Booklets: Double-Page Spread or Single-Consecutive Artwork?

[LancasterR]

Hello everyone,

I work in a Marketing Team for a prominent recruitment agency, and one of my many, many, many roles happens to be Events Manager. Now, I completely wing this role, I was given it as an apprentice within the first 2-3 weeks of starting!

Anyway, over time I have gained a much better understanding of printing, but there's always one thing that has bugged me:

Booklets and the layout of their artwork.

Some printers will do Double-Page or Single-Consecutive without a problem, whereas it can be absolute deal breaker with other companies. The latter are always so happy to suggest you use their Graphics Department to adjust the artwork

Does this all come down to the type of Printers used?
Or is it down to the method of printing?
Is there any way I can figure out a printers preference before contacting them?

Also - are there industry terms for the Double-Page Spread / Single-Consecutive? Some printers understand me perfectly fine, whereas others treat me like an idiot making up terms!


Kind regards,


Richard.

 

[DCurry]

The terms are "single page" and "reader's spread" or "printer's spread". Single page is just that - 1 page at a time in your PDF. "Reader's spreads" are how your book will appear when bound, and most likely is how the book was laid out in the design application. "Printer's spreads" are imposed so that when folded it results in your book.

Most printers prefer single pages. Why? Because they have purchased expensive software tools to create the impositions easily. If you give them a reader's spread PDF, it gums up the works and makes extra work for whoever is doing the prepress work on your job. In turn, this introduces the possibility for human error to rear its ugly head.

You may think you are doing your printer a favor and decide to provide printer's spreads, but again, this will most likely gum up the works again. Only provide printer's spreads if specifically asked to do so.

It is perfectly okay for your designer to design in reader's spreads - just as long as when they make the PDF they make sure "spreads" is not checked! As long as it is unchecked, the PDF will come out as single pages.

When in doubt, call the printer who will be producing the job and ask - different printers have different tools available to them and what's right for Printshop A may be wrong for Printshop B!

 

[LancasterR]

Hello Dan,

Cheers for the response, mate - much appreciated.

My Graphic Designer actually prefers to do everything in "Single Page". The problems usually arise when a printer turns around and tells us they require "reader's spread" and he must quickly layout the entire booklet again OR we have to find another printer which usually means we end up spending more because the turnaround must be decreased.

As a general rule would you suggest avoiding Printers that require "reader's spread"?


Kind regards,


Richard.

 

[DCurry]

Hmmm, having worked in prepress for over 17 years, I can't imagine why a printer would request a reader's spread. If anything, I would think they'd request a printer's spread (this would be more common at a smaller facility, where maybe they haven't invested the money into a proper impo solution.)

I don't know that avoiding that printer is necessarily called for. What I would do would be to get educated on that printer's process. Of course, you wouldn't want to do this while a deadline is looming, but I would call the printer and schedule a time when you and your designer can visit the print shop and watch what they do on your files. Seeing them in action will hopefully clarify things for you (and maybe them), and allow you to ask some questions about their process. Sometimes it is hard to envision what they are talking about over the phone.

If you don't like what you see or don't get good answers, then you can drop that vendor and find a better one. Shouldn't be hard to do - there are tons of good printers out there. The best ones will educate you along the way.

p.s. - I assume when you tell me your designer prefers to do everything as single page, he is still doing multiple pages in one file? I shudder to think if each individual page lives in its own InDesign or Quark file!

 

[LancasterR]

Hello Dan,

Whilst your suggestions are very much sensible in theory, I organise Events on a global scale, and certainly do not get to attend them. Thus, I organise Events in North America, APAC, Europe/UK without ever having the privilege of even attending said events, never mind meeting with suppliers! I work out of Newcastle in the North of England. Not to mention my Designer has absolutely no interest in meeting Printers (trust me, I've tried with local printers) - all he is interested in is the quality of the print/material and to a much lesser extent the cost!

I do try and find out specifics such as; bleed, file format preference and "Single Page" or "Reader's/Printer's Spread" the first time I make contact, but sometimes these things can be overlooked or ignored by printers (I know this is something I need to get on top of!). Especially at the minute when I'm organising 5 conferences in 3 different continents alongside all the other roles that I perform; life is a bit hectic at the moment!

Yeah, he does multi-page single files and generally converts them straight to PDF unless the Printer specifies otherwise.


Kind regards,


Richard.

 

[ajr]

Richard,

We will happily take it in any format, single pages are best though. We are in the uk, why not try us, we can quote for you. BTW I dont usually pitch for work on here. Is the work digital or litho as alot of digital printers wont have the software and tools (and skills) available to them that litho printers do.

[email protected]

Andy

 

[almaink]

I think it's another tech speak problem here. I request jobs be set up as reader spreads, but that is done as facing pages. So each page is placed side by side in reading order.
When a PDF is made the spreads are broken up into singe pages still in reading order. See the attachment.

 

[DCurry]

Agreed, almaink. That's what I was referring to in my original response regarding designing in reader's spreads, but exporting as singles.

Richard, I get what you are saying about not being able to visit print shops. In that case, the responsibility is yours to find out what is acceptable to the printer before you submit the file. If the supplier doesn't specifically mention a format and you are concerned, call them and ask. If they don't know, find another supplier. Most will be happy to answer the question, since it makes their lives easier if you send in proper artwork the first time. Easier on your designer, too.

It would still behoove you to find out the real reason this one vendor wants reader's spreads in the supplied PDF. In a shop that has even halfway-decent tools at their disposal, they should be able to work with whatever you supply. For instance, I prefer single pages, but I can certainly work with spreads of any type without too much pain. It's just a matter of instructing my imposition program to behave differently. It really would only take about 5 extra minutes, but I have the proper tools to use and the knowledge to use them well.