Print publishing is the most complex trade in the digital graphics industry. Every job destined for on-press reproduction involves dozens of products, extensive communication, innumerable techniques, and strict adherence to a long list of file construction guidelines. You can't thrive by mastering a single tool any better than a carpenter builds a house by using only a hammer. This webpage is designed to give you resources to help understand the process of printing and publishing.
Excellent resource guides that offer help in understanding the print industry can be found in your local bookstore, library, or Internet stores. Here are some of the best ones:
Print Publishing: A Hayden Shop Manual. Written by a professional with over 10 years of in-the-trenches experience, it tackles the full range of issues required to succeed in the print publishing world. Whether you are a designer or output technician, a prepress operator or production specialist, you'll benefit from its clear, no-nonsense approach. The author has been in your shoes. He's learned the hard way. Throughout the book, you'll find explanations of the most frequent user errors, hundreds of clearly labeled figures, and thousands of factors that can make or break your bottom line in print publication.
A Guide to Graphic Print Production. An introductory textbook covering all aspects of print production and manufacturing. The printed page is still the most common product of graphic design work, making it essential that designers and illustrators understand the production and printing process. And as more and more print material is finding a dual-use in electronic formats (Web, e-books, motion-graphics using Flash, etc.), it has become even more important that print designers understand the impact their design decisions have on the feasibility of re-purposing their work for various media.
Official Adobe® Print Publishing Guide. This well-written, full-color guide from Adobe teaches managers and designers the relevant issues and problems that need to be considered with any professional-level print publisher job. It brings together the collective knowledge & wisdom of the experts at Adobe Systems in a simple, elegant presentation of the fundamental concepts & issues related to producing high-quality print output. Includes succinct, expertly illustrated explanations of the basic concepts & terminology of print production, along with Adobe's guidelines.
