Trim Physical Parts Signatures and Flats Lithography Halftones and continuous tones Color printing Binding methods

A signature is a large sheet of paper which is eventually folded down to page size.

Each side of the unfolded signature holds eight pages and is called a flat.

When the signature is sent through the printing press, these eight pages are printed at one time.

On each signature, there are only two facing pages which will be printed side-by-side naturally.

These pages are called a natural double-page spread or simply a natural spread.

Even though you can design layouts where elements extend across the gutter on any double-page spread, the best place for this is a natural spread.

Two facing pages are called double-page spread, and the fold between them is the gutter.

A process used to print yearbooks is called offset lithography. Image areas are flat and printing plate is completely flat.

Older methods were called Older methods were called letterpressletterpress. Image areas were . Image areas were raised.raised.

Based on the principle that grease attracts ink, cylinder called the blanket. The image is then transferred to the paper.

Example: With Silly Putty you can pick up a newspaper image. The putty is slightly greasy so the ink sticks to it.

Continuous tones: shades vary gradually from black to white.

Before being printed in your yearbook, continuous tone photos are transformed into halftone negatives. A halftone picture presents the illusion of a continuous tone when seen from a normal reading distance.

Three primary colors are, blue red, yellow. They combine to make all the other colors.

The term four color printing refers to cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black to reproduce the colors in a color photograph or original color artwork.

The combination of the four printing colors requires four printing plates made from four halftone negatives called separations.

To make the separations, the original color photos or artwork are placed on a laser scanner to begin the complex printing process.

A spot color is any color, other than black, printed in addition to black on a page.

Separate printing plates are made for the black and the additional color(s).

When printing a spot color, the paper passes through the two units of the press only once, as in four-color printing.

The The yearbook coveryearbook cover is is created by wrapping created by wrapping cover material around cover material around two pieces of durable two pieces of durable fibrous binder’s board.fibrous binder’s board.

This procedure is This procedure is called called case-makingcase-making because the printing because the printing term for a book cover term for a book cover is case.is case.

A A casecase is comprised of is comprised of a a front lid, back lid and front lid, back lid and spinespine..

EndsheetsEndsheets are the are the heavy-stock paper that heavy-stock paper that hold the contents into hold the contents into the case. (Front & the case. (Front & Back)Back)

SignaturesSignatures are are gathered in gathered in sequence and sequence and sewn together.sewn together.

Each signature Each signature is sewn is sewn individually with individually with a strong, wax-a strong, wax-coated thread coated thread while while connecting all connecting all signatures with signatures with a continuous a continuous thread at the thread at the spinespine of the of the book.book.

BindingBinding by by sewing allows sewing allows the book to the book to open flat.open flat.

Once sewn, the Once sewn, the pages are pages are trimmedtrimmed and and the sewn edge the sewn edge is coated with is coated with glue and two glue and two strips of cloth to strips of cloth to give the spine give the spine added strength.added strength.

Books of Books of 160 160 or or more pages are more pages are then then rounded rounded and backed on and backed on a machine.a machine.

Finally, on the Finally, on the casing-in casing-in machine, the machine, the endsheetsendsheets are are glued to the glued to the inside of the inside of the cover and the cover and the book is dried in book is dried in a hydraulic a hydraulic press.press.