Choosing Job-Specific PostScript Settings

The previous section covers the meaning and uses of a wide variety of print settings. This section offers some setting suggestions for specific types of output. Most of this section contains tables with recommended settings as well as a brief discussion of some of the key or unique settings for that particular use.

Print Settings for Commercial Printing

Key concerns for commercial print output with PDF documents are using registration marks; making your PDF document size large enough to accommodate any crop, trim, fold, and registration marks; having everything print at 100 percent; having CMYK ± spot colors rather than RGB colors; and setting bleeds properly. Table 3.1 shows an overview of settings for creating PDF files for commercial printing.

Table 3.1: Commercial Print Setup

Key Variables	Setting Value	Notes
Separations	Off	You will typically send in composite color files that will be separated at the printing company.
Registration Marks	On	The addition of registration marks creates a large page.
Spreads,Collate, Tiling, Back To Front	Off	None of these should be used.
PPD	Distiller or Acrobat	No difference unless custom request.
Page Size	Custom	Controlled by registration marks.
Page Width	9.5 minimum for 8.5 ³ —11 ³ document	Controlled by registration marks.
Page Height	Automatic	Controlled by registration marks.
Page Positioning	Center Horizontal	Center preferred for imposition .
Reduce or Enlarge	Always 100%	No scaling, no Fit In Print Area.
Print Colors	Composite CMYK ± spot colors	No RGB colors.
Resolution/lpi	150 “175 lpi / 2400, 200 lpi / 3600	Graphics resolution should equal 2 —lpi.
Bleeds	Set bleeds (0.125 ³ standard).	Check with prepress manager for specific guidance.
OPI	Set OPI settings if using hi-res/low-res swap-outs, and keep TIFFS at full res.	Check with prepress manager for specific guidance.
Preview	PDF page includes all elements.	Note difference in imageable area.

Print Settings for Color-Separated Proofs

If you are using PDFs to create color-separated proofs (which, by the way, is a great idea since it saves so much time and paper and you can proof all pages at 100 percent), you will use the same settings as for commercial printing above, with two exceptions, separations and print colors. Table 3.2 shows the key variables that will differ from a standard commercial print setup.

Table 3.2: Color Separated Proofs Print Setup

Key Variables	Setting Value	Notes
Separations	On	You will typically print these separations to a laser printer to make sure your colors are properly assigned.
Print Colors	Use Process and Spot or Convert All Colors To Process	Each color will print to its own plate, which you should check carefully for accuracy.

Note  

As we will see in Chapter 13, Outputting PDF Documents and Their Contents, Acrobat 6 Pro version features a Tool/Separation Preview that enables the user to preview the color separation contained within the PDF, including spot colors.

Print Settings for Composite Grayscale Proofs

If you are using PDF to composite grayscale proofs, you will use the same settings as for commercial printing above, with the exceptions that all colors will print in grayscale and at a lower resolution. Table 3.3 shows the key variables that differ from a standard commercial print setup.

Table 3.3: Composite Grayscale Proof Print Setup

Key Variables	Setting Value	Notes
Resolution/LPI	300 dpi/60 lpi to 600 dpi/85 lpi, 1200 dpi/110 lpi	Graphics resolution should equal 2 — lpi for final, not proof output.
Print Colors	Grayscale	All colors will be converted to grayscale.

Print Settings for Composite Color Proofs

If you are using PDF to composite color proofs, then you will use the same settings as for commercial printing above, with the exceptions that all colors will print in composite CMYK, no spot colors will print (which is why it is important to print color-separated proofs to check color assignments), and they will print at a lower resolution. Table 3.4 shows the key variables that differ from a standard commercial print setup.

Table 3.4: Composite Color Proof Print Setup

Key Variables	Setting Value	Notes
Resolution/LPI	300 dpi/60 lpi to 600 dpi/85 lpi, 1200 dpi/110 lpi	Graphics resolution should equal 2 — lpi for final, not proof output.
Print Colors	Composite CMYK	All colors will be converted to CMYK. Spot colors will likely not be very accurate.

Print Settings for Desktop Color Printing

Desktop printing for final output will always be a composite print, with no separations or spot colors involved. Desktop printing is also typically performed at a lower resolution than commercial printing but at a higher resolution than for the Web. Spot colors are not printed but are converted to process colors. Note that printers that offer an expanded process gamut with more than the four standard CMYK process inks will still print colors as process colors, but they will often be a better simulation of the original spot colors. Table 3.5 shows the key settings involved in a typical desktop color print setup.

Table 3.5: Desktop Color Print Setup

Key Variables	Setting Value	Notes
Separations	Off	You will typically send in composite color files that will be separated at the printing company.
Registration Marks	Off	No registration marks are necessary with composite printing.
Spreads, Collate, Tiling, Back To Front	On or Off depending upon your needs	Select the capability you need given the document, print size,number of copies, and printing path .
PPD	Distiller or Acrobat	No difference unless a custom request.
Page Size	Often Letter or Tabloid or Custom	Controlled by document size and media dimensions.
Page Width	Often Letter or Tabloid or Custom	Controlled by document size and media dimensions.
Page Height	Often Letter or Tabloid or Custom	Controlled by document size and media dimensions.
Page Positioning	Usually Left Edge, sometimes Center Horizontal	Most desktop print devices measure from the left edge.
Reduce or Enlarge	Various	Scaling and Fit In Print Area often used.
Print Colors	Usually Composite CMYK;some devices prefer to receive RGB images to convert.	Higher-quality devices usually recommend using CMYK.
Resolution/LPI	300 dpi/60 lpi to 600 dpi/85 lpi, 1200 dpi/110 lpi	Graphics resolution should equal 2 — lpi for final, not proof output.
Bleeds	Set Bleeds (0.25 ³ standard)	Make sure any bleeding elements are at least 1/4 ³ past the edge of the print box.
OPI	Not used	Usually not an issue.
Preview	PDF page includes all elements.	Note difference in imageable area.

Print Setting for Web and E-books

Output settings for the Web and for e-books and onscreen viewing are similar in many ways to the desktop color printing settings but vary mostly with the choice of print colors and resolutions and some options that are not necessary, such as collating, tiling, and OPI. Table 3.6 shows some typical print setups for the Web and e-books.

Table 3.6: Web and E-book Print Setup

Key Variables	Setting Value	Notes
Separations	Off	You will typically send in composite color files that will be separated at the printing company.
Registration Marks	Off	No registration marks necessary with composite printing.
Spreads, Collate, Tiling, Back To Front	Off	Not necessary.
PPD	Distiller or Acrobat	No difference unless custom request.
Page Size	Typically + document size,but whatever you like	Controlled by document size and your display requirements.
Page Width	Typically + document size,but whatever you like	Controlled by document size and your display requirements.
Page Height	Typically + document size, but whatever you like	Controlled by document size and your display requirements.
Page Positioning	Usually Center Horizontal	Not of critical importance in most cases.
Reduce or Enlarge	Various	Scaling down is commonly used to fit in websites , but be careful with the type appearing too small.
Print colors	RGB (unless you are printing colors separations for display purposes)	Nearly all display devices prefer the RGB color space.
Resolution/LPI	No LPI involved. 72 ppi is original standard; 96 ppi is current standard.	Only low resolution is required for visual display, but remember if these files are ever printed, image quality may suffer.
Bleeds	Set bleeds (0.25 ³ standard)	Make sure any bleeding elements are at least 1/4 ³ past the edge of the print box.
OPI	Not used	Usually not an issue.
Preview	PDF page includes all elements.	Note difference in imageable area.