Who creates the artwork for your online print shop

[sidneykidney]

Im currently doing my research regarding online print stores, but what about artwork.
If the customer doesn't have the software to create artwork, apart from web-to-print templates, are there an online websites the customer can go to so that they can design and create it themselves and supply me with a print ready PDF file.
I don't want to deal with the artwork side of things, I only want to print!!!

Example: Poster Templates & Social Media Graphics
This allows the customer to select a template, edit and save as a file (for a small fee)

 

[ReproElectroProspero]

We do graphics in-house, but many of our clients use canva.com to create their own designs.

 

[tngcas]

We don't offer design work in-house (because I hate it). We instead have a group of local independent graphic designers who we refer customer to. They get to deal with the nitty gritty (and invoicing for graphic work) and then send the print-ready artwork back with the customer to place orders through our website.

 

[michaelejahn]

seach google for "free online design"

Plenty of them. example ( as Brandon.fifer pointed out )

https://www.canva.com/

Some rips might not like the Identity H ( CID ) fonts that the use / embed, but most RIPs have no problems.

 

[ReproElectroProspero]

seach google for "free online design"

Plenty of them. example ( as Brandon.fifer pointed out )

https://www.canva.com/

Some rips might not like the Identity H ( CID ) fonts that the use / embed, but most RIPs have no problems.

I wondered what was causing the bugs I have with canva files. I always have to redistill or print-as-image them. Got any tips on where I can read up on this subject?

 

[Ynot_UK]

Im currently doing my research regarding online print stores, but what about artwork.
If the customer doesn't have the software to create artwork, apart from web-to-print templates, are there an online websites the customer can go to so that they can design and create it themselves and supply me with a print ready PDF file.
I don't want to deal with the artwork side of things, I only want to print!!!

The downside to this is, what is your USP?
From a customer POV, using a 'one stop shop' printer who gets the artwork bang on and then delivers nice quality print at a reasonable price, makes for good added value and worth paying that bit more for.
Not offering a pre-press service is IMO lost profit opportunity, as there are too many in the race to the bottom on price for 'print only'.
YMMV

 

[tngcas]

Not offering a pre-press service is IMO lost profit opportunity, as there are too many in the race to the bottom on price for 'print only'.
YMMV

I think it just depends on what you enjoy doing. I enjoy printing and don't enjoy the annoyance of a customer asking me to make the black blacker or move this over 1 pixel. Yes, you can hire an employee to do design work but then you have to make sure that person has enough business to stay busy OR try to train that person to do other stuff that they don't enjoy doing to fill in the time.

It is a profit center but not everyone can do everything well and sometimes doing specific things really well is more practical than trying to do everything really well. Our solution is to refer customers who need design and print to an independent contractor, that we trust to send the work back to us, who enjoys doing design work so we can stick to what we enjoy which is printing.

It just depends on what you want to be doing with your time/effort/management etc. This calculation is going to be different for larger shops vs. small shops as well.

 

[Magnus59]

I wondered what was causing the bugs I have with canva files. I always have to redistill or print-as-image them. Got any tips on where I can read up on this subject?

I've never had a problem with files from Canva.
The business was started by a local graphic designer here in Western Australia, she is very knowledgeable in the field of creating files for print that work, I have found Canva files are the most reliable out of all the ones originated by online services

 

[sidneykidney]

My experience tells me that now days everyone is a designer whether it's through using InDesign or Microsoft Powerpoint!!!!
The problem is, when you show them a design which you've created for them, they know what they don't want but can't tell you what they do want which means a lot of time spent with backwards and forwards of designs. This is why I'd rather leave it for them to sort out and only send me a final PDF.
I liked the idea of sending customers to an online design website because at least I know what I'm going to receive from that website and over time can create workflows for any regular problems caused by the website.

 

[tngcas]

I've never had a problem with files from Canva.
The business was started by a local graphic designer here in Western Australia, she is very knowledgeable in the field of creating files for print that work, I have found Canva files are the most reliable out of all the ones originated by online services

I was really excited when Canva first came out because they originally had a system where you could plug it into 3rd party websites which I thought was really cool. They closed that program really fast and never opened it back up.

It's still a solid program and they keep adding really useful features to it.

 

[ReproElectroProspero]

My experience tells me that now days everyone is a designer whether it's through using InDesign or Microsoft Powerpoint!!!!
The problem is, when you show them a design which you've created for them, they know what they don't want but can't tell you what they do want which means a lot of time spent with backwards and forwards of designs. This is why I'd rather leave it for them to sort out and only send me a final PDF.
I liked the idea of sending customers to an online design website because at least I know what I'm going to receive from that website and over time can create workflows for any regular problems caused by the website.

If they're paying me $75 an hour, they can go back and forth as long as they want.

 

[tngcas]

If they're paying me $75 an hour, they can go back and forth as long as they want.

Do you enjoy that?

I'd rather make my living doing something I enjoy rather than dealing with people like that. It makes me crazy. Not to mention that there's too many people who want to go back and forth forever and then get mad/refuse when they find out they have to pay for that nonsense. Then they want to go bash your company to everyone because of how unreasonable you were.

To each their own.

 

[ReproElectroProspero]

Do you enjoy that?

I'd rather make my living doing something I enjoy rather than dealing with people like that. It makes me crazy. Not to mention that there's too many people who want to go back and forth forever and then get mad/refuse when they find out they have to pay for that nonsense. Then they want to go bash your company to everyone because of how unreasonable you were.

To each their own.

I can see your point. However, I would generally approach it like this. Tell them the design work is $x/hr. Give them a free 15min consult regarding what they want designed. Give them an estimate: I think this will take minimum 3 hours, possibly 5. Total cost will be between $225-$375. Revisions after the initial proof are 0.5hrs billable minimum. If you're unsure what you're looking for, you're likely looking at $550 in design charges. If that's not okay with you, I am more than happy to accept a print-ready design file from you and move immediately into production.

Do this at the beginning of the relationship, politely, and there's no reason to badmouth you other than price. I can see how this breaks down though, if you're just getting started in a competitve market and have no built-up portfolio of design work to show off.

 

[printing4me]

I wondered what was causing the bugs I have with canva files. I always have to redistill or print-as-image them. Got any tips on where I can read up on this subject?

I haven't had issues with Canva files yet. I tell them to use these settings. (see image)

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

I haven't had issues with Canva files yet. I tell them to use these settings. (see image)

Back when they were just starting up the files would produce artifacts or colors would be green instead of gray. Maybe their PDF creator was made in house and later switched to an Adobe provided solution once they had enough money? It improved pretty quickly but I used to cry when I opened an email and a customer had provided a Canva file.

 

[abc]

I wondered what was causing the bugs I have with canva files. I always have to redistill or print-as-image them. Got any tips on where I can read up on this subject?

Seen a lot of issues reported with Canva files and Type 3 fonts. especially on HP Indigo rips for some reason.
Easy to preflight for and also can be resolved to normal page content.

 

[namelessentity]

Canva is okay, it's mostly the users that aren't. I have issues with making complex work accessible, because you run into anyone with a phone calling themselves graphic designers. Owning a hammer doesn't make you a contractor, and owning a ruler doesn't make you an architect, but Canva makes everyone think they're an artist.

 

[Bill Ward]

We get lots of "design" work from people using Canva, Powerpoint, Word, etc. The issue is not compatibility with printing but limitations on what the designer can do with those programs given the programs limitations. (But that's no different than someone using InDesign and not knowing how to use all of the necessary features) You might still have to do some extra work.

 

[michaelejahn]

I wondered what was causing the bugs I have with canva files. I always have to redistill or print-as-image them. Got any tips on where I can read up on this subject?

Read up on why Canva PDFs 'may' cause problems ? Or read up on debugging mystery meat PDFs in general ? I am not sure what PDFLibrary the folks at Canva are using ( might be iText or their own home grown one ) but honestly, wen i encounter a misbehaved PDF I use Adobe Acrobat Pro or Callas PDF Toolbox to repair ...

 

[sidneykidney]

I spoke to my niece a couple of days ago and she's just started working in social media marketing. When she's gone for interviews, she told me that a lot of companies (in the UK) now ask if she's familiar with Canva rather InDesign or any other layout program. I wonder if this is because its free/cheaper than InDesign and that it also gives you hundreds of templates to start from which is half of the job done.