What is the best format to print sharp text?

[malyssaa13595466]

I design mainly business cards. Most of my design are produced in Photoshop; however, I've started to convert my designs to Illustrator to get a higher printing quality. When saving my files for print in Photoshop I flatten the file and save as an PDF. I outline my text and save as a PDF in illustrator for printing. The DPI is 300 for both. I notice my text still isn't sharp when either is printed.

I've attached an image of the quality. The font looks pixelated to me. When I zoom in to 800% on Illustrator everything is sharp. The business card on top was produced in Photoshop and the bottom in Illustrator.

What would make my text sharp?

Thanks in advance.

[Monika Gause]

It's not pixelated, it's halftone. Your text is not 100% black. There's some color conversion happening. Either:

1. you set up an RGB file. Use CMYK instead

2. You have inappropriate color management settings

3. It's a cheap print service, that prints in RGB or doesn't know their job or both.

[malyssaa13595466]

Thank you for your response.

1. I use CMYK. That's what my printer supposedly uses.

2. My screen color management on my screen is brighter because at the normal brightness my screen looks dim to me. This being said, I use the Adobe swatch black. In Illustrator, it's set to 100% K. 

3. They are very affordable so this could be the case. When I'm sent the proof to confirm the finishes I do notice if I zoom in it's pixelated as the picture shows. I'm not sure, if my printer is converting my files in any way. I don't see why they would as my files meet the requirements.

[Monika Gause]

Color management is not just your monitor setting.

It's also happening when you save PDFs or when you import files.

Are you sure you set up 100K?

At some point in the workflow your colors are converted. Because those are halftone dots.

[malyssaa13595466]

•  

Yes, I'm sure. And it's not just with the black. The top was produced in Illustrator and the bottom in Photoshop.

[Monika Gause]

You have to be prepared for this happening with colored graphics. But it must not happen with 100K black.

[Test Screen Name]

Outlining text also reduces quality. Don’t do it. You say you work in CMYK. Is it the right CMYK?

[malyssaa13595466]

Really? Yes, I do work and produce designs in CMYK.

[Monika Gause]

You still have not told us your settings when exporting PDF and/or printing. There might be happeneing CMYK to CMYK transformations at that point. The questions about the "right CMYK" hints at that.

[malyssaa13595466]

 

 

 

[Monika Gause]

You have 2 different output settings there. In one of them you do indeed convert colors.

You might want to read a little about color management.