Why does text need strokes around them? Attached example.

[AlexRossi76]

111111111111111111

 

[Stephen Marsh]

vertyuk, it is to do with registration, or more to the point - misregistration.

This is basically the same issue as one faces when there is reverse type out of a rich black panel.

EDIT: Attached is a simple animation split between left and right views.


Stephen Marsh

 

[DCurry]

I think it could also have to do with legibility - by putting a solid keyline around the letter shape, you allow the letter shapes to be defined by a nice sharp line, whereas if the reverse type is sitting against a screened background the edge of the type won't be "clean" due to the screen pattern.

 

[AlexRossi76]

111111111111111111

 

[AlexRossi76]

I think it could also have to do with legibility - by putting a solid keyline around the letter shape, you allow the letter shapes to be defined by a nice sharp line, whereas if the reverse type is sitting against a screened background the edge of the type won't be "clean" due to the screen pattern.

ahuh, this also makes sense.. Guess there are afew reasons for it.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

ahuh, this also makes sense.. Guess there are afew reasons for it.

I agree with Dan as well. Additionally to Dan’s point and coming back to my original point, with small fine reversals, misregistration can also affect legibility. You will likely find that ingredients lists, nutritional tables, weight statements and other legal text have thicker keylines or perhaps these areas may be designed to use a single ink in a panel/block.


Stephen Marsh

 

[Al Ferrari]

Hey Dan and Stephen,

Note that the "outline" on the white type is a tint of the surrounding solid! So you two can discard sharpening of the text edges as a motive for the "outline", at least on the posted sample.

Al

 

[AlexRossi76]

111111111111111111

 

[Al Ferrari]

This one is the same. But what is it that you think went wrong with it? In your own words.

Al

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Hi Al, I took the original PDF with a large grain of salt, the background image was also meant to be K only overprinting the spot, however it was setup as RGB with no overprinting.

I was going by the text description for the finer details.


Stephen Marsh

 

[Al Ferrari]

Hi Stephen,

Well, looking at his Illustrator file, the "stroke" is solid PMS 2716C, and it is a stroke on solid type of the same PMS placed behind the white type. The darker background is a black radial blend over a solid of the PMS.

This is a case in which the "stroke" on the type serves only an artistic purpose and actually "softens" the appearance of the white text against the background. This is probably not a good example of the outlined text the OP says he often sees in packaging.

We are wasting our time here.

BTW, how did you determine that there is any RGB color in this?

Al

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Hi Al,

Acrobat Pro Object Inspector states that the radial gradient is RGB and in multiply blend mode.

Acrobat Pro Separations Preview indicates that there are no CMYK objects in the PDF. There are RGB and Spot objects.

Acrobat preflight or PitStop Pro 12 preflights indicate RGB etc.

When I opened up the original attachment into Illustrator, it opened into RGB mode, not CMYK.

Rasterizing the PDF into Photoshop, the gradient comes in as CMYK and not K only.


Stephen Marsh

 

[Al Ferrari]

OK, I see that the original pdf opens in Illustrator as RGB; but the Illustrator file opens up in CMYK.

But in either mode the stroke is in a solid color, not a tint. But as I said, this stroke creates/adds a softening visual effect to the white text, decreasing the contrast, thus not sharpening it.

The stroke was added because the creator wanted it there. Let's not read more into it.

Al