Making Digital Magic

The craft of trapping for packaging is so specific, in fact, that it has its own language. Production operators throw around terms like centerlines, beveled corners, and holdbacks, the latter of which is used when white text reverses out of a four-color photographic image.

It is possible, while it may not be productive, to trap jobs in popular DTP programs using the stroke method. An object is selected, the "stroke box" is checked, and the color is made to be as an overprint. This method is suitable for simpler jobs, but it may be necessary to employ a higher-performance system when the stroking operation takes an hour or more.