· AutomatePrint
Trapping and overprint: different tools for different print problems
Understand how registration tolerance and object interaction affect the final printed result.
Trapping and overprint affect how printed colors meet, but they are not interchangeable. Trapping addresses small registration differences at boundaries. Overprint controls how an object interacts with inks beneath it.
What trapping is for
When separate inks do not align perfectly, a narrow unprinted gap can appear between adjacent colors. A trap adjusts the boundary so a small overlap helps conceal that variation.
The appropriate width and behavior depend on the process, substrate and artwork. A trap suitable for one production route can be visible or excessive on another.
What overprint changes
An overprinting object allows underlying inks to contribute rather than knocking them out in the usual way. That can be useful for some black text and production elements, but it can also create unintended results.
White objects set to overprint deserve close inspection. A normal design preview may not communicate the result that the output process will produce.
Inspect before and after
Check the original artwork, apply the intended preparation and inspect the changed boundaries at useful magnification. Look at fine type, small reversed details and high-contrast transitions.
Use separation and composite views together. One helps explain the ink contributions; the other helps assess the resulting appearance.
Keep preparation tied to the production version
AutomatePrint includes trapping on Production and provides prepress inspection tools for checking the result. Choose settings appropriate to the job and rerun relevant checks after changing the file.
If preparation changes the visible design, determine whether it requires another customer review. Keep the original and prepared versions traceable so production knows which file to output.
Read the trapping guide, trap settings and separation inspection.