Preparing files for pre-press
Hi there. I´m a Graphic Designer but haven't done any graphics work in the last 6 years. Hence, my lack of experience in getting jobs ready for proof & prepress.
I have been asked to design a magnetic bookmark..I am okay with the design side but am lost with the following format specifications..I would appreciate your help in understanding the below terminology's or any useful tutorials. THANKS!
Clients requirement......
Acceptable formats:
EPS: all fonts must be inlaid or triplex ?
PDF: must be created to include all fonts TIF without cutting marks or magnet, 300 DPI and CMYK
JPG: cutting marks or magnet, 300 DPI and CMYK
Whatever the formats, there should never be markings? ( does it mean the crop marks) of any kind (register, colours, range, etc.) If the document is indented, the indent must be 4 mm.
All images should be in CMYK.
The document must be the same size as the final print, plus indent. how to achieve the indent...
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Have you contacted your
Have you contacted your printer for clarification? They're your best source.
Normally, I deliver PDF/X1-a files with fonts included, but best case scenario is to convert all fonts to outlines.
Bleeds would be to their specs, usually 1/8". They can remove this bleed themselves if they don't need it.
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Powerpoint is not a design application
Unfortunately, I am not in
Unfortunately, I am not in direct contact with the printers. My job is to prepare the design to their spec and print ready....The info above is all that I have been given, and since i am unfamiliar with the terms within the formats EPS< PDF, I am nervous!!!
Unfortunately, I am not in
Unfortunately, I am not in direct contact with the printers. My job is to prepare the design to their spec and print ready....The info above is all that I have been given, and since i am unfamiliar with the terms within the formats EPS< PDF, I am nervous!!!
Just tell your client that
Just tell your client that you need clarification from their printer on some of the terminology and that you need to speak with them. I'm not really familiar with a lot of those terms either - It could be something really simple but they're using a difficult term (that i don't even understand). I'm still new to pre-press, but I've never seen something so complicated as an "explanation." Most printing companies make it easy for any moron to figure out.
Get in contact with the printer. Tell your customer that you need to speak with them about the artwork. I've never had a client not want me to verify that i'm sending the correct thing. If they are, then you'll just let them know that if the files are incorrect, you will have to redo them which could push back their turnaround. This normally works for me, as most clients are in a fucking hurry ALL THE TIME.
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life is great; without it, you'd be dead.
Screwy Terminology
I've spent years running pre-press operations and that is some really screwy terminology. It's almost like it's translated from another language.
I understand the 'inlaid' or 'triplex' type comment for an EPS file to mean: "Outline all type if providing EPS files"
The 'include fonts' and 300 dpi CMYK images within PDF files is standard but the confusing part is the registration marks and bleeds.
DO NOT use the JPG option.
When in doubt I set my bleeds to .125", include regristration marks and save in a PDFX-1a format. It will automatically embed fonts and error if any image isn't in CMYK format.
Any printer with a brain can easily remove the marks and crop the PDF accordingly. Make sure to include contact information with the file. That way if they can't work with what you provided they can call you directly and clarify what they need.
Is this Magnet a strange shape?
Meaning is it like an oval or die cut shape?
That could mean why they don't want registration marks.
"Any printer with a brain can easily remove the marks and crop the PDF accordingly." we DON'T like to let the printers do ANYTHING with the file when they get it. . . no offense of course! Its just to make life easier so that all they have to do it print.
Here what I would do: Save two formats EPS and a PDF X-1a make a color print of what its SUPPOSED to look like finally printed and just send the artwork without crop marks or a dieline (reason why I asked). . . they will position it how they want it I guess. . .
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
Ideal World
In an ideal world printers would love not having to touch a customer file and the good ones spend time with ongoing customers to get files set-up correctly so they can just turn and burn.
Knowledgable customers like you are a dream to work with because you take full responsibility for the work your deliver and prepare files exactly to printer specificiation.
However, it rarely works that way with first time customers and few printers will take the time to call a client to get a new file on something simple. As long as nothing is seriously wrong with missing fonts or image qualify it's quicker to fix things themselves.
No offense, but talking with an uneducated designer turns into a one week class on how to prepare files correctly for print. (Oh the stories)
BTW: How did the monitor calibration work out?
Monitor Calibration.
We got two 30 inch Apple Displays and FINALLY got rid of ONE really dark Radius 21" I am awaiting another two displays by next month and that will get rid of another OLD dark 21" Radius (its the one in the Grey casing) and a Sony 22 inch that is just TERRIBLE with color no matter WHAT you did with the settings. . . :P I am awaiting a the Pantone Huey PRO system to calibrate the Apple displays PROPERLY. Right now I am using the built in Apple Software Calibrator which the artists CLAIM is close but I think its still very iffy. What do you think running the Color calibration set up that comes with Mac OS X?
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
Manual Calibration
Your designers should love the color from the new LCD displays over the old Radius and Sony CRTs.
Manual calibration is okay to a point but I've found the Apple Cinema Displays come out of the box pretty damn accurate. The one problem with not using a spectrometer is getting multiple monitors set consistently.
Read over what the pros have to say. You might just want to leave the ICC profile set to the out-of-box 'Cinema HD Display' until the Huey shows up.
Apple Cinema Out-of-Box Quality
http://www.colormanagement.nl/reports/index.php?id=16,0,0,1,0,0
Their findings on the out of box color quality are amazing at < 1.5 Delta-E. (The human eye starts to see a difference in color at around 3.0 Delta-E)
Here is a brief snippet they made about manual calibration that ships with MacOS X.
-- snip --
We strongly advise you to use a separate hardware calibration device, such as GretagMacbeth’s EyeOne Display 2, X-Rite’s OPTIX or PANTONE’s Spyder2PRO, and not the manual, built-in calibration tool that Apple ships with MacOS X.
-- snip --
http://www.colormanagement.nl/reports/index.php?id=14,0,0,1,0,0
Read over the rest of their findings. Good stuff.
Thanks!
When I get the calibrator I will do ALL the monitors. CRT and LCD here so we get consistency. What I have done actually is calibrate the monitor using a file that was color corrected on a calibrated monitor and printed already. So we compared the image on screen to the printed one and got a pretty close match. . . but its STILL subjective! but better than nothing!
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
Older Monitors
Technical Note:
I've had older CRT monitors that I couldn't get accurately calibrated to what the spectrometer wanted. An R - G - B setting was maxed out on the monitor and the SpyderPRO didn't read the color within acceptable tolerances. (I could get R & G locked in but not B, etc.)
The newer monitors were never an issue but older monitors 'burn out' and cannot be fully calibrated. The good news with using external calibration hardware is knowing what monitors are shot and need to be replaced.
Yeah. . .
... Good point. But after we remove those two old monitors the Radius and the Sony then we just have some 3 year old Lacie's (electronBlues) that we will replace after next year. So its should be ok.
"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda
AMEN!
It seems ive traded my design creativity in for prepress knowledge. the files i get from even the most talented agencies ... blow my mind.
why would you set a white logo to overprint on a CMYK job?
quicker to fix myself.
Sometimes this can happen by
Sometimes this can happen by accident. I know; I had to track this issue down once on a print run error -- white logos in illustrator were set to overprint by default.
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Powerpoint is not a design application
Thank you all for your
Thank you all for your advice!
The terminology is a little screwy as the clients are Dutch, work came to a Spanish company and now been translated in English.
I suppose I shall stick to my old tested format.
Creative-NRG I take no offense, as I know, every designer like an expert yourself has started somewhere as an uneducated designer or better 'less skilled designer'....we all have to learn somewhere.
Stick with PDF/X-1a
I agree- just send them the PDF X1-a format with the fonts embedded (or as was suggested, better yet, create outlines of your fonts and send it that way so there's NO chance for errors at all, although the X1-a process usually catches many errors for you.)
MAKE SURE you design your ad in CMYK - I've seen too often people who are used to designing in RGB colorspace send out RGB ads to be produced in print. You want to have control over how the colors turn out, so do it in CMYK from the beginning. You definitely don't want them converting an RGB image to CMYK for you if that mistake occurs.
The request to exclude what I assume they are describing as crop marks might just be because of how they lay out your design for press. Their system may already include propper cropping - just design it to their specified specs - even down to the hundredth of an inch if they're so particular.