IAPHC

Even though we’ve been using desktop publishing for nearly 30 years, it seems that many of the same issues still crop up. And as new features appear in graphics software, we develop interesting new issues! Good communication is still the key to successful print. Are you a printer? Share this with your customers. Unsure of how you should prepare your files? Don’t be shy. A simple question now can prevent heartbreak later. Build a healthy relationship with your printer, one job at a time. With that goal, here are Ten Helpful Hints (PDF here) to get the conversation started:

1. One Size Does Not Fit All: Build your job to the correct
trim size, and provide bleed. Don’t build a lonely little
business card in the middle of a letter-sized page: create a
3.5”x2” document, and add .125” of color or image outside
that trim area.

2. Your printer needs all the pieces: if you provide application
files to the printer, be sure to include all necessary fonts and
support art. QuarkXPress provides “Collect for Output,” and
InDesign’s File>Package performs the same service. Using
Illustrator? Check out the Scoop plug-in, which gathers up
needed fonts and placed images: http://www.worker72a.com.
3. Don’t use the Macintosh system dfonts. Some imaging devices
don’t support them. Instead, use OpenType or PostScript
fonts.
4. Ask for PDF Specifications: If you submit PDFs, follow the
printer’s specs to the letter. What—they didn’t give you any?!
Shame, shame! If that’s the case, use the PDF/X-1a setting,
available in QuarkXPress 7 and above, as well as InDesign
and Illustrator.
5. Check Your Inks: Surely you don’t mean to print your
job with 27 spot colors! Convert spot colors to process as
necessary, and make sure any process builds are specified as
CMYK, not RGB. Printing a process job? Pick your colors
out of the Pantone Color Bridge fanbook, not the spot color
Pantone Coated book.
6. Don’t Be Afraid of Native Files: You don’t have to flatten
layered Photoshop files; it’s OK to use native, unflattened
PSD files in InDesign, Illustrator, and later versions of
QuarkXPress. Illustrator .ai files are fine in InDesign:
when you choose File>Print or File>Export to PDF, all that
content is melted together into a cohesive output.
7. When Black Isn’t Black: When your job is printing offset,
large black areas look anemic unless other inks are added.
Ask your printer for their recipe for “rich black.” Some shops
like C60–K100, some like a 4–color build; don’t assume. But
if your job is printing on a toner–based digital device, such as
the Xerox iGen, don’t use rich black: the black toner is dense
enough. Not sure? Ask your printer.
8. Don’t Use “Registration”: The “Registration” color that
appears in your list of InDesign swatches or QuarkXPress
colors should not be used for any page content; it’s only for
the application to use during output.
9. Preflight Your Files: If you have InDesign CS4, use its
powerful Dynamic Preflight feature to catch small problems
before they become big problems. Don’t have CS4? Invest
in one of the preflight utilities from Markzware (www.
markzware.com), or use the preflight and other forensic tools
built into Acrobat 8 or 9 Pro.
10. Sharpen Your Skills: Make the most of the applications
you use every day by working through online tutorials,
reading books devoted to enhancing your use of the
programs, and taking training classes.
The more you know, the easier (and more fun) your job is!

About the author:
Claudia McCue incorporates more than 20 years of
traditional and digital prepress production experience
in her current incarnation as a consultant, trainer, and
author devoted to the graphic arts industry. Claudia’s
company, Practicalia LLC (www.practicalia.net), provides
custom onsite training for a national client base of design
firms, printing companies and marketing professionals.