Personalized Printing, Exceptional Care – for Every Customer
When it comes to commercial printing, every step matters. Whether you’re printing business cards or brochures, making sure every part of the process is handled right is key. Here’s how we get it done at Honsa-Binder— from choosing the right paper to putting the final touches on your print job.
Starting Strong:
The Foundation of a Perfect Print Job
It all begins with your files. A perfect print job starts with high-quality designs and good file setup. Here’s what you need to know to set us up for success:
- High-Res Images: When it comes to printing, photos and raster graphics should be 300 PPI or higher. If you send low resolution files, you’re asking for blurry prints.
- Vector Art & Outlined Fonts: These are the gold standard. Logos, illustrations, and type should not be raster based, but vector based. Vector art will look sharp and crisp at any size and scale.
- Let it Bleed: Make sure the designs you send us include a bleed. A bleed means that your background colors, photos, or graphics extend at least 0.125 inches beyond the intended print area. This crucial step prevents the unprinted white edges that can occur during the trimming process.
The Printing Process:
From Concept to Completion
Once we have the files, here’s what happens:
- Job Arrives: Our Account Manager (AM) looks over the job, clarifies any questions, and writes up a job ticket.
- Prepress: The prepress team checks the files, creates a proof, and sends it to the AM and client for approval.
- Production: Once approved, we send the job into production, and the press team takes over.
- Post-Production: This includes packaging, delivery, and any additional work, like mailing.
Every job gets the attention it needs, and we handle all the details, so you don’t have to worry about the behind-the-scenes stuff.
Choosing the Right Paper:
It’s More Important than You Think
Paper is more than just something to print on. It affects the look and feel of your final product. Here’s how we help you choose:
- How We Choose Paper: We’ll help you pick the best paper for the job, whether it’s something specific you’ve requested or something we suggest based on our experience.
- Samples: We have a mini-swatch book so you can feel and see the paper before we print.
- Common Paper Stocks: We use a mix of house stock and paper we order specifically for each job, depending on what’s best for your project.
Ink, Color Matching, and Design:
Making Sure It’s Just Right
Color accuracy is everything, and here’s how we ensure it:
- Using a Densitometer: Our presses are calibrated daily, and we use a densitometer to measure color intensity. This helps us match colors accurately across the entire print run.
- Pantone Matching System (PMS): We rely on the PMS system to get the exact color you need. PMS is especially useful for jobs that need spot-on color, like brand materials.
We’ll always keep you in the loop, making sure the colors are right before we hit print. Whether it’s a business card or a full-color flyer, we guarantee the results.
Offset Printing vs. Digital Printing:
Which One Is Right for You?
Here’s the deal: we choose offset printing or digital printing depending on the job at hand.
- Urgency & Quantity: Digital printing is great for short runs or last-minute jobs, but if you need a high-volume print with perfect color consistency, we go with offset printing.
- Print Quality: Offset printing is still the king when it comes to quality. Digital can look great, but it doesn’t match offset for precision, especially on things like business cards with dark backgrounds.
It’s all about making sure we choose the best option to suit your timeline and budget.
Contact Honsa-Binder today.