How do I change my art into prints?

This how-to article will discuss how to turn my art into prints.

I will cover the various types of printing processes, how to convert your PDF to a standard white-on-paper image, how to make the PDF to a color image, and how to create your own custom file type for the final print.

This is a guide for artists, but I will include enough information for those who are just starting out to get something to print with.

Options:

Fusible Polyester – This is the cheapest option, but it also requires your PDF files to be converted to a layer-able format. Your PDF files will have to be re-sized, re-projected, and re-sized again before your final printing is finished.

Giclée Printing – This option takes your artwork further and requires you to create a color Giclée print. You will need a custom-printed giclée file for your artwork. A good option if you have color artwork or don’t need to make additional versions.

Large format printing – If you are a large format printmaker, you can get any of the bigger sizes of printing, depending on what your specialty is. Custom giclée printing can get very expensive.

How to make a PDF file from your Photoshop file:

To convert your PDF to a PDF to a color image, you will need to convert a Photoshop file from a PDF file. To do this, open your PDF file in Photoshop and do this:

Open Photoshop. Go to File > Export > Save for Web. Select the “Save for Web” option for your PDF file.

You can optionally choose the “Copy to Clipboard” if you need to go back and forth between multiple PDF files on your computer.

Save your file as an image file, using the format CDS (Portable Document Format) file. You can rename this file for easier access. When you are ready, you can save the file with a web page URL.

How to convert a PDF file to a color image:

When you create a PDF file from Photoshop, your file will have three types of layers: text layers, shape layers, and grayscale layers.

The text layers are the text you are putting in your PDF. The shape layers are the geometry that makes up your artwork. The grayscale layer is the color scheme.

Since my PDF files are already color in a certain area, I do not have to create new color layers. I can convert my Photoshop file into a PNG image and save it to disk.

The conversion process takes a few steps. My process is shown here, but for beginners, I recommend you use the Adobe PDF Converter as a starting point.

You can easily convert a PDF into a PDF to color image.

How to create your own custom font files:

A standard font file contains the text in all different typefaces. For my prints, I created custom text files for each of the many types of images I print.

These custom font files take some work to make, but when done correctly, they look great. The process is similar to creating a custom Photoshop file, but there is an additional step involving the Giclée printing method.

1. Start by picking the image you want to use and importing it into Adobe Illustrator. Then open your font file in Illustrator.
   • Select your text layer, wherever it is on your vector, and click the “Find Subobject (CS9)” option.
   • You will then see the “Find Subobject (CS9)” menu, shown in this image.
   • Click the “Open and Save Custom” option.
   • Press “Select All” at the top of your window. Make sure you choose “All to Selected.”
   • Click “OK.”
   • Go back to the layer palette and select your text layer again.
   • Click the small “*” symbol at the bottom of your palette, then drag your text layer to the opposite side. (Don’t worry if you can’t see the text layer, you will be able to see it when your custom font file is used.)
   • Now close the “Find Subobject (CS9)” menu in Illustrator.
2. Once you have moved your text layer, open your font file.
   • This time, you will be working on the “Wipe” menu. I have changed the filter to “Copy to Clipboard,” so that I can make as many custom font files as I want.

To create a custom font, we need to create a custom asset of a PNG file. This is the PNG file that will print on paper, once I have added it to my page.

• In your font file, paste the PNG file that you copied and deleted earlier into the file path. Then click the “Add Custom Assets” button and name your asset “Base,” then click the “Add.”
• You will see the “Add Custom Assets” menu, shown in this image.
• Click “Add New” at the bottom of the menu, and name the asset. I named mine “Base.”
• Click the “Convert” button and click the “Convert To.”

The conversion process should take several seconds.

The asset will be converted into an animated GIF file and placed in the asset folder you created earlier.

When I have finished my GIF asset, I save the file as a .png file. I then convert the .png file to a PNG, which will be used to print my book.

For now, my entire print job is complete. To make sure everything prints right, I will print them out on my A3 size HP Deskjet 3630 printer and test them. If they print perfectly, I will make a series of prints to test the process.

Try it out and good luck!