You have found the custom printing vendor‘s FTP site and you’re about to send your files to press. With bated breath, you hope that you caught all the errors, formatted all the files correctly, and didn’t make any mistakes that will be expensive to fix. Before you push the send button, here are some things to check.
Check the Fonts and Links
Make sure that you are using the proper fonts. Specifically, use the bold or italic font for a particular type family. Don’t use the (pseudo)-bold or (pseudo)-italic button to alter the type.
In InDesign, you can go to the “Type” menu, then go to “Find Font,” and you will see a list of all the fonts you are using, including the font family, weight, and whether the type is condensed or expanded (for example, Helvetica Light Condensed). You can also see whether the typeface is Adobe Type 1, OpenType, or TrueType. (Some commercial printers I’ve worked with have had problems with TrueType used on a Mac, so check with your custom printing provider before sending a file that uses TrueType fonts.) If you don’t like what you see in the list of fonts, you can do a “search and replace” from this menu item to change fonts, either one instance at a time or globally.
Also, check “Links” under the “Window” menu. It will show you any TIFF or EPS images you have placed in your InDesign art file. You can see the color space (RGB or CMYK, for instance), format (such as TIFF) and page number on which the image appears. If you have altered the original Photoshop image file, you can also update the links to replace the old version with the new version.
Color Space
Speaking of color space, make sure you have changed the images from the RGB color space to the CMYK color space if you will produce the custom printing job on an offset or digital press. You would only use RGB for a Web document that would appear on a computer monitor. As mentioned before, the color space is also noted in the “Links” window.
Bleeds
Make sure you pull the picture boxes 1/8” beyond the trim of your print job in InDesign (or any similar program). This part of the image must extend beyond the “trim” line of your document page, so your commercial printer can cut this portion away in the bindery to give the impression that the photo bleeds off the page.
Package
InDesign calls the collection of fonts, images, and art files their “Package” function. This function can be found under the “File” menu. Quark has a similar attribute called “Collect for Output,” also under the “File” menu. Both programs allow you to collect in one folder all that you will need to send to the custom printing supplier.
Compress
The Package, or Collect for Output, function will create a folder on your desktop. If you are using a Macintosh, it is prudent to compress this folder to protect it in transit over your broadband connection to your commercial printer. Select the file folder and right click on your mouse. Drag down several menu items and you will see “Compress” and the name of your file or folder.
PDF or Native Files
Some custom printing vendors will ask that you send them native InDesign or Quark files, particularly for book covers and other complex art. Others will request PDF files. Native files are easier for the commercial printer to alter in an emergency. Although tools do exist to edit PDFs, these files are essentially “locked down.”
If you send PDF files, ask your custom printing provider how he wants the files created. There are a lot of options, and different commercial printers will ask you to set the multitude of preferences differently.
Use the Printer’s FTP Site
When you upload a large document, such as a book with a number of photos, you are transferring a huge amount of data to your commercial printer. Attaching a file to an email won’t work for these large files. (Even after compression, a small booklet with its corresponding 4-color images might be well over 60 MB). Find someone in your printer’s prepress department to help you with this, since you may need a user name and password. Other commercial printer’s websites may just let you upload files without a password.
Email Your Printer to Let Him Know That You Have Uploaded a File
Many people forget to do this. I’ve been guilty as well. When you upload your job to the commercial printer‘s website, send him an email with the name of the files you have uploaded. It wouldn’t hurt to also include the printing specifications for the job in this email. Otherwise your printer may not know to look for your job on his FTP server.
If You Send Corrections
If you send corrections to the printer after reviewing the proof, rename the file. Something as simple as “PrintJob” and “PrintJob v2 (version 2) will help your commercial printer know which version of the file(s) to use.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 at 3:30 pm and is filed under InDesign Software, Offset Printing, Prepress, Printing.
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