Transparency and proper export for printing

[scriber]

I prepared a magazine cover using Scribus. My cover page include also few shapes filled with a transparent color.
As a recap there is:
- a "background" image
- over it a transparent shape
- over again a text frame

Transparent shape is needed to boost contrast between text and its background.

My question: how should I export my work properly to ensure the final printed result preserve what I see on the screen?

The exported PDF seems exactly as expected, but on my screen... I'm going to send it to a print shop for few hundred of copies. How to ensure the same result also on paper?

Thanks in advance!

[PatJr]

see if they can do a proof before the run

[scriber]

As I read around, that's the golden rule to ensure result exactly as desired. But for online services, how does that work?
Because if they print and send to me a copy to confirm, would be really slow...
Are they usually be able to verify themself with a proof and compare to my digital document (my PDF generated by Scribus)?

[OSDP]

Excuse my bad english. Spontaneously (I have very few experience with printers) I prefer to export cover/poster/work in one image .tiff. Maybe you need adjusting yours settings for best matches rendering of your original .pdf with the .tiff.
Then you can very well export this .tiff into .pdf via scribus if useful.

For me, from what I have read and understand, what can often cause possible problems with a printer, will be "officially" : "the original software source of the document" (...), "fonts", "transparency effects" and "other effects"... An image is by definition "flat" : the possible problems of fonts management, transparencies and effects will not be affected. The only (possible) problem that will remain to be managed, will be related to colorimetry.

For me, a flat image as a page (in your case your cover), will give less potential problems than a .pdf source including effects, raster and vector images with transparencies, + fonts...
But it might require some extra work (to get the .tiff equivalent to what you want).

https://forums.scribus.net/index.php/topic,4349.0.html

[OSDP]

As I read around, that's the golden rule to ensure result exactly as desired. But for online services, how does that work?

They can submit a digital proof (a .pdf) of your work that you can accept as is or not.

Are they usually be able to verify themself with a proof and compare to my digital document (my PDF generated by Scribus)?

In French, for that we have the BAT...

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imprimerie

Once the digital document is completed, we will produce the contractual proof that will anticipate the final appearance and conformity of the work (typography, location of illustrations, respect for colors). This document has become «good to draw» will serve as a reference for the printer who will have to respect its aspect. The test is called contractual because it serves as a reference in case of dispute.

[a.l.e]

as you wrote, the golden rule is said to be:"talk to your printer".

OSDP suggestion to ask for a pdf proof is for sure a good one!

if the printer does not offer that, keep in mind that the bigger part of the "talking" is about knowing your printer.
and you can do that even without really being able to talk with them.

you can introduce "dangerous" features in small areas, with details that can fail without ruining the whole work.
and, when the product is printed, you will probably be the only one who will notice, if it has been printed correctly or not.
as an example, if you want to test the drop shadows (in a specific color), you can add add a small 1mm x 1mm box in a corner on a meaningless page.
and then, if everything works correctly, use the feature in your next print job.

this having been said, there is one big issue with this workaround:
the printer can change the workflow at any time, without telling you.
and since printers often have "non standard" requirements (the most common one being: pdf 1.4 without transparencies), this can give you a useless pile of paper.

[OSDP]

I prefer to export cover/poster/work in one image .tiff.

Always ensure with a background color/image. Becouse the .tiff manages transparency.
Or exporting in .jpg / .jpeg : not manages transparency.


https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/file-types/image/comparison/jpeg-vs-tiff.html

The Tag(ged) Image File Format generally abbreviated TIFF is a file format for digital image. Adobe is the custodian and initial owner (via Aldus).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIFF

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPEG