1. Start with the Best Art Possible
Despite all the advances in graphic software and printing, the adage, "garbage in, garbage out" still applies. The better the original, the more latitude the printer has in achieving the results you want. Use photographs that exhibit the full tonal range. Don't convert a color photo to make a black and white reproduction, if a black and white original is available. Start with the best you can get because each step results in a generational loss in quality.
2. Work in the Right Software
Prepare your art in the program that is best suited for the task. Illustrator® is a drawing program, ideal for logos, packaging, posters and single panel layouts. Photoshop® is a pixel based (raster) program that lets you size, color-correct and manipulate scanned images such as photographs and flat art. Neither is intended for multi-page documents. For that, use a page layout program such as QuarkXPress® or InDesign®
3. Make Image Changes Before Importing Them
Scale, rotate, flop and manipulate images in the original graphic application (Photoshop® or Illustrator®) before importing them into your page layout program (QuarkXPress® or InDesign®). If done in a page layout program, these steps consume a lot of computer memory and may cause output difficulties.
4. Maintain Image Quality
Photoshop® provides tremendous pixel control, but keep in mind that raster software cannot enlarge images without a loss in quality. When producing a digital image, start big because you can scale down with impunity. If you need to make an image larger, it is best to rescan or reshoot it at a high resolution.
5. CMYK or RGB
Remember that offset printing requires that all files be in CMYK to separate properly. For stock images, usually supplied in RGB mode, printers often prefer to make the conversions themselves. If the printer requests otherwise, ask for a conversion profile to follow. Keep in mind that standard default settings on your software may convert some colors to straight black, rather than build the color out of CMYK. Images, especially with flesh tones, may appear dark and muddy.
6. Trust the Software, Not the Screen
If you are doing color corrections or manipulations on your own, rely on the numerical color gauges in Photoshop® rather than what you see on the screen. Be sure to color calibrate your monitor and printer to reduce discrepancies.
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7. Keep Track of Your Colors
Graphic programs give you an infinite choice of colors, and you may want to test out different hues to see which works best. Just be sure to keep track of them and eliminate any unused colors before releasing files. If you don't, you may end up with a separate match-color plate for every color you tested. Or you may accidentally specify four-color process for a job that must be printed only in match colors.
8. Build to Size
Build your files at actual size unless your final size is too large for your software to accommodate. A printed piece with a final size of 8.5 x 11 should be built to 8.5 x 11 page size. Spreads should be created as two 8.5 x 11 pages, not as a single 17 x 11 form. Before releasing, add 1/8th inch bleeds where appropriate and be sure to indicate this. Let your printer make any adjustments for crossovers, gutter grind-off, creep, etc.
9. Use Hi-Res and Low-Res Appropriately
When using a lot of images, don't put hi-res files in layouts because they will make the document unwieldy. Instead, use low-res versions of the original as placeholders and give the printer the hi-res versions at the final size. Typically, the resolution should be 300 or 350 dpi. Some printers now offer automatic replacement (APR) services - supplying a low-res scan to be used for position only (FPO). The low-res version must be identical to the hi-res scan and be identically named.
10. Name Your Files Clearly
Unusual characters in a name have been known to cause a printer's computer to crash. Keep file names under 30 characters and use letters and numbers only. Make sure your files are labeled with the correct extension: .ai or .eps for Illustrator®; .tif or .eps for Photoshop®; .indd for InDesign® and .qxd for QuarkXPress®, and .pdf for PDF. IMPORTANT: Indicate which software version you used in preparing the file because some printers may not have the latest versions.
Problematic Symbols:
/ \ . : ; * # &
Use a dash - or underscore_ for word space.
Ciick here to go to "Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Releasing Files
Click here to go to Proofreader Marks reference page.
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