DTP DTP File Management & Prepress Workflow 2

Question 1

What is a 'spot color' in desktop publishing?

Accepted Answer

A specially mixed premixed ink printed as its own separation

Answer

A spot color is a premixed ink (such as a Pantone color) printed in its own pass on press, ensuring color consistency that cannot always be achieved with process color mixing.

Question 2

What does DPI stand for and why does it matter in print production?

Accepted Answer

Dots Per Inch — it measures print resolution and affects image sharpness

Answer

DPI (dots per inch) measures how many ink dots a printer places per inch; higher DPI produces sharper printed images, with 300 DPI being the standard minimum for commercial print.

Question 3

Which color mode should images be converted to before sending to a commercial offset printer?

Accepted Answer

CMYK

Answer

Commercial offset printing uses cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) inks, so images must be in CMYK mode to print accurately and avoid unexpected color shifts.

Question 4

What is a 'bleed' in print layout, and what is the standard bleed distance in the US?

Accepted Answer

Artwork extended beyond the trim edge to prevent white borders; typically 0.125 inch (1/8 inch)

Answer

Bleed extends background colors or images 0.125 inch past the trim line so that after cutting, no white paper edge appears if the cut is slightly off.

Question 5

What does 'overprint' mean in a print production file?

Accepted Answer

Setting an ink to print on top of underlying inks rather than knocking them out

Answer

Overprinting instructs the printing press to lay one ink color directly over another instead of removing the underlying color, which is commonly used for black text and trapping.

(DTP) Desktop Publishing Certification Practice Test

(DTP) Desktop Publishing Certification Practice Test

DTP DTP File Management & Prepress Workflow 2