Print FAQs
Q: What's the difference between CMYK, RGB & PMS colors?
A: RGB is the mixture of red, green & blue light that creates colors on your computer screen or television. RGB combinations produce the widest color range. If you're reading this on your computer screen, you're reading RGB color.
CMYK refers to the colors on a standard printer: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These are the most commonly used colors in standard print jobs, and when combined, can reproduce a wide variety of colors.
PMS stands for Pantone Matching System. PMS colors are used to achieve a specific color requirement. For example, if we create a logo for someone using a specific color of blue, by using PMS color we are guaranteed the blue will be printed the same every time.
Q: What is a bleed?
A: A bleed is when the area being printed extends past the edge of the document. This eliminates the white border when it's trimmed to final size.
Q: Is paper important to design?
A: The right combination of paper color, texture, weight and thickness can turn a so-so project into one that turns heads and gets noticed. In a way, paper is to print design as lipstick is to fashion. The right choice intensifies the design and makes a stronger presence in the eyes and hands of the consumer. Idea Bank knows all the tricks to getting your project red-carpet ready.
Q: What about fonts?
A: Serif Fonts are the type of font with small, decorative lines added as embellishments to the basic form of a character. Serif fonts are generally used in bodies of text, such as ads, catalogs, newsletter, etc. A common examples of a serif font would be Times New Roman.
San Serif Fonts are the fonts without the added lines to the ends of characters. San Serifs are generally used in places like headlines and signage and are easier to read from far away. Common examples of san serifs would be Arial and Helvetica.
Kerning is a term used to describe the amount of space between the letters. Tight kerning will mean less empty space in the copy and can be harder to read. Loose kerning is used when the lettering is large, such as on billboards.
Leading is a term used to describe the amount of space between the lines of text. Loose leading will mean more "air" between your lines, and can evoke a more relaxed and comfortable feel to the text.
Q: Is your design C.R.A.P.?
A: Contrast: The idea behind contrast is to avoid making all the elements on a page similar in style, size, color, shape, etc. Generally speaking, you want a main focal point to carry more weight and importance than the other elements, and the reader should know where their eyes are to look first.
Repetition: Repeating visual elements of the design throughout the piece generates an important sense of cohesiveness with your elements and helps them belong together. Repeating things like spatial relationships, color, shape, texture, and line thickness helps develop consistency and unity.
Alignment: This is the idea of every element having some visual connection with the other elements on the page. This creates a clean, sophisticated, fresh look, and helps the reader move along the page in the right flow.
Proximity: Grouping items that relate to each other helps the reader know how the information is organized and what elements belong with each other. When several items are in close proximity to each other, they become one visual unit rather than several separate units. This contribute to a clean and orderly page.
Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity = CRAP
