Ed #10 Prepress

With everything transferred to the printer, you’re ready for the next step. Usually, that means additional work on the files. It may be necessary to revise or correct the text or retouch some of the images. The printer may recommend Gray Component Removal, which is described in example “Lose the Gray”. The images may also be trapped (see example, “Trapped” ), and the entire project will be imposed (see chart, A Big Imposition).

Trapping and impositions are often performed as part of RIPping, or raster image processing. Raster Image Processors (RIPs) convert the data in the file to a bitmap that is used to create the image on the proofs, printing film or plates, or, in digital, toner-based systems, the electrostatic drum.

After the project is RIPped you’ll begin what can seem like an endless cycle of proofing and corrections. A proof is simply a preview of the job at various points along the way, before it is printed. And because it is always desirable to spot problems earlier rather than later, you should proof early and often.

You’ll see different types of proofs depending on how the project is prepared for press, the type of press that will be used and where you are in the process. Analog proofs are made from the film separations used to create an image on the printing plates. Digital proofs are made from the digital file, without film. While the first digital proofs were fairly crude, their quality now can surpass that of conventional systems. Some digital systems can even produce proofs with individual halftone dots.