Prepress Tips for Designers

[margadri]

It seems to me that the problem lies on the fact that "the last printer" the client used, never had any problems. Solution: find the "last printer" the client used and shot them. Will solve the problem and helps with the competition.........

 

[spoocobra]

Rich Blacks. Learn em, Live em, Love em!! Most of all PLEASE PLEASE ask your pre-press person if they have specific settings they want you to use/follow and if they do. USE THEM! Otherwise don't complain when something goes wrong.

My personal rule of thumb for rich blacks is 40C, 30M, 20Y, 100K. Most font style and size 24.5pt and above along with 3pt rules and such should be a rich black. Now there are occasions where it's ok ie: Black over completely white or a solid tint/screen.

 

[Mike F]

Most of all PLEASE PLEASE ask your pre-press person if they have specific settings they want you to use/follow and if they do. USE THEM! Otherwise don't complain when something goes wrong.

This, this, THIS!!! This alone would eliminate so many headaches it's not even funny.

 

[MacTwidget]

As we speak, I am working on a file where the "designer" used an OTF version of ITC Franklin Gothic, a PostScript version of ITC Franklin Gothic and a PostScript version of Franklin Gothic from another foundry. WTF?!?
And the InDesign preflight warned of 6 missing fonts. They are all in a total of 83 "spaces"!!!

 

[Visualaid]

this just happened: customer gave me a 2" x .047" 72 dpi logo to be blown up to 12x18 parking sign. instead of having to go and explain this,
i just recreated it.
it's amazing how many customer/designers don't know, and it's our job to know, but printing companies and printing employees are treated like crud. does this happen to surgeons?

 

[gordo]

this just happened: customer gave me a 2" x .047" 72 dpi logo to be blown up to 12x18 parking sign. instead of having to go and explain this,
i just recreated it.

I hope you charged them for recreating it. If you didn't then, IMHO, you've done a diservice to yourself and to the industry. You should not be proud of what you've done. You should be ashamed.
You don't have to explain anything. Just show a proof, even a softproof as to how the logo will look at that size. If they like it then get sign off and print it. If they don't then it is up to them to get the original art or contract you to recreate it.

Best, gordo

 

[Visualaid]

I hope you charged them for recreating it. If you didn't then, IMHO, you've done a diservice to yourself and to the industry. You should not be proud of what you've done. You should be ashamed.
You don't have to explain anything. Just show a proof, even a softproof as to how the logo will look at that size. If they like it then get sign off and print it. If they don't then it is up to them to get the original art or contract you to recreate it.

Best, gordo

wow,
who said i'm proud? it doesn't work that way at this print shop. it works that way in a print shop that runs correctly. thanks for picking my comment out of this whole thread.

How do I delete my printplanet account?

 

[pacart]

the new spot healing brush or whatever its called works, so actually you could if it's a simple stolen stock photo but the res would suck

Technically yes, but if you have any morals and respect for other peoples work and the way they make their money you won't. So when he says he "can't" he means he's not willing to steal someone's work for your benefit.

Really? You would do this?

 

[FlexoGrunt]

If we provide you with a bag/pouch/label die/template do not alter it. It will save you the shock of an additional $1,000 to your quote.


They are metal tools that need to be made for each size.

 

[gordo]

wow,
who said i'm proud? it doesn't work that way at this print shop. it works that way in a print shop that runs correctly. thanks for picking my comment out of this whole thread.

How do I delete my printplanet account?

Don't delete your account. I picked out your comment because it represented what many printshops do - to their, and the industry's detrement.

Gordo

 

[dabob]

Don't delete your account. I picked out your comment because it represented what many printshops do - to their, and the industry's detrement.

Gordo

Yeah . . . but Gordo - thats how a lot of us keep the business we do have and that enables us to keep the doors open . . . It happens here all the time and honestly as much as I despise some of my clients I have to take what they give me an make a silk purse out of it or head over to the un-employment office . . . . I kinda like the things my job lets me afford. (xanax, anti-psychotics, and alcohol) to name a few.

and Visualaid don't leave - just keep on keeping your job and doing what you have to do to keep your customer happy.

 

[arossetti]

It is one thing to give the customer a free pass once. But part of that is having the discussion with your customer. Explaining that you just provided 30 minutes of free prepress which will not be given next time. You should also walk your customer through the process of fixing which ever issue they had. If you explain all that goes into it they will have more appreciation for what you do and feel better about paying those fees if they cannot figure it out themselves.

 

[zombie]

It is one thing to give the customer a free pass once. But part of that is having the discussion with your customer. Explaining that you just provided 30 minutes of free prepress which will not be given next time. You should also walk your customer through the process of fixing which ever issue they had. If you explain all that goes into it they will have more appreciation for what you do and feel better about paying those fees if they cannot figure it out themselves.

Are you an employee or employer?

 

[gordo]

Yeah . . . but Gordo - thats how a lot of us keep the business we do have and that enables us to keep the doors open . . . It happens here all the time and honestly as much as I despise some of my clients I have to take what they give me an make a silk purse out of it or head over to the un-employment office .

In my experience, services that are done for free are not valued by the customer. It confers no business loyalty and hence does not actually help keep the doors open. It just reduces your potential for profit while increasing your manufacturing costs. If you don't respect yourself no one else will.
You're following a business model that no other manufacturer nor service provider in any other industry would follow. Imagine Ford telling their component suppliers that it's no problem that the components don't meet the spec - Ford will have them fixed at no cost. Imagine an electrician telling you that they will fix your non-code confirming electrical system at no charge because you didn't know what you were doing when you set it up.

You're operating from a position of fear, rather than professionalism, when you provide "free" services like this. Try respecting your customer's professionalism. Deliver according to what they have supplied. Proof their file as it will print. If they don't like the result of what they have supplied you with then have the conversation about how you can help them meet their expectations. Sometimes it is better to let something fail than to engage in heroics that have no perceived value (if they did have value then they would be paid for).

Gordo

 

[gig0]

...oh...and don't use QuarkXPress LOL

OMG that was funny! Thanks!

 

[gig0]

In my experience, services that are done for free are not valued by the customer. It confers no business loyalty and hence does not actually help keep the doors open. It just reduces your potential for profit while increasing your manufacturing costs. If you don't respect yourself no one else will.
You're following a business model that no other manufacturer nor service provider in any other industry would follow. Imagine Ford telling their component suppliers that it's no problem that the components don't meet the spec - Ford will have them fixed at no cost. Imagine an electrician telling you that they will fix your non-code confirming electrical system at no charge because you didn't know what you were doing when you set it up.

You're operating from a position of fear, rather than professionalism, when you provide "free" services like this. Try respecting your customer's professionalism. Deliver according to what they have supplied. Proof their file as it will print. If they don't like the result of what they have supplied you with then have the conversation about how you can help them meet their expectations. Sometimes it is better to let something fail than to engage in heroics that have no perceived value (if they did have value then they would be paid for).

Gordo

"Sometimes it is better to let something fail than to engage in heroics that have no perceived value"


Gordo, I agree with you 100% in theory, however, most of it is bullshit by todays standards. The reality is many customers don't want to deal with the technicalities. They want results. Thats why prepress techs like us rely on third party plugins, like PitStop. We are being forced into spending time correcting these shitty files because not everyone "gets it". Sometimes the customer gets upcharged, others, not. Depends on the salesperson. Either way, it's quicker to spend the extra 45 minutes fixing a file rather than go through numerous emails, phone calls and other delays that could take days to resolve an issue. Right?


I have as much faith in customers producing compliant files as everyone in the US driving exactly 55 mph on the freeway. Sounds good on paper, but lets talk reality... I don't know about other printers, but I'm not about to fail a job because they're missing a Helvetica font. Theres no disservice anymore because it's all about the competition. I've got two little mouths to feed. This is the reality for most of us. See?

 

[gordo]

I undersand.

Gordo

 

[roscoe]

Thus the comment of
"My previous printer had no problem".

Thanks!!!

 

[arossetti]

Are you an employee or employer?

I feel like this is a trick question . I would be on the employer side of the debate but don't say anything negative or I will delete my account.

 

[FlexoGrunt]

"Sometimes it is better to let something fail than to engage in heroics that have no perceived value"


Gordo, I agree with you 100% in theory, however, most of it is bullshit by todays standards. The reality is many customers don't want to deal with the technicalities. They want results. Thats why prepress techs like us rely on third party plugins, like PitStop. We are being forced into spending time correcting these shitty files because not everyone "gets it". Sometimes the customer gets upcharged, others, not. Depends on the salesperson. Either way, it's quicker to spend the extra 45 minutes fixing a file rather than go through numerous emails, phone calls and other delays that could take days to resolve an issue. Right?


I have as much faith in customers producing compliant files as everyone in the US driving exactly 55 mph on the freeway. Sounds good on paper, but lets talk reality... I don't know about other printers, but I'm not about to fail a job because they're missing a Helvetica font. Theres no disservice anymore because it's all about the competition. I've got two little mouths to feed. This is the reality for most of us. See?

The wonderful "electronic" age where for a quick $50 anyone can be a designer using the world class Adobe Suite. At the same time the tools for the prepress industry set the expectations on us as giant button pushers. No matter how much we try to educate our salespeople they turn around and see the flawless ESKO demo and wonder why we complain at all. It's become a thankless job. Instead of "Wow, what craftsmanship!" it's become "Great, you pushed a button. Here's another job".

But I think we've all had that attitude towards things in this modern age.