and refrigerator.

www.neustandard.com coming soon!

unsharp mask settings for newsprint

Using the unsharp mask filter in Photoshop is the quickest way to employ this necessary step to ensure images are reproduced sharply in newsprint. Sure, smart sharpen gives you more control over the image, however when working within a fast-paced studio environment, time is not always on your side.

Newsprint is produced at a substantially lower quality to that of offset printing and will result in images looking blurred, especially when registration issues (moiré pattern) has occurred.

Before applying unsharp mask to an image; you must ensure that it is placed in InDesign at 100%.This enables the user to apply the correct amount of sharpening to the image.

Select the image, copy the ‘W’ (width) measurement from the control toolbar; open the image in Photoshop and resize the width from the image size menu.

Import the new image and the percentage will now be at 100%.

Open the image in Photoshop and select unsharp mask from the filters menu.

Enter the above settings. Make sure you are previewing the image at 100% to see the final result accurately. When applying the Unsharp Mask Filter the onscreen result should look excessive – but it is necessary in order to reproduce correctly.

+ the original

+ unsharp mask applied

Over the years I have found these settings to work effectively with the majority of shots – and have developed automated workflows which use this as the basis for apply sharpness to images.

PDF Distiller Workflow

Creating an effective PDF workflow is relatively simple and a straightforward process. Implementing a distiller workflow is very useful within a production studio utilising multiple operators.

There are only three components which form the workflow:
• Distiller Settings (ie. newsprint, and offset)
• Watched Folders (which may sit locally or on a server)
• Print Settings (within InDesign for exporting postscript files)

All these take little time to set up and once in place, you will not need to think to much about weather a PDF has been created using the appropriate settings.

Firstly, ensure your Distiller Settings are correct and named appropriately for easy identification. Create different settings for different applications, for example, settings for offset print work and another for newspaper advertising.

 

Secondly, setup a ‘Watched Folder’ within Distiller from the settings menu. However, identify a location where the folder will be easily accessible, either locally on your hard drive for personal use or on a network server for multiple operators to access.

Load the appropriate settings for the desired watched folder, and select your post processing options. Add additional watched folders as required.

 

Thirdly, setup Print Presets within InDesign to ensure your postscript files are created with identical print settings each and every time.

 

Once all three systems are in place, you are ready to print your postscript file into the appropriate ‘in’ folder, which is then processed and placed in the ‘out’ folder of your chosen watched folder. There is no need to change to the required distiller setting in the distiller application as the postscript file will be automatically processed using the predefined setting of that folder.

TIP: Setup shortcuts on you local machine or on the network to quickly print your postscript files to the appropriate ‘watched folder'.

Filename Principals for Images

In a studio environment when working with many designers and operators it can be very difficult to maintain a recognised workflow for images that have been modified for various print media.

Personally, adding certain abbreviations to the end of an image filename can save much time, confusion and headaches.

For example; a professional photographer supplied high resolution RGB 300dpi image for a new advertisement campaign. Obviously the image will need to be optimised for various scenarios including press, magazine and large format printing. However before preparation for these formats the client has as requested some Photoshop work to enhance the image. 

Firstly, the original image must be archived to an ImageServer in its original format. Secondly, Photoshop enhancements are applied and saved as a duplicate copy.

Lastly, various preparations for the desired output scenario are applied and again re-saved as another duplicate.

Applying simple abbreviations to the end of the original filename, images will be easily identifiable to all operators within the studio. The final filename may look something like: originalimage_psd_cmyk_gcr_usm_sm.tif  which would explain the various processes that the image has been through – saving time and frustration.

A general list of abbreviations may include the following:

_cmyk (converted to CMYK)
_gcr (grey component removal applied)
_usm (unsharp mask applied)
_adj (Photoshop work has been done)
_sm (image have been resized smaller)
_lge (image has been resized larger)

This approach will benefit the next operator to easily identify weather a retrieved image will be suitable for another medium.

Microsoft Word: Unexpected file size issue

Occasionally Microsoft Word documents may suddenly increase in file size from say 1mb to 23mb. To correct the majority of problem files; the simplest way is to ensure that ‘Save Preview Picture’ is unchecked in the properties dialog box when saving your document.

 

In addition:
• Turn off ‘Allow Fast Saves’ under tools/options/save
• Turn off ‘Automatically save version on close’ under file/versions

 

Failing the above changes to the Document Structure, final possible solution is to copy the contents into a new document with the above options.

font conversions - floorplans

When importing PDF floorplans into Illustrator, fonts are often interpreted incorrectly. AutoCad and also many other applications from PC and MAC environments convert font information differently. Simply replacing the font does not always work.

 

In order for the correct interpretation to occur you must export the PDF as an EPS.

Use the following settings when saving the EPS:

Import the file into Illustrator and the font information is interpreted correctly.

Freeland Cope™ Cover Competition

Marine Parade are releasing a remix CD of Freeland's 2009 album Cope™. They decided to hold a competition to ‘remix’ their album cover. The winner would receive credit and a limited deluxe edition of the album. Entry’s closed on August 15, 2009.

The original cover artwork was available to download, however no definitive instructions as to what was to be included in the new design. 
  

I decided to leave the design very simple yet still following their existing style from all their released tracks from Cope™.

       

//// entry one

//// entry two

You can see the full list of entry’s at Flickr – tag: FreelandRemixArtwork
Note: Competition extended to September 10, 2009.

save paper //// think before you print

Paper. It’s everywhere. We use it everyday to completely obscure desks around the world. 

It is all too easy to hit print when you need certain information contained within an email. Instead, copy the information pertaining to client requests, information etc. into Word or even Notepad and store with the job at hand. Alternatively, if your organised, create folders within your email application. (A systematic filing structure will hold many more benefits other than just saving paper).

More valuable paper saving ideas:
• Create print presets or hot folders for your printer, limiting print errors
• Print to PDF instead of paper for archiving receipts, transactions etc.
• Change default application settings to print double-sided
• Use electronic notes, to do lists, and reminders instead of post-it notes
• Create a centralised library of documents used regularly for instant access

//// Think! There are many more ways of saving paper around your studio…..

With continuously evolving technology, a completely paperless office is not too far away.

Save paper, invest in technology, and even one day there will be no need for pens…..

quality assurance system

When working on any job for the same client, it may be difficult to ensure the correct branding, colour and various other elements are being used each and every time – especially when working with a team of operators.

I highly recommend creating a top-level base folder named QA System which has permission restrictions to ensure files are not altered or deleted. In addition, create a custom icon for the particular client within the ‘Work in Progress’ folder for quick identification of clients whom have a QA System in place.

 

When creating the QA System for any client, create the following folders and files:
• Brandmark  (layered file – see brandmark variations)
• Secondary Visual Language (layered file)
• Colour Palette (custom swatches – see colour palettes)
• Typefaces
• Templates (ie. business cards)

When working with new or retrieved artwork; follow the below checklist to ensure all elements have been used and up-to-date.
1. Load fonts into the font management software
2. Import / replace the appropriate layer from the brandmark file
3. Import / replace the secondary language
4. Import colour palettes, replace and remove unused colours
5. Ensure the template is used (if required)

The main benefit of this system, is that additional colours, brand variations and secondary visuals can be added and modified at any time which ensures the most up-to-date elements are used and maintained throughout the lifespan of the client.

brandmark variations

When creating brandmark variations they can certainly become numerous. White, mono, cmyk, rgb just to name a few. A nice, simple and effective way to keep these variations in check is to use the layers in Illustrator.

 

By using each layer as a container for each variation, these can then be imported into Indesign or any other numerous applications that are able to read layers. 

Simply select the appropriate layer that you wish to use when importing. Only the selected layer will be shown and printed.

 

Ideally each brandmark on every layer should be in the same position for ease of placement when importing.

colour palettes

Using colour palettes effectively requires a systematic approach to filenames, storage and general house-keeping. Working with brand variations these will result in colour conversions for various output purposes; ie. spot and cmyk. 

A particular feature I find extremely useful is to create a custom palette for clients. 

Utilising Illustrator, remove all the unused colours from the swatches palette, including black and white.

Renaming the swatch to include, say a client code or job number, will also prove beneficial when importing these palettes into another application for easy identification. Once you are happy with the swatch palette structure, save the ‘swatch library as ASE…’

 

The resulting file will be able to used throughout the Adobe Creative Suite for an effective and consistent use of the particular clients colour palette.

entourage read receipts

In order to create read receipts in Entourage you must do the following to enable:

1. Open Entourage and go to Tools/Accounts.
2. Under Mail, edit the account you want to send from.
3. Select Options; under

Additional Headers, add in the following:
Disposition-Notification-To
 

4. Under Value, type your email address.

portfolio //// brandmarks

//// brandmarks page added Various selected brandmarks from 1994-present.

large format printing

I have used Jaypak Displays for many years for large format printing. A West Australian company operating for more than 20 years, has always provided quality, printed displays.

 

To my surprise, my artwork created whilst working at Worldwide Printing Subiaco for Millbrook Winery and their subsidiary company Deep Woods Estate have been used to promote their display products.

Output Colour Differential

When placing an image within Indesign, a ‘trick’ (often lazy designers use) may cause variations of colour which may seem to be the same colour visually on screen. If an image does not cover a intended area on the page, you cannot simply add or colour pick and fill the background of the picture box.

   

A simple way to check to make sure this will print correctly is to view your separations. Turn the applicable plate off and you will visually see the difference in the cmyk breakdown of the intended colour.

 

In order to fix the problem, the original image must be extended in Photoshop. To correct, use the colour picker to select the colour you wish to extend, then resize the canvas appropriately, using the background / foreground colour as the extended area.

Replace the image in Indesign, remove any background colour applied to the picture box.

 

Finally, check your separations and you should now see no difference within the breakdown once the separation is turned off.

Multiple Transparency Overlays

Using multiple transparency effects on top of images within Indesign will cause problems when offset printing.

Pixilation occurs when the underlying image has multiple transparency effects applied.

 

The solution is to create the ‘underlay’ in Photoshop as an image. Import the ‘underlay’ Photoshop file (do not to apply any effects in InDesign).
 

Now you can create the InDesign transparency ‘overlay’ on top of the placed image. The end printed result will not pixilate.
 

To check, use Distiller to create the final PDF for printing from the postscript file.

markcoppini now online

//// Welcome
markcoppini is my personal online blog containing troubleshooting information which designers, desktop publishers, prepress operators or any number of occupations within the advertising and media industries may find helpful.

Whilst working within the industry for more than 15 years, I have always found problem solving one the most rewarding aspects. It still surprises me how may new and different problems that can and will arise from ever changing technology.

Feel free to comment, as there is always more than one way to solve a problem……