NYCPHP Meetup

[David Roth]

Thanks for helping me make sense out of all this! Just to make sure I
have this right...

So to get the highest possible printing quality, return to the graphic
designer and ask for the template image generated as a vector graphic?
What file format should that be in ready for programming image overlay
manipulation? Since jpeg and png don't support vector graphics, what
file format should this be from the graphics designer? I've seen them
generate PSD (PhotoShop) files, but I'm unfamiliar with SVG if they
support that?

Once the vector graphic file is made available, the software developer
needs to output the overlay manipulation in PS (PostScript) or SVG?

With the final output file in PS or SVG, should these files contain
everything needed to align it for printing? Such as margins built into
it? What do the printers use to send the file to the printer? Rather,
what should they use?

I'm familiar with PS (PostScript) and EPS, where at least under UNIX I
could pipe them to the PostScript printer and that's all that was
needed. Is this perhaps what print shops do with PS or SVG files?
Thanks!

David Roth

On Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 11:35 PM, Michael Traffanstead
<mike at thesandbenders.com> wrote:
> If you're doing large format printing you will want to use vector
> graphics, not raster which will rule out jpeg or png.
>
> Most print shops support PS, PSD and SVG. When using these formats
> make sure your using vector output and not putting a raster image in
> them (which they support).
>
> Done properly it will scale up to any output size at any DPI without
> any pixelization or "jaggies". That's why print shops use these
> formats.
>
> Note that vector graphic files are typically smaller than the
> equivalent raster file, unless it's a very complex design.
>
> Mike
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Apr 7, 2012, at 10:10 PM, David Roth <davidalanroth at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I've noticed that when I've take a large file graphic image, that PDF
>> makes a smaller file out of the whole thing. I'm wondering if there is
>> a way to tell PDF not to do that to allow the printer to munch on the
>> higher quality image?
>>
>> David Roth
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 10:05 PM, Rolan Yang <rolan at omnistep.com> wrote:
>>> On 4/6/2012 4:26 PM, David Roth wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I want to be able to take the output of this on a USB flash drive (or
>>>> DVD-ROM) to a professional printer that is using 11 x 17 color laser
>>>> printers. I want to make this as easy as possible for the printer, so
>>>> they just open the file for printing and go, without any sort of
>>>> adjustments or problems.
>>>>
>>>> What PHP graphics libraries and techniques would be best for this?
>>>> Any tips for creating a high quality PDF file for the printer? Or
>>>> should this be provided in another file format?
>>>> Any tips for working with aligning with pre-cut cards? Thanks!
>>>>
>>>> ...
>>>
>>>
>>> My vote is for an output in pdf format.