Creating flawless print designs requires meticulous attention to detail and a thorough preflight process. This guide is tailored for graphic designers, publishers, and prepress operators, offering a detailed breakdown of how to refine file submissions for printing. It's an essential resource for students in graphic design schools and seasoned professionals alike, providing insights from an experienced prepress and graphic arts trainer and manager. Learn how to ensure your printing jobs are timely, within budget, and of professional quality.
Preflighting is a critical step in the graphic design process, involving a checklist to identify and resolve potential issues with your files before they proceed to print. This proactive approach can save time, money, and frustration by catching errors early. A variety of preflight software options are available to assist with this process, including FreeFlight™, a freeware tool that can be downloaded from FREE-PREFLIGHT.com.
A well-planned job is a cornerstone of successful printing. Designers should create a physical mock-up to demonstrate the folding, backup, and other physical details of the piece. This step is crucial for identifying potential problems and ensuring clear communication with your printer.
File repair is an integral part of the preflight checklist, where identified issues are corrected before files are shared with others. It's the responsibility of the file preparer to ensure files are error-free and ready for the next stage.
Proofreading is a step that cannot be overstated. Surprisingly, many print jobs require type corrections after being proofed by the printing company. It's vital to take pride in the quality and integrity of your work, ensuring it's error-free before it reaches the printer.
For graphic designers, the job involves more than just aesthetics; it's about precision and integrity. Your work should be ready to go to press without delays or additional costs, reflecting the professionalism of your design project.
Here's a checklist of frequent issues that can derail your print project:
Fonts are a common source of prepress issues. If the necessary screen and printer font files are not supplied, the output device may substitute an undesired font like Courier, leading to reflow and layout problems. Always include the exact fonts used in your design to avoid delays and quality issues.
Omitting linked graphic files from your layout can cause significant delays. Use tools like Quark's "Collect for Output," Adobe InDesign's "Package," or PageMaker's "Save for Service Provider" to gather all necessary files. For more information, visit Collecting For Output Guide.
Ensure that the colors used in your files match the colors specified in your print quote. Incorrectly specified spot colors can lead to additional plates being created, which can increase costs and cause delays.
All color scans should be converted from RGB to CMYK, the standard color gamut for commercial printing. This conversion must be handled carefully to minimize color shifts.
Images should be scanned at the appropriate resolution to support the quality of the output device. Color or grayscale images should be at least 300 DPI, while bitmap or line-art should be at least 600 DPI at final size.
Design objects that touch the edge of the final trimmed page must extend beyond the edge to allow for cutting tolerances. Similarly, live copy margins should be maintained to ensure readability after trimming.
Brochures should be designed with varying panel sizes to accommodate folding. Incorrectly sized panels can lead to buckling and wrinkling when folded.
Providing a folding, backup, or pagination dummy is essential for clear communication and quality control. It ensures that everyone handling the job understands the expected outcome.
Supplying a current laser proof with your files allows the printer to verify the correct positioning of elements and prevent text reflow problems. It's a crucial communication tool for accurate production.
Designs intended for mailing must adhere to postal regulations. Consult the US Postal Service website for guidelines and plan your project accordingly to avoid production delays.
Accurate color proofing is essential for setting correct expectations. Use Pantone swatches and four-color swatches to guide your color choices and communicate with your printer about color accuracy.
Using professional-grade applications is important for high-quality print output. Consumer-level software often lacks the necessary postscript CMYK separations and controls. When necessary, convert files to PDF using high-quality settings in Acrobat Distiller.
By adhering to these preflight checklist guidelines and utilizing the right tools, graphic designers and prepress professionals can ensure their projects are print-ready, avoiding costly errors and delays.
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Graphic Design Prepress - Preferred Formats for Graphic Files
This is a great article for graphic designers and graphic design school students as well as prepress and publishing professionals. If you use Adobe InDesign CS2, Adobe Illustrator CS2, Quark Xpress 7, Adobe Photoshop CS2, or FreeHand you should read this. There are so many problems and so much time can be saved by simply choosing the right graphics file formats. Written by a long time trainer and manager in the graphic arts who is nationally recognized expert in the graphic arts and electronic publishing fields.
