Some notes and important points I took from the visit:
Ian works out the costing. Usually starts with what you want, and then usually backwards to what you can afford
No minimum run, even print one-off's for you.
Once quote is accepted, it's the artwork and pre-flight stage. Situations such as full stops that are off, or letters which drop etc. Proofing and sending back to the client to make sure everything is just right on both sides and ready for printing.
Litho Proofs, no spot colours are used on the proofs which are sent out. Sometime's proofs are sent out as PDF's, sometimes physically printed. No spot colours are used as that's expensive and impractical.
Foiling proofs are done using clear film to line up the foiling process.
Inkjet digital prints are used for proofs. Close to litho colours.
Digital press. Konica or Indigo
Digital Press. Sometimes referred to as "glorified photocopier" more complex than that. Cost effective. If you don't know if you want to be digital or litho, quoting will give best price.
FSC credited. Order papers for jobs. FSC, chain of custody. Where it's milled it's FSC credited. Sourcing where a paper was milled, bought from. To make sure it's sustainable. Basically showing the original primary source for materials for legitimacy and some people feel strongly about such things as ethics and sustainability and being environmentally friendly.
Overflow paper. Paper never used for FSC paper. Usually used for marking and lining up and for setting up a job before the final stock is used. This is because final stock is often expensive.
GFSmith - student friendly. Can order in 25s. Low numbers of stock. Expensive stock suitable for final jobs and portfolio pieces. Whereas other suppliers such as LUMI do minimum orders of 100.
A lot of designers go to companies who want small unit cost but can't order individually. Providing to studios.
Litho printers. Spot coours in 5th unit. Some clients may have process colours plus 3-4 spot colours, usually on a litho, there's one spot colour at the end so the work has to be passed through individually for each different spot colour. Almost like an industrialised version of silkscreen printing, printed in layers of different colours but with more consistency.
Some jobs take 24 hours to dry. Some stocks and print processes can take 4-5 days to dry. Do have machines to dry paper, and make something which takes 4-5 days to dry into 4-5 hours.
Ink level adjuster. Comparing proof to finished product. If you come in you can make fine tuning. Press-pass. Lower speed and higher dot resolution for best possible finish.
For exagmple, HSBC red is a spot colour. To be constant. Spot colours are a flat print and not obviously made out of dots at different angles.
Flourescents and Metallics can be a reason to use spot colours. Colour changes on different papers and stocks too so this needs to be taken into account.
For example 7404 C and 7404 U is the same colour but taking into account coated and uncoated stock and the colour comes up different on the swatches. A lot of variables can come into play when printing, even when using the spot colour. Even temperature can have an effect.
After the print process, work moves to the finishing department.
Die cut - Sheet is crushed between a cutting form and a big roller, it basically scores and stamps the paper out.
Foiling - blocks are used to foil. Foil is in between the block and the stock. Through heat the foil is transferred onto a sheet.
Blocks are usually made from brass. Die is made of brass and has a negative impression. More economical to be made from brass. Pressision use Hallmark in Bradford to make the dies. A Heidelberg press usually costs around 15,000 pounds.
Letterpress machine is quite similar, instead of foil it uses blocks of letters. Ink is applied and then stamped. Unsuitable for long runs. Better for short run on meaty stock. Wedding invitations etc. Not cheap.
Stitching machine for finishing processes such as binding.
Folding - First two panels need to be folded and the third panel needs to be folded inwards. As it folds inwards it needs to have a little give and be a fraction smaller so it folds and sits on the surface correctly. So for example if it's 148, the folding in leaf will be around 145. The 2mm give allows it to fold neatly without being obtrusive. It also depends on the stock of the paper, thicker stock will have thicker folds so maybe give more give.
Receive artwork. Depending on sheet size they'll plan it up and make it as economic as possible so there's maximum coverage. On approval after the proofing stage it is transferred to plates. One plate for each colour.
Ink attracts to the image areas and the water cleans away the rest of the ink.
Specs - Email with mock jobs for a quote or idea on costing.
Quotes. Title, what you're looking to quote. E.g. Brochure - title, extent = how many pages. For example 4 page cover and 8 page text print. Cover, how many colours and spot colours and finishing processes do you need?
Material. Stock you're looking at using. Weights, colours, uncoated or coated. Printers can also be in dialog with you and help advise you on this matter.
Finishing. Laminating foil etc.
Quantity - how many you want finished.
Advise on stock. If not specified, use in-house paper. But you can specify.
Creative sector.
GFSmith and Fedrigoni supply paper.
Litho
Cyan stage
Black stage
Magenta and Yellow
Adjustments. This is where the client would come in with a press-pass(?) and take a look at the proof next to the final printed copy and compare and maybe fine-tune and make a few adjustments for example if the blue is too strong
Tubs of ink! I'm guessing these are spot colours as there's fluorescents and oranges about.
Heidelberg cylinder press used for cutting and scoring using moulds and dies
Example of a form here for a simple envelope, the paper is overlaid on top and fed through with a roller and it cuts and scores exactly how you'd want
Foiling along with the block made of brass which is used to create the impression using foil and heat. Apparently the block gets red hot.
Foil is on a roll, the block is behind the foil and the paper is exposed alowing the foil to make an impression. It's pretty quick and very consistent.
Folding press.
Finished prints before being put through the stitching machine.
Stitching machine.
You can see here the crop marks and bleed. Once binded and stitched together it's cropped off and ready to go.
Example of a specification and quote sheet.
Foiling press at work
Where the printing plates are exposed
You can just about see with the rubbish iPhone camera where the plate has an impression. Colour is specified only through the registration marks on the side, this was planned to be a black print. All exposures are the same colour and designed for applying ink to, like a silkscreen.
Above are some proofs in the pre-press stage where there is dialog between the printer and client. Proofs are digitally printed in a cost effective way with no spot colours. They're sent back to the clients digitally as a PDF or physically and once the client gives the go ahead it's taken to the print stage.
Foil proofs are printed on film, in this case you can see the whole business card is pretty much foiled. It's done on film so you can see the stock underneath and make sure everything lines up fine.
Digital press. usually a Konica or Indigo in industry.
Overall this trip was very helpful and gave a more practical context to just some words and photos on paper. Seeing print processes and a printing environment in person really helped to understand everything better and have a better appreciation.
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