Whether you're an entrepreneur who is having business cards made or you're in charge of publicity for a local community group and want to get posters to display around town, you'll often find yourself at your local printing service to order up some work. It's important to note that you shouldn't necessarily just drop off a USB drive with your material and return to pick it up at a later date. By talking with your local printing professional, you'll be able to ensure that you get the finished product that you desire. Here are some important questions that you should make sure to ask when you visit the printing service.
To Bleed Or Not To Bleed?
In printing terms, "bleed" refers to the image carrying on past the edge of the paper on which your material is printed; this is a contrast to having a white frame between your image and the edge of the paper. Either style can be effective, depending on how you want the finished printed product to look. As such, it's important to talk to your printing professional about the bleed. He or she should be able to provide you with samples of your product in each style, giving you a clear idea of how you wish to proceed.
Color Correction
The imaging expert at the printing service will be adept at color correcting your material to ensure that the colors on the printed product are true. In some cases, printed material can appear in slightly different hues than how it looks on your home computer screen — this is often due to factors such as your screen's color settings. What looks right on your computer, for example, might actually be tinged slightly magenta upon being printed because your screen's settings were off. Your printing professional can make the necessary color adjustments, as well as look at a printed proof with you, to ensure that you're pleased with how everything looks.
Paper Selections
Printing services can provide you with a cornucopia of paper options, from glossy to matte and from thick to thin. Discuss these available options with your printing professional and get his or her insight on what paper might work best with your design. For example, some people favor pure white for their business cards or posters, while others prefer something a little more mellow, such as cream. Your printing professional can give you samples on a couple different types of paper before moving forward with the printing job.
