Hello,
I'm fairly new to all of this, and have some simple questions that could really clear some things up for me in the near future.
I've been working in Illustrator, and I was wondering about printing to just a home printer. When you export a PDF from Illustrator, I know that it preserves the vector data (or seems to, rather) so that it will print with absolutely razor-sharp edges, as opposed to a bitmap (like you would get in Photoshop). I realize that this is mostly for offset litho printing at an actual printing press. What I don't know is whether or not it is necessary to create these files using a vector-based program if they will probably never be printed on anything but either a home printer or a laser printer at Kinkos.
Also in these pre-press programs (such as Illustrator), artwork is primarily designed using a 4-color (CMYK) process for the 4-colors they have at the press. Also, a CMYK black is different than a RGB black, so when previewing that exported PDF I mentioned earlier (which is, of course, CMYK), the blacks seem slightly gray. I understand that they would be true black when printed at the press, but would they be truly black if printed on a home printer or laser printer at Kinkos?
Third question. When setting up an image in Illustrator, the workspace defaults to 8.5"x11". Again, after exporting a PDF, the image size is of course 8.5"x11", even though my artwork leaves at least a quarter inch of space on all sides. Kinkos charges a fee to resize an image if it is a full-bleed, but are happy as can be if your image leaves quarter-inch borders. Most home printers are also unable to do full-bleed 8.5"x11" images, and prompt to crop an image if it is that size. So, if this exported PDF is 8.5"x11", but the actual image is 8"x10.5", would these printers not have any problems?
I would try this myself, but I do not yet have a printer. I am preparing files for a client who will not use a printing press, and so I assume they will either use Kinkos or their own home printer.
Thank you in advance.
I'm fairly new to all of this, and have some simple questions that could really clear some things up for me in the near future.
I've been working in Illustrator, and I was wondering about printing to just a home printer. When you export a PDF from Illustrator, I know that it preserves the vector data (or seems to, rather) so that it will print with absolutely razor-sharp edges, as opposed to a bitmap (like you would get in Photoshop). I realize that this is mostly for offset litho printing at an actual printing press. What I don't know is whether or not it is necessary to create these files using a vector-based program if they will probably never be printed on anything but either a home printer or a laser printer at Kinkos.
Also in these pre-press programs (such as Illustrator), artwork is primarily designed using a 4-color (CMYK) process for the 4-colors they have at the press. Also, a CMYK black is different than a RGB black, so when previewing that exported PDF I mentioned earlier (which is, of course, CMYK), the blacks seem slightly gray. I understand that they would be true black when printed at the press, but would they be truly black if printed on a home printer or laser printer at Kinkos?
Third question. When setting up an image in Illustrator, the workspace defaults to 8.5"x11". Again, after exporting a PDF, the image size is of course 8.5"x11", even though my artwork leaves at least a quarter inch of space on all sides. Kinkos charges a fee to resize an image if it is a full-bleed, but are happy as can be if your image leaves quarter-inch borders. Most home printers are also unable to do full-bleed 8.5"x11" images, and prompt to crop an image if it is that size. So, if this exported PDF is 8.5"x11", but the actual image is 8"x10.5", would these printers not have any problems?
I would try this myself, but I do not yet have a printer. I am preparing files for a client who will not use a printing press, and so I assume they will either use Kinkos or their own home printer.
Thank you in advance.