In general, don’t use Word files for offset printing. Microsoft never intended Word to be used for offset printing applications. Aside from quality issues, Color Word files can’t be separated into spot colors, only printed in 4 color process. If you have to use Word to create a file to send to your offset printer, here are a few things to look out for:
- If your project is going to print in one color, set up your Word file in black and white! Your color choice can be incorporated on the press in your color choice in place of black. If you set up a color in Word, it can only be separated into the 4 primary color components: Cyan, yellow, magenta and black. For example, if you set up your word file in a medium blue. Let’s say that the blue’s color components are 80% cyan, 30% magenta, 20% black. If your offset printer uses the black separation, he/she will only get a 20% tint of what you’re expecting. Even if the cyan plate is used in this example, only 80% of solid can be achieved. Even if the job is converted to grayscale, the blue won’t translate into a solid color and you’ll have a tint instead of a solid where you expect it. Offset printers have tools to convert Word files for suitability with offset printing, but it could take some work, and it’ll cost money.
- If you want more than one color from a Word file, it’s full color or nothing! Color word files can only be printed in full 4 color process. Word is not capable of creating files that can be separated into spot colors. Given the typical quality of a file created by Word for offset printing, it’s a waste to spend on four color process printing.
- Convert your Word files to PDF before you send them to your printer. It’ll avoid unexpected formatting changes. Your offset printer won’t know if it’s what you intended.
If you want the best results for your offset printing project, use the proper tools. For page layout, the industry standards are Adobe inDesign or Quark Xpress. For vector art, it’s Adobe Illustrator, and for bitmapped files, it’s Adobe Photoshop. Sure, you can use other capable programs, but not all printing companies support them.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great and informative article! As an offset printing company, Copy Craft often runs into the issue of having to deal with clients whom have limited graphic design experience, and want to print file from a MS Word document. You suggestions for how to optimize a Word file for commercial (offset & digital) printing are dead on! There are three things which also need to be considered in addition to what you have outlined:
1. Color – while any colors used in Word will be converted to CMYK, the onscreen colors which display in the word file will often not be as vibrant when the piece prints. For example, the blue which Word uses to display links will not be as bright once printed. This is because Word uses RGB colors. When the colors are converted to CMYK, esp. colors close the the florescent spectrum, they will dull down. This happens because RGB has a significantly higher number of colors in the gamut. Conversion to CMYK will simply try to find the closest match the the RGB color.
2. Black & white – The standard black color MS uses is still comprised of CMYK, therefor it is important to communicate with the printer you chose that your file was created in Word so that they will know the convert your document to grayscale. Converting to grayscale will remove the CMYK values in black type. If your document prints with CMYK black tpye, depending on the font size and the printers ability to properly register small areas, your type could look fuzzy. An example of this can be seen at the Color section of our support center – http://www.copycraft.com/support-center/file-setup – roll your mouse over the underlined word “Rich Black”.
3. If your word document will contain artwork or images they will most likely be low resolution. Going back to your initial statement that Word is not intended for offset printing is exactly right! One reason many people would chose offset printing over printing on a copier is offsets ability to reproduce images and artwork at a higher quality. Images in Word typically are 72-96 dpi and when printed with an offset printer will look pixelated and grainy.
Hope this info helps your readers understand why Word shouldn’t be used for offset printing needs. Many commercial printers will work with a client who only has the ability to supply Word files and for a low cost will offer to take their type from Word and import or typeset it into a industry standard program like InDesign, Illustrator or Photoshop.
Thanks again for the great post!
@Cory Rogers: You are absolutely correct in every one of your comments. Depending on the complexity of the Word file, industry standard applications such as inDesign and Quark can sometimes import the file with the formats relatively intact. However any photos/graphics are usually low resolution RGB files and even though color can be converted to CMYK, black in RGB does not translate to 100% black in CMYK. In the case where the formats “make it” over to inDesign or Quark, your offset printer will still need quality high resolution images.