Color Expectations & Designing For iGen3 Output

Designing for iGen3

Understanding how the iGen3 and the DocuSP® manage color is the most important aspect of designing for the iGen3, but there are a number of other very important points that follow in short order to ensure that a design will print well the first time through.

Saddle Stitch Books

1. If at all possible, try to refrain from having color "wrap" over the spine of the saddle stitch.
2. When designing the document, it is better if the pages are not in a "spread" format, but instead designed as serial pages (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.)
3. Page Count - the following table should be used to determine the maximum page count

Perfect Bound Books

1. For Black & White Books ColorCentric uses the Xerox Docutech print engine. The Docutech prints cut-sheet pages sizes, such as 8.5" x 11". Due to the process of perfect binding, it is necessary for ColorCentric to under trim perfect bound books by nearly 1/8" on three sides. Full-color books can be produced at exactly 8.5" x 11"
2. ColorCentric recommends lamination for all color covers that are being perfect bound. The lamination protects the toner and provides stability and structure to the book.
3. As long as the covers are laminated, wrapping color over the spine of a perfect bound book is fine, if lamination is not requested it is not advisable to wrap the color around the spine.
4. Maximum book size is 8.5" x 11" with a maximum spine of 1.5"
5. Maximum page count is determined from table below.

Flyers, Post Cards, Note Cards and Business Cards

1. If your design calls for a bleed, avoid using heavy coated cover stock.
2. If your design requires someone to write on a portion of the piece to re-submit or write a note, choose an uncoated/non-gloss stock.
3. For Note Cards, avoiding toner carrying over the fold is a good idea to prevent any cracking on the fold itself. If you must have the image bleed on all sides be sure to bleed at least 1/8" on all sides, even the folded side.

Lamination

1. Lamination is recommended on all perfect bound book covers
2. Single Side Lamination can only be done on Single Side Prints
3. Maximum sheet size is 14.33" x 20.5"
4. Maximum image size is 14" x 20"

Color Management

Most Desktop Publishing Applications (e.g., QuarkXpress and InDesign) have color management settings that allow a designer to establish certain color profiles based on the intended output device.

* It is imperative that when designing for iGen3 output, that all color management settings be turned off. This can be accomplished by going to the color settings menu under Edit in most design applications and a simple check box or drop-down menu will turn off the color management.

The iGen3 interprets colors based on their source profiles (i.e., what was discussed in the PMS section above), therefore it is best to leave the color management of a file up to the RIP, as it will provide the best color output.

Imposition

ColorCentric prefers to manage all imposition through our mastering process. Therefore, there is no need to provide files imposed. Actually, ColorCentric prefers to receive files un-imposed and for us to have the flexibility of managing the imposition on our end.

A number of different sheet sizes can be used by the iGen and ColorCentric will impose the document based on the sheet size that is most appropriate for the job.

Along with files being sent one-up, ColorCentric also prefers that no registration or crop marks be sent on the final PDF. Again, our imposition software will place the crop marks in the appropriate location for trimming.

Document Set-up and Bleeds

Oddly enough, one of the greatest file challenges that ColorCentric runs into on a daily basis are files that are intended to bleed (where toner prints to the edge of the paper), but are not set up properly to accommodate a bleed.

* If the finished size of a document is intended to be 8.5 x 11 and the file is exactly 8.5 x 11 it is impossible for ColorCentric to guarantee that the toner will bleed. At least 1/10th of an inch (0.10") on each side is required to guarantee a bleed.

There are a couple of different ways to be sure that a document will bleed. One option is to use the Bleed settings in the Print Set-up menu, but ColorCentric has found a more effective way to be certain that the document will bleed; set the document, or page, size to have the bleed included.

For instance, a business card has a finished size of 3.5" x 2". If a person's business card needs to bleed, then the file needs to be at least 0.10" larger on each side to accommodate the bleed. So, the file size would need to be 3.7" x 2.2".

This approach to creating bleeds through document set-up size is different from traditional printing organizations, but ColorCentric has found that when going from application file to PDF, that this is the most effective process for generating a file in the correct size.

Linked Images

One of the greatest benefits of using PDF as a preferred file format is that all images and fonts will be embedded in the file and this eliminates the need for the designer to collect or package the fonts and images to ensure accurate printing.

During the design phase it is very important that the images being placed in the desktop publishing software be a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch) to ensure that the image will print with the anticipated clarity.

One of the more common issues we run into with files coming into ColorCentric is that images are left in the screen resolution setting (typically 72 or 96 dpi). These files will look great on your screen (hence, "screen resolution"), but they will not print properly and will be less than acceptable.

If an application file is supplied to ColorCentric for a project, then it is imperative that the file is collected (QuarkXpress) or packaged (InDesign) for output. Basically, these terms mean that all necessary files that are linked to the application files will be saved in a directory that can then be zipped or stuffed for transfer to ColorCentric.

Desktop Publishing applications will show the designer a screen representation of a linked image and, to the inexperienced designer, they may think that that will translate to a quality print, but unless that image is available when a PDF is made it will not print with the quality that is expected.