Thus before getting into a print job, it helps us if our customer is a little aware of the operations involved in their particular print job.

A print job would involve a few mandatory and a few optional procedures.

• Job Layout
• Processing
• Positive checking
• Plate making
• Plate Checking
• Colour matching as per proof
• Post print operations (optional)

A layout is the way the job would be printed on a full length sheet of paper that passes through the machine. This would vary depending on the job size and the machine size its going to be printed. The first step would be to check the creative thoroughly. Then is it layed out as per the machine size and the number of duplicates that could be printed simultaneously. Here cutting and registration marks are carefully placed in order to ensure correct registration of all colours for perfect and clear print result. Cutting marks are crucial for the finishing and the post printing operations of the job.

This is the first check point which is a very crucial operation. The efficiency at this stage will determine the correctness of the job in terms of matter.

Once the print layout is made, the job is sent for processing / positives which is outsourced to our registered and short listed vendors.

Once the positives come from the processors the positives go through extreme checking to look for any errors before it is sent for plate making. If any error goes unnoticed it could lead to a wrongly printed job and hence could lead to rejection.

Positives duly checked are then passed on to plate making exposing machine where the plates for each of the four colours i.e. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black are exposed (superimposed) as per the artwork which are then loaded on to the printing press for printing. The plates mirror the colour density as per the positives and the print quality in turn mirrors the density on the plates.

The final print quality depends on how meticulously each process is handled.

Plates once ready are loaded on to the offset machine (1/2/4/5/6 colour) depending on the kind required by the job for printing and the first few sheets are used to match the registration and colour as per the proofs provided by the customer or its creative agency.

Once the colour is approved by the shift supervisor the operator is asked to match / maintain the same colour density for the entire lot of the print job.

Each job as per its requirement could have a number of post press operations. It could demand Gloss / Matt lamination, UV coating, punching, creasing, folding, perforation, pinning, perfect binding, or simply cut before delivery to the customer.