ANSWERS
What is Print
on Demand?
Sometimes referred to as
'just-in-time inventory,' this system of data warehousing
and forms management allows print buyers to reduce
inventories and eliminate waste due to obsolescence. By
digitally storing text and images, your sales materials cost
can be reduced while your printed materials will always be
up-to-date and delivered on time.
The print-on-demand printing process is ideal for technical manuals, sell sheets, brochures, catalogs, newsletters and booklets that are updated frequently and/or take up valuable physical warehouse storage space. With print-on-demand publishing, you only have to order what you need, when you need it. Changes are fast, easy and inexpensive. Your print job can be drop shipped directly from theprinters.com's document fulfillment center to locations anywhere.
Use Print-On-Demand to reduce inventory, customize sales materials, and improve response time.
What is the
difference between Digital Printing and Traditional
Printing?
Digital Printing refers
to the manner in which images (data files of text and/or
artwork) are transferred from a computer to an offset
printing press. This allows for dramatically improved
quality by eliminating many of the degrading steps used in
'traditional' print shops. Quite simply, digital is more
'direct' -- producing higher quality outcomes when merged
with traditional methods of production.
KB employs a 'Digital Workflow;' whereby graphics files can be transferred (direct) to the machines in our printing department. The final printed product is a true original, not a copy. Every printed page is an exact replica of the original.
Offset Printing remains the industry's most common means of producing printed material -- with over two-thirds of all printing performed utilizing this photo-image reproduction technique. From magazines and books to maps and business forms -- offset is the most efficient means when large formats are required or where the quantity requirements are very high.
What is Green
Printing?
Green printing, or
environmentally-friendly printing, refers to a process
whereby the overall 'carbon footprint' of producing printed
matter relies on the use of recycled and non-toxic
materials, as well as sustainable and renewable energy in
its manufacture.
Getting started with your printed materials is as easy as requesting recycled paper. And, you'll be surprised to find out how much of the stock and packaging you are already using are made from post-consumer waste and recycled materials. These days, recycled paper doesn't mean you have to see the fibers in the sheet. Modern non-toxic bleaching methods allow for bright white and solid color stock in all weights and sizes.
But paper is only the first step... There are vegetable oil based inks that conform to ASA standards with less than 5 percent volatile organic hydrocarbons (VOCs), and safer solvents that replace poisonous chemicals. Green printers such as KB OFFSET purchase many materials that are already prepared using renewable energy (such as paper from FSC® certified companies). This is referred to as 'Chain of Custody' -- where every step in the process is checked for environmentally-friendly practices.
KB also utilizes everything from low-watt LED and CFL bulbs that produce bright work areas with less energy consumption to solar powered servers -- keeping this website's (and your) carbon footprint to an absolute minimum.
What if I need
you to do everything?
At KB OFFSET we
specialize in 'Design, Printing and Mailing.' We can create
original artwork (from scratch) from your ideas; or we can
enhance and update pre-existing materials you may have. Our
graphics department has all of the skills needed (and then
some), along with all of the latest software, fonts and
computer equipment to handle any design project. If you
don't need design, we have some of the most modern,
state-of-the-art equipment in the U.S. to print your
graphics files per your specifications. And, if it's mailing
services you need -- well, we wrote the book!
What types of
mailing services do you offer?
KB offers complete
mailing services... List Management, NCOA Link, CASS
certification, merge & purge, and variable data and more
-- combined with our graphics, printing and fulfillment
departments.
We can assemble, package and fulfill orders to be drop-shipped anywhere in the world.
Our staff has a full understanding of the complex and varying postal regulations, along with the skills and experience to get our client's printed material into the mail stream in a rapid, economical manner.They also understand how the design of a printed piece can take advantage of all appropriate postage discounts available.
PRODUCTION
How do I send
you my files?
KB provides an online
file upload service to all of our clients. When you place an
order, you will be given an access code to transfer your
files directly from your computer to our graphics
department. If you prefer, you can also mail us your artwork
on disk. Ask your customer service representative for
details.
What types of
files do you accept?
KB accepts all major
file formats from the widely used graphics and publishing
software programs (see downloads at lower left for a
complete listing). The most preferred file format is
Adobe PDF which contains all fonts, artwork and
photos in full (300 dpi) resolution -- independent of the
program used to create it. The next best thing is an
EPS file or 'vector' art where all fonts and artwork
are converted to outlines or paths. If neither of these 'all
in' files are being used, be sure you included all fonts and
linked art and photos along with your document
files.
What are
Pantone®
and PMS Colors?
Pantone®
colors refer to a system developed in 1963 by Lawrence
Herbert for "identifying, matching and communicating colors
to solve the problems associated with producing accurate
color matches in the graphic arts community." PMS colors, or
the PANTONE® MATCHING SYSTEM® are standardized
colors that are classified by numbers (example: Pantone®
000) and/or the percent of 'process inks' (CMYK -- cyan,
magenta, yellow and black) used to make that
color.
What are DPI and
LPI?
DPI stands for
Dots Per Inch. It is a measure of the resolution of an
image. For example, a 72-dpi file from the internet might
print o.k. on a home printer, but it doesn't have enough
dots to print out nicely on a commercial printing press. An
image scanned at 300 dpi and placed in the document at 100%
will work well.
LPI means Lines Per Inch, and generally refers to the frequency of the halftone screen. This determines the crispness and contrast of an image printed on a particular grade of paper using a certain printing process. For example, most glossy magazines are printed at 133 lpi or even higher, while newspapers are generally printed at around 85 lpi.
What is
a Bleed?
An image or color that extends to (and beyond) the edge of a
sheet of paper after it is trimmed.
What do
flat and trim (or finished) sizes refer
to?
Flat size refers to the final size of a finished, printed
piece before it has been folded (or trimmed for bleed). Trim
is the finished size of the same printed piece (or a bound
booklet of multiple sheets) after it has been folded and cut
to final size. Many booklets still require trimming even if
there are not bleeds, due to 'creep' -- whereby the process
of gathering, or collating, multiple sheets adds fractional
width to the bound booklet.
What
are the differences between cover and text paper
weights?
Cover weight papers are thick and durable, suitable for
projects such as post cards, business cards, menus and
publication covers. In comparison, text weight papers are
lighter and used for brochures, interior pages of booklets,
etc. Ask your KB customer service representative for
paper samples.
Can you do
imprinting on mugs and shirts?
KB offers a wide
selection of specialty imprinting items from mugs, polo
shirts and hats to pens, golf gear and seasonal products.
Click
here to view our
online catalog and to request a custom quote.