Tips For Providing Digital Files
Include a printed proof with your job. Either a laser orginal or fax copy of it. This will help us in knowing how your project is suppose to look. Even though your document looks great on your screen or prints perfectly on you printer, does not mean that it will look the same when output on high resolution postscript devices. (Color shifts, images dropping out or text reflowing due to font differential can some times happen.) To minimize the possiblility of getting a job back incorrectly, we like a visual reference to go by. This does not mean that 100% of the document will be correct 100% of the time, even if we have a visual reference. After your output is done from your file, your printer should always supply some type of proof for your review. Depending on what type of the printing process is being done, digital color, pdf, dylux or laser are some examples of proofs.
Too often, printers will receive files that have not been properly proofed by their creator before coming to the printers. When you hand a printer your file, they assume it is 100% correct and ready to go to press. Nothing further needs to be done unless you discuss changes ahead of time. Looking for spelling errors, improper verbage, wrong information or layout errors should all be done before you hand your file over. The proof you are given from a printer is for checking to make sure your file worked properly when output on the high resolution postscript devices. Although we try hard to double check for some of these things, you have to remember, the printer did not create the file. CHECK EVERYTHING about your file. How does it fold, cut, etc.
Remember to include all the files used to create your documents when submitting a job. This includes all image files and fonts. Some desktop publishing applications often sue links to graphics you placed in your document. This means that when you put your company's logo in the business card layout, it doesn't mean necessarily put the actual graphic in the document. Many programs such as Quark and Pagemaker use placeholders to represent the graphic in your document and include the instructions to the application as to the location of the actual file on your computer. Once you find it, copy it to the disk for output. Pagemaker, Microsoft Publisher and Quark all have features built in them to allow you to collect all items needed to output your file at a printers.
Understanding Color
There are really two types of ways to print a job, spot color and CMYK (Full Color). Spot color is ink right out of the can and is ran as that color. Blue, black, red etc. CMYK is also right out of the can but the four inks are used in combination to produce multiple colors, most often color photos etc.
When creating a job for 4 color process (full color printing) use the CMYK mode in your applications. This holds true for spot color (not full color) PMS colors should be used. A good way to check spot colors is to run them out separated. If spot color A runs out on the first page and spot color B runs out on the second page, we will be able to produce your spot color job. (Yes, black is a spot color.) Both colors should not appear on the same page. If you have more than two pages, you may have two colors marked as blue but with different names to them. IE: Blue 235, Blue 236. They may look the same but will be treated as two different colors when output.
You want to make 100% sure, your printer knows what PMS colors to use. It is best to use those same colors in your file. However, color does not come from the computer, it comes from someone physically putting it the press. Your file might say blue but you want it red. We can do that. Sometimes if a printer is unsure of the color to use, they will go with the file colors.
