Answers Part Deux!

Okay, here's the answers to the last half of questions in So You Wanna Be a Graphic Designer! I hope you learned a lot from the last post, and will learn even more, since these are less known (but still should be common information for anyone who's posing as a graphic designer!)

7. Name three page layout programs.
Like the last two questions about programs, there's a huge variety of programs out there. I will list the most common and industry standard programs.
- Adobe InDesign. Adobe merged this with PageMaker, which was very popular for a long time, but with the emergence of the popularity of more versatile page layout programs, was changed into InDesign.
- QuarkXPress. Industry standard and my favorite.
- CorelDraw. I beta tested this, and it's come a long way. Can be used for vector illustration, page layout, multiple page documents, and what we use at my shop mostly because it's most cost efficient, talks well to other programs and works best with our Computer to Plate machine.
- Publisher. Okay, I'll receive a lot of flack for this one, but honestly, it's so widely used by the business universe that we have no choice but to print from it. I'll leave the rest of my critiquing about this horrible program at the door.

8. What is DPI? LPI? And the difference between the two?
- DPI stands for Dots Per Inch and is probably the most familiar and most misused measure of resolution. It specifically refers to the printed dots (from a printer, imagesetter or press) that are used to make up an image. The larger the dots, the lower the resolution of the printed image. The smaller the dots, the higher the resolution of the image. DPI is calculated using the number of dots across a linear inch. A screen that has 100 DPI is a much lower resolution than one that has 600.

- LPI stands for Lines Per Inch and is also used to measure the resolution of printed halftones by calculating the dots in an inch. The lower the LPI, the lower the quality of the printed image. The higher the LPI, well, you get the idea. Standard presses will print at approximately 120 LPI. That's the standard we use at the shop (we make adjustments depending on the length of the run, the type of paper, and the actual image that is to be printed.) Newspapers usually run at 85 lpi and magazines are around 133 to 140. The higher the LPI, the less noticable the dots are.

LPI and DPI are a physical measurement of the number of dots on a printed page. When doing graphics on the computer (like Photoshop) dpi is often confused with resolution which is different. Computer graphics have a resolution based on pixels, not dots per inch.

9. What is dot gain?
Dot gain refers to what happens to an image once it's printed on paper. Since paper is absorbant, and when ink is printed on the paper, the paper sucking up the ink leads to the dot growing slightly in size. Think about what happens when you drip a drop of water on your counter top, and then when you drip water onto a paper towel. What happens to the dot of water? The water on the counter will be a bead of one size, the paper towel drip will have been absorbed into the paper towel, and appear larger. Newsprint being low quality and very absorbant paper has a high dot gain. It's one of the reasons a newspaper will be printed at a relatively low lpi. The amount of dot gain must be taken into consideration by the designer, so that the final printed design won't appear too dark or blobby. The newspaper that I worked at previously had a dot gain of a whopping 30%. That meant that screens that were printed at 70% darkened up to a full solid by the time they were printed. Compensation for this was to over-lighten your designs, never design using a heavy screen, and use as few halftones as possible. Print shops have a relatively low dot gain. At our shop, it's about 15%. We find we have to lighten half tones quite a bit to avoid losing resolution, and changing the dpi or lpi aids in that depending on the project. The paper we use is a much higher quality as well, so less ink is absorbed into it, resulting in a lower dot gain. Graphic designers should always get familiar with their printer, and print only at places they are familiar with so they can compensate for dot gain while designing their product, and the most savvy designers will request printing at a specific dpi best suited to their project.

10. What is a bleed? What must you do to ensure your design bleeds properly?
Bleed is the term us printing folk use to indicate when color runs to the very edge of the page. Printers and presses can't print bleeds, because grippers (the fingers that pull the piece of paper through the machine) need to hold on to the very edges of the paper, and printing to the extreme edge isn't possible. In order to get a full coverage look, we must print on a larger sheet size and then cut the paper down to the finished size. Proper bleed allowance (depending on the shop) is a minimum of 1/8" of bleed past the trim area of the design. Bleeds look really nice but are also more expensive because larger paper must be used in the printing, and more time required in cutting the job to it's final size. Bleeds may also require special care, like metal plates, slower running time and more ink, which all add to the cost of the job. I can't count the number of times I've had designers in with their finished artwork that has no bleed allowance. It's very frustrating, especially since when you explain their design doesn't bleed, they all look confused.
What you must have in order to ensure your design bleeds properly is a minimum of 1/8" to 1/4" of "bleed allowance" where the design extends over the finished areas of the design. The file must be saved to the larger size (not the final size of the job, but the size including the bleed allowance) and crop marks must be properly placed so that the production team knows where you want the job to be cut to.

11. What is a gutter?
The inside margins or blank space between two facing pages is the gutter. The gutter space is that extra space allowance used to accommodate the binding in books and magazines. The amount of gutter needed varies depending on the binding method. In saddled-stitched publications the amount of gutter, as well as the outside margins are adjusted to allow for creep. Not to be confused with an alley - which is the space between the columns of text on one page. And it should not be confused with margins, which are the blank space between the edge of the finished document and where the text and graphics on the begin. Bleeds can ignore the margin, but in addition to a 1/8" to 1/4" bleed allowance, most printed designs should leave a 1/8" to 1/4" margin before the design begins. That's a whole lotta unused space! And most designers ignore those rules completely. Which leads to text being cut off, or an unbalanced, uncentered look to the finished product. Which designers will blame on the printers, leaving us shaking our heads.

12. What is production ready (or camera ready) artwork? What must it have to qualify as such?
Production ready (or camera ready) artwork refers to a file that has been completely and properly set up, ready to be put on the press, or printed digitally. All colors have been made properly. Cmyk designs should have no spot colors. A spot color design should have no extra colors or be in CMYK (all which means, color separations are done properly). Resolution should be correct for the method of printing, bleed allowances and margins should be set up properly AND crop marks be applied. I would say that less than 10% of all "production ready" files I receive are actually production ready. And that falls to the responsibility of the graphic designer.

So you should all be more informed of the responsibilities of a graphic designer. You have a lot of work to do! And please stop blaming the printers when your design doesn't go according to your plan - it's in your hands. If you submit a 1" x 2" 72 resolution design with no bleed allowances or margins to be printed at 3.5" x 2" for a business card, you will get a grainy, incorrectly cut, non bleeding card, possibly with the text cut off.

Did you pass the test? I hope so, now get designing!!

Answers!

So I'm sure you all had time to write down your own answers to the quiz from last post. Here are the answers. How many did you get right? Some of the designers that come into my shop got zero correct, so if you answered even one question right - congratulations! You can call yourself a graphic designer! (well, not really, but that's what the kids are doing these days...)

1. What is the difference between a vector file and a raster file?

- Vector files use geometry such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygons, which are all based on mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics. Since they are mathematical formulas, all vector files have infinite resolution and their sizes can be blown up or shrunken indefinitely. Vector artwork can also be referred to as "line work".

- Raster files (or bitmaps) are images that are on a grid. (Like graph paper) each box has a color applied to it, which makes up the picture. Resolution is dependant on how many boxes make up the picture. The higher the resolution, the smaller the boxes. Raster files have a limit to how much they can be enlarged - the larger you make the picture, the more you can see the boxes. The higher resolution the image, the larger the file size.
Vector files can be converted to raster files very easily, but raster files cannot be saved into vector. A multitude of "trace" programs are being developed and used these days. While there is a place for them in the industry, they should not be viewed as a substitute for designing. Like any software, knowing how to work the program to get the best results takes skill and learning, not only how to use the software, but what types of files you can use these on, and what type of result you should get.


2. What is RGB color? CMYK Color? Process Color and Pantone (PMS) Color? What is spot color?

- RGB is the color scale used for light emitting devices (like computer monitors and televisions) Red, Green and Blue are the "primary" colors used to create all the colors you see on your screen (even white, black and yellow). We do not print colors in RGB (that would be quite the challenge, trying to print black and yellow on the press using only red, green and blue!)

- CMYK Color is the closest to the primary color wheel you learned about in elementary school. The letters stand for Cyan (blue), Magenta (pinkish), Yellow and blacK. Using these four colors, we can print a vast rainbow of colors. It's definitely not infinite, but it's the most common process for photographic reproductions. Newspapers and magazines use CMYK or Process color most commonly. Laying down varying shades of Yellow, then Cyan, Magenta and finally Black in a fine dotted pattern make up a full color picture. The dotted pattern is sometimes called a "moire" (more-ay) effect. If you pick up a newspaper or magazine and examine the photos very carefully, you can see the dots of individual color that make up the picture. The smaller the dots, the better quality a picture you are going to get. Newspapers typically use a larger dot pattern because of the lower quality of paper they print on, and to compensate for dot gain (more on that one later!)

- Pantone Colors (PMS for Pantone Matching System) is the most widely used color system in the world. Named for the corporation that invented it - Pantone Inc. in Carlstadt, New Jersey, Pantone is a standardized color reproduction system. By coming up with formulas for mixing each of the colors represented in the system, all printers everywhere can come up with the same result for that color, regardless of what press prints it, or who mixed the ink. Pantone is more comprehensive than CMYK color, because instead of using four colors during the printing stage to get the desired color, you mix the color ahead of time and put that on the press, so it's only one color. Pantone also allows you to get colors CMYK doesn't allow, due to the mixing of white or white based inks (you can't have white in CMYK), or metallic and fluorescent inks. Using a "chip chart", or a pantone number, a customer would specify the color they want, the press operator mixes it, and prints that color exactly. Pantone has also put out "chip charts" on different types of paper, as what kind of paper an ink is printed on will greatly affect its look.

- Spot color refers to the use of one specific color in press production. You may have CMYK color PLUS a pantone color (if the client wants a pms color for their logo, or have a metallic ink in the finished product). CMYK plus a pantone color is a FIVE color design. If you want to use just one or two pms colors only, that is a one or two spot color design. Saying "spot color" just lets the production people know it's something other than black or CMYK.

3. Name three programs for designing vector art.
There are really too many to list, so I'll put the ones most traditionally used in the print world. And the lines are being blurred more and more. Programs that were once print only and web only are now dual purpose. Raster programs and vector programs are being intertwined, so you can use one program for all. The catch is in the capability of the operator (or designer).
- Adobe Illustrator
- CorelDraw
- FreeHand MX
- SerifDraw Plus
(Adobe InDesign gets an honorable mention, as well as QuarkXPress)

4. Name two programs for designing rastor art.
See above for explanation... Too many to list - listing most common, intertwined programs, etc.
- Adobe Photoshop
- PhotoPaint
- GIMP
- PhotoBrush

5. What is a pdf?
A pdf is a Portable Document Format, and is an open format for easy document exchange. It was created by Adobe in 1993. I remember working in the industry when pdf became the standard. What exciting times! It didn't matter what program created the file, or what type of computer, anyone could open the file, look at it, print it, use it! In 2008, it was officially released as an open standard - officially changing the face of sharing files as we know it.

6. What is Adobe?
Adobe Systems Incorporated is a software company based out of San Jose, California. It is a COMPANY, and NOT a software! The company has created industry standard software such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat. So, saying you've created a file in Adobe is like saying you're browsing the internet using a computer. Interestingly enough, Adobe got their name from the term adobe - which is a brick that is used for building that is made up of natural material like sand, clay, dung, straw and then dried in the sun. So the software company used the name of a building material for the name of their company that gives us computer building material.

So how did you do so far? Get any correct? Learn anything? I will be posting the next half of the answers this week, so you still have time to do the test if you missed any...
Happy designing!

So you wanna be a graphic designer?

When I went to school to be a graphic designer, I already had a very good base of knowledge to work from. Three years of Vis Comm in high school, knew how to burn plates, take apart a press and clean it, knew some design programs already and had some knowledge of layout on screen and off. A lot of what I learned in college was building on the foundation of what I already knew. I was probably farther ahead than some of the students who came into the program with less than me. But I think it's fair to say that when we left, my graduating class and I had mostly the same knowledge of graphic design after graduating. Maybe our design abilities differed, but we had the same facts going through our cranium.

I just cannot say the same for designers coming out of schools today.

And maybe it's not their fault. Or the school's fault. As a member of the graphic designer's guild of Canada, we talk about coming up with different certifications for different classes of designers. PGD for a Print Graphic Designer, a WGC for a Web Graphic Designer, MGD for Master Graphic Designer and so on. That way, there will be a professional accredation to specify what we can do, and a governing body making sure we adhere to those rules. Then, if you're looking for a web designer, it's easy to weed out the print designers who just wouldn't be the best fit. And so on.

Problem is, most schools aren't differentiating between the two, and the waters are getting muddy. I've had to explain relatively rudimentary graphic design concepts to professionals working in the field today who call themselves graphic designers. These people shouldn't - at the very least - be working unsupervised in the print industry. Which leads to the question - who is hiring these people? Do they have a design background? Are they choosing candidates with the best skill, or prettiest portfolio? Do the candidates themselves know they're not applying in the correct industries? It's probably a bit of all of the above. The people hiring for the position aren't in a position to be print experts themselves, and are trusting that the people applying for the job know, when that's not the case. Frustrating goes around in a circle, and the end result - the printer (often me) is left cleaning up the mess.

So, I've come up with a handy dandy list of questions an interviewer hiring a graphic designer should ask them. You don't even need to know the answers - just if they don't know, or can't answer one of these questions, you're better off continuing the search.

1. What is the difference between a vector file and a rastor file? Give specific examples.

2. What is RGB color? CMYK Color? Process Color and Pantone (PMS) Color? What is spot color? (And you thought there was only primary colors that made up the color wheel! tsk tsk!)

3. Name three programs for designing vector art.

4. Name two programs for designing rastor art.

5. What is a pdf?

6. What is Adobe? (I swear, if I ask one more graphic designer what file their design is in, and they answer with "Adobe", I'm gonna hit my head with a piece of adobe!)

7. Name three page layout programs.

8. What is DPI? LPI? And the difference between the two?

9. What is dot gain?

10. What is a bleed? What must you do to ensure your design bleeds properly? (if they say cut deeper, RUN!)

11. What is a gutter?

12. What is production ready (or camera ready) artwork? What must it have to qualify as such?

I'll have the answer to these questions in a later post. And I know, I don't have all the questions - these are just the ones that I have to answer on a regular basis. Frustrating, I know. So, all you graphic designers - grab your pencil and take the test! Fun for the whole family!