Preserved Topic: Cd Layout text! (Page 1 of 1)

My first post here

I am currently doing all the graphics, layout and text for a cd that is going to be printed and pressed many times. I am working with Photoshop 7.0. I am just wondering if its an issue that I do the text (the lyrics and credits) in photoshop? Will they print out okay? I hear its best to do the text in illustrator when it comes to print.. I just got illustrator but I am not very familar with it at all so considering the deadling is in a week and a half I would be more comfortable with photoshop. Will it be alright if I just do the text in there, some on plain black and some over graphics... CMYK colours?

i'd use illustrator, and its really not that hard. create your artwork (minus the lyrics/text) in photoshop, flatten it and save it as a cmyk psd. then create a document the appropriate size in illustrator and use the "place" command to put the psd in your document. create your text and save it as a eps file for your printer. and don't forget to include the font files for the printer.

chris


KAIROSinteractive

So the text should be a separate file then the rest of the artwork? I am doing text over some art so I am not really sure how I can combine them both when I do the art in photoshop and the text in illustrator. Can I just open up the photoshop file after I flatten it in illustrator and then wright the text on the graphic?

After I do the text can I just save it to all the same file instead of esp? Sorry I don't fully understand! Can you also explain why its best to do it in illustrator because I am not sure what is such a big difference when it comes to print with photoshop text and illustrator text.

Another question if you don't mind. For the cd face I am doing black on black. Black logo over black background and I want the logo to be glossy. I heard in illustrator I have to specify the logo as a UV gloss print.. but I am not sure where I can find that option. Thank you for the advice and even more would be greatly appreciated

well, if you're doing something in photoshop where you're doing layer blending and different text effects then that's ok to do in photoshop. the key is that for small text you need it as sharp as possible, and in illustrator your text is vector whereas in photoshop its based on pixels (do some searching for vector on the board for more detail on that). it'll come out immensely sharper when you print.

as far as going from photoshop to illustrator, once you have your artwork in photoshop (minus the lyrics and any other small text) flatten it, convert to cmyk, and save it as a psd. after placing that in illustrator and adding your text you'll save as an eps file and give that eps file to your printer, everything will be included in that file (your psd and all the text).

on the black on black text for the cd face i'd talk to the printer and see how they want you to do it, they'll probably have a certain way they want you to specify those colors for print.

chris


KAIROSinteractive

Doing text in photoshop is no problem. But you should give it an high enough resolution. 300dpi(dots per inch) for digital printing 600dpi and up for conventional (with analog or digital presses) printing. IF you think about digital printing black on black is impossible. period. I would not recommand it for conventional printing either. Unless you have a lot of time and money to invest in the local printer. Both could be used better i guess. Ofcourse i only know a lot about digital printing and a little about conventional printing so i could be wrong.

Ho much cd covers do you need hundreds ? thousands? a couple?
Think about this first, then think how you are going to print digital/conventional. Only then start designing something that would look cool within the limits of your chosen way to print. Don't start with a design an then try this to fit your way of printing again this will be costly both in time and money

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rinswind, not sure as far as digital but as far as traditional 4-color i've always been told by printers to do vector-based text in illustrator, i've had a few occasions where text in photoshop came out pixel-y or blurry at small sizes and had to be redone. have you a different experience?

chris


KAIROSinteractive

wow thank you very much for the help. Its so useful!

So the printer that is printing it (the band arranged for him to do it) said he prefers everything to be saved as TIFF at 300 dpi...

So I am not sure what to do when it comes to eps and all that....
and how to have a tiff from illustrator??

Fig
The text will be blurry when it's resolution is to low and the anti-aliasing is set too much. Also when you make the text for A4/9"*12" and scale it up to A3 12"*18"(not realy shure how to write non-iso paper sizes) with printing it will look bad, pixelated. With vectors it will look good on A5 A4 and A3. When doing text in PS it only will look good in the size you designed it for. Yes vectors are better but bitmapped text could look good only in it's own size. Hell you could print text from a .Jpg file if just the resolition is high enough.

The printer wants a .tiff file for some reasons:
a) it cannot change (also true with .jpg and .pdf But .pdf could have some other dificulties with missing fonts for instance)
b).tiff files can be saved with no compression(read no data loss)
c).tiff files can be read/imported with almost any program.
d) due to it's unchangebillity it is not the printer who is responsible for the file. You make a mistake thus you loose money.
e) You don't need to include (or embed in .pdf) your fonts. (Could be a problem with the licence off your font).

Making .tiff files from illustrator should be somethin like this: design file>> scale to right paper size>>export to photoshop>> make tiff.

OR use Export in the file menu.
OR use Save As and choose .pdf (remember to fully embed your fonts).

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Do something usefull: support Justice for Pat Richard

I realy don't think we have enough information on what will happen after you deliver the files to the "Printer".

If it's the J-card you are producing. How will this be printed, digital press/copier/Inkjet eg. Xerox or Iris or will it go to an actual offset press.

This would make some diffrence depending on the device. For Eample if it was going to say CafePress it looks as if they only except non-vector formats and suggest JPG and PNG at 100-300 dpi, In this case you you have to supply what is requested. The qualily may or may not be great but it's variable perdevice. Some devices produce much better quality then others with much less resolution. Take many dyesub and Fuji Crystal Pics Printers for instance.


The Printing of the CD it's self is done in several methods, Screan Print, Inkjet, Laser, and Convention Offset. The printing may occur directly to the CD, or to a lable and then placed on the cd. Each method will require a diffrent prepress route. My guess is with shorter runs it would be screen printed directly on the cd or applied to a label and later hand applied to the duplicate cd. For larger runs automated duplicaters with inline inkjets, or laser print system might be used. With image being transfer directly to disk.


In any case you should talk directly to the printer. Ask Question and find out exactly how you need to supply the images. Ask for a spec sheet, template, and guidelines. Somethings you need to ask:

Do they except any vector PDF, EPS?

Do they except any native formats, Quark, InDesign, Illustrator (AI ver8-)(PDF Ver.9+) etc...

If they only except raster file formats (ie. Tiff, JPG,PNG) What is the max resolution you can supply? If you have a lot of type it would then be worth working at 600 or perhap even 800 ppi if small serif exist.

Do they want CYMK, RGB, or Spot Color. What are the proper color management setting for preparing you seperations to CYMk?

You should also as how far appart shades of the same color should be, For instance I just did a billboard and had a red with a star burst of a lighter shade of red, I had to keep the values 35-45 percent differnet so that the printing process would cause them to appear to similer due to what is called dot or press gain.


Hope this helps.

Wow I know I am way late on this discussion but I see a lot of good things here. Both of you are right on vector vs raster text. HIgh enough DPI on raster will print great for the size you are designing it for. Vector will keep your design crisp until you set your outut size and DPI. The key here is in the end it's all getting rasterized in the RIP process from postscript to print.

LIke said above the main thing in any project for print id to talk to your printer and find out what they can do and what they require and work backwards. You have to design for what you are able to print. And I am sorry to say your inkjet at home is going to look a lot better on somethings than a printer can do with even process color.

Keep in mind when designing how much you want to pay to print it because the price pretty much doubles for every color added.

Most printer will either accept Tiffs(for most rater work), EPS(for vector), Quark(you better includ all picture and font files, or the biggest growing way is PDF. Many printer convert everything else they get to PDF anyway because a lot of the presses are set up to read them directly.

Every printer I have talked to have been more thatn willing to sit down with you and tell you exactly what you need to send them. They want it right and don't want have to redo anything for you. Most don't mind training you how they want files submitted.