problem printing - amateur

Discussion in 'Print Community General Printing Discussion' started by oem_odm, Oct 2, 2009.

  1. oem_odm

    oem_odm New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2009
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    uk
    hi all

    i have a problem printing some simple documents for "picket fence animation".....it consists of:

    1 = a piece of paper with 4 different images on it, each image is made of fine lines.
    2 = a piece of clear plastic sheet, printed with thicker lines

    Put the plastic over the paper, slide it and voila - it creates an animating illusion, such as:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5W5JJXtqhw

    Problem = I need help preparing the file accuratley.

    That means, whilst on photoshop everything looks perfect (i.e. it works) - when it's printed out - the lines on the paper "don't" match the lines on the bars. It seems whilst the documents are both perfect on computer, they are printed out slight different scale....

    can anyone help me out..?
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Jeff

    Jeff Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2006
    Messages:
    702
    Location:
    Michigan
    If you're sure the layout of both is perfect for both of them, then the question comes down to which printer you're using, it's condition, and how you're printing.

    Are you printing these on a laser or inkjet, and which specific printer are you using?

    On an inkjet, did you print one full bleed? A number of consumer inkjet print drivers achieve "full bleed" by actually scaling up the file you send it so it extends beyond the page and then overspraying the print onto the pad which sops up the overspray ink. They figure most consumers don't want to worry thinking about supplying their own bleeds in the files they're sending, so when you check the box for full bleed they just scale up the incoming image slightly so it has bleed area.

    If it's a laser, it's not uncommon for the fuser to have some skew on many models, especially when you get special stocks involved or transparencies. Can you use a light table to print the bars on paper with the exact same print driver settings as the multiline graphic and see if they still don't line up?
     
  3. oem_odm

    oem_odm New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2009
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    uk
    hello jeff - thankyou for your reply

    i tried both, inkjet and laser - im not technical enough to understand the settings. All I know is the settings we're:

    - no scaling (print 100%)
    - extra fine (print quality)

    - I looked for the bleed function you described, but I don't understand as surely both images (paper and plastic) would be altered by the machine equally right? Not differently... I printed out the black bars on half the A4 and the lines on another half, as a test - and it works. But when seperated....it they don't line up.

    I visited print shops to do the job for me. The inkjet shop had no idea.

    The laser shop said the transparency actually shrinks from the heat of the laser machine. I'm not sure if I believe that.

    What do you recommend...I could send you the photoshop file for your opinion?

    thanks
     
Loading...