Digital Printing Problems

Happy Monday Y'all!

Remember a couple of months ago when we had problems with the client's PDFs dropping out images and having problems with printing after it is processed through the rip on our Xerox Digital Printer?

Well I have run into the same problem several times since then. It seems that the PDFs look great on the screen and when printed to a laser printer. So the opening of the PDF in photoshop to flatten the transparencies does not work all the time.

What I have to do after I open in photoshop is flatten it then save as an eps, then I have to create a document in Indesign. Next import images that have been flattened in photoshop and re-do another pdf of the entire document. This almost always works. I believe the problem is the complex objects and shadows.

Also I think the complexity of the transparencies and shadows on top of each other in Indesign is causing a problem inside the rip. But if I get the original Indesign files, my pdfs I create from the original file usually work.

Since there are so many different settings in Indesign to create a high resolution PDF, it would be best to send the native Indesign file along with the High Res PDF to your printer. This will cut down on the cost and time in prepress trying to fix a PDF that is fine before it goes to a rip for a digital press, or plates.

Contact your printer and talk about the settings to create the high resolution Pdf before you release it to the printers.

Thanks and Have a Great Week!

Nikki

CS4 UP and Running

Hello,

Finally we have CS4 up and running at Clinton Press. I wanted to thank everyone for being so patient. Also for taking the time to save the Indesign files as INX files. I know it can sometimes be a pain. We really appreciate it though!

We have had CS4 for awhile now but it would not run on my system. We have upgraded memory, etc. Now we are able to get those CS4 files with no trouble. If anyone has any problems with crashing or fonts, could you let me know? Just curious if there are any kinks I should know about ahead of time.

Thanks again to everyone, send those CS4 files! YAY! No more INX files required! Have a great week!

Nikki

How to set up Digital Printing Jobs for Clinton Press

Today I will explain the best way to send files for Digital Printing. If you send files for the digital press this will be the most cost effective way.

All digital press files should be sent in high resolution PDF format. When saving the high resolution Pdf, make sure to include 1/8th of an inch bleed (0.125"). That of course is if your document has bleed or photos and art that runs off the edge of the page.

You should NOT include registration marks, bleed marks, color bars or page information. If the high res pdf has any of these items, the prepress department has to remove the items from the pdf and then crop it to the edge before sending to the Digital press. This can be time consuming and add more cost to the job.

Make sure to send the lasers also so that the prepress has something to compare to. Believe it or not, all pdfs are not created equally. Some pdfs can become corrupt in the file transfer process (email, ftp, etc).

If you ever have any questions about the type of files to send, please contact your printer, they can tell you the best way and most cost effective type files to send.

Have a great week! Its cold outside, bundle up and stay warm!

How to Use the Preflight Tool in Indesign

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year!

While you have your file open in Indesign, you can use the preflight tool to check the document you created in Indesign. Select the File Tab at the top of your Indesign file and select Preflight on the drop down menu.

Next you have a box pop up with Summary, Fonts, Links and Images, Colors and Inks, Print Settings, and External Plug-ins. In the preflight summary it will tell you if you have any images missing, embedded and how many use RGB mode. This will prevent you from sending the file with RGB photos to the printers.

Also the preflight tool tells you how many fonts you use and if you have any missing, embedded, incomplete or Protected.

Next is the Colors and Inks section, this is handy if you have created what you thought was a 2color job, but you actually have 1 process color and 2 spot inks. If you run into this problem go to the Separations Palette and check to find where the extra color is. That way you can fix it and save time in the prepress department. This can save you money also.

The Print Settings button is next. This gives you details of what is set in the file, for example: bleed, reader spreads, page position Color, Trapping mode, etc.

You can also do a report to send to the printers with your Indesign file. It helps to use the Preflight tool in Indesign to help speed up the process of getting your files through the prepress department of your printers.

Hope this helps with the tool in Indesign! Have a great week!

Nikki