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Some of the software on my Mac is behaving erratically, unlike the way it worked after it was installed. Someone suggested that I zap ?� the computer; what are they talking about?

If software on your Mac is behaving erratically (either the operating system or specific applications), you may be able to quickly solve the issue by "zapping" the memory on your Mac. NVRAM (nonvolatile random-access memory) is a small amount of memory that your Mac uses to store certain settings …

On the digital front end (DFE) of my press, I see different options for rendering intents for separating color. What are they, and what's the difference?

Rendering intents describe how out-of-gamut colors (like those in the RGB color space) are mapped to in-gamut colors (like those in the smaller CMYK color space). You have three options: saturation, perceptual, and colorimetric. Saturation moves out of gamut pixel colors to the closest in-gamut …

I heard of a printing competitor that received an enforcement letter about unlicensed software. Who is behind that and how do I protect myself from a similar fate?

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is the compliance and enforcement arm for Adobe, Microsoft, and other software vendors. Its enforcement actions typically stem from tips by disgruntled employees. After an investigation to confirm that a company is probably in violation, BSA's attorney sends a …

We are having plate blinding or image wear on our plates after five thousand impressions. When we examine the plates, the image is missing. What would cause the image to wear prematurely?

Your platesetter could be under exposing the plates. If the plate processor does not develop the plate properly, the image will wear off prematurely. Use a target like the PIA plate target and check to see if you have any 1, 2, or 5% screen dots on the plate. The plate processor should be cleaned …

A customer has submitted a file with four color type on many of the pages. What's the best course of action?

Twice in the last few months we've been asked to offer our opinion on whether jobs that had four-color type were commercially acceptable. Misregistration becomes obvious on larger type and even if registration is within your internal standards (e.g., half a row of dots on sheetfed presses), the customer …

I'm working on a design job that uses spot dimensional ink for digital printing. What's the best way to set up the digital file?

This is a common question from designers setting up files that use specialty inks in a digital printing environment. This following process works for vector-based design software such as Illustrator or InDesign (there are changes when using Photoshop or other raster-based programs). When creating …

A new customer is insisting we print his process brochures on uncoated paper. What do we need to know regarding printing process color on uncoated paper?

Uncoated paper is very absorbent and has a rough surface. There is more variation in the print quality of different uncoated sheets compared to smooth surface coated sheets. Ink will absorb into the sheet, causing lower solid ink densities and spread out more, resulting in an increased dot gain. Solid …

I designed an entire document, but I'm getting a font embedding error when I try to create the PDF. How do I get around this?

Fonts purchased from a reputable font foundry (such as Adobe or Linotype) are always reliable when it comes to embedding and proper output. However, if you download fonts from a "freeware" site, it is possible that you could encounter situations where they contain embedding restrictions--meaning that …

Photoshop has many image sharpening tools, but which one is the best?

By far, the tool that offers the most control and yields best results for sharpening images is the Unsharp Mask tool. Unsharp Mask introduces sharpness by evaluating and adjusting the contrast difference between pixels along an edge. These pixels along this edge are made lighter (and/or darker) giving …

Why is my UV coating showing a yellowish cast?

UV coating normally does not yellow. The most common cause of yellowing of UV coated stocks is excessive heat from the UV dryer. Try cutting back on the amount of energy used in the UV dryer or speed up the press. PIA has a paper and ink lab that can often be used to determine why problems …

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