Digital Prints

The 11 steps in my inkjet printmaking workflow are:
1. Plan the Print.
2. Prep the File.
3. Edit the Image.
4. Save a Print-Specific Version.
5. Scale, Res, and Sharpen.
6. Select and Load Paper.
7. Select Image Settings.
8. Select Printer Driver Settings, Profile or RIP.
9. Make a Test Print (or two or three… ).
10. Make Adjustments and More Test Prints.
11. Make the Final Print(s).
Step 1: Plan the Print
Just like tailors who measure twice and cut once, I spend a lot of time planning out my
prints in advance. This may be less fun than jumping in and starting to image-edit, but
believe me, you will save yourself a lot of headaches if you take your time with this step.
Once I’ve decided on my image and the rough print size, I make a full-size mockup. This
is the best way to see if what you’re planning is really going to work or not. The old-fashioned
way is simply to cut down or tape together pieces of white poster board to equal the
exact finished size of the print. (If you have an extra piece of the actual paper you’ll be
using, that’s even better.) Then, cut out various-sized blocks of a colored paper to match
the image size. I like to try out different sizes, taping them to the white backing piece. This
is a very easy and good way to get a sense of a print’s borders and proportions.
Chapter 8 ■ Making a Great Inkjet Print 261
Full-sized mockups, done with either
blocks of color or low-res versions of the
actual image, are good ways to evaluate
the size and proportions of a print.