Intro to Prepress Workshop
Overview
New to printing? Designing for print? This three-day workshop* is geared towards graphic designers and artists who are either working as prepress operators or designing for print. The workshop starts off with attendees going on press to print a job, where they will learn about platemaking, ink formulation, press basics and more. Print samples will be analyzed and measured. For the remainder of the workshop, go hands-on with the tools available in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and other prepress software needed to prepare artwork for printing. On the final day, after adjusting the art, go back on the press to see the result of good prepress work.
*A working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop is required!
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Topics Covered
Computer Lab:
- Trapping
- Barcodes and legal
- Screening
- Color separation
- Step and repeat
- RIP
- Color management
- Prepress automation
- Proofing
- Working with CAD dielines
Press Room:
- Platemaking
- Ink formulation
- Flexographic press setup
- Process control
- Substrates
- Color measurement
- Diecutting
- Common print defects
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Who should attend?
- Prepress operators without a print background
- Graphic artists/designers designing for print
- Prepress operators in need of a hands-on refresher
- Limited to 10 students
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Agenda
Location: Harris A. Smith Lab
Day 1
8:15 a.m. - Presentation overview of Flexo Print: Print and Flexography overview, prepress terminology and review of first print job.
9 a.m. - Demo Press set-up: Set up ink stations, set impression and registration, and measure color.
10:15 a.m. - Hands-on print initial job and analyze: Create regular, over-impressed and out-of-register samples.
11 a.m. - Presentation color primer: Review color spaces (RGB, CMYK, L*a*b*), visual color differences vs Delta E, and spectrophotometry.
12 p.m. - Lunch
1 p.m. - Hands-on fingerprinting and characterization: Test targets and develop specifications.
1:30 p.m. - Hands-on profile generation and evaluation: Measure with XRite iO table, profile generation and comparison, profile comparison and gamut check.
2 p.m. - Break
2:15 p.m. - Presentation profiles for proofing and monitors: Profiles for proofing and monitoring calibration.
3 p.m. - Presentation color separation: UCR/GCR and converting with profiles, strategies and an example activity.
4 p.m. - End of Day
Day 2
8:15 a.m. - Presentation trapping: Strategies and methods, manual vs automatic and an example activity.
9 a.m. - Presentation screening and curves: Dot shape, screen angle, LPI, bump curves and compensation curves.
10 a.m. - Break
10:15 a.m. - Presentation barcodes: Types of barcodes and parameters (BWR, magnification, etc.).
10:45 a.m. - Hands-on: Begin prepress on final job.
12 p.m. - Lunch
1 p.m. - Hands-on: Complete prepress on final job.
2:30 p.m. - Break
2:45 p.m. - Demo step and repeat: Stepping methods, printer marks and create step-and-repeat for the final job.
3:15 p.m. - Demo screening and file RIP: Screening, RIP parameters and set-up, and RIP files for final job activity.
4 p.m. - End of Day
Day 3
8:15 a.m. - Hands-on platemaking basics and plate mounting: Plate structures, platemaking step-by-step, mounting techniques and stickyback.
9:30 a.m. - Hands-on review files and proof: Recap of learning activities, analysis of prepared files and proof.
10 a.m. - Hands-on print final job: Set up press and print final job (regular, over-impressed and out of register).
11 a.m. - Hands-on review print job: Measure, analyze and discuss effects of prepress.
12 p.m. - Evaluations, questions and adjourn.
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Cancellation Policy
21 days prior to event date for 100% refund; 14 days prior to event date for 50% refund; no refund will be given less than 14 days. Email us for more information.
