What is prepress?
Prepress means processing an image to make it printable and in accordance with the requirements of the client.
What is the function of prepress?
The main function of prepress is to respect the design.
Prepress determines:
• What type of printing the work requires.
• How many colours it will need, and how those colours will be produced.
• Line count and type of engraving of printing plates/cylinders.
- What tools are used?
• Hardware and software. Adobe illustrator, Photoshop or Art pro.
• Lightbox – it guarantees control of the original design in comparison with the colour proof that will be sent to the client for their final approval.
• GMG – the graphical representation on a physical prepress proof, better known as the cromalin process.
- How significant is prepress for the printing process?
It is extremely important: the aim of prepress is to obtain a print that matches the colour proof accepted by the client. There are a number of factors that affect prepress. For this reason, at the prepress stage any aspects that might affect the productive process need to be anticipated and taken into account.
- Why is prepress carried out at Envaflex?
It gives us far more speed and versatility, and enables us to develop our printing capacity. We were the first to obtain Full HD certification. Envaflex generates GMG proofs so that we can see the result they will give us in the machine, without the need to rely on a third party.
- How can the client help us optimise the time and quality of prepress?
First and foremost, it is essential to have good raw materials: the photos should have sufficient quality for the task, high resolution and, most importantly, the client needs to be clear about what they want.
The raw materials need to be completed by:
• Attaching an illustrative file with layered photos.
• Attaching letter font.
• Providing sample or cromalin, if the client is clear about the colour they wish to achieve.
• Working with their designers, if possible, indicating the printing technology to be used, the requirements for processing the image using roto and flexo techniques, since these are different.
• At Envaflex we always work with our clients’ designers to optimise the prepress work so as to achieve maximum printing quality.
- What are the standard set deadlines for new models?
• A new model: 3 weeks.
• Pdf (prepress work): 4 days.
• Cromalin: 2 days.
- How do we track our designs?
Our IT systems enable us to ascertain the real situation of our orders. All orders carry their planning dates and are submitted to strict controls.