Printing > About choosing an output device

 

About choosing an output device

If you are working with a limited budget, or want to first print black-and-white or color proofs of your illustration, use a 300- to 1200-dpi (dots per inch) desktop printer. For these tasks, often you can use output devices available at your workplace.

If you require accurate, high-quality color reproduction, use a high-resolution PostScript output device available through a service bureau, commercial printer, or other service provider. Be sure to check with the provider to find what files and prepress options are needed to create the output you have in mind. Also, keep in mind that using an external service provider requires additional time in your production schedule.

You can output your document to a disk as a PostScript file that contains all of the print options you have applied. In some cases a service provider will use the PostScript file (rather than the FreeHand file) to create the printed document.

A service provider can output your document in a variety of forms. For example, an imagesetter prints high-resolution, camera-ready art or color separations on either paper or film. A dye sublimation or high-resolution proofing device (such as the 3M Matchprint system) prints high-resolution color proofs. A film recorder can create 35 mm slides of your illustrations.