Software - Use
the right tool for the job
BILLNEWCOMER.COM supports all major professional publishing
software programs. Even if you don’t support major
software, you can still send us a file in Postscript format.
Page Size - Letter-size isn’t always
the right size
As a rule, you should create your file to the size you
want it when printed. When creating a new file, many
programs default to the standard 8.5" x 11"
page size. If you want your printed document larger
or smaller, you should create your page size to match.
If, for example, you are creating a newsletter with
pages that measure 5.5" x 8.5", simply create
your pages at that size, rather than putting them in
the middle of an 8.5" x 11" page. Doing this
will save you time and money.
Images - Web format vs. Print format
With the popularity of the World Wide Web comes confusion
about which formats and requirements are needed for
printing images. Printing requires a much higher quality
and resolution than necessary for web-based images.
Most photos and graphics should be at least 300 dpi
(dots per inch) resolution and should be in CMYK or
at least RGB color mode. Lower resolution color modes,
such as the .gif format’s Indexed (8-bit) color
mode; don’t carry enough color detail to print
well.
For the most part, images taken from your web site don’t
look as good as those created specifically for printing.
If you have any questions or uncertainties about this
please call us, we’ll be happy to answer your
questions.
If your software gives you the option you should always
link your graphics to your publication,
rather than embed them. Should there
be any problems, embedded images cannot be altered and
we will not be able to modify them. This could add expense
or delay to your job, or both.
Fonts - Not just a pretty face
Easily the most common problems with electronic files
are font-related. Font problems have been known to cause
delays, additional labor charges, replacement film costs.
They even ruined entire jobs, causing the expense of
having to print them over. The good news is that font
problems are among the easiest to prevent. The two most
common of these problems are missing fonts
and stylized fonts.
Always include your fonts with your job. We can’t
stress the importance of this enough. Even if you’re
just using ‘standard’ typefaces like Times
or Arial, you should always include them with your file.
There are many different versions of any typeface, as
many as there are font companies, and every company’s
version is slightly different.
If you don’t include your fonts we’ll try
our best to match them to fonts that we have on file,
but doing that creates the potential for reflow of your
copy, mismatched type elements and other problems. This
may cost you delays, increased labor costs and even
charges for additional proofs.
Whenever possible, do not create your bold or italic
type by highlighting the type and styling the roman
face from a style menu or palatte. This can lead to
substitution errors and other unpredictable results.
If given the choice always use the Bold,
Italic, or Bold-Italic
versions of your typeface. All of the best typefaces
come in ‘Families’ of fonts that include
these styles.
Color - How to avoid the blues
Color can add a new dimension to the look and effectiveness
of your design but it can also add complexity and confusion.
Avoid some of the most common problems by keeping these
tips in mind.
Make sure that your colors are defined properly. Use
CMYK colors for four color process jobs and Pantone
colors for spot color jobs. Do not use RGB colors.
Any time that you use color you’ll need to consider
how the job will be Trapped. (Trapping is how we
make sure that all of the colors line up, or register,
on the press.) If you’re not comfortable
doing your own trapping, just let us know — we’re
happy to take care of this for you. Just indicate this
on the order form.
If you’re creating your own registration or crop
marks make sure that you color them “Registration”
color so that they print on every separation.
Order Form - Start your job off right
Filling out our “File Submission Form” is
the first step toward getting your job printed. Taking
the time to fill out this form completely and accurately
helps ensure that your job will run smoothly and quickly.
If we have a question about something you’ve left
blank on the form, we may have to call you. While we
love to talk to our customers, you may not want to delay
your job.
If you have any questions about the form or any of
the entries on it, please ask us. We’d be very
happy to answer any of your questions.
Laser Proof - Give us something to go on
Providing us with a sample of your job that you’ve
printed on your own printer is critically important.
It doesn’t matter if this sample is low resolution
or in black and white as long as it shows us what your
layout and typesetting looks like, it can help prevent
costly errors and delays. Without it, we won’t
know if there’s been a font substitution or if
your type has reflowed, or even if your graphics are
printing correctly! It’s also important that your
proof reflects the very latest changes to your file.
File transport - Are we compatible?
You can send us your files on 3.5" floppy, SyQuest
44/88, 3.5" optical, Zip, CD, or Jazz. You can
also send us files by e-mail or FTP. (See our File Transfer
Guide for more information or simply give us a call.)
Be sure to include all of your fonts and graphics so
that you don’t delay your job.
If you need to compress your files, you can use PKZip,
Stuff It, or Compact Pro. If you need to use a commpression
utility other than those listed here, please make your
compressed files self-extracting.
Proofing Stages - Three chances to get it
right
The goal of proofing is to catch any mistakes or problems
with your job before it goes to press. These problems
can range from typos or misspellings, to color shifts
(?) photos or banding in gradients. Proofing is critical.
No job can afford to go to press without it. To help
keep your costs down, Impactica has created a three
stage proofing process.
The first step is the laser proof. Once we have your
job we’ll do any manipulation to it that you’ve
requested, such as scanning or color correction. Then,
we’ll provide you with an initial laser proof,
which can be either a black & white or colortial
proof very carefully. Because we create the laser proof
before we run the film for your job, this is the best,
most cost-effective stage to spot problems.
Once the laser proof has been approved we’ll
run the film for your job and create a Dylux. The dylux
will accurately show you the positioning of photos,
pagination, and folding of your job.
Once the dylux is approved we’ll create a Matchprint
from your film. The matchprint will tell you what your
colors and gradients will look like on the press. If
the matchprint meets with your approval we will then
create plates and print your job. Our pressmen will
refer to the matchprint to ensure that the colors, photos,
screens, and gradients in your job print the way you
want them to.
In addition to these proofing stages your job may warrant
a press check. At a press check you’ll have the
opportunity to see your job on the press as it’s
being printed. Your account representative can advise
you if your job needs a press check.
