Designing for Print

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Designing for print by Marina Poropat Joyce

You know how to design.

You’ve mastered the vision, created a successful pitch deck, and have project sign off from your client, and now you have to get this piece produced. You’re a graphic designer. Or a web designer tasked with print projects. Maybe you are self-taught and wish to address knowledge gaps. Or perhaps you are an established design professional who needs to update your technical capabilities because your office has reduced its staff.

Are you prepared to get your project printed?

You know how you want the project to look and feel but you’re not so sure how to make that happen. You don’t know what it is that you don’t know. It’s okay, this book does. Arm yourself with this resource and you can take on work you may have previously avoided, not had responsibility to produce, or not felt confident producing.

Designing for Print was written to help great graphic designers become great print designers. It can help you with print production and provide you with details you never learned in school—or on your last job—or in your current role. With the kind of insights and advice that you’d get from a smart, nice and available colleague, this book will guide you through the print production process and answer your questions, on demand, so you can produce your piece exactly as you envisioned it armed with new knowledge—most of it you didn’t know you needed but will make you more confident in asking for and getting the end result you want.

This book uses charts, check lists, decision trees and clear explanations to ensure you make great design decisions every step of the way. Really, everyone should have one.

Buy This Book for your Office
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  • Bright yellow interior of Print book introducing a section on working with printers.
  • Interior of Print book with information on printing controls.
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Book Features

Learn the things you control and the things the printer controls. Learn to make informed design decisions while designing to produce the impressive results you seek. Start with the Quick Start information in the front of the book. Then do a deep dive into each chapter for more detail and understanding of each choice you are making.

What kind of paper should you spec?

An open copy of the book 'Print,' showing photos of different paper types.

Designing for Print has charts that can guide your paper specification using project needs to identify and steer your paper selection. Why do you need this? Because specifying paper can be easy or tricky.

Disappointment in how a project turns out is often caused by choosing a paper that cannot deliver the desired “look”.

This book helps you articulate your project’s paper needs and select a substrate that will not only perform but also deliver great haptics.

What printing method is best suited to your project?

The cover of Print, a book, showing the title made of colorful dots against a white background.

Not only does this book compare different printing methods effect on price, it lays out pricing comparisons for six common printing methods and three different color options and compares them to the quantity you are planning to print.

Learn about the limitations of different printing methods so you don’t design something that can’t be done (it happens!). See whether letterpress is feasible, or if foiling or embossing will work with your design.

What kind of Proof are you requesting?

An open book showing an example of a page with visual data about printing effects and price.

Do you know the difference between a blueline, a contract proof, a soft proof, a press proof or a die strike? Which type of proof is right for your job? What should you be looking for on the proof? What will the proof tell you about your print job?

This book offers a Final Proofing Checklist that you will use again and again until it is part of your workflow.

You Are the Creative

Learn about finishing techniques, bindery, everything that will impact YOUR designs. Learn how YOUR design decisions, paper selection and inks will impact the environment. Learn how you can help your printer help you to achieve YOUR vision.

Designing For Print contains all the know-how every graphic designer needs to work with printers and achieve amazing results.

Become a Better Print Designer Today

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