Cary Printing’s Guide to being Green


Why Print 300dpi or higher?
October 17, 2008, 5:30 pm
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Good printing begins with good design. Part of what makes good design is the mechanical aspect of building the print file.

One important element of building the mechanical is to make sure that the resolution of the file, including incorporated images, are at a high enough resolution.

Since printing involves making images from small dots of CMYK ink, the resolution of a file is measured in dots per inch, or dpi. 72 dpi is an example of low resolution. This means that there are only 72 dots per inch of space for that particular image. A good rule of thumb for appropriate print resolution is 300 dpi. In short, the more dots per inch, the better the image will appear. This measure will ensure that your images will appear sharp and without pixilation. Cary Printing utilizes preflight software to analyze your print files and to make sure that the images are high enough resolution and in the best possible shape to give you a great looking print job!



Master Printer Status
October 10, 2008, 2:00 pm
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Cary Printing has officially gained a Gracol7 (G7) Master Printer Status! So, you might be asking, “What does that mean?”  With this achievement, Cary Printing has been recognized as a printer that goes above and beyond the average printer to have an exceptional print quality.  The Master Printer Status proves that Cary Printing meets a standard of excellence in the color quality of all printed products.  This is a huge benefit to the print buyer.  It ensures that the print buyer can order the same product multiple times from Cary Printing and receive the exact same coloring.  However, with other printers, one might order the same product twice and the coloring could be nothing alike when they are held side by side.  Cary Printing exceeds the standard by providing a continuous first-rate quality in color and in service.



Digital vs. Offset Printing
October 2, 2008, 1:48 am
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The craft of printing is more technologically advanced than ever before. Printing presses utilize computer driven components to achieve quality and consistency never seen before.

Along with the improvements to offset printing presses, there have also been improvements made to digital printing equipment. What process should be used then, and how does one determine the best method for their project? Before we answer that, we will summarize the two processes.

Traditional offset printing uses vegetable-based liquid ink that is transferred onto a metal plate that has the image to be printed burned onto it through a process very similar to photographic developing. Through the use of the four basic inks, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (CMYK), any full-color image can be attained and reproduced through printing. Offset printing also can utilize special mixed inks called PMS inks. These colors are traditionally used for typefaces and corporate logos. Cary Printing has the capability of printing multi-colored projects on our offset presses.

Digital printing utilizes toner-based inks similar to laser printers. Like offset CMYK inks, digital printing utilizes the same CMYK colors in toner ink rather than liquid ink. The image is transferred onto the paper through the use of an electrostatic charge and then fused with heat. Just like offset printing, any image can be achieved through the CMYK process.Cary Printing also has the capability of using enhanced toners as a fifth color which provides further ranges of colors.

While both of these printing processes are similar, the main differences surround “when” to use one or the other. Offset printing is typically used for higher quantity press runs of the same image while digital printing is best suited for short-run jobs with a faster turnaround on delivery. Whatever your need, Cary Printing can provide the highest quality printing either offset or digital.



CMYK vs. RGB

So many people will submit files to us that are RGB and would like us to print them.  When they receive the final, printed product, they are often shocked to see that the colors don’t line up with their computer screen.  Here is why.  All of our computer displays along with TV displays are in RGB or Red, Green and Blue.  Those three colors make up the millions of colors we see everyday from the computer screen.  However, when things go to print they are printed in CMYK or Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black.  Those 4 colors are all that are needed when a product gets printed.  That is why it is called 4-color-offset printing. 

Now, if a design happens to be in RGB and gets printed in CMYK it doesn’t look right.  The colors will often look dull and the shadows and highlights will not be as bold.  When you transfer data from an RGB color profile to a CMYK color profile use lose some of the color and gain other areas of color.  So, if you design from CMYK in the first place, you get the exact colors you want.  Even better, when you print with Cary Printing, you are practically guaranteed a perfect color match because we are certified by Gracol7 giving us a Master Printer Status.  Basically, that means that we have met a level of excellence in the color and print quality of all of our products.  Feel free to order samples from us today to see for yourself the beauty of “green” printing.



Get Creative

It is so easy to get stuck in the routine of designing things that all have a set size.  But who ever said that brochures have to be rectangular and have to be tri-folded?  No one!  With Cary Printing’s easy “Custom Quote” button, you can get creative and original.  Get a custom shape or a unique type of paper.  Maybe you want something to have spot gloss or some rounded corners.  That is easy if you come to Cary Printing.  Get 100% custom pieces at a price you can afford.  Even better, remember that they are not only 100% custom but they are 100% eco-friendly.  Cary Printing only prints things that are eco-friendly.  After all, they are triple certified for being “green.”



Green Quality is not Like a Paper Bag
September 12, 2008, 6:21 pm
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Ok, so we need to clear this up right away.  If you are printing “green” you are not printing on a paper bag.  Our paper is just as pure white as non-recycled paper.  Recycling technology has come so far, you don’t even need to worry about lower quality paper because no one can tell a difference.  Are you still having doubts?  Well, if you are, feel free to order samples from our website.  We would be more than happy to show you the high, excellent quality that “green” printing offers.