Types of content

• Contone– DEMS– Photos– Some statistical layers

• Spot color (drawings, vector)– Points– Polylines– polygons– Categorical rasters:

• Land cover

GoogleMaps

ESRI ArcMap Data Set

Export File Formats

• Contone:– JPEG– TIFF with JPEG compression

• Spot Color, Line Drawings– GIF– PNG– TIFF with LZW or run-length compression

• Combined:– JPEG with high quality (low compression)– TIFF without compression

http://www.nps.gov/pefo/planyourvisit/cultural-demonstrations.htm

http://www.nps.gov/pefo/planyourvisit/cultural-demonstrations.htm

PDF

• Portable Document Format– Maintains page layout– Can be high resolution– PDFReader available free from Abobe.com– Many PDF “Print Drivers” available

• BullZip PDF Writer rated highest by CNet.com

Map Production

• Computer Screens (CRTs, Monitor):– Emit light in a grid– 75-120 dpi– Red, Green, Blue: Millions of colors– Good for contone

• Printers:– Place ink on paper– Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, Black (CYMK)– 300 to 2000 dpi– Good for spot color

Color Theory

Light: Additive Pigment: Subtractive

Computer Screens (CRT) Printers

CIE Color Diagram

Color Separation

Process Color

Color Printer Process

• Get the layout right

• Test the margins on a black and white printer

• Test the color print

• Adjust the colors until they look good

• Show it to others including target audience

• Cut off a white border if desired

Offset Press

• Professional grade

• Large numbers of copies– $500 for 500 copies– Cheaper for additional copies

• Each color on a separate “plate”

• Can mix special colors

• Almost all magazines and books are printed on offset press

Pre-Press Process

1. Talk to the printer!

2. Follow color printer process

3. Take the file and the color print to the process printer

4. Process printer creates “photo ready art”

5. May do a test run

6. Approve final output

Paper

• Paper is graded by “hardness”– Newspaper– Office paper– “Hard” paper (Hammermill)– Glossy paper

• Colored paper– Dark colors rarely work with computer

printers– Use white paper and print the background

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