Customer Service: Design Tips

In This Section

Introduction: Prepare Problem-Free Electronic Files for Printing

Fonts and Page Layout Issues

Scans and Graphic File Formats

Color, Trapping and Bleeding

Checklist for Submitting Digital Files

File Transfers and Downloads

Price Quote Request Forms

Prepare Problem-Free Electronic Files for Printing

The days when a designer prepared a mechanical for the printer are, for the most part, gone. Today, a designer arranges the elements of a printing job on a computer monitor and sends the job to the printer as an electronic file. It is cleaner, faster, better quality and more reliable, but it is not always foolproof. Unlike traditional mechanicals, it is not always apparent when a piece of an electronic file is missing, particularly fonts; colors may be improperly specified; and trim, bleeds and traps may be incorrect. On the other hand, unnecessary information may create huge files and make it difficult to locate necessary information.

PREFLIGHTING-Where does it begin?

The process of checking for all the components of a printing job in an electronic file before outputting to film is called preflighting. Preflighting actually begins with the designer. The more you know about correctly preparing an electronic file, the more confident you will be with the outcome. There are less headaches on both ends: our preflight operators spend less time preparing and repairing your files, and ultimately you spend less money.