Printing for Los Angeles CA | Printing San Fernando Valley CA | Printing Chatsworth CA

Category: Printing

Apr 13th, 2012

What Does the Weight of Paper Mean?

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You’ve heard of 100lb gloss book, 80lb gloss cover, 20lb bond and more, but what does this weight refer to?

Paper is measured in pounds per 500 sheets.  The paper manufacturer will select a standard sheet size for their paper when getting the initial weight on 500 sheets (this standard size varies brand to brand and can be 17” x 22”, 35” x 23”, etc.).  The weight of these 500 sheets determines the paper’s weight.

For example the common office copy paper Bond* has a standard size of 17” x 22″ and this is the size that is weighed for 500 sheets. If 500 sheets of this size weigh 20 lbs, then the paper is classified as a 20lb bond.

Some of other weights for bond paper are: 16lb, 24lb, 28lb & 32lb.  These would be thicker and thinner variations of the initial 20lb bond.

So when you are carrying 4 reams of your standard size (8-1/2 x 11) office paper you are in fact carrying 20 lbs of paper, as 8-1/2 x 11 is ¼ of a 17 x 22 sheet.

A similar measuring system is used for other types of paper.

We have samples of many different papers that can be used in printing in a variety of weights. We’re located in Chatsworth, minutes from Glendale, Burbank, Los Angeles, Sylmar and Pacoima.  Or you can call 818-709-1220 and ask for Account Representative.

*Bond is a superior quality of strong white paper, especially suitable for electronic printing and often used in office machines including copiers and desktop printers.

Mar 20th, 2012

What is the Difference Between Coated and Uncoated Paper?

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In manufacturing, all paper starts out uncoated. Paper is made out of bleached wood fibers, fillers, clay and caulk fillings. At the end of the papermaking machine, it‘s sometimes covered in a white clay or clay and caulk filler which covers up the small crevices, making it fairly smooth.

This coating creates a sheet less porous, than uncoated paper. In the printing process, a coated paper therefore doesn’t absorb inks as much as an offset or uncoated stock. When the inks aren’t absorbed, they stay on the top of the paper, thus looking more glossy. This makes the images, type and photographs look sharper.

Coated stocks are not always glossy, and are available in a variety of finishes such as dull, matte or silk. These finishes make it easier on the eye for reading long type passages. Unfortunately the inks also look less glossy as a result.

Uncoated papers (such as copier paper) due to the fibers of the wood and other fillers, are rough compared to the coated stocks. Uncoated stocks are classified as bonds, offsets, card, newsprint, etc. These papers are very porous and soak up much larger quantities of ink. Uncoated stocks have a tendency to dry faster to the touch, as the ink is absorbed into the porous paper. Uncoated stocks are easier to write on as the surface accepts the ink more readily than a coated stock.

Printers often recommend glossy stock for brochures with pictures and other attractive design elements that you want to draw attention to.

A matte, dull or silk stock is best for literature that needs to be read, as it is easier on the eye.

An uncoated stock is best for material that needs to be filled out by the recipient. It’s also great to use when going for a “natural” or more “earthy” look.

We have hundreds of samples of different types of paper here at Clear Print for you to see. We’re located in the San Fernando Valley, not far from Simi Valley, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Burbank, Santa Clarita and Los Angeles. If you’d like to see some samples please call or come in.

Mar 2nd, 2012

Spot Colors / PMS colors printing – what is it?

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A spot color refers to a method of specifying and printing a color in which its own ink color is specifically created.  These are generally used for silvers, golds, fluorescents and other colors that are hard to create in CMYK. If you need printing done for business solutions, especially in the Los Angeles, Hollywood culture, where everything has to look slick and glamorous, you will need Spot Color printing.

In contrast, process color (aka four color printing) uses four inks (CMYK: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) to produce all other colors.

Spot color printing will be used when only 1-3 specific colors needs to be printed, or when a full color print project has certain color critical elements that need their own special color mix.

PMS stands for Pantone Matching System. This is a popular color matching system used by the printing industry to print spot colors. Here, specific colors are indicated by their Pantone name or number. Most printers have an ink formula guide to achieve the desired color.

Most design program that support color printing allow you to specify colors by indicating the Pantone name or number. This assures that you get the right color when the file is printed, even though the color may not look right when displayed on your monitor.

For more information on how to print spot colors and what can be done with them Clear Print can help.  Call or come in anytime.  We are located in Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley, just minutes from Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, Valencia, Burbank and Glendale.

Feb 24th, 2012

What is Offset Printing?

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Offset printing is a technique whereby ink is spread on a metal plate with etched images, then transferred to an intermediary surface such as a rubber blanket, and finally applied to paper by pressing the paper against the intermediary surface.

Offset printing is most cost effective when producing large volumes of high-quality documents. Although the set-up costs are relatively high, the actual printing process is relatively inexpensive which makes this a cost effective solution when printing in large volume.

To produce an offset print job, custom plates need to be made of your artwork. This can be done using your electronic file or a high-resolution paper printout, which can then be photographed to create film. Nowadays, most plates are made from of your electronic file.

If you have a high-quality print job that you need printed in large quantity, offset printing is the best choice. Generally if your quantity is 500 pieces or less the most cost effective print method is to digitally print your materials.

If interested, come to Clear Print and see how an offset press works. We have four offset presses, each with their own specialties, which we use to produce a variety of jobs. We are located in Chatsworth, close to Sun Valley, Sylmar, Pacoima, Santa Clarita, Burbank and Glendale.  Or you can call and ask for one of our Account Representatives, who’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. 818-709-1220.

Feb 16th, 2012

Printing and Publishing – What is CMYK?

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In printing terminology CMYK is short for Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black. CMYK is the standard color model used in offset printing for full-color documents. Because such printing uses inks of these four basic colors, it is often called four-color printing.

Another common color model for screen and websites (not for printing) is RGB, which stands for Red-Green-Blue. Display devises, such as computer screens, generally use this color model. Full color documents cannot print in RGB, they have to print in CMYK.

We provide printing for customers all over Los angeles Glendale Burbank and often a customer will design their documents in RGB as most design software is set to that as default, and later will convert their color profile to CMYK prior to printing. If the customer does not do this, the printer has a program that automatically does it for them. In converting from RGB to CMYK often the colors don’t look the same as what appeared on the monitor. If you’re experiencing this problem and need your documents to match specific colors, Clear Print can help.

There are many ways to achieve desired colors. Send us your files or come in and see us if you have a color-critical project. We’re located in Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley, just minutes away from Simi Valley, Moorpark, Santa Clarita and, Westlake Village Thousand Oaks. Or all 818-709-1220 and ask for an Account Representative who can help you.

Nov 22nd, 2011

Printing a custom Holiday Card or Calendar this year?

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Choose Clear Print and take advantage of our 10% off coupon.

Thanksgiving Coupon

Oct 6th, 2011

Where do Printers get their paper?

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Print Values Trees

Most paper now comes from sustainable forests. These forests are essentially “tree farms,” where trees are grown as a crop, just like broccoli or wheat. When these trees are harvested, new stocks are planted. Print on paper gives landowners a financial incentive to renew forests rather than convert them for other uses, such as development.[1]

Print Uses “Waste”

One-third of the fiber used to make paper comes from wood chips and sawmill scraps; another third comes from recycled paper.[2] Overall, in the United States nearly 80 percent of the over 400 paper mills use recovered fiber to make some or all of their paper products, and of these, approximately 115 mills use recovered paper exclusively.[3]

Print is Recycled

But that’s not the complete story. Print on paper is recycled and reused. In 2009, for example, 63.4 percent of all paper used in the United States was recycled, and this number increases each year with more deliberate curbside and drop-off collection systems.[4] Recycled paper is used to make everything from construction products to consumer goods.

Print is Responsible

Just 11% of the world’s forests are used for paper.[5] In the U.S. a growing percentage of the wood used to produce paper comes from certified forests. The Forest Steward Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) track fiber content from certified lands through production and manufacturing to the end product. There are certified forests in over 80 countries.

From sustainable forests to the renewable nature of trees and the recyclability of paper, the print and paper industries have a positive environmental story to tell—one in which print on paper and healthy forests thrive hand-in-hand.

  1. Edward L. Glaeser, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, “A Road Map for Environmentalism,” Boston Globe, May 21, 2007.
  2. U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste.
  3. American Forest and Paper Association.
  4. Ibid.
  5. International Paper, Down to Earth, “Is it Worth Printing?”
Sep 8th, 2011

When is it a good idea to press check?

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When is it a good idea to press check? 

  1. When achieving a certain color is critical.
  2. When printing some pastels and certain metallic colors.
  3. When using a specialized coating or a stock shade that can change the color of the ink.
  4. When Moving an existing job from one printer to another and the new run needs to match the old run.

Color Critical Issues:

Some colors can be difficult to accurately render on a proof. If your print job has a critical color that needs to be matched, talk with your printer ahead of time and discus your objective prior to the press check.  When it comes time to press check, the printer can be prepared and the press check will run smoothly and efficiently.

Many PMS colors don’t render accurately on proofs. Have the printer provide actual ink samples (known as “draw downs”) on a sample of the actual stock. Review the printers proof for everything but the PMS color accuracy. Then, review the ‘draw downs’ to ensure the color is exactly what you want. If you need to have the color changed, do it now before you get on press!

Moving a job from one printer to another:

If you are moving an existing job from one printer to another and the new run needs to match the old one then, provide one of the press sheets printed sample from the prior run along with the electronic files to the new printer. If you have a press sheet with the “color bar” (that’s the strip of colors that runs along the edge of the sheet before being trimmed), all the better. Many times the old press run does not match the proof and this way your printer can match the proof or match the prior press run.

If you would like to discus your particular situation with a Clear Print representative (at no charge, whether we are printing this for you or not), please call (818) 709-1220 and ask for Geoff, Blaine or Vanessa.

Aug 17th, 2011

Business Promotion and the Economy

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Here in the San Fernando Valley we have seen many businesses in the last few years cut down on their marketing and promotion budget due to economic stress. This is also true for the greater Los Angeles area so a question arises; is this the right action during tough economic times?

Let’s take a look at a usual example we have seen. The first thing to get cut is bulk mailers as postage may very well be the most expensive part of promotion. As a result the budget is lower but fewer new customers are coming in. After a while the business gets by financially as the budget is lower but now the overall income has also diminished due to lack of new customers.

The final result is a smaller business that somehow gets by.
What happens the next time there is a financial problem? The business goes under as now it no longer has enough resources to get itself out of trouble.

So what would have been the right solution? Don’t cut your marketing but promote smartly. After you get the word out and guarantee influx of future customers do cut down on unneeded expenses.

Here are some actions to consider:

  • Improve your current marketing to get a better return.
  • Find a printer that can take care of your printing at affordable prices.
  • Find someone that can has experience handling bulk rates to get you good prices.
  • Find additional ways to promote your business that might be less expensive, like through the internet.

Here at Clear Print we take care of all these actions in the greater Los Angeles area. Feel free to call us to find out how we can help you.

Jul 30th, 2011

Print is Effective

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Did you know 39% of customers who purchased from a business for the first time did so
because of direct mail advertising?

And 70% of customers renewed a business relationship because of a direct mail promotion.*

Print on paper coupled with a professional online presence builds brand identification
and powers sales.

Need help with your print and electronic media campaigns?
Call or email Geoff or Vanessa with any question: 818-709-1220 · sales@clarprint.com

 

*2008 DMA/Pitney Bowes Direct Mail Survey

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