Re: music CD project

2000-07-27 Thread Bjoern Buerger

* Jon K Anderson ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) [000726 10:36]:
> a year now.  As a hobby project, I am working on a music CD
> cover art and lyrics booklet.  I am hoping that someone out there can
> give me some advice on how to get gimp digital work out to a print
> shop.  (I am afraid that I am a total novice about printing :-])

Do you need only a few of those booklets or will it be used for a 
professional cd production ? For your personal use, using 
Postscript with the right PPD schould be the right way.
For professional cd production, the manufacturer needs special 
color separated films with different specifications for 
Inlaycard/Booklet and the CD-Label (They use offset printing for the booklets and
Siebdruck (screen printing ?) for the cd-label.

These websites will give you an Idea of those things:
http://www.sonopress.de/eng/c_1_8.html
http://www.mediabit.de/cd/spezifikationtechnik.html
http://www.mediabit.de/cd/index.html
(the mediabit site is in german, try 
 http://babelfish.altavista.com for translation ;)

Ciao, Bjørn

-- 
o_)   Bjoern Buergerhttp://bbuerger.home.pages.de
   .-. _/\   .---  
--/---\-/(/-' Linux  User  Group  Braunschweig  (LUG - BS)
   `-'http://www.tu-bs.de/initiativen/LUG/ 




Re: music CD project

2000-07-26 Thread Jon K Anderson

Thank you for the responses.  Maybe I need to clarify a bit.

If I wasn't clear before, my intention is to hire someone else to do
the
actual printing and assembly.  I am speaking of a printer as a person
who works in a mass printing shop rather than a machine which is
connected to my computer.

Here is my response to Christian (thank you) and I also have a few more
questions further below.

Christian Grothoff wrote:

> Sounds *very* familiar. I've been involved in a project for a
> pair of CDs and most of the cover-art was made with the gimp...

Cool!

> Well, I ended up printing the covers on an Tektronik Phaser 390
> or something like that. The main problem was: though all
> the "good" printers can read postscript and though gimp can
> produce postscript, the colors the printer will use will look
> quite different from what you've seen on your screen. The first
> step to take is to get a PPD-File *for your printer*. The
> producer should offer one. Tell gimp to use it (under Preferences
> in the print-dialog). The resulting ps-file should be pretty
> good already.

I am not quite sure I understand here.  I am trying to output my work
as a Postscript file ... (OK, that makes sense) ... in order to print a
nice copy from my *own* printer so that I can ... (pick one) ...
a) See that the colors look good in print before I send out
my work digitally.
b) Print all of the covers myself from my own printer.
c) Make a camera-ready copy to send to the printers.
d) None of the above.
(Please disregard if this is a result of the confusion over the word
"printer" that I mentioned above.)

I printed it once at a Kinko's (a popular US copy center franchise) on
a
color printer there, but I don't think I can trust it as a gage for how
it would really look from a high-quality printer.

About ppd files, I found a few ppd files on my system associated with
gnuStep, but I have never dealt with them before.  Ppd files are
something I will have to learn about.  AND I can't find the
print-dialog.  I go to File >> Preferences and see tabs which read
Display, Interface, Environment, and Directories, but none of them seem
to have printer setting information in them.  (Is my gimp installation
incomplete?)

I don't mean to be a pain, I just don't understand.

> The next step to improve the quality would probably be to calibrate
> your monitor, read the GUM for details about that.

Good point!!  My copy from Kinko's was a little dark. I wonder if my
monitor might have had something to do with it.

> Oh, please post a summary on the replies & what worked best in your
> case on gimp-user --- I think there're quite a few people looking
> for tips in this area --- including me :-)

I sure will.

...

Reading some of brochures online regarding printing, I was thinking
that either I might have to put it in a special format (will
PhotoShop's psd format work for me?), or I would have to do something
like 4-color separation onto film (who would do that for me?).

Actually, at one time I had a filter in Gimp which could do color
separation, but then after I upgraded gimp one time, I lost it somehow.
 I think it might have been part of some unstable add-ons.  It would be
nice if I could get it back.  Anyone else seen it?  (Maybe this would
be useful for me. ?? )

I have never sent off anything to be mass printed before and of course
printers know nothing about gimp.  (When they ask, "Is your work on
Windows or Mac?"  My answer, "Well, actually, Linux.  Have you ever
heard of Gimp?" ... Doesn't get much of a response.)

I hope that I am not off in a completely wrong direction.  I really
want to get this right and when I do (I hope with all of your help) it
sounds like we might all benefit from my experiences here.

Jon



Re: music CD project

2000-07-26 Thread Jon Anderson

Thank you for the responses.  Maybe I need to clarify a bit.

If I wasn't clear before, my intention is to hire someone else to do
the
actual printing and assembly.  I am speaking of a printer as a person
who works in a mass printing shop rather than a machine which is
connected to my computer.

Here is my response to Christian (thank you) and I also have a few more
questions further below.

Christian Grothoff wrote:

> Sounds *very* familiar. I've been involved in a project for a
> pair of CDs and most of the cover-art was made with the gimp...

Cool!

> Well, I ended up printing the covers on an Tektronik Phaser 390
> or something like that. The main problem was: though all
> the "good" printers can read postscript and though gimp can
> produce postscript, the colors the printer will use will look
> quite different from what you've seen on your screen. The first
> step to take is to get a PPD-File *for your printer*. The
> producer should offer one. Tell gimp to use it (under Preferences
> in the print-dialog). The resulting ps-file should be pretty
> good already.

I am not quite sure I understand here.  I am trying to output my work
as a Postscript file ... (OK, that makes sense) ... in order to print a
nice copy from my *own* printer so that I can ... (pick one) ...
a) See that the colors look good in print before I send out
my work digitally.
b) Print all of the covers myself from my own printer.
c) Make a camera-ready copy to send to the printers.
d) None of the above.
(Please disregard if this is a result of the confusion over the word
"printer" that I mentioned above.)

I printed it once at a Kinko's (a popular US copy center franchise) on
a
color printer there, but I don't think I can trust it as a gage for how
it would really look from a high-quality printer.

About ppd files, I found a few ppd files on my system associated with
gnuStep, but I have never dealt with them before.  Ppd files are
something I will have to learn about.  AND I can't find the
print-dialog.  I go to File >> Preferences and see tabs which read
Display, Interface, Environment, and Directories, but none of them seem
to have printer setting information in them.  (Is my gimp installation
incomplete?)

I don't mean to be a pain, I just don't understand.

> The next step to improve the quality would probably be to calibrate
> your monitor, read the GUM for details about that.

Good point!!  My copy from Kinko's was a little dark. I wonder if my
monitor might have had something to do with it.

> Oh, please post a summary on the replies & what worked best in your
> case on gimp-user --- I think there're quite a few people looking
> for tips in this area --- including me :-)

I sure will.

...

Reading some of brochures online regarding printing, I was thinking
that either I might have to put it in a special format (will
PhotoShop's psd format work for me?), or I would have to do something
like 4-color separation onto film (who would do that for me?).

Actually, at one time I had a filter in Gimp which could do color
separation, but then after I upgraded gimp one time, I lost it somehow.
 I think it might have been part of some unstable add-ons.  It would be
nice if I could get it back.  Anyone else seen it?  (Maybe this would
be useful for me. ?? )

I have never sent off anything to be mass printed before and of course
printers know nothing about gimp.  (When they ask, "Is your work on
Windows or Mac?"  My answer, "Well, actually, Linux.  Have you ever
heard of Gimp?" ... Doesn't get much of a response.)

I hope that I am not off in a completely wrong direction.  I really
want to get this right and when I do (I hope with all of your help) it
sounds like we might all benefit from my experiences here.

Jon


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Re: music CD project

2000-07-26 Thread Jon Anderson

Thank you for the responses.  Maybe I need to clarify a bit.

If I wasn't clear before, my intention is to hire someone else to do
the
actual printing and assembly.  I am speaking of a printer as a person
who works in a mass printing shop rather than a machine which is
connected to my computer.

Here is my response to Christian (thank you) and I also have a few more
questions further below.

Christian Grothoff wrote:

> Sounds *very* familiar. I've been involved in a project for a
> pair of CDs and most of the cover-art was made with the gimp...

Cool!

> Well, I ended up printing the covers on an Tektronik Phaser 390
> or something like that. The main problem was: though all
> the "good" printers can read postscript and though gimp can
> produce postscript, the colors the printer will use will look
> quite different from what you've seen on your screen. The first
> step to take is to get a PPD-File *for your printer*. The
> producer should offer one. Tell gimp to use it (under Preferences
> in the print-dialog). The resulting ps-file should be pretty
> good already.

I am not quite sure I understand here.  I am trying to output my work
as a Postscript file ... (OK, that makes sense) ... in order to print a
nice copy from my *own* printer so that I can ... (pick one) ...
a) See that the colors look good in print before I send out
my work digitally.
b) Print all of the covers myself from my own printer.
c) Make a camera-ready copy to send to the printers.
d) None of the above.
(Please disregard if this is a result of the confusion over the word
"printer" that I mentioned above.)

I printed it once at a Kinko's (a popular US copy center franchise) on
a
color printer there, but I don't think I can trust it as a gage for how
it would really look from a high-quality printer.

About ppd files, I found a few ppd files on my system associated with
gnuStep, but I have never dealt with them before.  Ppd files are
something I will have to learn about.  AND I can't find the
print-dialog.  I go to File >> Preferences and see tabs which read
Display, Interface, Environment, and Directories, but none of them seem
to have printer setting information in them.  (Is my gimp installation
incomplete?)

I don't mean to be a pain, I just don't understand.

> The next step to improve the quality would probably be to calibrate
> your monitor, read the GUM for details about that.

Good point!!  My copy from Kinko's was a little dark. I wonder if my
monitor might have had something to do with it.

> Oh, please post a summary on the replies & what worked best in your
> case on gimp-user --- I think there're quite a few people looking
> for tips in this area --- including me :-)

I sure will.

...

Reading some of brochures online regarding printing, I was thinking
that either I might have to put it in a special format (will
PhotoShop's psd format work for me?), or I would have to do something
like 4-color separation onto film (who would do that for me?).

Actually, at one time I had a filter in Gimp which could do color
separation, but then after I upgraded gimp one time, I lost it somehow.
 I think it might have been part of some unstable add-ons.  It would be
nice if I could get it back.  Anyone else seen it?  (Maybe this would
be useful for me. ?? )

I have never sent off anything to be mass printed before and of course
printers know nothing about gimp.  (When they ask, "Is your work on
Windows or Mac?"  My answer, "Well, actually, Linux.  Have you ever
heard of Gimp?" ... Doesn't get much of a response.)

I hope that I am not off in a completely wrong direction.  I really
want to get this right and when I do (I hope with all of your help) it
sounds like we might all benefit from my experiences here.

Jon


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Re: music CD project

2000-07-26 Thread pixel fairy

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Has anyone out there used gimp for a professional (or semi-professional)
> project that involved mass printing?

ive got a CD cover lined up later thing month/early next month...
 
> I am new to this list but I have been messing about with gimp for about
> a year now.  As a hobby project, I am working on a music CD
> cover art and lyrics booklet.  I am hoping that someone out there can
> give me some advice on how to get gimp digital work out to a print
> shop.  (I am afraid that I am a total novice about printing :-])

the easiest way is with a CD labler like the cd stomper (they are cheap at
places like frys electronics) that covers the lable and the cardboard that
goes into the cd case (aka j card). for the little book, your best bet is
probably kinkos unless you kow of a good print shop that wont charge much,
in which case your very lucky.

this kind of thing is actually better done in page layout with vectors
than completly with something like the gimp. if nothing else, it makes
fonts easier to work with. of course this brings back the question of
sutable page layout software for linux...




music CD project

2000-07-26 Thread Jon K Anderson

Hello everyone,

Has anyone out there used gimp for a professional (or semi-professional)
project that involved mass printing?

I am new to this list but I have been messing about with gimp for about
a year now.  As a hobby project, I am working on a music CD
cover art and lyrics booklet.  I am hoping that someone out there can
give me some advice on how to get gimp digital work out to a print
shop.  (I am afraid that I am a total novice about printing :-])

(If anyone is interested, a low-res version of my work is located at:
http://tt-132-6.tuliptree.indiana.edu/jon/chilean/
But the page is only accessible after 4pm EST because I have that
computer turned off during the daytime hours.)

Thanks,
Jon



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