Guidelines To Get Familiar With Printing Jargon And Techniques
For those who are not familiar with printing processes, it is amazing how much work goes into producing even the lowliest of newspapers that we take for granted. CTP (computer to plate) technology is just one of those processes along with prepress equipment which helps with the production.
Since the turn of the twenty first century, digital printing has really taken over from older style printing methods. This used to be the more old fashioned way with a dark room and light table but this is no longer the way it is done. They also used large format photography equipment to take images of the finished product, including text and photos, and would then produce copies from this. The process included stripping the original photo onto another plate so that the image could be used multiple times in a row. However, newer methods have really taken over from these methods.
This older process is still used in some industries, but as people are becoming more familiar with the new methods, and as the costs of production keep on falling, digital automation is probably the only way to get printing done accurately. Because of the super software that is available these days, more than one person can work on parts of the paper at any one time. Even reporters in the field can have access to the end result which makes it so much easier for the poor editor who may not recognize who is producing the article. But once the work is in and ready, now is the time that proofers and proof readers start the task of checking for errors so that they do not go into print.
The old fashioned way of producing a newspaper, for example, involved people who would literally put each letter in a plate to make up words. They had the uncanny knack of being able to read everything in reverse since this is how the finished plate would hit the paper. But with the newer methods, this sort of employment is fading fast. However, older workers will certainly keep the art alive to pass on to other interested parties.
The copy editor is the one who will check the layout of the magazine or newspaper and pass it if it looks welcoming. He also checks all for accuracy before the proof reader gets a mocked up copy to check it once again before it is ready to go to press. He, along with the ‘proofer’ who actually produces the mock up, are two very important people in this whole process.
Even with the computer age that we live in there is still a need for human intervention to stop those errors that a computer will definitely miss. Spellings are normally run through a spell checker of course, but the English language is such that although the word may be spelled correctly, it could be the wrong word for that particular piece. This could prove to be rather embarrassing and downright disaster if it got through to the public.
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