Poster printing

Mau1wurf1977 · 6th August 2012, 12:42 AM

Hi!

This is my first experience with getting a poster printed.

I used OfficeWorks because they allow you to submit your files electronically and have decent prices.

However when the poster arrived the colours are a little off (dark blue became black and the overall image appears a lot darker or less contrast). Also some bits on the left and bottom are cut off.

The image was a screenshot in PNG format which I then converted to PDF. The print was A2.

Are there any general tips I should follow to get better results?

gruntLOL · 6th August 2012, 12:59 AM

Hard thing with posters is that screens show colour in rgb while we print in CYMK so colours you get on the screen you won't necessarily be able to replicate on paper. Similarly your screen won't be calibrated so the chances of the colours you are seeing on your screen being correct aren't overly high. I'm still learning about this as part of another course I am doing but that is all the info I can give you at the moment lol.

Might pay to take it in somewhere so they can set up colors etc properly.

psychobunny · 16th August 2012, 10:35 AM

mhmm ^^^ is on the money. the starting point is on the software, if you are using photoshop/illustrator you can set it to CMYK, iall depends what you made the original file in.

really all you need to know is
CMYK for print
RGB for screen

after that things get easier

iamtall · 3rd October 2012, 10:01 PM

i think photoshop also emulates soft proofing, if you click file, print and then there should be an option to soft proof print which will just show you on screen a simulation of what the print should come out like.

also, officeworks are shops that have printer machines in them and do photocopying. if you want a really good poster, find a good professional printer. the price difference wouldn't be that much.

johnnyg_korrupt · 14th October 2012, 10:35 PM

can you show us the original image and take a pic of the poster they sent you.

Why would you send it to them as a pdf anyway?

iamtall · 15th October 2012, 1:04 PM

Officeworks require files as PDF as standard. it's the easiest file for them to use.

HeXa · 15th October 2012, 1:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyg_korrupt

Why would you send it to them as a pdf anyway?

kinda normal as PDF support CMYK objects

johnnyg_korrupt · 15th October 2012, 1:12 PM

ive never had to send pics to a print shop as pdfs. It's easy to mistakenly compress them.

Always sent as jpg/png/ psd files.

Hell i sent a web design assignment into my lecturer last week - it came out looking shit. Colours and transparency and blends looked awful

iamtall · 16th October 2012, 4:22 PM

why would you be concerned about compression but then send them a jpg?

Psd files cause the most issues, layers not set correctly etc..Most "printers" like officeworks wouldn't have access to photoshop on site, and if they did their staff would just convert straight to pdf regardless.

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyg_korrupt

ive never had to send pics to a print shop as pdfs. It's easy to mistakenly compress them.

Always sent as jpg/png/ psd files.

Hell i sent a web design assignment into my lecturer last week - it came out looking shit. Colours and transparency and blends looked awful

johnnyg_korrupt · 16th October 2012, 7:18 PM

Cause i have a lot more options controlling the jpg in photoshop/fireworks/bridge/lightroom than i have with a pdf. If saving pics or posters as pdf's were the norm everyone would be doing it in Acrobat.

Most pics are jpg anyway. Less compression jpg to jpg than from jpg to pdf.

Open up acrobat and see if the compression options are as vast as the programs i just mentioned.

I saved a poster to pdf a few weeks back like i said....took me 15 mins to figure out just why it was dithered, colours had changed and it lost its transparency.

Jpg's were created for pics. Psd files to manipulate photo's. Pdfs were created for a universal format not for pics.

iamtall · 16th October 2012, 7:25 PM

i think the jpg format was created to make small compressed file sizes.

pdf's are fine, as long as the original file it was converted from was set up right a press quality pdf should have no problems, any issues that are there came from the original file.

99% of all printers as soon as you send them a PSD file the first thing they do is convert it to a pdf. so much easier to use, i dont think any of my RIP's like psd files. i'd never throw one at it.

Like i said, jpgs are universally liked because of the tiny file size, quality wise though if you're printed a decent size print i wouldn't ever us a jpg.

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyg_korrupt

Cause i have a lot more options controlling the jpg in photoshop/fireworks/bridge/lightroom than i have with a pdf. If saving pics or posters as pdf's were the norm everyone would be doing it in Acrobat.

Most pics are jpg anyway. Less compression jpg to jpg than from jpg to pdf.

Open up acrobat and see if the compression options are as vast as the programs i just mentioned.

I saved a poster to pdf a few weeks back like i said....took me 15 mins to figure out just why it was dithered, colours had changed and it lost its transparency.

Jpg's were created for pics. Psd files to manipulate photo's. Pdfs were created for a universal format not for pics.

Phido · 17th October 2012, 3:35 PM

Powerpoint can actually be useful for printing posters.

No compression, good for layout. Has standard page sizes listed (A0, A2 etc).

obi · 18th October 2012, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phido

Powerpoint can actually be useful for printing posters.

No compression, good for layout. Has standard page sizes listed (A0, A2 etc).

You are the person poster printers hate.

Shitty software, dies in the arse trying to spool up your ridiculous multiple hundred megabyte document.

Phido · 19th October 2012, 11:15 AM

What are you talking about.. its not my problem..

I'll just give you my 1.2Gb powerpoint file which is A0 and has insanely huge res images and like 30,000 of them and all these wierd vector images which will never print like they are viewed on screen.. Crash..

iamtall · 19th October 2012, 11:42 AM

oh and it's in RGB too?! awesome and covered in gradients. lovely.

Powerpoint, Excel, Publisher. if you class these as good design applications or good for doing posters on then printers will not be your friends.

Besides, like i said, all most printers do is convert to PDF and print from that..

6th August 2012, 12:42 AM	#1
Mau1wurf1977 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Country WA Posts: 12,949	Poster printing Hi! This is my first experience with getting a poster printed. I used OfficeWorks because they allow you to submit your files electronically and have decent prices. However when the poster arrived the colours are a little off (dark blue became black and the overall image appears a lot darker or less contrast). Also some bits on the left and bottom are cut off. The image was a screenshot in PNG format which I then converted to PDF. The print was A2. Are there any general tips I should follow to get better results? __________________ Ultimate GOG.com DOSBox Tutorial, Roland vs Yamaha General MIDI DOS Games Music Comparison

16th August 2012, 10:35 AM	#3
psychobunny Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Melbourne 3044 Posts: 999	mhmm ^^^ is on the money. the starting point is on the software, if you are using photoshop/illustrator you can set it to CMYK, iall depends what you made the original file in. really all you need to know is CMYK for print RGB for screen after that things get easier __________________ Together we fall, divided we conquer... no, wait. Stuff for sale

14th October 2012, 10:35 PM	#5
johnnyg_korrupt Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: adelaide Posts: 157	can you show us the original image and take a pic of the poster they sent you. Why would you send it to them as a pdf anyway? __________________ Silver Lian li v1000plus II, Tagan 580w PSU, Abit AB9 Pro, Intel e6300 CPU, 2gb Corsair, Asus 8800GT, Creative Xfi Xtrememusic, Dell 22 inch LCD, Benq 1650 burner, Logitech 5500 speakers, G7 wireless mouse, Zboard......360, Gamecube, DS lite, PSP, Wii and Playstation 3

15th October 2012, 1:12 PM	#8
johnnyg_korrupt Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: adelaide Posts: 157	ive never had to send pics to a print shop as pdfs. It's easy to mistakenly compress them. Always sent as jpg/png/ psd files. Hell i sent a web design assignment into my lecturer last week - it came out looking shit. Colours and transparency and blends looked awful __________________ Silver Lian li v1000plus II, Tagan 580w PSU, Abit AB9 Pro, Intel e6300 CPU, 2gb Corsair, Asus 8800GT, Creative Xfi Xtrememusic, Dell 22 inch LCD, Benq 1650 burner, Logitech 5500 speakers, G7 wireless mouse, Zboard......360, Gamecube, DS lite, PSP, Wii and Playstation 3

16th October 2012, 7:18 PM	#10
johnnyg_korrupt Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: adelaide Posts: 157	Cause i have a lot more options controlling the jpg in photoshop/fireworks/bridge/lightroom than i have with a pdf. If saving pics or posters as pdf's were the norm everyone would be doing it in Acrobat. Most pics are jpg anyway. Less compression jpg to jpg than from jpg to pdf. Open up acrobat and see if the compression options are as vast as the programs i just mentioned. I saved a poster to pdf a few weeks back like i said....took me 15 mins to figure out just why it was dithered, colours had changed and it lost its transparency. Jpg's were created for pics. Psd files to manipulate photo's. Pdfs were created for a universal format not for pics. __________________ Silver Lian li v1000plus II, Tagan 580w PSU, Abit AB9 Pro, Intel e6300 CPU, 2gb Corsair, Asus 8800GT, Creative Xfi Xtrememusic, Dell 22 inch LCD, Benq 1650 burner, Logitech 5500 speakers, G7 wireless mouse, Zboard......360, Gamecube, DS lite, PSP, Wii and Playstation 3

6th August 2012, 12:59 AM	#2
gruntLOL Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Adelaide Posts: 2,767	Hard thing with posters is that screens show colour in rgb while we print in CYMK so colours you get on the screen you won't necessarily be able to replicate on paper. Similarly your screen won't be calibrated so the chances of the colours you are seeing on your screen being correct aren't overly high. I'm still learning about this as part of another course I am doing but that is all the info I can give you at the moment lol. Might pay to take it in somewhere so they can set up colors etc properly.

3rd October 2012, 10:01 PM	#4
iamtall New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 9	i think photoshop also emulates soft proofing, if you click file, print and then there should be an option to soft proof print which will just show you on screen a simulation of what the print should come out like. also, officeworks are shops that have printer machines in them and do photocopying. if you want a really good poster, find a good professional printer. the price difference wouldn't be that much.

15th October 2012, 1:04 PM	#6
iamtall New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 9	Officeworks require files as PDF as standard. it's the easiest file for them to use.

19th October 2012, 11:42 AM	#15
iamtall New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 9	oh and it's in RGB too?! awesome and covered in gradients. lovely. Powerpoint, Excel, Publisher. if you class these as good design applications or good for doing posters on then printers will not be your friends. Besides, like i said, all most printers do is convert to PDF and print from that..