by Elzette Roelofse on March 3, 2010
In my previous blog post, The use of Print Finishes with Design, I showcased a few different examples how print finishes can spice up a print design. In this follow-up post I will discuss the more technical side of print finishes; how to add a print finish to an Adobe® InDesign® file. I realise that there is not an absolute standard to the method. In this post I will share my method that seems to do the trick. I will use the famous Printhouse/jelly 2010 Calendar as an example.
Step 1: Planning Spot UV Areas
There are numerous different ways Spot UV can be applied to artwork. It is basically up to the designers imagination.
The logos at the bottom of the calendar is in Spot UV only, on a solid printed background.
A few common ways of using Spot UV:
- Logos
- Important text such as a heading
- Covering a whole image
- Covering a section of an image
- A graphic/object over a solid printed area
At the bottom of the calendar the 2 logos are in Spot UV only, on a solid printed background. Thus the logos are not in their corporate colours, but shapes in solid Spot UV on a ‘charcoal’ background. I have also emphasized certain areas on each illustration of each month for the calendar with Spot UV. This add a bit of texture on each page over the illustration.
Only a section of the illustration and the text of the month are in Spot UV.
Layer for Spot UV at the top of the list.
Step 2: Create Spot UV Layer
Decide what needs to be Spot UV. Then, create a new layer in the InDesign file. Name it “SPOT UV” or something else that will make sense for the function of this layer. In this post I will refer to this layer as the SPOT UV layer. It is best to have this layer at the top of all the other layers.
Step 3: Get Your Spot UV Into Shape!
If there are printed objects that need to be Spot UV (eg. a logo), duplicate the objects onto the SPOT UV layer. It is important that they are exactly the same size and in the exact same position. An easy way I do this: Select the shape. Edit > Copy > Paste in Place. While it is selected, move it to the SPOT UV layer. Change the colour to black. If it is an image in a box, delete the image out of the box and make the colour of the box black.
The Spot UV graphic has to be in vector format. The standard for a logo is vector format. The illustrations for the calendar was in a bitmap format. To achieve the selected Spot UV areas over the illustration I had to trace it separately. The vector shapes can be created in Indesign. Another option is Adobe® Illustrator®. The shapes then need to be copied over to the Spot UV layer in InDesign.
All the shapes that needs to be Spot UV has to be the same colour. Some designers use 100% magenta. I use 100% black. Most Print Finishers prefer the latter.
Create a spot colour to indicate Spot UV.
Other Colour Options
As mentioned before, most finishers prefer all the Spot UV shapes in a simple 100% black as a separate PDF. Another option is to create a spot colour in the color palette. Name it “SPOT UV”. You can make this colour black or some people prefer any bright colour. When you add > New Colour Swatch in you Swatches palette, make sure to set the Color Type to Spot. The will prevent the shapes on the SPOT UV layer to show up in your CMYK colour separations.
The same method can be used for foil blocking. Just change the name of the layer and spot colour to “FOIL BLOCK” to avoid any confusion.
Step 4: Save PDF File
The best is to check the specification of the print file/s with your printer/print finisher first. I normally save a high resolution print PDF without the Spot UV layer. And another high resolution PDF with the Spot UV layer only. Thus, you will have a PDF file with black shapes only.
If you have saved a spot colour for the Spot UV you can save all the layers together in one high resolution PDF file. In the InDesign file you can set the Spot UV layer to be non-printing… just in case. When exporting the PDF, make a note in the slug area, directing the printer to the layer.
For the less tech savvy people that would like a great design and finished off with the endless possibilities of print finishing, do not fear. Contact the capable people at Printhouse Corporation to discuss your ideas for a new project.
by Mark Jope on February 1, 2010
Creating an interactive page flip web e-brochure using Indesign CS4
This blog is to show how you can export your indesign paged brochure/document into an interactive e-brochure to use on the web. Firstly you create your standard Indesign document with pages, then you click export. In the dialog box select “swf” as the save as file type definition. You are then prompted with another dialog box.
SWF Dialog Box
Which includes the following options:
Size (pixels)
Specify whether the SWF file is scaled by a percentage, fit to a monitor size you specify, or sized according to the width and height you specify.
Pages
Indicate whether all pages in the document are included, or specify a page range, such as 1-7, 9 to print pages 1 through 7 and 9.
Spreads
If this option is selected, each spread is treated as a single clip in the SWF file, regardless of how many pages appear in each spread. If this option is not selected, each page acts as a separate clip, like its own slide in a slideshow.
Rasterize Pages
This option converts all InDesign page items to bitmap. Selecting this option results in a larger SWF file, and page items may appear jagged when zoomed in on.
Generate HTML File
Select this option to generate an HTML page that plays back the SWF file. This option is especially useful for quickly previewing the SWF file in your web browser.
View SWF After Exporting
Select this option to play back the SWF file in your default web browser. This option is available only if you generate an HTML file.
Text
Specify how InDesign text is output. Choose InDesign Text To Flash Text to output searchable text that results in the smallest file size. Choose InDesign Text To Vector Paths to output the text as a series of smooth straight lines, like converting text to outlines. Choose InDesign Text To Raster Image to output the text in a bitmap image. Rasterized text may appear jagged when zoomed in on.
Interactivity
Specify which options are included in the exported SWF file: buttons, hyperlinks, page transitions, and interactive page curls. If Include Interactive Page Curl is selected, users playing the SWF file can drag a corner of the page to turn it, giving the appearance of turning the page in a real book.
Image Compression
Choose Auto to let InDesign determine the best quality for color and grayscale images. For most files, this option produces satisfactory results. Choosing JPEG is suitable for grayscale or color images. JPEG compression is lossy, which means that it removes image data and possibly reduces image quality; however, it attempts to reduce file size with a minimal loss of information. Because JPEG compression eliminates data, it can achieve much smaller files sizes. Choosing Lossless (Do Nothing) exports the JPEG file without lossy compression.
I normally click on these options:
Scale = 100%, Pages = All,
Tick on Spreads, Generate HTML File, Indesign Text to Vector Paths, Include Buttons, Include Hyperlinks, Include Interactive Page Curl,
Image Compression (Lossless (do nothing)), Curve Quality = High
SWF Dialog Box
Thats it, you just drag the html file onto your internet explorer and try it.
You can also use interactive buttons in your indesign document to export as a flash file (basic web page). This will be covered in my next blog.
Mark Jope is a Graphic Designer at London based printer PrintHouse Corporation.
If there is a query in regarding design and print please contact me here.
by Elzette Roelofse on January 26, 2010
The great thing about print is, it can result in items that can serve as something useful. A few examples, such as a folder (to hold useful documents), (desk)calendar, stationery as a quick way to pass on your details. It is great to hold a beautiful finished off brochure with high quality photos in your hands. Or a special invitation that someone can open and keep as a reminder of an event. Excellent reasons to spice up the design even more.
Print finishing is a commercial and/or personal value-added process that takes place after printing. In this article I will show a few examples of print finishes that is sometimes overlooked as an option when designing for print.
Ultra Violet (UV) Varnish
UV varnish is available in high gloss or matt and can be applied overall the design. Spot UV is when the varnish is applied to a selected area of a printed image to highlight or emphasise. When Spot UV is used with matt lamination, it produces a very effective contrast that highlights pictures or text and therefore enhance the product. In the following examples gloss Spot UV is being used.
Example 1: Spot UV over a printed shape
Printhouse Corporation has created a calendar for 2010 in collaboration with jelly (specialises in illustration and animation). jelly organised the stunning illustrations for the cover of the calendar and each month. The whole calendar is matt laminated and it makes the Spot UV stand out more on the title of each month. To make things a bit more interesting, I added Spot UV to a few elements on each illustration. It adds texture to the over all look and feel.
Example 2: Use Spot UV to create a graphic/image over a printed area
In this example Alex at Printhouse designed a 10 year anniversary box for Thames Clippers. The box contains card with memorable imagery and information of the company. The outside of the box is printed with a solid blue colour, one of their corporate colours. The whole box is finished off with a matt laminate. A decorative graphic (of their boat in the sea) is created with Spot UV only. The Spot UV has a nice effect on a dark colour with the matt laminate to enhance the effect. Silver Foil Blocking is used for their custom designed 10 Year Anniversary logo.
Foil Blocking
Most of the time Foil Blocking is placed on stationery and promotional materials, for example brochures. Foil Blocking adds an impression of quality that can be of great benefit to companies in today’s competitive market. The are a huge range of colours and textures available. The most popular are gold and silver. In the following examples I show a few colours used for Foil Blocking.
Gold Foil
In this design gold Foil Blocking is used on the text in combination with Embossing (discussed later in this post). The whole card is finished of with a gloss laminate.
Silver Foil
This is a design I have done for Peligoni Club in Zakynthos, Greece. The club is friendly for young adults, families and friends. But at the same time stylish and chic. They also offer accommodation that is hand-picked for its quality, location, value and flexibility. They have a very wide selection of properties, from simple studio rooms, through to large luxury villas. To represent this image I have used a lot of white in contrast with bright summer coloured images. The silver Foil Blocking on the cover and pocket of the folder add the necessary detail to complete the style.
Bronze Foil
This is a design I have done for Mae Ping Thai Restaurant. On the cover I have used bronze Foil Blocking in combination with Spot UV over the fish graphic. A gold spot colour form the pattern on the inside panel folding to the left underneath the cover.
Magenta Foil
chemistry use an uncoated, pre-pigmented stock for the cover and finished off with the logo in magenta Foil Blocking.
Embossing and Debossing
Embossing is where an image is pressed into the material so that the image raises from the surface. With debossing material around the die impression is raised rather than raising the design area itself. An uncoated stock usually gives the best effect.
Embossing Example
In this example Aftershock used an uncoated pre-pigmented stock to Emboss a pattern on the cover for their autumn/winter 2009 catalogue. The embossing is combined with gold Foil Blocking for the text.
Debossing Example
Another example where pre-pigmented uncoated stock is used for the cover. jelly use Debossing for the text in the logo combined with Spot UV and magenta Foil Blocking for the icon.
These are just a few examples of all the options and combinations available. Hopefully enough to inspire new ideas for the next print project. If you have any ideas or need someone to come up with an idea how to boost and produce your design, get in contact with Printhouse Corporation.
You might be interested playing around with Print Finishes yourself. In my next post, to follow soon, I will explain how is a good way to set up Print Finishes in an Adobe® InDesign® file.
