In a
high-volume shop like Copresco, we run thousands of books and manuals in black
& white and color. No two are exactly alike. Variables run the gamut from
the computer platforms and applications used to graphics techniques, paper
stocks, finishing and binding methods.
Although PDF
workflow has significantly increased our production efficiency, we still get
some jobs that won't print properly, due to one problem or another.
To assure
that your job flows through our shop—or anywhere else—without a
glitch, Copresco has developed seven preparation habits for highly successful
documents.
Here are the first two rules of engagement to
follow before beginning your graphic communications projects. The other five
will be discussed in future issues of Overnight Lite.
Will it be
online or print? It makes a big difference. Imagine how your publication, book
or manual will look in its final bound format.
Determine
the distribution method and any special finishing that will be required
including binding, punching, die cutting and folding.
Then, establish the printing specs for the paper stock.
Will the pages be two-sided? There are no sides to worry
about on the web, but a printed document's length will obviously be greatly
affected by the way the pages are backed up.
Should you
leave room for annotations? Margin space is frequently required for notes and
comments in technical and reference manuals. Some binding styles also require
extra margin space.
Please don't send us reader's or
printer's spreads. Let Copresco impose your book or manual to signatures.
The
binding method may be determined by the thickness of your publication and your
project deadline. Saddle binding is a popular style but not recommended for
books over 60 pages long.
Perfect binding is an extremely
versatile and attractive method for short-run books, directories, reference
guides and other publications.
Copresco produces
adhesive-bound publications up to 2" thick (1,000 pages on a 50# offset sheet).
Copresco
is also one of the few printers around that can perfect bind books thinner than
1/8" of an inch.
To add interest and readability to your
document, consider the use of special color sheets, tab dividers, inserts or
other special pages.
Choosing
the proper software for producing complex documentation for commercial
reproduction is vital.
To put things very bluntly, we've
never seen an InDesign or QuarkXPress document reflow. We've rarely seen a Word
document that didn't reflow!
For long, text-intensive books, FrameMaker can't be beat. Adobe's InDesign has taken over the lead from Quark and has been setting the standards for graphic page layout.
Microsoft
Word falls seriously short in page layout and design categories. It's a
line-by-line rather than page-by-page program.
You'll
find that Microsoft has never made claims for Word as a layout program—and
instead offers its own desktop publishing product called Microsoft Publisher.
Switching to another word processor will only make things worse. Save your word processor for correspondence and memos and use the proper document management software for layout. Or, use your word processor for writing, then import the text into your layout program.
Likewise,
use dedicated graphics programs like Illustrator and Photoshop that offer the
proper drawing and image editing tools.
Don't use the
draw functions of Word—the resulting graphics are often impossible to
print.
Also avoid the use of InDesign or Quark for
creating or sizing your graphic elements. Although graphics can be edited in
page layout software, they don't always print at the best quality. You'll get
sharper reproduction by editing in Illustrator and Photoshop and importing the
files into your layout program.
These rules will help you with any job, be it print or html output. Watch for further tips in our next Seven Habits installment.
Meanwhile,
when you need help with publications, books and manuals, call the company that
can answer your questions and deliver, fast top-notch digital on-demand
printing.
Call Copresco.
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