All DOC and NOAA agencies serviced by Boulder Building Management Branch Publications Office are required to go through the Regional Printing Coordinator to have printing purchased by the Government Printing Office (GPO).

The only exceptions to this policy are those offices that have been granted the authority to process requests to GPO on their own.

No office is to get printing done through the private sector without requesting a waiver through the Regional Printing Coordinator. The waiver from GPO must be obtained before having the work done. Currently the GPO is NOT granting waivers, they have made the broad statement that ‘poor planning on our part Does NOT constitute an emergency need or requirement on their part. Therefore all waiver requests are being declined.

NOAA/NIST and ITS produce reports in numbered series from time to time. It is important to maintain correct sequence numbers for these publications. NIST and ITA laboratories will provide this office with the correct sequence number for their reports.

However it should be noted that this office has been assigned the responsibility for assigning the correct sequence numbers to all the NOAA laboratories reports which are issued in series. This data is maintained in a data base at this time to make the process easier, having been converted from a handwritten format dating back to the 1960’s.

Once the new number is assigned and the information for the cover sheet and title sheet are correct, they will be submitted to Graphics Officer for processing. ITA and NIST can also use the Graphics services for their cover and title page preparation, if they so chose.

Each organization uses a specific cover color and ink color format for their covers and title pages. (Examples of these can be found in the reference Library, located here on site and through the Publications Office, resources.)

As a general rule we do not assign numbers in advance of printing, because occasionally the proposed report never appears in print although it might have been assigned a number. If we were to release number prior to the actual printing of the report, the likely hood of causing problems for the librarians whose job it is to maintain records on the out going and published reports would be great.

The important key points are cost quality and speed in relation to printing. The cost of a job will depend upon several things, such as: Paper, ink, and binding, the level of quality required and the time scheduled.

The cost of a job, when we (the Publications Office) receive a request for an estimated cost, is obtained by us from the GPO based on the specifications given for the job. Those specifications should include: the number of pages, the number of copies, halftone figures, binding and all other data which can be provided to us up front, prior to the project being finished. After the job is sent out for printing, if a page is changed, photo added, number of copies changed, it can increase the cost.

Paper costs usually represent better then 25 percent of the total cost of the job, and can cost more depending on the type of paper required. Do not use a paper stock of a higher grade than is required for the end-use of the product. A 60# white offset book stock gives good quality finished work. Heavier weight or different finish means an increase in paper and postage costs.

There are specific standards of paper for printing and binding for the United States Government. These standards are mandatory unless otherwise approved by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP). Samples of paper ink colors and bindings are available in the publications Office.

Use of the multicolor ink will increase the cost of a project as well.  If there is a legitimate reason and need for color than by all means it should be used. (Graphics require color in order for clients or end users to follow the data being provided.)  The look of a two-color printing can be achieved with only one color of ink by using screens and colored stock.  There is also the duotone, which is a two-color halftone reproduction from a one-color photograph.

There are several types of binding; (see attached copy of binding types).  There is a wide difference in cost for binding, ranging from $6 per 100 books for a side stitch to over $100 per 100 books for perfect binding.  Special bindings such as those using rings, spirals, and plastic combs or with pockets inside the covers require justification based on their intended use.  The Publications office should receive a memorandum with the printing request detailing the special binding and why the special binding is required.  If multicolored inks are to be used, the Publications Branch should also receive a Memorandum addressed to the Chief, of FLD,  Hank Kordek, requesting the use of Color along with the required CD-27.

It is important to allow adequate time for printing in order to get economical prices.  This will permit careful review of the request, accurate preparation of specifications and bidding the job to a wide group of printers.  If there are proofs, these must be reviewed and returned within 3 days to keep the print job on schedule.  If held longer the scheduled delivery date is extended and it could also mean renegotiating the cost of the job.

If the client requires that their job be printed speedily, the GPO will put a job ahead of other regularly scheduled jobs if a RUSH charge is authorized, but this can mean sending it to the contractor with much higher costs, in addition to the GPO’s surcharge.

Bids by the GPO contractors move up and down in tandem with seasonal and other fluctuations in work supply.  The changing conditions in the marketplace are beyond the control of the Department of Commerce publishers and the costs could vary greatly depending on these changes.

Print jobs through the GPO usually take six to eight weeks depending on the complexity of the job.  With an authorized rush charge, a three-week delivery date can be requested.

The short run-printing contract has a turnaround time of one to nine days depending on the number of pages, copies, halftones, etc. Using the short run-printing contract rather then copying your job could save you money.  For a publication that is 50 pages with 100 copies a 65# vellum cover stock, 50# white offset text stock and saddle stitch binding the cost under the contract would be approximately $200.00.  To copy the same job could cost as much as $300.00.

It is important that orders for printing be submitted with a set of clear instructions as to the quality, quantity and special binding requirements.  The document should be furnished to this office in a sharp clear single spaced camera copy, which should be free from marks and smudges.  All pages are to be numbered consecutively.  Blank pages should not be numbered.  Illustrations should be sized and marked for cropping.  The instructions should provide the Publications Office with any special information about the job, such as detail on photographs (this is important) a required delivery date, a limit on the cost of printing (how much is the client willing to pay.) etc.

The client must request proofs for their jobs if they want to preview the finished product, this is not a given.  A blueline proof is a prepress photographic proof, which is used as a final proof to check the position of images before printing, and a color key proof is for 4-color process jobs.  Normally we suggest these proofs for any high quality jobs.

The GPO contracts include a provision for Blue Label copies.  These are copies which are samples which are to be kept back unopened until it is certain that the order is free from defects as they provide the basis for future action against the contractor if the printing is defective.

Again, the policy of this office is that the client customer must request the Blue Label samples for any of their orders.

To procure printing for your office, the Publications Coordinator needs to receive either a Procurement ReqA Publication Clearance Request form (CD-27) must be submitted by clients to request printing of posters, brochures, books, newsletters, etc., that are for public dissemination. It is imperative that all offices desiring to publish informational items for the public start the CD-27 process at least 72 HOURS* before the item is to go to Government Printing Office.

No printing job that requires an approved CD-27 will be printed until approval has been granted by the Department of Commerce and the requesting agencies' Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The Publications Office Coordinator will:

• Assist with the required clearances, preparation of necessary forms; writing of specifications; cost estimates; scheduling; identifying sources of procurement; and will place the order with the GPO or a commercial printing contractor.
• Provide technical assistance in the design of form and brochures.
• Recommend suitable and cost effective printing and binding methods.
• Establish term contracts with local vendors for periods of up to twelve months for printing of like jobs.

To procure printing for your office, the Publications Coordinator needs to receive either a Procurement Request (CD-435) or a written letter or a ‘Ready for Print’ form from the requestor explaining: 

• The printing requirements you have,
• The quantity you want,
• When it is needed,
• Project number (CAMS read) Organizations Code (CAMS ready)
• Who is authorizing the expenditure of funds, and
• Who is going to be receiving the finished project.
• How many copies you need (and the additional 28 required by Federal regulations for dissemination to the warehouses and libraries that maintain copies of all published materials)

The Form 952 also needs to be filled out with any data regarding any material supplied on CD or Floppy disk. (This form can be found on our web site as can all forms and examples of completed forms)

Additionally we need to know what kind of paper, paperweight, and ink colors need to be used.

Attach a sample of the items to be printed and any negatives or artwork to be used in the printing of the items to the requisition. The Publications Coordinator also needs to know the delivery addresses where the finished product is to be delivered and how the finished product is to be packed.

This information will be either handed out free to the public or sold to the public. Such jobs could be:

• manuals,
• posters for schools,
• research data for public use,
• newsletters for the public, etc.

A notification of intent to publish will be prepared on all publications printed for public consumption. This form notifies the GPO that you are preparing to print a publication. Under JCP Regulations section 41-2 and Section 1902, of Title 44, GPO reserves the right to ride any publication and make available copies of publication to depository libraries through the facilities of the Superintendent of Documents for public information.

• Hard copy: (paper format)
• Negatives: films containing an image in which the values of the original are reversed so that the dark areas appear light and vise versa.
• Electronic Transmission - CD ROM, DVD, Diskettes -- you must complete a GPO Form 952 and submit with a hard copy (paper form) of your job.

You may be required to provide a pagination sheet for your project. Beyond that, No all other forms are handled by the Publications Coordinator and process by them for transmission to the GPO or one of the active contracts handed through the Publications Office.

If you are a NOAA client you will be billed directly to the Organizational code and Project number you provided for your project. If you are a Non-NOAA client, you will be billed by the Publications Branch Office upon receipt of the invoice for your completed project. This may be anywhere from 7 day after completion to 2 weeks, depending on the contractor.

These are also called Term contracts and are one year, two year, and four year renewal pre-established contracts. The services under a term contract can be performed by one or several government printing offices (GPO) authorized printers. The printers are given specific specifications to perform services for authorized agencies that perform repetitive type work on a regular basis. The agency will prepare the necessary paperwork and forward it directly to the printer.

A term contract can be created for one agency or several agencies combined. The greatest asset one can have when establishing a term contract is a multiple user. The more users, the cheaper the cost to produce the job. The term contracts handled by the Publications Branch Office at Boulder Building Management Branch (BMB) Publications Office were established based on repetitively ordered jobs. BMB Publications Office’s term contracts were established for all of BMB Publications Office’s customers, but because of the cost savings, customers outside of BMB Publications Office have utilized the term contracts as well; BMB Publications Office welcomes the opportunity to meet your needs.

• Term contracts save on processing time. This in turn leads to saved funds.
• Term contracts put the control back in the hands of the agency, by allowing more client oversight of projects, due to most of the contractors being local.
• Term contracts can help when estimating your printing budget, because they have set costs based on the contract this means no more guess work in pricing a job.
• Term contracts can be tailored to your desired specifications, and modified as specifications change, even if it is only on a one time need, adjustments can be processed quickly to grant you service or items you require for your project.
• Term contracts offer you the opportunity to talk with the printer and build a client relationship with them, for future projects.
• Additionally term contracts make sense and support "Best Practice" principles.

Certainly you will get to make a choice based on what each contractor does and if they meet your needs and requirements. If not, we will process your project out for bidding through the GPO to find you the best contractor for your job requirements. The Publications Coordinator will provide you will all the information so that you can make your choices known.

Glad you asked that actually YES! Quarterly and Annually the Publications Branch Office is required to report to the Joint Committee on Printing, the printing and publications processed through this office or by affiliate offices.

In the past, we have set out letters to this effect mailing out the required forms and asked for them back. The process has been rather antiquated and some of the forms come back well after the due date. In an effort to get past that problem, the Publications Branch office is going to offer these forms on this Web site. Along with an explanation of the report to the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP).

The Publications Office in conjunction with the Graphics office, will produce and format cover pages and Title pages, upon request from the project’s submitter or author(s).  If we are not requested to do this, we will still review the submitted paperwork for completeness.

We do not edit the client’s work but will often use an editor’s eye when errors ‘pop up at us.’  If we spot an error, we will call it to the attention of the author or the person submitting the order.  Covers are an example of the need for careful checking and review.  Lists of authors on scientific reports are often lengthy.  The order of the listing is not an accident or random.  Any attempt to reorganize the names can result in fireworks, and flared tempers. It is highly inadvisable to permit any misspelling of names to get by this office.

An increasing number of print jobs are being produced in a digital format. (WordPerfect, Word) as of now, most of these jobs go directly to the GPO in Denver or to one of our Direct Deal Contracts.  Each diskette or CD must be accompanied by a GPO Form 952 (Desktop Publishing-Disk Information) prepared and signed by the person developing the file.  The GPO will not assign the job to a printer unless that form is included with the Order (SF 1).

Occasionally, we will still deal with camera copy or printout of an electronic file, when that happens the following steps need to be done each and every time to ensure that the manuscript meets all the requirements for being Print Ready.

• Are all the pages there and in correct order?
• Are all the pages numbered? If not return the file or manuscript to the author for correction.
• Does the Title submitted for the cover match the title on page 1 of the manuscript?
• How many pages are text pages and how many pages are camera copy?
  • (Text pages: means all pages including blanks. 
  • Camera copy means all pages with print on them). 
• Does a pagination sheet or a folio need to be done for the printer?
  • It is helpful both to the preparer and the printer with the usual size report (90 pages or less) to prepare a pagination sheet. It makes the location of each page clear and gives an overview of the expected outcome. 
  • The count for text is based on the number of pages inside the cover, blanks and all, including the title page (I).  The count for camera copy is based on all pages that print, but no blanks.  Camera copy includes all covers that print.
  • Occasionally, we will receive a large manuscript of several hundred pages. Preparing a pagination sheet is very tedious and time consuming and therefore impractical.  It is usually then that we take a blue, non-reproducing editor’s pencil and mark the number of each page in the sequence at the lower right corner beginning with the inside cover which is  ‘folio 1.’  On each and every blank page you will write in the same blue non-reproducing pencil ‘folio #, is blank.’

When a printed product fails to meet customer satisfaction, the Publication’s Coordinator will contact the customer agency to determine whether sufficient time is available to have the product reprinted or the defects corrected.

If time is not available, your agency will be apprised of the amount of discount to be taken should the Government decide to accept the defective products. It should be understood that discounts should only be taken when correction or reprinting is not practical. "Discounts are intended to compensate the Government for damages suffered, not to penalize contractors or to save on printing costs". [GPO Publication 305.1, Feb 1, 1988].

It is GPO's policy that " the quality of products procured through the Printing Procurement Department of GPO must conform to the requirements of the specifications agreed to with the customer agency". In the event you receive a product from a printer that is not acceptable, you will need to:

• Complete GPO Form 1815, ‘ Notice of Quality Defects’ (This form can be found on this web site.)
• Supply the required quantity of materials necessary for inspection (see back of GPO Form 1815 for quantity required) if appropriate.
• Forward the completed Form 1815 and the required quantity of copies of the job to your BMB Publications Office Regional Publication’s Coordinator.   

The Publications Coordinator will:

• Review the original specifications that were sent to GPO.
• Review the Blue Line copies (samples of the customers job that are randomly pulled during the printing process) provided by GPO as part of the printing process. If Blue Lines are not provided by GPO, the customer must then pull the required amount of copies indicated on the back of the GPO Form 1815 and forward them to BMB Publications Office or to the GPO directly.
• Determine if the job is reject-able.
  • If the job does meet the government specifications, based on what the government submitted, the job will be returned to the customer with full explanation.
  • If the job does not meet the government's specifications, the Publications Coordinator will forward the package on to GPO for their review, determination, and agreeable solution (reprinting or compensation). 

Here is a Simple How to…

Because color interpretation is subject to an individual's judgment, the Publication Office cannot possibly hope to tell you how to judge color. We can offer suggestions on how to do a press inspection to get the best results, but once you have Okayed the press, you are pretty much in control. Therefore, what we offer here is a checklist for you to make sure you have followed all the steps to a successful and satisfying press inspection and a job well run.

• Confirm that you have the final OK within your organization.
• Review images for color. Make sure tones are even, that all images are balanced in color quality. Note that there may be a color shift due to paper stock’s quality (i.e. color or holdout). Often these factors affect dot gain resulting in a darker image. Compare images against its color proof (Match print). Remember, this is not the time for any significant color changes! These should have been taken care of during the Match print phase.
• Before you get to the "press inspection" stage, be certain you are very satisfied with the proofs that you have been offered. Please remember, once your job is on press,we arelimited to what we can do.
• Be aware of the inexact science between proofs and the press sheet. The press sheet cannot exactly match either the original copy or the original proof. You need to use your best eyes and judgment as to wheather the match meets your standards and your requirements.
• Bring the original copy, the ink, and paper swatches and the final okayed proofs. Also, bring along any material that should be color matched.
• Do not begin your press check by focusing in on small details such as broken type.
  Begin by slowly scanning the entire press sheet in order to get an accurate overall impression of the sheet.
• Be sure that the sheet being used is the same as that which was specified. (Check the paper stock, making sure it is the stock and quality paper you ordered.)
• Be sure that spot ink colors are correct. If you have, a swatch or several use them to match them up.
• Be sure all copy is on the sheet. Pay special attention to display and headline type.
• Check to make sure that registration is accurate and that trapping has been applied properly.
• Study the pictures, type, and screens to make sure they are consistent and have the correct density.
• Look for flaws and imperfection such as broken type, pinholes, mottling, hickeys, and ghosting.
• Check the type. Make sure no type is missing or broken.
• Have the sheet folded and trimmed to make sure all backups and fold alignments are correct.
• Take a few press sheets with you after you have signed off on the work so that you have a sample of what you approved.

Proofing Systems
A general term for a variety of options for seeing what your file will look like when printed is a proof. Proofs are used for checking that all text, graphics, and colors come out as expected before going to press. Proofing your work comes at various stages but there are specific types of proofs created during prepress and printing that allow the designer to see if their piece will come out as intended in the final printing. Different types of proofs are more accurate than others but with increased accuracy comes increased costs.

Blue line
Usually inexpensive, photographic proof from negatives where all colors are shown in blue (or another color) is called a blue line. The negatives used for the printing plates are exposed to a photosensitive paper to produce the image on the blue line. A blue line is a type of contact proof, so named because it is created by having the negative come in contact with a special type of paper. Additional names for a blue line, based on the color are black print, blueprint, brown line, brown print, and silver print, salt, Dylux, Van Dyke, Diazo, Dye line, Ozalid.

Dylux Proofs
Are paper prints made from a single-color film by exposing the film negative to the paper via an intense light. Dylux proofs are not recommended for proofing pages with halftone screens or images.

Match Print
One of the more expensive but more accurate types of prepress proofs is the Match Print. Although used generically to refer to any laminate analog color proof system, Match Print is actually a brand name of both analog and digital proofing systems.

Digital Proof
. A digital proof is a color prepress proofing method where a job is printed from the digital file using inkjet, color laser, dyd sublimation, or thermal wax technologies to give a good approximation of what the final printed piece will look like. The digital proof is generally less expensive than other prepress proofs. Digital proofs can often be produced on the actual paper stock of the job adding another element of accuracy. Digital proofing also includes a type of almost WYSIWYG on-screen monitor proofing or soft proofing generally only used in the early stages of production. Digital proofs come in continuous tone and halftone proofs. Also known as: dry proof, off-press proof, digital CMYK proof, continuous tone proof, halftone proof. An example would be; that digital proofing is generally less expensive than other prepress proofing methods or press proofs but they considered not being as accurate for checking trapping and identifying moiré problems as overlay and laminate proofs. They are however a viable option for most simple print projects. While high-end digital proofs will provide even greater accuracy for more complex jobs, and therefore are the better choice for these types of jobs.

Laminate Proofs
One of the more accurate types of prepress proofs are laminate proofs. These full-color proofs are created from the negatives used to make the printing plates. Each separation is transferred to a separate sheet and the layers are fused or laminated together to give an extremely accurate representation of the final printed piece. Match print and DuPont Cromalin and DuPont Waterproof are common types of laminate proofing systems.

Iris Proofs
Surprises found in Match print proofs cause unexpected delays and costs due to additional color correction and/or new scans, film and color laminates. The ability to detect errors early can save both time and money. Offering an accurate contract quality proof without the need for film separations is a reality with Iris digital color proofing. The Iris proofs provide outstanding, accurate, high resolution color comps for client approval as well as create a “finished” product for designers to critique and adjust before creating separations.

Remember that this proof has been made from the final film from which plates will be made. Keep changes to a minimum. They will be expensive.

• First, compare everything in the blue line with the laser proofs you provided. Isolate the items you are checking (complete copy, accurate line breaks, photo cropping, etc.) and then check each in a separate pass. You will be less likely to miss errors this way.
• Make sure all pages are complete (no dropped copy or images). Make sure typefaces have not changed due to missing fonts, and check line breaks for accuracy. Do not forget to check folios to make sure all pages are in their proper order.
• Check margins; alignment of type on facing pages; and crossovers of type, rule lines, and photos on facing pages.
• Review the photos to make sure they are in their proper place, cropped accurately, of pleasing contrast with crisp focus, and with no visible flaws or blemishes. If you have flopped any photos, check one final time to make sure you have not flopped type (nametags with backward names and logos, for instance). If the photos do not show sufficient contrast or detail on the blue line, you can always request a white print (Velox), also created from the final film from which the job will be printed.
• Check color placement (the printer should have noted areas that will be in PMS colors, and the blue line should show color differences as different shades of blue). If color placement is complex, consider requesting a color proof (digital or film-based).
• Measure the trim size of the final proof and check all folds for accuracy. Also look for hand-written notations from the printer showing placement of perforations, die cuts, embossing, foil stamping, etc.
• Ensure that all changes to the prior proof have been incorporated.
• Circle any blemishes (broken type, dust spots, etc.) It is better to be excessive in noting flaws rather than to assume the flaws are just in the blue line.
• Directly on the blue line, write any instructions to your printer in clear language in a contrasting ink color, and include any questions you have as well.
• Check the sign-off sheet that accompanies the blue line to make sure the colors to be used, the press run, etc., are as you expect.
• Check the entire proof from the point of view of the reader. Is everything clear? Does it flow smoothly? This is not the time to redesign the piece, but it is cheaper to fix a major flaw even at the film stage than to reprint the job later.

• Are all of the pages there, and in the correct sequence?
• Do headers, footers, and folios line up?
• Do borders and rules that cross over pages align properly?
• Are there typographical errors in the headlines?
• Are all elements in correct register?
• Have live image areas been masked over or trimmed out?
• Are photos correctly placed, scaled, and cropped? Have any been flopped?
• Is the trim size correct? Is the folding correct?
• Is each element in the right color? Is the color vivid and rich?
• Have critical color areas been accurately matched?
• Are there blemishes, spots, or broken letters?
• Have all corrections from the previous proof been made, and made correctly?

We procure printing through contracts written by the United States Government Printing Office (GPO).  These contracts include provisions for “Departmental Quality Copies’ (call ‘Blue Label’ samples) that permits the ordering agency to have a random sampling of the order for quality control purposes.

The ‘Blue Label’ samples are selected randomly by the contractor, packed separately, and identified by a special government-furnished blue label.  These samples will range in umber from 13 to 50 copies depending on the size of the order and are a part of the total quantity ordered by the client.  They must be kept unopened until it is certain that the order is free from defects as they provide the basis for future action against the contractor if a client believes the printing is defective.

When the BMB Publications Office receives a completed print job, it is checked for quality before we send it to the client.  Printed jobs that the client receives directly must be immediately checked for quality and if found defective, the Publications Office should be contacted.

The Publications Office will ask the client to send the unopened ‘Blue Label’ samples.   The Publications Office  will then return the ‘Blue Label’ samples to the GPO in order for the GPO to negotiate with the contractor for a reprint or a reduction in price.

The Publications Office has a policy whereby ‘Blue Label’ samples will be ordered for all reports, and for other printing, e.g., brochures, fliers, forms etc., if the client requests them.

The Publications Offices’ goal is to provide the client customers with a quality-printed job.  We need your assistance in the proper handling of the ‘Blue Label’ samples to accomplish the task.

The answer to that is Yes and No…
CMYK is the process used in printing and it is not as simple as simply giving us a color picture and thinking it is going to working… a little conversation has to happen. To reproduce full-color photographic images, typical printing presses use 4 colors of ink. The four inks are placed on the paper in layers of dots that combine to create the illusion of many more colors. CMYK refers to the 4 ink colors used by the printing press. C is cyan (blue), M is magenta (red), Y is yellow, and K is black, the key plate or key line color. A mistake often made when submitting artwork for 4-color printing is not converting the images to the CMYK color space. This is needed so that the file can be separated into the four colors so that a separate printing plate can be made for each of the colors. Also known as: 4-color process colors. Alternate Spellings: CYMK.

CMYK vs. RGB
Graphics generally uses RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or CMYK colors. Graphics on the Web or designed for on-screen display are RGB images. Because offset printing utilitizes CMYK inks, all full-color graphics need to be saved with CMYK colors. This simple conversion is done in your graphics software program.

Separations
Whether printing in CMYK inks or spot colors, for offset printing you must supply a file that can be separated into different files for each ink color. These separations contain only the elements of the document that will print in one color of ink. The printing plates for offset printing are made from these separations.

Spot Color
Spot colors are specially mixed inks that come in a rainbow of colors, including some specialty inks such as metallic and fluorescent. Unlike CMYK or process color, which creates colors by laying down layer of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in varying amounts on the printed page, spot colors are pre-mixed and applied individually to the printed page.

Note: Determination of Quality Defect will be determined by the Quality Assurance through Attributes Program (QATAP) utilizing the five Product Quality Levels (PQL's).

There are five levels of print or publication quality that a job can request.  The higher the level, the higher the cost.

Level I
Best Quality, which requires the highest standards of printing and finishing.  Examples of this type of quality are art books and medical journals.  We seldom have had a Level I job, probably because of the premium cost for such a job.

Level II
Better Quality, which means high standards for the printing and finishing of the job, Examples of this type of quality would include yearbooks, recruiting material and the Public Papers of the President.  Level II jobs also have a high cost.

Level IV
Basic Quality and is used for generally informational products.  Printing and Finishing must be of an accuracy and appearance that does not impair the function of the product.  Examples which use this quality are technical manuals and telephone directories.

Level V
Functional quality, this level requires that products be printed with no information loss from the original copy.  Examples include interoffice forms and information handouts. (Your standard copier produces level V printing.
The quality levels can be mixed. For instance, the detail on an illustration may be more important than the quality of the binding.  As a result, a Level III may be assigned to the illustration attributes and a Level IV to the remainder of the attributes.  Mixing quality levels usually provides quality where needed and will save money.

This term refers to a prepress technique which allows for slight variations in registration during the press run. A trap is created by overlapping adjacent colors in type and line work. The ability to print a wet ink film over previously printed ink.  Dry trapping is printing wet ink over dry ink. Wet trapping is printing wet ink over previously printed wet ink.  Trapping is the intentional overlapping of colors in a printed piece that prevents unintentional errors in printing from showing.  It is also the intentional overlapping of colors along common boundaries to prevent unprinted paper from showing in the event of misregistration in printing.  All of this normally takes place in your OS using one of the following Graphics Art Programs: Freehand, Illustrator, QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Draw.

There are various types of register that deal with exactly how accurate a job must be:

• Hairline registers - colors touch with no trapping, with no unprinted paper showing.  Hairline register is the most difficult type of registration to maintain and may be impossible to achieve on older presses.
• Loose register - the colors are spaced apart and registration becomes less of an issue.
• Lap register - trapping that is built in to maintain register. Printing quality color requires more than using lap register or trapping.  If you are uncertain whether or not that you have trapping or if there is trapping involved in your project, your Graphics support personnel or Graphics designer should know. If you are still unable to determine whether you have or might have an issue with trapping, the Publications Office and Graphics Office will be more than happy to review your art work, color work and designs to determine if there might be an issue with this.  Normally trapping is seen most often in Brochures, Cover Art, and the like where there is a large block of color surrounding or having what appears to be a different color over laying it. Examples of Trapping are available for your review in the Publications Office to better help you determine if you might have an issue with this.

Another term you will run across while processing your project will be paper weight. This term refers to the density, and texture of the paper you want to use, and not to how heavy it is. It also provides the printer with an idea of how much opaqueness you require for your project.  It also provides you with an idea of how much bleed through or ‘show through’ of print and inks you are willing to work with. The denser the paper weight, it is less likely that print or graphics will show through the pages within your project.  Paper weight can also be linked to coatings as well, allowing for different finished looks. The Publications Office has on hand many samples of paper weights and types to help you better determine what would work best for your project.

This term refers to the manner in which paper is run at the printers; they do not work in pages, since a single sheet can hold up to ten pages of your finished project. The term is not used in the same manner as is commonly referred to when asking for a ‘sheet’ of paper and expecting to get a piece of paper the size of a page. This is also the object that you most likely encounter if you do an on sight press inspection.