Making Digital work for You Part V

 Posted by at 3:56 PM
Jul 092011
 

Go to the grocery store and at the check out line the question is “paper or plastic?” There are some quick print and “big box” printers that have pretty much the same limited choices. Text or cover? Gloss or matte?

There are countless choices in paper. Weights from a very light weight 16 pound text to a very heavy 110 pound cover are all available for our digital printer. And finishes vary from uncoated to dull coated to high gloss, and cover weights coated on one side or both sides are also available. The possible permutations seem truly overwhelming. Which should you use? There’s no one right answer; the choice depends on many factors. We like to ask about how and where you are going to use our product before you make that choice. Some people think we’re a bit nosy. And maybe we are, but in a good way.

All paper is roughly divided into text and cover. Text weights refer to the kind of paper that would make up the inside pages of a paperback book. Cover weights are what the cover of that paperback book might be made of. Within these categories, paper can be uncoated, dull coated  (also called semi-gloss) and gloss coated (also called “calendered”).

As we like to say here at Digital Imaging, it’s a matter of personal preference. Photos tend to set up and look snappier on a gloss paper, but if you’re planning on looking at the piece in what we call “high key” or bright overhead lighting, you may want to consider a semi-gloss to cut down on glare. Will you need to have someone write on the finished piece (perhaps a form to fill out)? Then gloss is a poor choice. Is the piece going in an envelope? Select a text weight. Is it a stand-alone piece? Perhaps a cover weight is a better choice. Bleed through is always a factor. Selecting a heavy enough stock to prevent the image on one side of the paper from being visible from the back of the sheet depends on the content being printed. Toner-based digital printing also tends to impart a gloss to the printed material. In some cases, if you use a semi-gloss stock, the printing looks as if it were varnished. This may be a good thing or not, depending on what you had in mind. We have a certain amount of control over this gloss. The newer equipment (like our DocuColor) has good control over this gloss effect.

Cost is always a factor. In general, the heavier the weight the more expensive a paper is. Gloss papers tend to cost more than uncoated paper. Semi-gloss (or dull coat) is often more expensive than either uncoated or gloss. Premium papers cost more in all weights. These are the fancy sheets that contain fibers, unique surfaces, or specific colors.

Post-processing also is a factor. Gloss papers tend to “crack” more along a fold than semi-gloss or uncoated stocks. Lightweight papers don’t hold up well to perfing. Some sheets are only available long grain; a score and fold across the grain is more difficult to control than a fold along the grain.

It’s confusing but we’re usually amenable to printing a proof on two or even three different stocks to help you decide. The comforting thing about digital printing is that the difference in price for a short run between or most expensive and least expensive stock is minimal.

Not all stocks can run successfully in digital presses. Some heavily-textured or “laid” papers do not reproduce large solids well. The toner needs a relatively smooth surface to adhere to uniformly. If the surface is uneven, a motley appearance may result. A lot of label stocks have difficulty, especially if they are formulated for ink jet printing.

As technology continues to evolve, we are able to offer an ever-growing inventory of papers. Some of the more interesting recent additions are: Window Decals, Magnetic Sheets, Pre-cut door hangers, CD tray cards and inserts, weatherproof plastic, non-tear sheets, metallic finishes, parchments and non-copyable security papers. Also available are carbonless forms in two or three part configurations, clear acetate (for overhead projections), tab dividers and pocket folders.

The world of digital printing offers the same quality, selection, and versatility of offset without the requisite numbers to make it cost effective. Making digital printing work for you requires some planning ahead and perhaps a few design compromises, but in today’s competitive marketplace the added value of quick turnaround in small quantities makes it a valuable tool for every graphic designer.

Next: Variable data: the “big gun” of digital printing

 

Making Digital Work For You: Part IV

 Posted by at 12:47 PM
Apr 192011
 

About 50% of the time when I ask a customer “What stock would you like this on?” the answer I get is “Whatever you think it will look best (or print best) on.” I always wonder if they imagine a paper storage room with papers that print well on one side and papers that don’t on the other. Sometimes, I think it would be a lot easier if we stocked only one or two kinds of paper. But we don’t.

In the often confusing world of digital printing, paper weights and types have managed to distinguish themselves as a confusing topic for most people. Part of the problem lies in paper’s greatest drawback; it is a tactile product. Talk about it all you want; write long, complicated descriptions that start to sound a little like how a wine taster describes a wine; give it a brightness number. In the end, people want to FEEL the paper. And yet, this is also paper’s greatest asset, the reason it will probably survive the rush to a digital world. Paper has texture. Paper has a glossy or a smooth or a rough surface. It has depth. It has warmth.

In general there are only a few “rules” about what to print on, and these are very pragmatic. Things going through the mail need to be a certain minimum weight. No big surprise here. I have never had anyone try to send a post card that was printed on a text weight. Yet. BRC’s (business reply cards) must be a certain minimum weight. But aside from these few considerations, paper choice is a matter of taste and design. We try to stock a broad enough range of paper to meet most of those considerations.

Many US paper mills are no more. A good deal of our paper is from Canadian mills, some is from overseas. By the time it’s re-cut, re-branded, re-packaged and re-sold, it’s not always clear who actually manufactured it. Paper can be the cause of huge headaches in the digital print business. Humidity, too much or too little, can cause paper to jam unexpectedly, double-sheet feed, or curl out of the press. We keep most of our paper in sealed packs until we’re ready to use it. (We used to keep all of our paper in sealed plastic bins… the technology has gotten better.) We are very reluctant to add a new paper to our inventory until we have performed extensive testing. Sometimes, a rep (or a customer) will bring us in a few sample sheets which seem to run fine. Then when we begin the larger project, we suddenly experience multiple problems as the device heats up, or we try to duplex, or in finishing.

Most paper has some kind of a grain. In traditional (ink on paper) printing, the grain is usually “long” which means it runs parallel to the direction of the movement through the press (or is parallel to the longest side of the cut sheet). This gives the paper extra strength to navigate the many turns and twists through the press. In general, in digital printing, we like for the grain to be short so the sheet is more flexible. Grain is much more important when you get to finishing.

There are a couple of ways to check the grain. The easiest is to look at the packaging. The direction of the grain is usually the second number you see. 8-1/2″x11″ paper is long grain. 11″x8-1/2″ paper is short grain. (We speak of 12×18 as a stock paper size, but the package says 18×12.) If the paper is loose, fold the sheet you have in half in both directions and feel the folded edge. Folds with the grain will be much smoother than folds against the grain. I know there are other ways; tearing the paper will reveal its grain, but I think this is a bit more difficult to discern.

Grain comes into play more when you are finishing; folding, scoring, etc. Folding across the grain leaves a ragged edge unless you score first. For some paper weights, you need to score anyway, but especially in the lighter weight texts, trying to keep the grain going in the right direction when you are step and repeating a file can be the subject of some serious mental calisthenics. Scores across the grain need to be different than scores with the grain.

Next: paper weights and surfaces.

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