AboutHuma Riaz Expertise I am a graphics Artist and i have about 5 years experience using pgotoshop, any one can write to me easily any specific question regarding print media, desktop publishing as well as web graphics,
on both plate forms (PC and Mac).
Experience Web Design, Print Media, Desktop Publishing
Organizations yEvolve
Education/Credentials 4 year diploma in Graphics Design from Karachi School of arts
Expert: Huma Riaz Date: 5/14/2008 Subject: Print design
Question QUESTION: Hello.
I've been surfing the internet for information about printable graffic design for a long time and came across this site. I very much hope you will be able to help me...
I need information about CD, DVD, pamphlet designs in Photoshop etc. I want to know the exact sizes of the documents and the dpi I need to set(as far as I understand I must set 300dpi for printing). Also I don't know what margins shall I leave in the document, so that the printer prints exactly what I want.
Thanks in advace.
I will very much appreciate your help.
ANSWER: Hi asya,
the DPI you mention is fine, actually 300 is the highest DPI to be used for printing, to use the appropriate DPI you have to see on which print material your document is going to print, for instance, you are making a document for newspaper, in that case 120-150DPI is more than enough.
To get to know the exact idea, check the LPI from the printer on which the document is to be printed. Like 130gms paper needs 133 LPI which is fine for 266DPI. The formula is hidden inside IMAGE SIZE > AUTO button. Check and find in that.
The common margins are from 0.4" to 1", but there's no rule for that, it all depends on the design how the designer want it to be like.
Let me give you a clue, to give accurate margins print each document on actual size, (if the document size is large, print in pieces) cut and make a proper dummy as it is going to be (crop the sides of white area around to see how it will look after printing) before sending it for printing, this will help you to be confident on your design as well and you can see what the difference you will get after printing, to avoid confusions you can give this rough dummy to the printer to get exactly what you what.
I hope I have cleared your questions, still you are not satisfied, ask me again,
Huma Riaz
Location: Karachi-Pakistan
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello Huma, thank you very much for your answer, it rather cleared me the situation.
If you don't mind I would like to ask a few additional questions.
I think I understood the case with dpi and lpi, but if for example I set the paper size 400x400px with 300dpi, how big can I print the material without losing the quality. Or shall I always set the size in actual centimeters that I want the print material be? I mean, if for example I created a CD label in Photoshop with 400x400px size and 300dpi, will it surely print in actual size with the right quality? And if I understood correctly, I shall put from 0.4" to 1" margins for the CD label, so that the printer does not crop the parts of design that I need?
And the last thing I would like to ask - can I create pamphlets and flyers with many pages in Photoshop or shall I do that in QuarkExpress or something like that. If I can(I mean if it is the right thing to do), shall I make seperate images for each page or what? I just don't understand how it works...
Sorry if I am asking too trivial questions, I am just not yet familiar with typograpic design at all...
Thanks very much.
Asya
Answer Yea Asya, the size will always be the one you choose, i.e.400 x 400px for CD. The resolution doesn’t effect on the size, do not worry on the look on monitor where you are viewing on a greater zoom level, it is just because you have chosen the higher resolution. When you send it to print it will come out as you have fixed the size.
Second thing, for many pages, try to use QuarkXPress or In design, do not work unnecessary on Photoshop, work on the graphics specifically and export your files to quark and manage / format that in there. It will be quick in size and will be easy for you to print and handle, do not work uselessly on text on PS especially small size text, it will not have the crispness in final printing if you do it in PS.
For the CD just take one printout of you design in actual size, cut it in round and paste on a CD to get the exact idea how it will look after printing. You will know the CD margin area only then.
