‘Talking about printing and seeing it in action are two very different things. Smelling the inks and listening to the clank and hum of the machines and presses can make the design process feel much more tangible. Understanding how the printing process works – how your designs are actually made real – is really important to your understanding of your design practice. There are lots of different decisions you can make that will have an impact on your designs, from your choice of paper – its weight, how it’s cut, folded, embossed, scored, or bound – to how different inks can be mixed, combined or overlaid to create effects not immediately apparent on screen.
Use a local business directory or search online to find a local print shop. Phone them up and organise a visit. Tell them you’re a graphic design student interested in finding out more about the print process. Most printers are keen to develop new links with local graphic designers or simply willing to give a little of their time to support you. You might have to wait a while – printers are busy people – but your patience will be rewarded.
During your visit, try and gain a broad understanding of what they offer: the kinds of print finishes they can achieve, their paper stock, and the feel of the work they’ve produced previously.
Depending on your ability to travel, your location or other circumstances, visiting a print shop might be difficult. If you’re unable to visit a printer’s workshop, try and develop your understanding of how a printer works by undertaking your own secondary research online, in journals or books.’
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this task has been practically impossible. A lot of the printers near me are either closed completely, or running on a skeleton staff, and certainly not allowing visitors of any kind.
As a result, I haven’t been able to visit any printers recently. However I do have a good relationship with a semi-local printing company that I dealt with in my previous job (Bishops Printers based in Portsmouth). Due to this I have a decent knowledge of the processes involved, and the results that can be achieved. Once things have calmed down again (hopefully not too much longer now!!) I will endeavour to pay them another visit and ask about a few of their perhaps, lesser used services.
From my own experience using this particular printing company, I can say that although they are always super busy, it is key for them (and oneself) to retain a regular line of contact. This ensures that the process is as efficient as possible from start to finish. In my previous job we used to use them to get our Race Day programmes printed in large quantities. The most important things to consider for this particular job were:
– Page numbering always had to be a multiple of 4 (seems relatively obvious, but you would be surprised how awkward it was for some jobs).
– Crop and 3mm bleed! Touched on this in a previous task recently, but the 3mm bleed and crop marks are so important.
– Margins, and making sure all the important information is contained within them – there were rare occasions where some info has been cut off due to a dodgy trim etc.
– Make sure you select the correct paper stock for the job in hand (most good printing companies will have a good handle on this, and be able to suggest what they think is the best choice, and even suggest alternatives to what you may have selected, if they think it might produce better results.
Ref:
Jon Lawrence Learning Log 