Common Printing Problems and how to avoid them

Even if it looks good on your screen, it isn't guaranteed to come out like that! I've selected a few of the most common print problems to watch out for.

Washed out or dull images

Been converting from RGB to CMYK? Here are a few tips:

1. If you convert in a uniform manner (Image > Mode > CMYK) in, for example, Adobe Photoshop, reds and yellows will usually remain bright, whilst blues and greens will become dull. To avoid this, use Photoshop's Gamut Warning tool – this will show you which colours will have trouble converting from RGB to CMYK (View > Gamut Warning)
2. If there is a substantial amount of colour that won't convert properly, adjust the saturation (Image > Adjustments> Hue and Saturation), decreasing the saturation whilst the Gamut Warning view is still being displayed. Try to do this enough so that the warning area decreases, without desaturating the image too much.
3. Whilst keeping the Gamut Warning view, use the Curves tool (Image > Adjustment > Curves) and create an 's' shaped curve on the graph. Adjust until you are happy with the final version, then you are free to convert from RGB to CMYK.

Wrong fonts

Your printer has somehow changed the font in the PDF you sent, why? This is commonly due to corrupt fonts that cannot be embedded into your PDF, or you haven't included the font in the print package. Make sure to run Preflight (File > Preflight) if you're using Adobe InDesign to check for errors, and always send your printer all the fonts that you have used. Adobe InDesign has a great packaging system which ensures that all your links and fonts fit neatly into a nicely organised folder (File > Package).

Grey blacks

If your solid black background has printed grey, then you've probably used the wrong CMYK mix. Make sure to use 100% black and 40% Cyan, rather than solid black, see my previous post on preparing for print.

Colours are just completely different

Invest in calibration equipment, and hire a professional designer to adjust your monitor display.

Ink had smudged

#1 rule is to make sure that you do not have a total ink value of more than 300% anywhere in your artwork. If you do use more than 300% then your ink will take too long to dry and may smudge when bring printed.

Pages are cropped too much

Page edges will always wander slightly, so make sure that you have left enough bleed (outside padding) around the outside of your artwork. Check for the correct bleed sizes with your printer, but it's usually 3mm, with important elements (such as text) at 5mm.

Text or images disappear into the page fold

Again, make sure you have left enough bleed. This may be more or less depending on the size of your booklet or production check with your printer. Avoid placing images, shapes and text across the middle of the page spread.

Text has a coloured outline or shadow

Firstly, use a different printer! Secondly, to minimise this try to keep text to one colour - don't use C, M, Y and K. The problem here is when the printer has layered the colours to make up the text, the paper has moved slightly - resulting in inaccurate positioning on the paper.

The reverse side of the paper shows through

Sometimes you will have this, especially if you have strong colours on one side and light colours on the other. Try not to use too much black on any one side, and if this doesn't work you'll need to upgrade your paper thickness.

Pixelated images

Images that print low-quality or pixelated are probably in the wrong resolution. Make sure your images are 300dpi for common stationery, and at least 600dpi for large format print.

Close registration

Avoid printing small text or line art inside a coloured area, as the colours can overlap and the block colour can seep into the text. This is more commonly found if the background colour is dark and the text is white. Try to ensure that your text is darker than the background, unless you are using very large, bold text.

Banding

As a general rule to avoid this try not to use gradients or have large areas of light pastel colours. If you have to use a gradient, make sure you do the following:

1. Add noise (Photoshop Filer > Noise > Add Noise)
2. Neveruse pure white, this will result in a blotchy band just before the blend fades out. A 3% tint will rectify this.
3. Use mid blend colours. For example, a two tone gradient from blue to yellow will merge to green in the middle. However, if you add a green mid colour, the green blend will appear much smoother in print.