Paper grain II

In a earlier blog I talked about how 8.5 x 11 is standard and all papers are purchased to get the most out of an 8.5 x 11.

When we buy paper we purchase sizes like 25 x 38 or 23 x 35 and various other sizes like this. The one item which is not know to the public is the bigger measurement 38 or 35 is the grain direction of the paper, and since most presses are 26 x 40 grain direction does not come into effect on a daily basis. Until the designer makes up a odd size, like 7 x 15 which fold down to a 5 x 7.

We have choices if I cut the 15 out of the 38 we get 2 out, and the 7 goes into the 25 3 times meaning we are getting 6 pieces out of a press sheet.

But the piece is layed out CROSS GRAIN!!!!!

Now as a printing firm we have to look at this piece different. We have to look at this first will there be any paper stretch? YES but not too bad, but the one big item we have to look at is CRACKING and does the job need to be scored? YES due to we are folding against the grain and the sheet will break when folded. I will also break when scored, but we are helping the score.

This is one of 1 million options when we look at paper and what we produce.

We will always get paper stretch as we smash the sheet, but we also will fold and do all kinds of stuff to a piece of paper to get the design you want.

To fix this it is better we run the folds with the grain, but we only get 3 out of a sheet and from there the price went up due to buying more paper.

It is not an easy decision

Alan

Paper Grain

This is an area where most people do not understand.

Paper has a grain, and paper becasue it is a wood product expands, shrinks and will actually grow as the paper gains moisture, and this is Blank paper. Now we are going to put ink on this sheet and do all kinds of nasty stuff to this wood product.

To first understand, I need to give you a visual. If you took a paper straw, and take lots of paper straws, and lay them next to each other side by side, and measure the width of your straw mat. Now roll a rolling pin over these paper straws and flatten them all out. Now measure this width!

You will find that the flatten straws are some larget then the round straws.

this is the same as in paper.

When we run paper thru a printing press we smash the paper to put the ink on the sheet, and by doing this the paper will stretch.

This is why we purchase 5 & 6 color presses, so we can smash the paper on the first unit, and print on the next 4 units. This spreads out the sheet. But what happens when we need all the units?

We will watch the last two units and will track registration, as what fit in unit one sometimes does not fit in unit 6, and we will chase this color. To the person not really looking for it, you will not see it. But to people who do this daily, it is a very tough task.

Tomorrow I will talk about cross grain as sometimes in scores and print it becomes a crap shoot?

Alan

A Friend Retires

The one thing I can say about the Graphics Industry is the people who are in the industry are ussally the salt of the earth people. The industry as a whole is a tough industry. Not ever being a designer I do know clients expect creative ideas, and on time design at the drop of a hat.

Then as the end production company the expectations are the same with thousands a variables which can happen.

This causes stress and the battles we fight to get the next project out, or the wars we have to monuever projects around to get this one project out, builds character in people.

And when you meet and like a person who you have fought with and have gone to battle with you leave a bit of yourself with them.

Mark Woodman is one of those people, and I'm very sad to see he is leaving the industry as we have stood toe to toe and have fought to get projects out and we have won.

Mark you will be missed by others and by myself, and for this I want to say Thank you for all you did for me.

Alan

Mis non-facts about digital printing

I had a perception of digital print, which it would be perfect as we are not trying to dial in color and everything in the world is solid gold!!!

Boy am I wrong.

First of all Digital print and the equipment goes down almost once or twice a week and if you do not have someone who works or knows how to work in the equipment then you are standing still. In checking with the market, this is ALL Digital presses and it doesn't matter which manufacture you talk to, they all stop for some reason or another.

Second misconception is color and I thought there was no way to not registare a project.

WRONG, I recivied a project the other day, when the proof came the Red was hanging out about a dot. In talking with the operator he said he could fix this and did, but never thought I would hear this on a digital press.

Lastly ALL digital equipments have some kind of fusion of the ink, meaning a bit of heat hits the sheet before it delivers. Even though we have a temperature controlled room, the paper must of had just a bit of moisture and when ran it shurnk, the paper did shrink just a bit.

Once again something they didn't tell you in Digital world 101.

Thanks

Alan

Metal FX

Metal FX is a company which invented a process to make PMS colors metalic. Before they went Bankrupt they used CGX as a test market for the product. As of this moment only a CGX company can do Metal FX.

The process is pretty cool as we lay down a special silver ink first with the other process colors on top of the metalic ink. This is pretty cool and the effects are suddle but very noticable.

Today we are running a poster for one of the NBA teams and the back ground will be the Metal FX as we have knocked out the subject matter and the effect will give a two tone look as the subject will pop off the page as the metal gives a very Red & Yellow metalic look.

Try Metal FX as we do have samples but you are not really going to find this any other place, than a CGX company.

Alan

What Now?

With the passing of the Health Bill last night we are not sure what will happen to the country? But the one fear I have is what I do for a living, which is print.

The insurance business is BIG business and all the forms, mailing and other items which effects the insurance business also effects the printing business.

Paper announced a increase in paper last week, about a $5.00 per 100 weight, (explanation on how they sell paper soon) But this increase was the first increase in a NON-catalog season.

Paper is a supply and demand product and even though it is not a true commodity it is very close as it is sold on the open market.

So if the Health care industry goes away or drastically gets smaller than the paper industry will get smaller as well as the printing industry.

The next few weeks will be very interesting, to see what the market is really going to do and we will see if paper holds or is supply goes down will the price follow.

I'll keep you posted

Alan

Paper cost

It has been announced that paper will take a jump in price as this will soon be across the board jump.

Take a look at your projects and make sure you have dollars to cover yourself as we can't hide from paper increases.

Till then

Alan

Industry as a whole

This is a tough industry, it is tough as it is a consistant push, daily and daily again. You push the clients for files, you push the production for proofs, and you push to get the job out, and then you push to collect your money.

This is a tough industry.

But when it does work!!!!

It is the best industry

Alan

Basics day 3

For the last two days we have talked offset printing or the 3 cylinders and when and when not to use Web verses Sheetfed. Today it is Digital print!

Digital print started off as short run printing. Under 1,000 pieces, but now it has taken a life of its own.

It is short run or one off print! It is variable print, it is real BIG as in banners or any other item you can think of.

But it is expensive, and you have heard me say this before and I'll say it again and again.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS WITH THIS PIECE OF MARKETING MATERIAL?
and WHO IS YOUR CLIENT.

Variable is very effective, but if you do not know your market it is very expensive.

The digital market started as a XEROX black toner on a white sheet of paper. Later it was still Black in on a white paper but they upped the quality of the toner.

Later it became what we tried to sell as PLEASENT COLOR, but you could see the toner piled on top of each other, but you could actually print 4 color process.

Now we have perfect the method, and it is very hard to tell ink on paper from Digital print.

Digital is here to stay, as well as Offset and they both compliment each other.

Till then

Alan

More basics SHEETFED

As we have been talking about the base or our basics, the 3 cylinders system is called OFFSET print, and yesterday we spoke on the WEB and why the web verses a sheetfed press.

Quanity is really the only difference, as the equipment can run the same look, it is just the quanity which diktakes the equipment.

On a sheetfed press we still have the 3 cylinders, but the basic rule here is STRAIGHT, FLAT, and ONE at a Time. Meaning the sheet goes down a table, the sheet stops so briefly, before the press grabs the sheets and puts the ink on paper. Where the Web is the roll and it prints both sides at one time, and then folds the sheet.

You will use a sheetfed press for a million items, but ussally you are going to do something with that item, like fold it, die cut it, punch it stable it, hang it or just use it!

But each piece of equipment is used for a different purpose.

The one question which keeps coming up over and over again is WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THIS PIECE OF MATERIAL?, and the awnser to this question will allow us to know what piece of equipment to use.

Till then

Alan

Basics 101 - 3 types

There are many types of printing, but there are only 3 which I'm very familier with!!!

We have Digital Print which is ussally Variable. Offset is based off of Sheetfed or Web printing.

Lets talk today about the WEB:

A web press is still an offset press, if you do not know what offset is it is the 3 cylinder rule, meaning a plate, blanket and impression cylinder. What makes the web different than a sheetfed press is the paper of the press.

Web printing starts with a HUGE roll of paper, and the paper is threaded thru various stations to straighten out the paper, the into the printing units to print bothsides of the paper. In this case we then run the paper of wet ink thru ovens, and we bake the ink onto the sheet. HENCE the name HEAT OFFSET But when the roll or image comes out on the other side the paper is dry as the ovens dried the ink, and from here is when the fun begins as we fold the project while it is running and it comes down ready to be finished in bindery.

Heatset print is something very easy to do, but is ussally for longer runs, or muliple page counts.

Call me at 918-605-9220 if you have any questions on they way HEATSET print works.

Alan

What happened

Years ago maybe 3 to 5 years ago when we saw a typo in a magazine, program or other printed piece the comment was IT WAS THE PRINTERS FAULT!

Well with today's technology the client now is control of all their files, LIKE THEY DID BACK THEN ALSO! But now when you see a typo in the magazine, program or other printed piece, no one ever says a thing!

IT WAS THE MARKETING DEPARTMENTS FAULT!!!!

Now you know

Alan

Advertising

If you drove in to work this morning you passed I would guess a minimum of five billboards!
Last night if you watched TV did you watch live TV or did you DVR the show so you wouldn't watch the commercials?
Yesterday was Sunday and if you got the paper what ads did you see? And finally if you picked up a magazine this weekend did you read any of the ads which were printed in the magazine?

Also what was the last email you opened which you were inspired to open and react to?

We have DO NOT CALL LIST, we have SPAM FILTERS, we block out in our minds the Bill Boards and if the song is over we scan to the next station due to we don't want to listen to the next car commercial on the radio. And I LOVE MY DVR!

So how do we get to our target market?

Direct Mail, but not just the old send out a letter to look like something important.

Jim Rhome says DON'T SUCK! make it personal, know your client and send them a variable message to drive them to the internet, and then back it up with a radio commercial to build awarness and do your job as a marketing person to get the word out CORRECTLY!

Variable Direct mail WORKS

Alan