Yes,
print is not dead but discovering a printing error on your hi-end brochure
could make you wish you were. Offset printing is a technical process
and leaving this to inexperienced hands could become a scary situation.
When
working with one of our recent clients, we stumbled upon a printing nightmare.
The client had enlisted a freelance graphic designer to design their
product logo. When the client went to print the new logo on their marketing
materials, the artwork did not print correctly. After much distress,
they called us to see if we could help them with this problem. After
closely examining how the graphics were created (using our professional
design software), we were able to see that the logo contained many unnecessary
layers and hidden transparencies. In the end, we cleaned up the artwork
to make the logo more output friendly.
With
several horror stories under our belt, we wanted to share with you our
checklist on the top 5 ways to avoid a printing nightmare:
1. Check
Your Photography – Do you want to include photos of your product or office
staff in your marketing material? Don’t waste your time using your camera
phone. While phone companies have increased the amount of megapixels
in their built-in cameras, that doesn’t mean the pictures taken are print-ready
(or worthy) for your business’s marketing collateral. Image resolution
has to be very high for offset printing. If not, your photos will look
pixilated or blurry. Consider hiring a professional photographer or using
stock images (where appropriate).
2. Review
Your Color – When you review design comps online, you may not be seeing
the exact color that will be printed. Each computer monitor has different
color settings. Your logo may look red on the computer screen, but when
printed it could look pink. So before you say yes to printing 1,000 brochures
or mailing out 5,000 direct mail pieces, make sure you review a hard
copy proof from the printer.
3. Review
Your Copy – When you send your final art files to the printer, you need
to make sure you package the fonts correctly. Missing fonts will cause
your text to reflow and shift in the layout. The last thing you want
is for your contact number or web address to get cut off from the final
printed piece.
4. Review
Your Print Order – If your marketing piece is designed with custom paper
color, weight, fold or size, you need to make sure you sign off on the
exact specifications you ordered. If the printer ordered A-6 envelopes
for your custom 5”x7” invitation card design, you’ll have your own printing
nightmare.
5. Know
Who You Are Working With – When you work with a printer or design firm
you are familiar with, you are less likely to run into problems like
ghosting on the press, poor plate registration, color inconsistency or
untimely delivery.
If
these checklist examples are things you don’t want to worry about when
creating new marketing material, then enlist a team like Tribe Design
to take the worry out of the whole process. |