What is offset printing?

Offset printing is a method of mass-production printing in which digital book files are converted into film negatives that are used to etch the pages of a book into custom metal plates. After ink is added to the plates, large rollers pick up the ink from the plates and then transfer it to paper. Offset printing is commonly used in traditional publishing, allowing authors to print their books in bulk. Typically we use Print-On-Demand (POD) fulfillment, where books are printed one at a time after each book order is placed.

How do I choose an appropriate paper for my offset printing project?

Glossy Vs. Matte:  Glossy papers convey quality and sophistication, and they make photos “pop,” but their shine also can make text harder to read.  Matte papers project an “environmentally friendly” image, and their soft white appearance makes for good text legibility.

Light Vs. Heavy:  Lighter weight papers say “value” and are economical for mailing, while thicker papers typically are more opaque and more durable, making them a good choice for pieces that feature a lot of text or are intended to have a long shelf-life.

What is aqueous coating?

Aqueous is a clear, fast-drying, water-based (environmentally friendly) coating that is used to protect printed pieces. It helps prevent fingerprinting and scuffs, and improves the durability of pieces that go through the mail or are subjected to other types of wear and tear.  In addition to protection, aqueous gives extra “pop” to colour and imagery, and makes any piece look more impressive.

What resolution is right for my images?

Because Offset printing is extremely precise, any images you include should be provided in a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch) at size (100%).  Images that are of a lower resolution are likely to be blurry or will appear "broken up." 

What is RGB? CMYK?

RGB refers to the colours red, green and blue, which computer monitors use to display images.  A four-colour, offset printing press, however, prints images using a different set of colours: cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black (CMYK). Files created in RGB must be converted to CMYK before they can be printed on four colour press.  (Follow the instructions provided by your design program.)  Keep in mind that files viewed in CMYK provide a more accurate representation of how your printed piece will look than what you can see in RGB mode.

How well will my job match what I see on my monitor?

Because computer monitors vary, PDF proofs can be used to help display layout, text accuracy, and image placement and proportion, and to give a fairly accurate interpretation of colour or density.  Although we make every effort to match colours and/or ink densities as shown on PDF proofs, we cannot guarantee exact matches between our offset printing proof and the PDF proof you print from your office or home printer. We recommend that the hardcopy approval of the artwork which we would be sending is required before proceeding with the quantity print job.

What do you mean by PMS Colours?

PMS (Pantone Matching System) is an ink colour system used in the graphic arts industry. almost any colour can be found using this system.

What is iPrint’s Turnaround time?

It could be as low as 2 days from proof approval to dispatch and 4 weeks for a large extent, multicolor booklet / brochures.