Packaging Printer | File type

[Vee]

To all of the packaging printers,

What is your preferred file format to receive from customers? Generally speaking..?

And in the case of insert/outserts/topserts/med guides - what file format do you prefer?

Thanks in advance.

Vee

 

[Repro_is_still_alive]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

As a packaging repro house in the UK we supply to over 800 different printers across the UK, Europe & USA and at the moment we are finding that we have a 50/50 split between Artpro & illustrator files being requested. The ideal scerario for us would be to supply PDF, but not many printers are in the postion to handle them at present.

Edited by: Repro_is_still_alive on Jan 17, 2008 9:17 AM

 

[Vee]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

"The ideal scerario for us would be to supply PDF, but not many printers are in the postion to handle them at present."


Why is this? PDF should not be a problem!
What would it take for them to accept PDFs?

I get Quark & INDD files from my customers, and have to pass them to the printer who is asking me to Export the page layout docs as EPS, Open in Illy & outline the type before sending. WTF!!

Their reason is type reflow when sending from Quack to their Nexus RIP. And the "bad Postscript" from Quark. Or when they export EPS to outline in Illy, they have issues with the type reflowing...................

Give me a break! Don't ask me to step in the fire - if you're not willing to yourself.

 

[Point918]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

Vee;

Illustrator is our preferred file format and comprises 95% of the files we receive.
I've only been in packaging for 2 years and found this odd. However consider
the products: often single sided, very dense graphically and single pages.
Illustrator is great at handling this type of work and has pretty solid EPS or PDF
output capabilities for your workflow. Just like commercial very few files come in
perfect at least for us hence the need to extensively edit.

Artpro is an excellent choice if you have the budget for the software.

Don Evans

 

[Vee]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

I understand that, and agree for cartons, labels, etc.
But when someone gives me a Quark file for an Insert..... I don't feel I should have to export to EPS, Open in Illy and outline the fonts. ESPECIALLY when they are not willing to do it on their end. I want a little service - ya know?!!

I'd like to send the Quark file with all supporting links & fonts or send a Hi-res | Press ready PDF to my printer.

BTW... I'm not a package printer, I'm in the middle. A liaison if you will.
Taking files from my clients, checking the machinability, all graphics, resolution, fonts (basic preflight) and passing it to the printer for production.

 

[Franknater]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

I like to see Illustrator. An .ai file is better with all the links included, not embedded. If there's a problem or change on one of the links, it's much easier to correct if it's on press and the customer wants to change something.

I like to see the final size being the document size and the dieline to the perimeter. If it's not sent in that way, I have to change it. It is easier for me to figure all aspects of multiple up and we don't have the software to nest images. If that's what needs to be done, I end up using InDesign for placement.

Sometimes we get them in PDF and the dieline is not a spot color and so forth. We end up going back and forth 3 or 4 times before we get out the first proof.

I hate Qwerk files for packaging after being able to use InDesign. Well, our Quark doesn't have a very good preview like InDesign's view.

Just my thoughts.
Frank

 

[C2C]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

Prefered file type here is:

(70%) .Ai / .Eps with outlines created on the fonts, if its not outlined, we dont work with it (even if you include fonts) (fun times explaining thats just the way it is to various people)
(20%) of the files are DCS/DCS2 files. (locked. what else can I say)
(5%) Quark (ick)
(4%) Indesign (yay)
(1%) Pdf

Edited by: C2C on Jan 18, 2008 2:23 AM

 

[PantherMac]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

Ditto what C2C said. Worked in packaging for 8 years.
Vector based files are preferred, mostly due to the trapping/PMS. Rarely would we accept Artpro files (only from other printers, and even then...)
Generally we had good relationships w/ our designer/supplier clients, and we got the "final version" in an EPS or something designated as such, and also the make-up files included separately (e.g. "Makeup" or "Source" folder submitted w/ the job). This gave us the flexibility to drop back to the source if there were troubles. Handy thing in production, dontchaknow?

- Mac

 

[beermonster]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

packaging here

ai files everytime - works a dream for me, imposition is easy with illy

pdf's? fine here and i have no workflow. i'll edit it where needed and bang it straight into indy - assign trap and off we go. if we have to "zonal" trap, we have oris pdf tuner and i can edit traps easily with that, make a new pdf and bang - done

linked images <as someone else stated> make life easier - and files smaller....traps are easy, imposition easy, linking with artios cad cff2 files - easy, spot varnishes, double hits, embossing areas, templates - all very very easy in illy, pdf creation simple, managing files easy - it's excellent and we cant afford artpro......in my opinion, and for what we need here, creative suite covers just about every base - a little more pdf editing capabilities would be nice, and for drop shadows to rotate in their original position when we have to rotate stations on a sheet - bloody annoying that is. it happens in indy too.

indy works fine too - and combining illy and indy is fine here

quark however throws the spanner in the works. crap previews means accurate imposition is tough (step and repeat is fine until there's more than one design, stuff gets rotated at wierd angles and you need to see quark traps...so i'll stop there about quack as i have been known to spontaneously combust on the subject....

i had a freehand file last year as well....works fine.

 

[Vee]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

Yep, problem solved. Have another vendor who will accept my customers Quark files or Hi Res PDFs. ; )

When I was running the Prepress dept I would have NEVER asked a customer to Export a Quack file to EPS, and open in Illy to outline the fonts before sending a job in. Never.

 

[alarson]

Re: Packaging Printer | File type

We are seeing WAY more unflattened PDF files exported from Illustrator into Prinergy Powerpack. Nice to be able to preserve layers and apply color management and trap BEFORE flattening on output. The PDF Print Engine can offer around 30% quicker refining, according to some of our larger power users who were part of the testing of the PDF Print Engine.

DCS seems to be going the way of PRN files as more and more people in the CS suite are in PSD format for better spot color handling and less OPI hi res lor res mumbojumbo.

AI is 95%. The rest don't seem to show up on much radar.

And if I ever mention imposition, pages or Preps to most packaging folks, I hear a dial tone. It's a 1up, layout and Pandora for steppin' & repeatin'!

Allan Larson

Edited by: Allan Larson on Feb 17, 2008 10:27 PM