FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) we get regarding design, printing and our digital solutions available from Ho Printing.
We also answer some technical questions with regards to submitting artwork for a print fulfilment job
If you have specific design printing questions that are not answered here, please contact us at: marketing@hoprinting.com.sg
DESIGN, PRINTING & DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
The first thing you need to do is take your conceptual layout and turn it into a print-ready finished artwork (FA) in the form of a PDF file. Unfortunately, PPT or Word files may not be the best way to prepare print-ready files even if they can save work in PDF format.
It is best to hire a graphic designer who understands print to layout your artwork in a design software and save it as a print-ready PDF file. A printer will then take the files, perform pre-press production preparations and subsequently print out the project.
The print process (offset or digital) will depend on the print product and the quantity required.
At Ho Printing, we can turn your concept into a print-ready finished artwork and advise the most suitable print process for your project.
We have a creative design system that works very well for clients and ourselves. Clients fill out a design brief which will allow us to understand the objectives of the design project and the deliverable.
Our creative team begins research and our in-house creative director and lead graphic designer will brainstorm ideas to generate concepts that we feel meets the aesthetic and functional vision of the client. In most cases, at least two concepts are presented to the client to approve.
Based on the client’s approval, the concept will be flushed out fully. Depending on the complexity and technical demands of the project, a good creative concept can take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks to develop.
The Ho Printing Creative department can provide a variety of design work including conceptualization, visual branding, communication design and graphic design to deliver a design project that meets your objectives. You have no obligation to print with us.
However, if it is a design and printing project, having us provide a one-stop solution will save you time and money as well as have better control over the quality and timeliness of your project, while maintaining a single point of contact.
Offset printing is generally used for production runs of 500 or more pieces (for publications) and 1000 or more pieces (for single sheet flyers or brochures).
For smaller print runs and if you want to print on demand or include variable printing with personalized content, digital printing is the way to go.
Some clients are concerned that the image quality of digital printing is not as good as offset printing. However, this is dependent on the quality and sophistication of the digital printing press.
For example, Ho Printing is one of the very few printing companies in Singapore to own the HP Indigo W7200 digital press. This digital press allows books to be printed and trimmed in low quantities but with offset printing quality due to the printing technology employed.
Ho Printing’s large format inkjet printers allow us to create almost any large format print product imaginable; from giant posters, banners, signs, stickers, backdrops, murals and promotional display graphics for both indoor and outdoor use.
Our kiss-cut and die-cut capabilities allow us to create cut-to-shape stickers and signs for advertising and marketing purposes.
You can view photos of our capabilities HERE and view all large format products available HERE.
We provide a range of digital solutions but our focus is on web-based applications that facilitate business transformation, streamline workflow processes, increase productivity and connectivity to customers.
In the simplest form, we develop/ design websites that help businesses sell their products/ services or link up their supply chain process with an online platform.
Each digital solution is different and unique to a client so there is no cookie-cutter product or solution that fits all.
If you are in marketing communication or manufacturing, drop us an email at marketing@hoprinting.com.sg to arrange a discussion.
Most definitely. One of our specialties is providing design, print and digital solutions for events and conferences.
Check out our dedicated solutions HERE.
Our global clientele includes Fortune 500 companies, multi-national corporations, government agencies and medium to large enterprises. As we have served a large number of clients over the past 68 years, please contact us directly if you would like specific relevant references. You can also check out testimonials from satisfied clients HERE.
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
A print-ready file refers to the finished artwork (FA) that is given to a printer to print, regardless of the printing process (offset or digital).
A print-ready file is saved in PDF format and includes a 3mm bleed on all sides, trim marks, high resolution images, embedded fonts and is coloured checked (CMYK for offset printing).
Download our simple pre-press checklist HERE that specifies the requirements for a print-ready file.
The printing process that we use for full color processing is primarily CMYK. We print using the primary colors of pigment: Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow and Black. This is the same 4-color (or full color) process that you see in the majority of quality magazines, post cards and national advertisements.
RGB is primarily used to display graphics on computer screens using a combination of just 3 colors: Red, Green and Blue. If your file is in RGB, it must be translated into a CMYK file in order for us to print it.
It is important to use CMYK graphics when you begin designing your work, as the color translation between RGB and CMYK may not always be exact.
Ensure that the graphic designer preparing your files uses CMYK for coloured jobs and just one colour for black & white print projects.
No. The colours of the same artwork will look different when viewed on different mediums. As highlighted above, the offset printing process uses CMYK whereas your computer screen uses RGB.
In addition, the colours of the offset printed artwork will also not match the colours of the printed copies made on your home/ office inkjet or laser printer.
Images display on screen and on print differently.
While images may look excellent on computer screens at 72DPI, for printing; the resolution of your images should be 300 DPI in CMYK.
Besides copyright issues, many images from the Internet may not be suitable for printing as they may only be in 72 DPI and in RGB.
Unless you purchase high-resolution licensed stock photography from websites such Shutterstock or iStock or download high-resolution copyright-free images from websites such as Pixabay or Pexels, avoid simply saving images from the Internet to use in your print project.
You can use any font that you like. If you are providing the print-ready file, ensure the font is embedded in your final artwork as specified in our Simple Pre-Press Checklist.
If you would like us to design your print project, if it is a standard font, we will have the font type in our system. However, if it is a specialty font, it is best you send the font template to us.
You can use an online file-transfer platform such as DropBox or WeTransfer. Or, you can send us the files via FTP to our secured server.
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is the best means for moving large files across the Internet. FTP is a client/server protocol that enables a user with an FTP client to log on to a remote machine, navigate the file system of that remote machine, and upload and download files from that machine.
We can print on any paper stock of thickness between 60gsm and 450 gsm.
Standard (popular) paper that we have in stock include Matt/ Gloss Artcard, Gloss Artcard C1S, Matt/ Gloss, Artpaper, Woodfree, Ivory Card and a variety of FSC-certified paper.
We can also source for a wide variety of specialty paper that you specify.