For each of the professions in the Designers Working With Series, we asked the same question, “At what point should your profession be brought into a project?” The designers pretty much agreed on “early”. The writers in the series agreed. The photographers were a bit more relaxed, but they did agree early was a good idea. So, what are the printers and prepress people going for? Well, as you can read below, they are a bit more exact on their entry time.

Alex

To save time and money for printer and client, prepress workers should be brought into every project substantial enough to merit a more thorough process of checking and processing.

Alex Noguera | Prepress Operator
www.bowne.com

Derald

The best time to approach a printer is in the concept phase. If you have a relationship with the printer they will reasonably expect to receive the work and they can help your design stay within the limitations of their presses.

Derald Schultz | Atlanta Graphic Design + Web Design + Printing
Mediarail Design, Inc. | USA

Genie

From the start.

Genie Ho | Prepress and design
PDQ Print | New Zealand

George

Usually before making the artworks, so we won’t waste time adjusting,

George Lee | Printer
Nan Sing Printing | Thailand

John

4 weeks before you think it should.

John Carvalho | Owner/Graphic Designer
Mixed Media: Design & Printing Services | USA

Matt

Once you roll up your sleeves and start any design you should be considering the method in which it will be produced. In other words, you should be considering your printing/printer from the get go. Is this a high volume job? If so, offset press makes more sense than a short run digital. Is it full process or spot colour? Pantones are for an offset, CMYK is more for digital machines or DI presses. Is there embossing, raised ink, foil, etc….once you have a complete list of your projects printing specs you should be on the phone asking: Do you have the capabilities of producing this project? If so, how do you want it supplied, and please fax/email your spec sheet. There is nothing worse than telling a designer that he/she will have to basically change their whole colour scheme (or in some cases, start from scratch). You wouldn’t bring your full colour brochure to a printer who only has a 1 colour press.

Matt Beazley | Printer
www.eyemean.com | Canada

PrintDriver

A wide format print vendor should be consulted before the actual design elements are laid out. It is very important to know a few things up front, the most important being the output device’s optimum image resolution and the media width limitations. There is no need to be working in Photoshop at 300dpi when the machine only needs 50dpi and no mad scrambling when the media you want isn’t manufactured in the width you are requesting. Knowing this beforehand also helps with image acquisition and selection and with accommodating any large bleeds that may be needed. A good rep will be able to suggest products for your specific application without hype.

PrintDriver | Print Consultant | USA

Tom

If necessary, before any design is done. The designer should know that a job can be produced as visualized before too much billable design is done. After that point not until the end user has signed off on the work as complete and correct. If there are production issues after that point the designer should be prepared to be the end user’s eyes when viewing changes done in prepress to make a job actually printable. If prepress is unable to make the piece work correctly, the job may have to go back to the designer and the end user until it’s ready to be resubmitted.

Tom Stege | Lead Prepress Operator - Seattle Location
Print Time Online | USA

Following will be How Printers / Prepress Specialists Charge.

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Designers WW,
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