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Computer Graphics for Print

Color, raster, vector, and the craft of getting pixels onto paper.

17 posts · Engineering

  1. 1

    How Color Really Works: Light, Eyes, and Why Color Is an Illusion

    Color isn't in objects or even in light. Learn how color works, why your brain invents it, and the one idea that explains every color mismatch you have seen.
  2. 2

    RGB vs CMYK: Why Your Screen Colors Print Duller

    Screens and paper make color in physically opposite ways. Learn how RGB vs CMYK, Lab, and gamut work so your print colors match what you designed.
  3. 3

    ICC Profiles Explained: How Color Stays True from Screen to Print

    ICC profiles and color management explained in plain language: how the same color stays true as it travels from camera to calibrated screen to printing press.
  4. 4

    Rendering Intents Explained: Fix Colors That Can't Print

    Why your bright screen colors look dull on paper, and how rendering intents and gamut mapping pick the right substitute so prints still look great.
  5. 5

    Why Your Electric-Blue Logo Prints Dull (and How to Fix It)

    That glowing screen color prints as dusty navy because it's out of gamut. Learn why CMYK can't print every RGB color and how to fix it before you order.
  6. 6

    Why Your Black Box Prints Gray: Ink, Overprint & Black

    Learn why a black box prints gray, how spot colors beat CMYK, and when to use rich black, overprint, and ink limits to avoid a costly reprint.
  7. 7

    Raster vs Vector: Why Your Print Comes Out Blurry

    Raster vs vector decides whether your print comes out crisp or blurry. Learn PPI, the real 300 dpi rule, and how to keep logos and photos sharp at any size.
  8. 8

    Halftoning Explained: How Printers Fake Every Shade of Gray

    Printers can only lay ink on or off, yet your photo prints in smooth tone. Halftoning is the trick. Learn AM vs FM screening, LPI, dot gain, and more.
  9. 9

    Trapping in Print: How to Kill Ugly White Gaps

    Trapping in print stops ugly white gaps where two colors meet. Learn spread vs choke, the lighter-color rule, overprinting black, and when to skip it.
  10. 10

    What's Actually Inside a PDF? A Plain-English Tour

    What is really inside a PDF? Learn the anatomy of a PDF file, why fonts and color cause print disasters, and how to ship files that print perfectly.
  11. 11

    Why Your Text Prints Fuzzy (And How Fonts Really Work)

    Learn how characters, glyphs, fonts, and kerning really work, plus the print settings that keep small text crisp instead of fuzzy and ghosted on paper.
  12. 12

    PDF/X Explained: Build a Print-Ready PDF That Never Fails

    Learn what PDF/X really is, why X-4 beats X-1a, how output intent locks your color, and how page boxes tell the press exactly where to cut your job.
  13. 13

    Preflight Check: Catch Print Errors Before They Cost You

    A preflight check is the cheapest insurance in print. Learn what it inspects, how it saves you from costly reprints, and how to pass it on the first try.
  14. 14

    Why Printed Pages Look Scrambled: Imposition Explained

    Imposition is why a press sheet looks scrambled yet folds into perfect page order. Learn signatures, binding, creep, bleed, and how to prep files right.
  15. 15

    Bleed, Trim & Safe Area: Stop Your Prints Getting Cut Wrong

    Learn how bleed, trim, and safe area protect your print designs from white edges and shaved-off text, plus the finishing setup pros use to get it right.
  16. 16

    Print Methods Explained: Which One Fits Your Job?

    Offset, digital, screen, DTG, or flexo? Learn how each print method works, its cost sweet spot, and how paper and ink choices decide which one wins your job.
  17. 17

    How a PDF Becomes Printed Ink: The RIP, Press & Color

    A printing press cannot read a PDF or lay down 50% gray ink. Learn how the RIP, press operation, and color measurement turn your file into ink that matches.