FAQFrequently Asked Questions
Is the word "Polymancer" a trademark?
The word "Polymancer" is a registered trademark of Polymancer Studios, Inc.. The word may not be used for any purpose without the expressed written permission of Polymancer Studios, Inc..
What printing services does Polymancer Studios offer?
Polymancer Studios can accomodate print runs of any size; from short to very large runs. We have both offset and digital presses available to our clients for all of their printing needs. For those clients who operate by Print On Demand or POD, we can handle those print runs for them. If a client requires lamination, peforation, die-cutting, perfect or spine binding for soft cover books, or case binding for hard cover books we can do that as well. Our services include layout, pre-press, and printing.
What is the difference between commercial offset printing and short-run digital printing?
Commercial offset printing (aka "offset lithography") is conducted on large presses and is designed to handle large quantity print runs. Short-run digital printing (commonly referred to as POD for "Product On Delivery" or "Print On Demandª") is a process that uses machinery that are analogous to very sophisticated laser printers or photocopiers to produce print runs of smaller quantities; the level of quality approaches that of a commercial offset press. Commercial offset printing is best done in quantities of 1000 and up so that the customer can benefit from economies of scale and lower marginal costs, while it is generally more cost effective to use digital printing for smaller jobs.
Is there a difference in quality?
Yes. Offset printing applies liquid ink to paper, which then absorbs the ink. Excellent print quality is achieved in this manner and it remains the standard in most industries for print quality. Digital ("POD") printing melts toner onto a page; the result is that the text and images fade with time and will get stuck together when subjected to excessive levels of heat. Also, the physical aspects of the job (cutting, folding, etc.) are often conducted by hand in digital printing; the same operations are done with automated machinery for offset runs since the sheer volume makes it economical to use the automation.
If offset printing is better than digital printing, then why are digital printers able to accept files at 600 DPI and sometimes higher resolutions when offset printers usually only ask for 300 DPI files?
This is because digital printers actually need larger, higher-resolution files in order to produce products that approach those produced by an offset press in terms of quality.
What do I need to know about page counts?
The most economically efficient page counts are multiples of 8 or 16 since these are basic signatures a printer works with when using offset machines. This is because the papers that are fed to the press are folded several times after being printed on and before being trimmed then bound. Odd numbered page counts are possible but are more expensive since they are accomdated by the use of a the larger signature that the client pays for, which are then discarded as waste. For example, it is less expensive to make a 112-page book with 7 blank pages than it is to make a 105-page book.
Each 8 or 16 page block is called a "signature". Each signature can have different ink on one or both sides. For example, a 32 page book could have either 8 or 16 of its pages in color and the rest in black and white only.
That makes no sense! The printers I deal with let me use any page count I want!
This question comes up enough that we have included in in our FAQ. Predmoniantly this is asked by small or limited run publisher who have mostly or use excusively used POD for their print runs and who are not used to the standards and the requirements of commercial printing. That is because short-run digital printing (POD) is done on a laser printer (albeit an expensive one) and not on a commercial grade press.
What files do I need to have in order to submit a printing job to Polymancer Studios.
Print ready files are the least expensive for the client and these may be in either Quark XPress, Adobe InDesign, or print-ready PDF formats. Quark layouts must be collected for output and InDesign layouts must be packaged for output in order to be considered a print ready submission. Something to bear in mind, all images need in order to print well, to be no less than 300 DPI. Pleas contact us before sending us files in other formats. We accept compressed archives in all standard formats.
How do I submit the files?
Just ask one of our representatives and they will give you detailed instructions on how to upload them to our server. It is possible to e-mail files to us providing your email provider allows that. We also accept CD-ROMs and DVD ROMs sent by mail or courier.
Which image formats should I use?
TIFF (tag image file format, .tif) and EPS (encapsulated postscript, .eps, please note this is different from a .ps file) are standard image file formats that we use. For image compression, use LZW compression rather than ZIP or JPEG and byte order should be Macintosh. In terms of color space, we prefer CMYK color space over RGB, but can work with either one.
What does "pre-press" mean?
That term is used to denote any number of considerations that need to be accounted for before a job can go to the press for printing. Such things included in this are ensuring all files are at the proper resolution, the correct fonts are used and available, there is enough space left to accomoadate bleeds, and so on are examples of some of the considerations that fall under the term pre-press.
What happens when files are submitted for a job that are not pre-press ready?
In very basic terms, this will add to the time needed in order to complete the printing job. Moreover, it will add to the cost of the particular job.
I made or laid out my book in Word or Microsoft Publisher, is that good enough?
Give us a call or send us an email, there are a few things we need to discuss.
I don't know anything about layout, how can I get this done?
There are numerous professional freelance graphic designers out there, who do excellent work, do it relatively quickly, and some are very inexpensive. If you do not know of any drop us a line, we have some on staff and the contact information of others, we can certainly direct you further along.
Can Polymancer Studios do my layout?
Yes. We have an excellent art department as well as a number of skilled graphic artists on call. Our rates are highly competitive so contact us with your job specifications for a quote.