The Non-Designer's Scan and Print Book "Includes All You Ever Wanted To Know About Scanning"
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Title:The Non-Designer's Scan and Print Book Author: Sandee Cohen, Robin Williams Publisher: Peachpit Press http://www.peachpit.com Publication Date: January 1999 Pages: 264 ISBN: 0-201-35394-6 Price: $24.99
The Non-Designer's Scan and Print Book is the latest in the Non-Designer's series. This fully cross-platform book includes tips and techniques; as well as design, prepress, and production principles to help create professional-looking documents. There are clear instructions and numerous examples that cover the entire process of scanning, prepress, and printing. It provides information on: how to master word-processing and page-layout programs; using scanners and digital cameras to import images; work with process colors, spot colors, and duotones; choose between different types of desktop and commercial printing processes; and preparing electronic files for service bureaus and print shops. The authors know what they are talking about and are well known in the desktop publishing community. Sandee Cohen is the author of several Visual QuickStart Guides, and Robin Williams is an award-winning designer and author of the Non-Designer's series, among other Peachpit books. Other books in the Non-Designer's series are: The Non-Designer's Design Book; The Non-Designer's Web Book; and The Non-Designer's Type Book. Appropriate for Windows and Macintosh.
Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced computer users. This book is designed for non-designers but anyone using a scanner could gain from this book.
The Non-Designer's Scan and Print Book is divided into 6 sections with 21 chapters and an appendix. The book starts with a discussion of how to plan your project, and the authors provide information on choosing your paper, colors, graphics, binding, number of folds and copies, and printing methods. Then you are introduced to basic DTP and business issues like resolution, paper size, print area, cost of goods, fonts, and PostScript. There is even a discussion of the type of printing device necessary to complete your project and whether you will need to use an inkjet, laser, dye-sublimation, or thermal wax printer. Then the book looks at the essentials of commercial printing, finding a print shop, working within a budget, and using processes such as letterpress, flexography, and gravure. Other chapters delve into computer issues such as software applications commonly used for DTP projects and how they handle color modes, raster images, resolution, vector images, and file formats. The authors also cover color issues such as process color printing, using spot colors and duotones, and specifying the number of colors in a publication. Image acquisition is discussed with helpful tips for using scanners, digital cameras, Kodak Photo CD-ROMs, stock photography, and clip art. Then you study printer topics such as using high-res output, working with service bureaus, determining output specs such as client and delivery information, writing film specs, using output specs such as client and delivery information, using printer's marks, understanding resolution and linescreen issues, trapping, and proofing your job. There's also a preflight checklist to help you determine whether you've thought everything through. At the end of the book, there are quizzes or projects for most of the chapters as well as a list of resources for more information. Below is a look at the Table of Contents. Section I: Start At The End Chapter 1: Know Where You're Going--covers what kind of job it is; paper size; how many folds, copies, and colors; graphics; kind of paper and the color, coating, finishes, and weight; bindings; and printing. Chapter 2: The Basics of Desktop Printing--discusses general printer considerations such as resolution, paper size, print area, speed, cost of goods, fonts, RAM, and networks; Postscript and non-PostScript printers; ink-jet printers; laser printers; laser printers as imagesetters; dye-sub printers; thermal wax printers; specialty printers; and fax machines. Chapter 3: The Basics of Commercial Printing--provides information on professional copy shops; small print shops, or presses; national commercial print shops; when to copy or print; the different printing processes; and how to find a print shop. Section II: What Is The Computer Doing? Chapter 4: Different Types of Computer Applications--covers choosing software; word processing applications; spreadsheet applications; presentation program; image editing programs; vector drawing programs; page layout programs; and fonts. Chapter 5: Computer Color Modes--looks at bit depth; bitmap mode; grayscale mode; RGB mode; CMYK mode; which modes for scanning and working; index mode; guide to color modes; and color mode and depth chart. Chapter 6: Raster Images and Resolutions--delves into important information before you begin such as resolution and raster vs. vector images; understanding pixels; print resolution for 1-bit raster images; print resolution for grayscale or color images; halftone screen; changing resolution; can you have too much resolution; and low-resolution placeholders. Chapter 7: Vector Images--provides information on types of vector art; advantages of vector art; and challenges of vector art. Chapter 8: File Formats--discusses native file formats; non-native formats; TIFF files; EPS files; DCS files; PICT files; BMP files; WMF files; GIF files; PNG files; JPEG files; PDF files; and which format to choose. Section III: The World Of Color Chapter 9: Process Color Printing--looks into what are process colors; process color chart; defining process colors; separations; color dot screens; choosing screen angles; tints of process colors; adding up the inks; color registration; and multi-inks. Chapter 10: Spot Colors and Duotones--offers ideas on spot colors; pantone; using spot color guides; spot color effects; spotting spot colors; spot color screen angles; dutones; and the color process. Chapter 11: Specifying the Number of Colors--provides information on number of colors on a printing press; and paper separations. Section IV: Getting Stuff Into The Computer Chapter 12: Scanners and Scanning--gives you ideas on principles of scanners; types of scanners; preparing to scan; scanner software; scanning printed artwork; and a legal note about scanning. Chapter 13: Digital Cameras and Kodak Photo CD--discusses types of digital cameras; resolution of digital cameras; color; file type and compression; FlashPix; using consumer digital cameras; and Kodak Photo CD. Chapter 14: Stock Photos and Clip Art--looks at history of stock photos and clip art; how to get them; comp images; stock photo formats; clip art; and legal stuff. Chapter 15: Fonts and Outlines--covers font formats; Adobe Type Manager; styling fonts; shadow and outline styles; small text; hairlines; scaling vector lines; vector fills as lines; converting text to paths; and the bottom line rule. Section V: Getting Your Work Printed Chapter 16: High-Resolution Output--provides information on what is a service bureau; what to send the service bureau; trapping; imposing your files; workflow options; sending Acrobat files for output; and sending output for an advertisement. Chapter 17: Output Specifications--delves into filling out the form; film specifications; printer's marks; resolution; linescreen; color separation plates; color proofs; and copyright information. Chapter 18: Trapping--provides information on what trapping is; color knockouts; trapping the color; avoid trapping; and should you trap. Chapter 19: Proofing Your Job--discusses monitor proofing; proofs of text and vector images; paper separations; digital color proofs; overlay proofs; blueline proofs; laminate proofs; press proofs and press checks; proofing direct-to-plate; and fixing film and plates. Chapter 20: Preflight Checklist--looks at document reports; preflight software; preflight checklist; materials to be sent; page layout file; colors; placed or inserted images; text and fonts; and optional items. Chapter 21: Quizzes and Projects--has quizzes and projects on desktop printing; commercial printing; computer applications; computer color modes; raster images and resolution; file formats; process color printing; spot color printing; number of colors; scanners and scanning; digital cameras and photo CD; stock photos and clip art; fonts and outlines; high-resolution output; trapping; and proofing. Section VI: Just The Beginning Appendix A: Resources Appendix B: Answers
The Non-Designer's Scan and Print Book is a must-have book for anyone using a scanner and who wants to get professional results. It covers just about everything. It's an attractive book with screenshots on almost every page, and it really does guide you through every step of the process from the original scan to the final printed page. It is great for anyone creating flyers, newsletters, pamphlets, and advertisements and need to know how to get the best results. It doesn't talk down to beginners but gives you the information in a straightforward manner you can use.
Graphics: Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop Web Page Editor: Macromedia Dreamweaver 3 Scanner: Hewlett Packard ScanJet 6250C Professional Series