Whether you’re after brochure printing or are printing business cards, there are certain steps you must complete to get your file “printer ready”.
While you may have been enough of a computer whizz to whip up your business card or brochure in InDesign or Quark or have even managed something half-presentable in a basic program like Word, you still need to ensure what’s displayed on your screen will translate in print.
Even if you’ve commissioned a graphic designer to do the work (who should make sure the file is okay for print) it’s handy to know what’s involved with brochure printing, printing business cards and other marketing material – so you can double-check everything is in order.
By following these four essential rules, you could save yourself a substantial amount of time and money:
- Proof Read
This sounds simple, but it’s amazing how many documents get sent for printing with errors. If you don’t have a savvy printer, these mistakes might not be spotted until you’re handing out your business cards or brochures to masses of important people! Make sure you have a good read for typos and consistency. If you’ve put a full stop at the end of a bullet point make sure you end everyone that way. It might also be helpful to have someone else check over it -nothing beats a fresh set of eyes!
- Check Image Quality
Before printing business cards, etc., checking the image quality is crucial. There’s no point forking out wads of cash for professional brochure printing if there’s a blurry image smack-bang in the middle of the page. To avoid this nightmare you need to check images are of printable quality (at least 300dpi) BEFORE printing, this can be done pretty easily in Photoshop. If your image isn’t large enough, it can enlarged by no more than 130% to avoid pixelation.
- Monitor Size
A common mistake made by novice “designers” is to allow their business cards or brochure designs to spill over the designated areas. Each layout should have a safety margin border that indicates where your design can be placed with no risk of being cropped during the cutting stage of the print process. Working with a strict layout area makes brochure printing and printing business cards a breeze. If your artwork or image extends to each edge of the printed area, it will be necessary to also add a bleed area to your layout – it’s best to talk to your printer about this.
- Manage Corrupt Files
Corrupt files are obviously bad, but as they generally can’t be opened by the printer either, at least you won’t be left with a batch of poorly printed brochures and business cards. However, locating the problem is another story and can be an extremely time-consuming process. To save time it’s best to check your files thoroughly before going ahead with printing business cards or brochure printing. If you understand designer speak this means checking image file paths and that all the real (and not faux) fonts are there.