Q.
In the August 2009 issue of Overnight Lite, you talked about
zipping print files before uploading them. Is this still necessary
in today’s broadband environment?
A.
It’s true that compression isn’t as common as it used to be due to
the faster transmission speeds and greater bandwidths available from internet
providers.
Nowadays, almost all files are sent over the
internet one way or another, making compression, if anything, more important
today.
Copresco’s technical bulletin
TechTopics No. 3 File Compression Utilities
delineated three very good reasons to stuff your files.
Copresco believes these
reasons are as valid as ever:
1. Size. By reducing
the size of a file, it travels faster in the cyber world and takes less time to
transmit.
Lightning connection speeds suddenly don’t
seem so fast when sending groups of large files, as is typical of the
high-resolution color graphics needed for quality digital printing output.
Most large
corporations and some internet providers still block e-mail that exceeds a
maximum file size.
Did you know that both dsl and cable
connections are asynchronous?
This means much slower
speeds for uploading (sending) than for downloading (as in browsing or
receiving e-mail).
2. Organization. Compressing
multiple files into a single zipped folder makes document management more
efficient.
For example, a book with 20 separate chapter
files can be combined into one easy-to-transfer file. The extra minute spent
zipping your files into one zip archive will save you all the time you would
spend selecting each file for up-loading as individual e-mail attachments.
3.
Protection. Compression protects the integrity of your files. It’s
essential for internet transmission where the possibilities of core file
corruption are significantly increased as the file travels through various
servers and operating systems.
The article from August
Lite that mentioned zipping was all about making Mac e-mails more
universally friendly. Zipping is still the single most important thing you can
do to make sure that Mac attachments are received properly in a Windows world.
The good
news is that file compression has never been easier, faster or more convenient.
Compression once required the installation and use of a
separate utility such as StuffIt or WinZip. Now, zip compression is built into
both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
Windows
Zip compression is built right into Windows XP, Vista and 7.
Highlight the files and/or folders to be compressed. Pull
down the File menu (or simply right click) and choose Send To>Compressed
(zipped) Folder.
Windows will create a .zip folder named
after one of the files or folders you’ve compressed. The file can be
renamed if you wish.
Mac Users Zip compression is
included with all versions of OS X.
In the Finder, select
the files and/or folders to be compressed. From the File menu, select Compress.
The menu will also list the number of files and folders to be zipped, which is
useful as a double check.
The Finder will create a file
called archive.zip. This archive file may be renamed if desired, but be sure to
retain the .zip extension.
Old “Apple hands”
may be interested to know that the zip compression format is not the same as
the StuffIt .sea or .sit formats that were most popular in the days of Quadra
and PowerMac. The results of using OS X’s built-in compression, however,
is exactly the same.
Q.
Aren’t PDF files automatically compressed when they are created?
A. Built-in compression, specifically of images,
is an added bonus of submitting files as PDFs.
Using PDF
addresses the file size issue; that is, if the PDF is properly
prepared!
Remember that our three primary reasons for compressing print files are size, organization and protection. Even if you correctly prepare PDF files for print, the need for organization and protection is still best addressed by the creation of a zip archive before sending.
File
compression will save you time, money and trouble.
So,
when you need help with books, manuals and other publications, call the company
that can help you every step of the way.
Call
Copresco.
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