Microsoft GASP Publisher. . .
ireid (1283 pencils) | Sat, 2008-05-03 01:41. . . It didn't even KNOW this thing was still around! But now I've got a client insisting that he can do all his ads in MS Publisher!
How do I compete with that!?
BTW. He's sending his stuff to the printers as PDF's (didn't know MS Pub. did THAT too!) but the printers are having problems with elements of his file that I have no idea how to rectify! what do I do? Do I tell him MS Pub sucks and maybe lose a client?
*sigh* (insert Micro$oft b***in here)
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"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
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That is what I do first when I get Publisher files. A few deep breath and keep breathing.
Microsoft started to include this in their Office suite so the program proliferates like a baaad virus. Now everyone who has Microsoft Office think they can publish. Argh!
I usually try to walk clients through step by step on what they need to do. Check this website for detail instructions. Make sure everything is in CMYK color space and not RGB color space. http://www.pelicanmagazineprinting.com/convert_pdf.html
You may also try a web conversion service. Although I have not used this service yet. It's fairly new, so I have no idea what you will get back. http://www.zamzar.com/
Sometimes it still does not work as intended. That is when I say a few Hail Marys and open the file in Illustrator and rework some font and alignment issues.
I would charge customer time you spend fixing their files so they will realize they are really not saving any money nor time.
BTW, why fret over losing a client when you might already have lost him to Publisher? Helping him work through his problems and educating him on the difference between the capability of professional graphics program might just win him back.
Its actually a LITTLE more complicated. He designed his own logo (surprise surprise) and when he sent his ad with the logo to the local news press they told him that it wouldn't print properly (exact words: "Your logo will disappear") So he wants ME to fix it so that when he does his own artwork his logo won't 'disappear.' What would be my best course of action?
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
And charge him for every second it takes to clean up his mess.
Trust me... this could go 2 ways:
1. you will have to educate this client, he will understand, learn and you will become an asset to his company.
OR
2. He will ultimately nickel and dime you to death on every project (only due to his lack of understanding) and you will have been better off sending him to your competitor.
Terrell Thornhill
e-zign Design Group
I agree with Gloria and Terry. There is no way you should allow this man to offload the blame for his own ignorance and poor judgment onto you. You must explain to him that Publisher is a terrific program for DESKTOP publishing. That's what it was designed for. But for commercial printing, it simply doesn't have what it takes. You can't even really "fix" Publisher files that have been rejected by newspapers and print shops because, nine times out of ten, the imported files they contain are also sub-par. You must gently explain to this client that there is no cheap substitute for appropriate software and the skill it takes to use them correctly. Offer to take his logo design as a sketch to work from, and go from there. Good luck!
Mara
Don't say it sucks, but you have the right to use the tools of your choice.
I have ENCOURAGED him to use what he wants. :) BUT I have just hit upon an idea. Is there anyway to CONVERT Illustrator OR inDesign files to Publisher? That way I will bill him to develop some templates and he can do what he wants with them after. . .
can this be done?
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
It doesn't seem like this client needs your help anyway since he's 'got it under control' as it were. And you probably aren't getting paid much by him/her as a result, right? In this case this client isn't worth pursuing.
If he asks for your help, tell him the program he's using is not industry standard and while his printer won't tell him to his face, he's making their lives much harder.
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Powerpoint is not a design application
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Dirt and Rust