Time gremlins lurk in any printing project, causing complications that throw it off track. Such delays frustrate both the customer and the printer. Changes in technology may reduce some such problems but have been responsible for causing different ones instead.
Negotiate the time frames as carefully as the money parts of a print bid. Also, never make assumptions about the compatibility of your computer programs or equipment with theirs.
Problems frequently arise from the way computer files (digital input) arrive at the printer. Such problems can easily eliminate the efficiency and speed that high-tech equipment is designed to deliver. A study by the Graphic ArtsTechnical Foundation found that a remarkable 57 percent (based on a thousand cases) had problems which caused production delays and/or increased costs. Of the 27 potential problems often encountered, here are the ten worst offenders.
The ten most frequent problems caused by the way computerc files are supplied to printers
- Missing or incorrect fonts (22.2%)
- Missing or incorrect trapping (relates to how colors line up) (11.5%)
- Files defined with incorrect color-RGB (red, green, blue) versus
- CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) (10.9%)
- Scans supplied in wrong file format (7.8%)
- Incorrect page settings or page setup (7.4%)
- Graphics are not linked (5.2%)
- Incorrectly defined or undefined bleeds (ink going to the edge of the page) (5.2%)
- No laser-printed proof supplied (4.6%)
- Missing graphics (4.5%)
- Resolution too high or too low in customer-supplied scans (3.2%)
Many print projects include some computer files since they’re used for creating visual images and layout. Theoretically they reduce required steps or duplication at the print shop-but only if such pitfalls are avoided. Most of these delays won’t occur when the customer provides careful specifications and verifies the printer’s guidelines prior to submitting projects to them.
This article first appeared in: The Business Card Book-What your business card reveals about you and how to fix it
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