WordPress Pagination Not Working

Sunday, December 19th, 2010 at 4:15 pm

Documents and Pictures to supply printers

There are two basic ways to receive digital printers art. As a high resolution PDF (A more preferred up to date method) or everything collected (usually a QuarkXpress, Adobe InDesign or Illustrator document with images and fonts).

Before this can happen, there are many things to see in the work of art that is discussed in my article entitled Preparing artwork for print http://robcubbon.com/wordpress/?page_id=26

But suppose you have done all that. Everyone is happy with what we have seen at work and have to go ... now ... What to do?

Art collection

This is becoming a less preferred. Basically, it means everything compiled a QuarkXpress, Adobe InDesign or document Illustrator images and fonts. (Obviously, I'm assuming you own sources and thus are free to send). The reason it is less preferred and the reason for the problems with this method is compatibility.

You should make sure that the version of software you have in print. It may be necessary to keep Quark document to an earlier version. I remember having to save documents Quark Quark 6 to 5 so that I could open them in Quark Quark 5 to make 4. Hopefully that will not more! It is an example of how this method is susceptible to errors.

Sometimes, printers may find that the fonts did not load correctly else can go wrong.

If this is what you have to do, this is how you do.

In Quark, go File> Collect for Output, you will to save the document if not already done so, see everything in the boxes, but need not include the color profiles. Select where you want the saved folder, click OK and do it for you.

In InDesign, go File> Package ... Continue success and, again, I would check every box. And the same with Quark Select where want to save the folder, click OK and do it for you. InDesign has a nice feature on the File menu Preflight. Check if the sources are well and alerts you any error in color space images.

Illustrator does not collect or suite of tools so you have to do it the old fashioned way! Go Text> Find Font ... and write down your sources. Go Window> Links and write down all linked images and where they are in the system. Embedded images need not be collected. Then you have to find sources on your system make sure you get exactly the right file names, Adobe Garamond is not the same as the ITC Garamond. A more art regular Illustrator file is to integrate all images and convert all type to outlines thus eliminating the need to collect the work of art.

But this brings me to the preferred alternative to collecting works of art, high resolution PDF.

High resolution PDF

A Portable Document Format or PDF, you want to use a lot of syllables is an open file format created by Adobe Systems, encapsulating a composite description of a document that includes the text, fonts, images and vector graphics.

The advantages of high resolution art collected in PDF format are numerous, here are four

* No file is not a single charge
* It is a smaller size
* There will be no problem with power or loses does not load because the images ... er ... sources and the images are embedded in the PDF.
* You have a better idea of how the job will print.

There are 101 ways to make a PDF. Many specify their own printers and could even supply their own settings in Acrobat Distiller. However, I am often asked to provide a high-PDF resolution for a wide range of printed documents. This is what I do on the basis of the various guidelines I've read.

First of all, the files Reliable high quality PDF can be easily exported directly from InDesign and Illustrator. The same can not be said for Quark. No, I repeat, do not send a PDF to the printer that has been exported directly from Quark.

How to create a PostScript file from Quark

The only way to make a high resolution PDF is to first create Quark PostScript file. Go File> Print and click on the design of the first tab. Here you can specify whether you want your layout to the output as spreads or not (for usually not) and the record must be set to put centering marks on each separation of the PDF. Leave everything else the same.

Then click the next tab, which is the installation program. Printer Description choose Adobe PDF 7.0 or any version of Acrobat you have loaded. Under Paper Size select Custom and enter a value of approximately 40 mm more than the width (double runs if you are printing), leave the height of the paper. Paper Offset and Page Gap should both be zero. Reduce or enlarge: 100%, obviously. Exit the orientation and positioning in the landscape page in the left edge.

The next tab in the box Quark Print dialog is output. Print CMYK colors to be made, even if it is a single work or have special colors, halftones should be conventional. Resolution usually ranging from 2400 dpi, but the frequency (this is where guidelines differ greatly) anything between 175 and 400 lpi, depending on the output quality. 175 lpi would be enough for average quality magazine ad.

The following is Options. Leave Quark PostScript Error Handler unchecked. Page Flip to None, output normal. Data binaries. These are all defaults. However, Overprint EPS Black, usually leave the resolution is not controlled, but completely out Tiff should definitely be reviewed.

If the document specifies bleeding then obviously the tab for blood usually as the cut of 3 mm at the edge of bleed.

Finally, ignore OPI, check the preview to see if the crops and bleeds all fit in the black square and if you have a Profiles tab, make sure all profiles that are out as this can cause havoc with your PDF.

Finally, the actual saving of the PostScript files. In the Print dialog box, click the printer button at the bottom in the table below, where it says Copies and Pages Output Options drop-down menu, then PostScript file select Save As and select Format, click Save. If no exit options in the drop down menu is a shortcut down to the left of the box dialogue in the form of another button called PDF with a triangle pointing down, select Save PDF. A browser window opens, select which to save Save the PostScript file and then hit back to the Quark Print dialog where you hit print.

And then go and get a coffee!

Quark Once finished creating the PostScript file, simply drag the Acrobat Distiller to convert to a PDF. But before discussing the Distiller setting to choose I will explain the process (much simpler!) to create a PDF directly from Adobe Illustrator and InDesign.

How to create a PDF from Illustrator and InDesign

In Adobe Illustrator, simply go File> Save As ... and select Adobe PDF as the format, select where you want your PDF to save and click Save. In the dialog box Save PDF is Adobe can select the preset that I discuss later. The tabs on the left side is largely default settings preset. However, you may want to add crops and bleed as you like and it is worth looking through them to see if something looks wrong or if there are any warnings. Then click Save PDF.

In Adobe InDesign is a very similar only this time go File> Export ... and select Adobe PDF as the format, select where you want your PDF to save and export success. In the Export dialog box that follows Adobe PDF preset you can choose the Adobe treated early. Again, you may want to add and indent crop as desired, but leaves the option according to the default preset you have chosen, just browse to see if all is well. Then click Export.

What Distiller Settings / Adobe preset should I choose?

There is a very good article and discussion about it here http://indesignsecrets.com/choosing-the-right-pdf-preset.php .

The three default presets that you should worry about the output of high-resolution printing are: PDF/X-1a: 2001, PDF/X-3: 2002 and Quality Press.

The first two follow presets PDF / X. To reduce printing errors and enable successful file sharing, Adobe worked with suppliers and professional users to develop the family PDF / X standards designed for print workflows. They are a good option if you're not sure what he wants your printer. Both of the PDF / X preset in InDesign Acrobat 4 compatibility set the transparency flattening. Therefore, if you choose any of them, be sure to select high-resolution transparency coupled preset, while in the Advanced pane.

PDF/X-1a: 2001 is designed to provide the most robust and to some extent less flexible delivery of PDF content data. It requires that the color of all objects are in CMYK or spot colors, prepared for printing conditions desired.

PDF/X-3: 2002 allows slightly more flexibility in the color managed workflows also support - laboratory items and profiles attached ICC source can also be used. This preset PDF / X is similar to PDF/X-1a except that it also supports embedded RGB profiles and management color. This standard is more widely used in Europe than in North America.

Using the Quality of high quality press commercial printing, where The printer is easy to receive a PDF with live transparency that is rare. It is a good option if the printer is sending this to a platesetter or from Acrobat 7 Professional.

If you send an announcement to a magazine you can ask a "pass4press" PDF, if this is the case you can download a zip file of predefined joboptions o. on their website and once downloaded and unzipped http://www.pass4press.com, go to Settings> Add Adobe PDF Settings ... Distiller and select the file. The settings are similar to the PDF / X family.

With all these presets always necessary to check several things. You may want to add and indent crops and remember to check that the Transparency Flattener is set to High Resolution.

Paramount to this is the printer. Liaise with the printer and get your preferred choice.

Checking the PDF high-resolution

So now you have your high resolution PDF on your desktop. Opened in Acrobat Professional and have a good look at all the work could be the last time I see it and maybe you can find some errors.

One thing I always do is go to Advanced> Output Preview in Acrobat Connect Professional as here you can see all separations individually. Make sure you have CMYK simulation profile selected in the top. This spot colors can be checked and the items you want are the overlay or annulment.

Also, run the mouse over one's work can see the percentage of CMYK and spot values in the Output Preview panel. This is your last opportunity to see if the colors are printed correctly.

Go to Advanced and make sure Overprint Preview is on. This will give a representation work on-screen overlays and not checked by default. So if you've had black type to overprint a background color will appear darker while remains in preview. This can be a life saver as white elements that have been incorrectly set to overprint will disappear here and some presses. Return advanced options uncheck Reserve distillery and overprint settings.
Markzware FlightCheck and Enfocus PitStop

I should mention at this point that there is software out there that has a reputation for excellent pre-press checking. Markzware FlightCheck be used in Quark, Illustrator and InDesign files, Enfocus PitStop and you can check the print PDF files.

Personally, I never found them very useful, but are well regarded in the industry and am ready to eat my words.

Sending files

Now you transport, physically or digitally, your files to the printers.

If time is not scarce, which is rarely the case, then you can burn a CD or DVD and put him in office, along with its testing or low resolution PDF for paging clearly marked.

If time is tight there are a variety of options. If the file is less than 10 MB, then you can try e-mail, of course you'll have to see with the receiver. ISDN still lives in the UK, although it has largely been replaced by DSL as a technology.

FTP is the preferred method of transporting large amounts of data between two computers over the Internet. To do this it is best to use some kind of FTP software or "client". There are many customers out there for Mac and PC, both shareware and money. For PC users, Filezilla is recommended. Personally, for Mac users, Fetch and Transmit I would recommend if you want to spend Cyberduck money and not (for Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later).

To move to a remote site, you need three bits of information from them at the entrance to the FTP client IP address, a username and password. If these are accepted you can view the remote site and put the files there.

About the Author

http://www.robcubbon.com

http://indesignsecrets.com/choosing-the-right-pdf-preset.php