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Before heading out for family vacations, what do most people do? They run through the proverbial checklist. Did we pack the toiletries? Check. Bring the airline tickets? Check. Turn off the A/C, set the alarm and lock all doors and windows? Check. Count the kids? Oops, almost forgot the youngest. Check.
Why should you and your printer behave any differently when embarking on your next journey (i.e. “job”) together?
At Delta Printing Solutions, we are sticklers for running through our checklist when jobs arrive via a procedure we call preflighting. It’s how we make sure all files are prepared to our specifications and we have all components such as fonts, graphics and everything else necessary to make your job a success.
You can help us help you by verifying four key elements before releasing your job to us. We’re not trying to get you to do our job for us; instead, we’re just trying to make sure that nothing prevents us from getting your job on a delivery truck as promised.
The Big Four
- Build pages to final trim size. Make sure the pages you create match the final trim size of your book. For example, if you’re working on a book that’s 8-3/8” by 10-7/8”, your files need to be built to that exact size. Don’t rely on your printer to fix the file size because image placement is a judgment call. As any designer worth his or her salt will attest, a 1/4”, 1/8” or even less in placement is very noticeable. Save time by getting page size right at the start.
- Convert all graphics to CMYK. The desktop revolution left a legacy of two standards: screen (RGB) and print (CMYK) formats. Before sending files to your printer, be sure to convert all your RGB graphics to CMYK process color. Otherwise, color in your printed piece will be a far cry from what you expect.
- Include all fonts with files. Before releasing your project, make sure you’ve included all fonts. Just because you’ve selected a Times Bold font on your computer doesn’t mean that it’s going to come out bold on the other end. Double check to make certain that Times Bold and any other fonts used in your documents are included with your submission.
- Scans need to be a minimum of 300dpi. Waiting for low resolution images is a real time waster. It is an unfortunately all too common issue for most book printing companies. At the root of the problem is the difference between electronic and printed worlds. On screen, 72dpi (dots per inch) looks wonderful, but looks unbelievably bad on press. Scans need to have an effective resolution of 300dpi in order for your artwork to be reproduced as intended.
In providing these pointers, we’re not trying to be difficult, just helpful. Your friends at Delta Printing Solutions have created a preflight system to catch these and other issues before they turn into problems. But once we’re in preflight control mode, there will be extra scurrying, unnecessary project coordination and likely lost time.
The Delta Printing Solutions Advantage
Delta Printing Solutions has been committed to meeting the needs of customers for more than fifty years. Located in Los Angeles County, Delta Printing Solutions is the largest independent provider of books, manuals, catalogs, journals and directories in the Western United States. The company offers superior prepress, printing, finishing and binding services with state-of-the-art technology and craftsmanship.
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