When researching for the printing section of the Designers Working With Series, I came across a true jewel, Margie’s Print Tips.

Each and every week since 1999, Margie Dana has published her e-column, the Print Tip of the Week. Written in plain English, these columns address a wide range of industry-related topics, from basic printing processes to cutting-edge technologies. Subscribers to Margie’s Print Tips receive a weekly education about the printing industry presented in a lively, upbeat style (Margie’s “loco for litho” and it shows).

After you sign up for a weekly print tip, be sure to visit Margie’s impressive archives for past issues.

Until the next
Resourceful Friday,
cat

When it comes time to print your brand identity materials, there’s one overarching question for you to consider - whether to print the resulting materials on a digital printer or traditional press. There are many differences between the two processes, some of which are outlined below.

Digital Printing

Less expensive - Digital printing is a direct-to-paper printing process. As a result, it often runs about one-half of the cost of press printing.

Lose color accuracy - Digital printing is a four-color printing process. Four colors - cyan, magenta, yellow, and black - are printed in tiny dots that when visually mixed together, create various colors. This, in addition to the different set-ups and settings on the machines from press-to-press, batch-to-batch and printer-to-printer, can produce a wide range of different color results. You can never be certain what you’ll get.

Lose color range - Four-color printing has limitations on the brightness, saturation, and range of colors available - when mixing colors in this way. To produce bright reds, oranges, blues, and purples, especially, press printing is a better choice.

Cost of proofing - Proofing is one way to produce accurate color. Proofing can be costly, especially when compared to the overall cost of the job. But, since the proof is created on the same equipment that the final job is printed on, it is often quite accurate.

Can be faster - Since no pre-press work or press setup is needed, running your job on a digital press can be faster, depending on how many jobs the printer has in the queue before yours. Some printers can even offer same-day service. Three days is a standard turnaround time for many of the web-based digital printing companies.

Limited paper choice - Digital presses can only accommodate a limited paper thickness, and many digital printing companies only offer smooth, white papers. Thus, if a thick business card is important to you, then digital printing is not your right choice.

Limited finishing choices - Foil stamping, metallic inks, and embossing services are usually not offered by digital printing houses. Some digital printers also do not offer die-cutting or special folding services.

Limited choice of material sizes, styles, and formats - Digital printers will offer a very specific “menu” or range of products. If you want to create innovative marketing materials, such as the brochure-style business cards that we create at elf design, then digital printing is not a choice for your project. Large formats are also not available with many digital printers, as the largest paper size they can accommodate is 11″ x 17″.

Press Printing

More costly - The difference in costs is mainly due to setup costs. For press printing, films must be produced, and plates may have to be produced as well, which are additional items that add to the overall cost. Additional time is involved in setting up and aligning the press, as well as washing the press. Also, there are more overruns from traditional printing, since you cannot program in a specific number of pages to be printed as you can with a digital printer. Most printers consider overruns to be billable, or they add an additional cost for that into the initial estimate. Jobs done on a press will typically run about twice the cost of digital printing.

Excellent color accuracy - The Pantone Matching System (PMS) offers great color accuracy. Pantone colors are mixed to precise, pre-set specifications, which are printed each year in their color matching guides. You can consult these books to see exactly what the final color will look like in advance. It’s a lot like going to the paint store and specifying colors for your home on the paint chips they offer - you know what you’ll get. So, if color accuracy is important to you, then press printing may be the best choice.

Brighter colors are available - Since the Pantone colors are mixed using inks, they can be created to be much brighter and more intense. So, if lively colors are important to your brand image, then press printing may be the way to go.

Cost of proofing - For four-color press jobs, proofing is often not too expensive when compared to the overall cost of the job. However, it can be inaccurate, depending on the type of proof run and the type of press on which your final job will be printed.

For two- or three- color jobs printed using the Pantone system, complete color proofing is often not available. However, samples of the colors are available in the Pantone books. And, inexpensive laser prints or inkjet prints can be created to view the positioning of the elements of the page. With a little imagination, you can visualize how the final job will look.

Press printing can take longer than digital - There are several additional steps involved in press printing, which are taken care of using direct-to-press, digital technology. Films and plates must be made, the press set up, run the job and then tune us needed for drying. Then cutting, folding, and other finishing must take place.

Types of paper - Choose from an entire rainbow of paper colors - fire-engine red to deep blue, sunflower yellow to pitch black. There is also a wide range of thicknesses and textures from which to choose, including specialty papers, such as vellum and metallic papers. If you are considering using nontraditional paper your card or materials, press printing is the best way to go.

Fine line screens are available - The result of this is that even under close inspection, the color will look smooth and seamless. It will also appear brighter and more intense.

Wide range of finishing techniques - All finishing options are possible with press printing. Metallic inks can be run through the press as easily as can a nonmetallic ink. Embossing, die cutting, and foil stamping can be done in traditional printing houses. You can create materials that really stand out using these techniques.

Innovative formats, shapes, and sizes are possible - Traditional press printing can accommodate a wide range of paper sizes and can result in innovative and creative finished projects. This is largely due to the “have-it-your-way” range of options, where you can specify special sizes and finishing techniques.

We hope that the above primer on the pros and cons of both digital printing and press printing helps you to decide which you will choose to produce your materials.

This post is part of the Designers Working With series. Check it out for more …

Erin Ferree | Owner and Lead Designer
elf design | eBook Stand Out! Differentiate Your Business to Build a Solid Foundation for Your Brand

©2005 Erin Ferree
First published at Creative Latitude

*sigh…Okay…I’ll try to explain it again…

What part of deadline are you unsure of?

Really? I’m wondering. Because you come to my cubicle, you ask for something beautiful, readable, understandable, and then I say “It will take two weeks if you can get me the info by Monday.”

MONDAY.

YES, the MONDAY that just passed a week ago.

And I appreciate the ‘gift’ of 90 percent of the information on that MONDAY DEADLINE. I do. I’m not being ungrateful here. But 90 percent is another way of saying “I am crippling you from doing your job.”

I needed that 10 percent of information from you. I needed it MONDAY. On the DEADLINE.

Oh, wait…what was that? You’re sure I can get it in there? Really? Well, as it turns out, I can get it in there. Yup. No problem. But your two weeks have already turned into three weeks.
Calm down. Calm Down…Calm the *&@* down!

I said two weeks if you can get me the info by Monday. It’s now TEN days since the deadline.

Ten Days.

Yes. Yup. Ten.

No, it will not arrive a week before September the First. Because August the 22nd is six working days from September the first and the printer needs 7-10 working days.

Okay, let me back up and do this very slowly so you get this: You turn in data. I put it on paper, send to printer.
Printer say ten days.
You whine like beyotch and drag feet.
I scream.
I drag info from you slowly and painfully like back alley abortion.
After i send to printer you try to change info.

NO.
BAD.

Don’t make me have to kill you, man. Proof does NOT mean “Last chance to change everything.” Proof means “last chance to fix the one error 400 people missed.”

What?

*sigh…Okay…I’ll try to explain it again…

until the next
Dyer Straits
Tom

Thomas (Tom) Stephan | Director of Something Clever
BoDo Author | Dyer Straits

In the Designers Working With Series, I’ve been covering printers, pre press and printing. Keeping with the print theme, for this Resourceful Friday I’m sharing David Airey’s blog of the same name.

Irish born David has come up with a printing list worth checking out.

12 money-saving questions to ask before printing your promotional material

1. Did more than one person proof-read the job?
2. If we change the size of the printed product can we print on a smaller press and save money?
3. Did you make a “dummy” or mock-up to check configuration and presentation of your job?
4. Are you absolutely sure about the quantity to be printed?
5. If there are photos in the document, do they need to be retouched?
6. Is the paper opacity sufficient or will there be any see-through?
7. What about the texture of the paper?
8. Can we substitute our choice of paper for a stock that is less expensive, while still looking as good?
9. Will ink colours change when printed on a particular type of paper?
10. Does the printed sheet need a varnish?
11. Can we print four colours on one side of the sheet and black on the reverse to give the illusion of a “four colour process” job?
12. Can we combo-run any of the elements for a cost-savings?

Other great posts by David on the subject of printing

• File preparation for commercial print
• How paper can critically affect the colour of your printed product
• Design guide for print

Or David’s Printing Resources

• Commercial Color Offset Printing | Printing Terms-A Sponsored by TigerPressOnline
• Preparing your files for Printing on a Commercial Printing Press by Gregg Stalter (AKA Cappy)
• The Impotence of Proofreading by Daniel Scocco at Daily Writing Tips

David’s blog has much more than printing so be sure to get over to his Featured Articles for more.

Until the next
Resourceful Friday,
cat

Process is about getting from point A to point B. In the case of printing, it’s about getting from file to the delivery end of the press with the least amount of aggravation and error. That’s why a predicable and repeatable process is so important.

Without a solid process in place, things and easily go helter skelter. Seasoned pros have worked out the bugs. They’ve found what works and what doesn’t. They know what to look for and where the problem area are likely to be found.

To follow, when asked “How do you work?”, some of our BoDo printer buddies share their thoughts and tactics when it comes to the printing process.

Alex

My work process is dictated by the type of project at hand. Generally in a prepress position I am looking for problem areas in a printable file before it goes to plate and the press to avoid wasted materials and time. Main points would be fonts, colors, content, sizing, layout, special elements such as pocket folds or inserts, placement for perforations, page numbers, cross-overs, transparency, and overprint settings.

Alex Noguera | Prepress Operator
www.bowne.com

Chris

I first want the designer to know my abilities, strengths and weaknesses. What I can deliver and what I can’t. Next, I want them to be informed on proper prepress and the types of files that make it easiest for us to print. From there, I like to get a physical proof in their hands so they can see that screen and printer images aren’t always identical. And then we go to print.

Chris Tomlinson | Owner: Gonink - Design & Print
Gonink - Design & Print | A Designer’s Journey | USA

Derald

After our quote has been approved we set a production time on our press schedule for the project, order the paper and preflight digital files. If there are any inconsistencies or problem areas we contact the designer and make our recommendations.

The designer has the option of fixing the issues (if any) themselves or we can make the corrections for them for a preset price. If the designer wishes to press check the job we will provide a date and time for them to arrive.

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

Genie

Quickly.

Genie Ho | Prepress and design
PDQ Print | New Zealand

George

We get a sample, either a print out or CD of the art. Then we print proof this art for the customer to approve. After approval we make the printing plates and color proof for final approval.

George Lee | Printer
Nan Sing Printing | Thailand

John

Being a Designer / Printing Broker makes me both the designer and printer 90% of the time. The process is presented to my clients simultaneously, almost like a marketing agency might do, only working with Mixed Media is generally a much more personal experience.

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

Matt

Simply put, I lay down the rules. As a rule of thumb a PDF and fonts (or fonts converted to outlines/curves before converting to PDF). If a PDF won’t work (can be a million reasons including how the sun and moon are lined up) I ask for the native files (most printers can accept files for the major graphics software out there). I can’t tell you how many wonderful designs I see that simply can’t be printed over the most basic of pre-press issues. No bleeds, poor resolution on images, etc. Getting an actual “print ready” file is a rarity at times, but those designers who do their homework and design their projects around the production methods are a printers best friend. The Links below are great resources for preparing your files to print.

www.allgraphicdesign.com: Preflight and Prepress Checklists: Preparing Digital Files for Press & Printers

www.printlocal.com: Prepress Checklist

andex.net: Prepress Checklist

Matt Beazley | Printer
www.eyemean.com | Canada

PrintDriver

How do I work? Weird question. Most printers are time driven so I guess ‘quickly’ would describe it. As in the design field, in print, time is money and time spent dealing with improperly submitted files, calling for fonts and image links, or dealing with resubmittals all bumps your spot in the production queue off the schedule to accommodate other jobs already prepped.

PrintDriver | Print Consultant | USA

Tom

Our work flow goes Native file > Preflight/Fix > PDF > Impose > RIP for proof or print. The current acronym for our workflow is NORM (Normalize Once, RIP Many). It’s probably the most common workflow for small and medium printing plants.

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

until the next
Designers WW,
cat

After you finish a project, do you ask your clients to tell you the good AND bad about your performance? Or do you slink away, not wanting to know? I don’t know about you, but I learn a great deal when it comes to the negative. I mean, think about it, you can’t improve on the positive, right?

It’s the same with vendors, the professionals you work with, which is why the question below has been added to the series.

“When working with designers, what do you see as the top problem areas?”

Alex

A major problem designers seem to have is knowing what color space to design in eg. CMYK or RGB. It’s astonishing to know that so many still can’t handle those simple tasks. I spend a lot of time fixing files that contain RGB color profiles that will cause incorrect coloring on press.

Another problem encountered many times is the process of embedding fonts into a printable PDF file. Many designers are not familiar with the importance of this process and how it helps to not only speed the time needed to print the job but also the accuracy maintained between initial submission and final output. Nothing peeves a designer more than to see their project come back looking unlike how they had it on the design table.

Which brings me to my next prepress woe, Transparency, Overprint settings, and Cross-overs. A great many designers create projects unaware of how they are actually plated at the printer. A designer needs to check objects for overprinting settings where necessary (white text over a solid color would be knock-out, black text over any color but black is set to overprint). They need to make sure these settings go with the printable files they send. Cross-overs are rarely adjusted correctly, all a designer needs to do is contact the printer and ask for the necessary measurements required for binding in order to adjust files accordingly.

Designers also need to be aware that transparency on screen rarely looks the same as on press and they need to beware what colors are being blended together in those transparent elements. We are dealing with ink blots, not pixels or drawings.

Alex Noguera | Prepress Operator
www.bowne.com

Brad

Files - it seems sometimes designers give us files they know don’t work and just expect us to fix them. We don’t deal with high end materials here, so we’re having to convert from RGB to CMYK, fonts are missing, links are missing, bleeds not pulled….the list is long, and this is basic stuff.

There are designers that seem to not understand the basic printing process (how many times do we tell them how to pull the bleeds and why they have to do that, or, no….ink actually has to dry first before we fold it down to a triangle)

Unrealistic timelines - we have designers that have spent 2 and 3 months designing something and expect us to turn around a job that takes 7 working days into 2. (you’ve just spent 2 months on a project you forgot actually had to get printed??)

Brad McAuley | Printer
Kwik Kopy | Canada

Chris

Because my business is so new (less than a year), we have yet to see a lot of “designers” contact us for their work. So my personal experience interacting with designers is minimal at best, but I can say that working with other printers before I opened the business has given me some insight into prepress. That element of design seems to be an after thought at times, when in reality, it’s just as important as the concept and design itself. So I would put prepress at the top of the list for problem areas. Understand color separations and their importance. Converting text to paths is a very common request amongst printers (no matter the process/project).

Color is not always king. It’s all too easy nowadays to open a computer program, put some gradients and drop shadow on an object or text and it looks “cool”. When in reality, the WYSIWYG effect does not apply. Your monitor is not a piece of paper and a printer will not reproduce the elements you see on your screen. So when you apply that 3-4 color gradient to an object, you must understand that the result will not be the same when printed - offset or digital.

Chris Tomlinson | Owner: Gonink - Design & Print
Gonink - Design & Print | A Designer’s Journey | USA

Derald

The main problems are:

1. Images: Missing, low resolution, wrong color mode, embedded in document
2. Fonts: Missing or corrupt
3. Not supplying a color mock-up
4. No bleed edges on images or documents

*****Not calling to discuss questions they have before they build the project.

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

Elisabetta

I covered some in question one, but mainly there are problems with PDFs (like fonts not properly embedded), use of low res images, bleeds not set up properly. Some designers don’t know how to work with spot colours.

Printers are wary of InDesign, especially where I am (Italy). They should be wary of InDesign users. As QuarkXPress came before, InDesign users, unless they have started designing after InDesign came out, don’t know how to deal with transparency. It’s because QuarkXPress didn’t have support for transparency until the recent version 7. If people can deal with transparency correctly they won’t have problems when InDesign docs/PDFs go on press.

On a sidenote, designers should check if printers have frequent problems with fonts in PDFs made by InDesign. If they have, they probably don’t have the RIP that can handle InDesign’s font conversion and they’ll ask designers to save to PostScript and then use Acrobat Distiller to make PDFs instead of using the PDF export in InDesign. Some printers don’t even know why they have that problem, but it’s all in the PostScript version of their RIP. Having a level 3 RIP isn’t enough, they have to have a certain version of their level 3 RIP. Providing fonts aren’t faulty in the first place of course.

Elisabetta Bruno | Graphic Designer / Prepress

ThinkCreation | Forum host and contributor of
About Desktop Publishing and About Graphics Software | Italy

Genie

Colours not set up correctly. Something set up with no gutters when the job bleeds and requires gutters. No trim marks or bleed. Set up at a random number up when I require a different number for printing.

Genie Ho | Prepress and design
PDQ Print | New Zealand

George

Usually its the dpi. Sometimes we get pictures they downloaded from the Internet and we cannot usually use these files. Also, program compatibility. Most people use Adobe programs. Corel Draw is used seldomly. Any special fonts should be included.

George Lee | Printer
Nan Sing Printing | Thailand

HotGloss Printing

RGB… We print 4-color process. We require files in CMYK mode. Yet, there are so many people designing for the web, that don’t understand the color shift that is likely to occur if they design in RGB and convert to CMYK.

Regardless of who you print through, I always suggest finding out if the printer has any issues regarding equipment limitations. All equipment is different, and certain printers have problems doing certain jobs. Some colors may not print well, large areas of solids, thin knockout text, etc.

HotGloss Printing | USA

John

Overconfidence. It’s hard for me to elaborate, but designers should feel responsible for how things are produced, and make it easy for the printers to do a good job. Print shops can have a habit of complaining to clients about files and designers point the blame right back. It’s wrong to put the client through this when they have no knowledge of the industry. Designers need to think more like printers.

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

Lyn

If printer is provided with files in the native application:

a. Problems with graphics

• missing or unlinked
• not converted to CMYK (or spots)
• resolution too low
• resolution too high (resized down within layout)
• cropped by more than ~10% in the layout program (should be resized to 100% in Photoshop then replaced in layout)
• inappropriate formats (e.g. WMF, GIF)
• copied/pasted instead of placing
• embedded rather than linked
• unflattened layers

b. Problems with text

• fonts not supplied
• application of formatting attributes such as bolding, italics via a formatting menu rather than using an installed font variation
• fonts in EPS files not outlined/converted to curves
• mixing fonts with same names but different formats (e.g. Type 1 and Truetype) or variations of similar but different fonts (e.g. Times and Times New Roman)

c. Problems with layout

• forgetting to check spots are converted to CMYK if only process colours to be used in printing
• inconsistency of spot colour names between placed graphics and layout palette colours
• leaving material out on pasteboard
• forgetting to remove unused styles and colours
• forgetting to remove unused layers
• inadequate bleeds
• izing, cropping and rotating of graphics should be done in art program not layout

If printer is provided with files in PDF format:

• use of incorrect settings resulting in low resolution graphics and unembedded fonts
• forgetting to allow for bleeds (not present in most pre-sets)
• creating a PDF version higher than printer’s equipment can handle

Lyn Eggleston | Australia

Matt

Lack of pre-press skills and not researching what machine/method it will be output on. I don’t know how many times I’ve had a designer bring me a file I just can’t print or have finished properly. A successful design must be planned around the machines that will produce it or else it falls short or fails completely. Someone told me once “printing is the most screw-up-able trade in existence”. After 6 years of printing, I believe it. There are so many variables to having a successful print job, the responsibility is shared by both the creator and the producer. The more you know, and better prepared you (and your files) are, the greater your success of having a printing job you’ll be proud of.

Matt Beazley | Printer
www.eyemean.com | Canada

PrintDriver

The top problem areas with designers in this field is not calling before doing file prep to get specs. Color in wide format is not at all like separation printing and requires knowing what swatch books to use (and what ones NOT to use. ie NEVER use the Pantone Bridge or Solid-to-Process guide). An inordinate amount of bleed is needed for some processes, sometimes up to a foot all around on very large pieces, with at least 1/4″ to 1/2″ being standard.

Bleed, crop marks, not knowing various material and substrate size restrictions, and image resolution that doesn’t hold up at the large output sizes are the major stumbling blocks. The other problem is, believe it or not, too much resolution. Too much slows your redraw time and chokes our rips. Ask for optimum resolution (usually given in a printer spec).

PrintDriver | Print Consultant | USA

Tom

Lack of knowledge about finished product production techniques seems to be the biggest stumbling block. Second is the proper use of color spaces for the appropriate media. For example, submitting a raster file in the RGB color space will not work for a job requiring spot separations (DeviceN color space).

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

Next Wednesday we’ll get to “How Printers / Prepress Specialists Work: The Process”.

until the next
Designers WW,
cat

The following guide will help in preparing your digital files. It contains additional information and explanations of common terms to help you communicate better with your printer.

Create documents in Page Layout Programs such as InDesign, Quark
or PageMaker

• Create your document in the exact size of the final trimmed piece. For example, if you are creating a lettersize multiple-page document with facing pages, your page size would be 8.5×11, not 11×17.
• Use the master page to place common items such as page numbers in the same location on multiple pages.
• Create multiple-page documents in reader’s spreads.
• Extend images that bleed off the document page by an 1/8” (standard).
• Delete unused colors in the color palette from EPS and page layout files.
• Images that cross-over facing pages should be divided into two separate picture boxes and aligned on their respective pages.
• Scale bitmap images no more than 10% up or down from their original size. A drastic enlargement will cause loss of detail and a drastic reduction may extend imaging time and delay your job.
• Link images in your Illustrator and FreeHand files. Do not embed them.

Tip: Remember to include any special Quark Xtensions you may have used to create your document.
Tip: Creating files in drawing programs such as Illustrator, FreeHand or Corel Draw can sometimes incur additional charges by printers.

Saving images

• Save all PhotoShop files in the CMYK color mode, which includes any nested or embedded files.
• Submit PhotoShop files only in the TIFF or EPS formats (DCS is an EPS).
• Delete any unused alpha channels or clipping paths in flattened PhotoShop files.
• Delete unused colors in the color palette from Illustrator, FreeHand.
• Turn off JPEG, LZW, or ZIP compression in your PhotoShop files.

There are two types of images: Vector and Bitmap. Vector images consist of lines and curves you create in programs like Illustrator or Freehand.They are called vectors because they can be described in mathematical terms such as size, length and position.Vector graphics are device-independent, meaning they can be scaled up or down with no loss in detail.

Bitmap images are created in painting programs such as PhotoShop. Bitmaps (also called, raster images) are created on a grid with small squares called, pixels. Each pixel has a location and color value assigned to it.These images are device-dependent, meaning they have a fixed number of pixels for a given area. Images that look jagged or bitmapped do not have a sufficient amount of pixel information or resolution. A high resolution image will have more pixels per grid, which allows for greater detail and color transitions.

Tip: A formula for determining resolution (dpi) is: 1.5 x the line screen = resolution. Many still use the old formula of 2x the line screen, but there is no visible loss of detail at this lower dpi and it saves valuable disk space.

Image types

Bitmap (in Bitmap mode) Typically black & white images (no grays) used for text or logos.These should be saved at 600 dpi, as a TIFF and scaled to 100% of the intended size.The background can be set to none. Use your page layout program to colorize the image.

Bitmap (in Grayscale or CMYK mode) These are black & white or color images.They should be saved at 225 dpi, as a TIFF or EPS and scaled to 100% of the intended size. Printers prefer TIFFs if there are no clipping paths, because EPSs tend to have a slightly larger file size.The background should be set to white or a color in QuarkXpress.

Tip: If you are creating an image with a clipping path it must be saved as an EPS and the tolerance should be set between 2 and 4, with 2 being a tighter setting for irregular shapes.

Bitmap (in duotone mode) These images can be monotones, duotones, tritones or quadtones and must be saved as an EPS.

Tip: Use channel 1 for the darkest color and if you are using black make sure it says Black in the window, not Process Black (your page layout program will see it as a different color). Set the screen angles in your page layout program not in PhotoShop. Scott Lithographing can select them for you upon request.

Vector Can be saved at any size and scaled up or down in your page layout program (we suggest 100% for a better preview) and they can only be saved as an EPS.

Tip: Prevent gradient banding: Set the output resolution to 2540.

Color Modes

You may color correct in RGB or LAB, but save images that will be imported into you page layout program in CMYK mode. Importing in RGB will prevent the image from being output properly. RGB is for images that will only be viewed on a monitor.

Tip: Remember to calibrate your monitor frequently and delete any alpha channels to reduce the file size.

Color Selection

Spot (PMS) colors must use the same name in all image files. For instance, if you are using PMS 185 CV in a file and PMS 185 CVU in another, your page layout program will see them as two separate colors. Please indicate if a PMS color is to be spot or built out of process colors.

Tip: Keep in mind that some spot colors do not reproduce satisfactorily when built out of process.

Tip: If you are using metallic inks it is a good idea to aqueous coat or varnish the sheet to prevent smearing.

Fonts

• Be sure to include the printer and screen font for each Type 1 font.
• Check the font usage window to ensure you have included all your fonts.
• If you’ve used fonts in EPS artwork: Either convert the text to paths or include the font(s).

Basic types of fonts: PostScript, TrueType, OpenType.

Postscript comes in Type 1,2, or 3 (Type 1 is the most popular).You will have two fonts; the screen font and the printer font.The screen font is for displaying the font on your screen (the icon shows a single “A”).The printer font is used by printers and imagesetters to create the type mathematically.

TrueType contains both the screen and printer fonts in one file (the icon shows three “A”s).

OpenType fonts are gaining in popularity due to their cross-platform ability and flexibility. They are essentially a Type 1 or TrueType font in a TrueType shell, so you will have only one file per font weight or style (i.e., bold, italics, small caps, etc…).

Tip: Use current and brand name fonts whenever possible (ie.Adobe, Bitstream). Keep a compressed version of your font library and replace any fonts that cause printing problems.

Tip: Use the actual weight of the typeface, such as Helvetica Bold.Do not use menu styling.

Trapping

Printers normally handle trapping, so discuss any concerns you have. If you are comfortable doing your own, you should relay that to your printer. Although, it may make you liable for any trapping errors.

Spelling

As a rule, printers do not check the spelling of documents because they are not privy to the jargon, product names, or special pronouns of other industries. Spell-check and proof-read your document carefully. It’s also an excellent idea to have two other individuals proof-read the text before submittal.

PC Files

Printers were primarily Mac-based, but virtually all of them now accept PC files created in Quark Xpress, Pagemaker, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, and Corel Draw EPS files. It’s a good idea to check with your printer before submitting files created with Microsoft products, such as MS Word or Publisher.

Collecting Files

I strongly suggest using the Collect for Output option when using QuarkXpress. Collect all the elements of your job (images, fonts and final files) and place them into one of three folders: Finals, Support, and Fonts.Do not send files that are not pertinent to the job. Please be aware that Quark will list the fonts on the collect for output report, but it will not collect them for you.

Tip: I strongly recommend using FlightCheck or PreFlight Pro prior to submitting your files.

Media

Printers accept just about any media today, and many have ftp sites that can save you travel time.Your printer should have a list of acceptable media.

Archiving

Many printers archive your work for the purpose of rerunning it, but do not count on it! Be sure you have a back-up copy of your project. I suggest a regular archiving procedure to ensure you have your work in the future. Personally, I use a digital tape system with Retrospect, and I keep a full catalog outside the studio in the event of fire or other loss.

FINAL CHECK LIST:

• All electronic files, support images and fonts on disk.
• All photos, transparencies, or art to be scanned.
• Any special instructions.
• A set of color proofs or lasers.
• A set each of b&w laser composites/separations.
• A mock-up (if applicable).
• A previously printed sample (if applicable).

This post is part of the Designers Working With series. Check it out for more …

Derald Schultz | Atlanta Graphic Design + Web Design + Printing
Mediarail Design, Inc. | Creative Latitude Articles Editor

©2004, Mediarail Design, Inc.
First published on Creative Latitude

Here’s a typical scenario. You’ve got a hot project. You’re working long hours, slaving to get the layouts done for show and tell, when you think, “Dang! I forgot to sort out the print side!” So, you start making some calls to ask about the job. “Quantities? Oh rats! I forgot to ask the client. Paper? Oh geez, I don’t know. How about your house sheet? Yeah, I think it will be just four-color …”

It happens. In the heat of a project it can be easy to lose sight of getting the information you need. Sure, you could request budget quote after budget quote. With each one, the printing estimator is probably requesting you be banished to a lower level of Hades.

There’s a better way. Relax. Make a printing quote check list and bring your printer in early. Beyond that, read the following and learn what your printer is hoping you’ll bring to the table.

“What are the main points that you’d expect / want designers to know before contacting you about a project?”

Alex

1. The scope of the project
2. What it’s for
3. How many printed books
4. Paper types
5. Amount of colors
6. And where the finished books are to be delivered

Alex Noguera | Prepress Operator
www.bowne.com

Brad

At least know what their project is. Approx quantity (4 different quantities at the most), what size is the piece, what colours, bleeds or not, how is it finished. They simply need to have a good understanding of what their client wants and how the piece is used so we can explore possible options with the designer.

Brad McAuley | Printer
Kwik Kopy | Canada

Chris

Offset and digital are totally different and you must expect different results from each. That is not to say that one is better than the other, but you will be able to see differences in hue/saturation, gradation and so forth between both.

There is also an issue of setting up a file for digital vs offset. The majority of offset printers will accept bleeds that are 1/8″, but for me personally, I prefer 1/4″ bleeds. The paper running through a machine such as mine can easily have a very slight skew to it, whereas an offset probably would not. Allowing the extra 1/8″ of bleed for digital printers would be something I think most POD’s (Print On Demand) would appreciate.

Chris Tomlinson | Owner: Gonink - Design & Print
Gonink - Design & Print | A Designer’s Journey | USA

Derald

The designer should know the following:
Size, number of pages (if multi-page), colors (spot and process), quantity, paper stock preferred, special finishing (e.g. varnish, die-cut, binding method, etc…), delivery date and address, and finally end use.

The last is important because the printer may be able to recommend paper or processes for the job. Specifically, they should consider if it is a throw away piece, one that will be used multiple times, and finally if it will addressed by a mailing house.

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

Elisabetta

They have to know what the want. Paper weight, number of copies, where the job gets delivered. The designer needs to be able to deliver press ready files of course. He/she has to know how to make PDFs, how to set bleeds, how to embed fonts in PDFs (you have no idea how many printers say, “Embed the fonts!” as soon as they hear you are going to send them a PDF—it’s the first thing they tell you) and make sure those fonts aren’t corrupted.

The printer will ask for specific settings, but aside from those specific settings (such as what kind of compression to use, LPI, DPI—which is different from PPI) the designer should know how to make a PDF. The designer should also know images need to be 300 PPI actual size (there is no use in having an image that is 5×7 inches at 300 PPI if the designer then blows it up 500%) and they need to be CMYK. Even better if the designer knows how to make PDFs that are PDF/X standard (different printers will ask you different standards: some want PDF/X-1a some want PDF/X-3 2002) In other words, the designer needs to provide a file that doesn’t require printer intervention, aside from the imposition.

Elisabetta Bruno | Graphic Designer / Prepress
ThinkCreation | Forum host and contributor of
About Desktop Publishing and About Graphics Software | Italy

Genie

Ink: CMYK or spot colours, stock, any specialty things like embossing/diecutting/foils etc. Do they require a colour hard copy proof before printing?

Genie Ho | Prepress and design
PDQ Print | New Zealand

George

First of all is the size of the print. Some offset machines have limits on the printing sizes. We also need to know where you want to print. Is it a poster or a box?

The number of colors to print is also required. Is it pantone or CMYK colors?

George Lee | Printer
Nan Sing Printing | Thailand

John

I would hope that they are familiar with basic preflight standards. Ideally I want someone to prepare their files as well as I do when I submit to a print shop; but realistically, if there is a way I can make something work, I’ll make it work. Sometimes that means suggesting added design services. Most people are very open to having their designs “improved” if they are confident you are a professional. I deal mostly with the final clients directly, so I rarely get print jobs that are prepared correctly (or at all) that I haven’t actually designed myself. I worked at a large format trade show graphics company for several years, we got graphics provided by corporate firms, freelancers, web designers, and government agencies, and the majority of the files were prepared quite poorly.

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

Lyn

• Paper stock (weight, finish, colour)
• Page size (final trim size)
• Page orientation (landscape, portrait)
• Number of pages
• Print quantity
• Number of of inks (process only, spots only and how many, combination of process and spots)
• Finishing (trim, fold, score, staple, bind, perforate)
• Special finishes (coatings, varnish, embossing, diecuts, lamination)
• File format preferred (native application such as InDesign, Quark or PDF) and version number
• Method of transferring file to printer (CD, email, FTP)
• Responsibility for imposition, trapping
• Whether proofs are required and what sort
• Scheduling of file submission prior to delivery of completed print job

Lyn Eggleston | Australia

Matt

From a short run digital stand, this is what I’d expect/want from designers:

1. Making sure the design was colour formatted properly for the type of machine it will be printed on - in other words don’t set it up in pantone if it’s going to a CMYK digital machine (and vice versa). Research the machine that will output your project and design with it’s specs in mind.
2. Bleeds. Is it bled properly? Making sure there is a 16th to quarter inch, and that text is not right against a cutting line. Cutting is not an exact science for most of us and you can expect some play. Short run digitals also don’t have perfect registration, those points must be taken into consideration.
3. Fonts. Include your fonts or convert your text beforehand to curves/outlines. Including the fonts with the design is recommended.
4. Got stock covered yet? Did you really think that yellow toner/ink was going to show up on dark blue media? Researching stock is essential to make sure you get the results you want. Every major paper supplier will provide samples for free. The stock will determine the end result of your colour project.
5. Provide a hard copy mock up of your finished project. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but certainly helps us to understand how you want it finished (cut, folded, etc).
6. The colours on your monitor are not going to be the same as what’s printed (always get the proof from the machine it will be output from, or a desktop that has been calibrated to the machine producing the job). Also realize that the colours your RGB desktjet prints are not going to be what a CMYK machine will print.
7. Supplying a suitable file format. By far the PDF is the preferred format for submitting files to be printed. Be aware that your PDF is more than likely going to be imported into another graphics program if it’s not laid out properly. In my area I import 90% of PDF’s I receive.
8. Bitmaps - Are your bitmaps high enough resolution? A bare minimum resolution for printing is 150 X 150, a resolution of 300 X 300 is recommended. Please check that bitmaps are not unnecessarily large - there is no reason to have 1200X1200 dpi bitmaps when most digital machines run at a maximum of 600X600 with 16 bit depth.
9. Did you get an ETA from your printer before you told your client when it was going to be ready? Don’t ever assume/guess, always get it from the printers mouth and follow up to make sure it’s on time (even if you’ve dealt with this printer since time began).
10. An emergency on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part - if it is a rush project, expect rush charges.

Offset printing opens up a whole new checklist and this area is not my specialty. Things GD’s should study up on are properly done colour separations, taking dot gain into consideration, film vs. paper plates, and using pantones.

When in doubt, pick up the phone and ask. Don’t think you are bugging your printer, we want your job printed correctly as much as you do (trust me we do).

Matt Beazley | Printer
www.eyemean.com | Canada

PrintDriver

A designer should have the following information when calling a wide format printer:

• Process you would like to print in (continuous tone, solvent, eco-solvent, water base, UV-cured, dye sub, or if it’s a specialty like porcelain, hpl, fiberglass etc…) If you don’t know, you should ask. Wide format is mutating daily. There are processes now that weren’t available even 6 months ago.
• The material you want to print on. Do not use the term ’scrim’ to describe your material. Give an actual product number or ask to see samples. Scrim can be any number of fabrics, meshes or vinyls.
• Indoor or outdoor
• Length of use (how long will the graphic be displayed)
• Are seams acceptable
• VERY IMPORTANT - what is the viewing distance?

PrintDriver | Print Consultant | USA

Tom

All of the specifications of a job as is relates to the vendor quoting the job. For example, if a piece needs to be foiled and die cut on a duplex cover stock, this should be related to the vendor at the time of quoting. There should also be a digital or hard copy composite (to size if possible) provided to the vendor. Depending upon how up to date with current technology trends a given vendor is, a designer may want to provide information about the native application(s) used to create the artwork. Some older RIP’s may not be compatible with new applications or file saving conventions.

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

And there you have it. Follow what these printers / prepress operators have to say and you’ll make your life a whole lot easier. Plus, you’ll be in a much better position to sleep well at night and make your clients smile.

until the next
Designers WW,
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