Just like a marriage, a good print job requires finely tuned communication. Here are six tips for ensuring the process goes as planned.
- Before designing your project, discuss with your printer what you have in mind for the end result. Often, you’ll receive helpful tips to ensure the job goes as planned.
- Ask your printer about bleed and margin requirements, as different printers and job orders have different specifications.
- Print shops often have design template files on their website that are free to download. These files come ready with pre-set bleed, margins and fold lines. Just be sure when using these templates that guidelines are not visible in the final PDF file.
- Do not assume your printer has every software application installed on their computers. If a font is not available, it’s important to know that up front.
- Good communication is essential to avoiding delays for your project. Before taking your design file to the shop, call ahead and make sure they have compatible software (99 percent of the time they will). Even so, it’s wise to export your design file to a PDF, as that is a standard file type used across all systems and it will also embed your fonts.
- Peruse the final proof with an eagle eye. For text, read the words backward, as that forces the brain to perceive those hard-to-detect typos.
By following these tips, you will ensure a stunning result!