Blog Articles

Preflight for Graphic Design and Prepress, an Application or Process?

Designers and prepress operators often think of Preflight as an application. An application that runs on files to verify files and identify potential problems. I have trained hundreds of operators in how to prepare First Time Right Postscript and PDF files. That’s the first thing that I set folks straight on.

Preflight is a process. It’s a process of going through every predictable problem that can happen with your printing job. If you think it’s a software that you run and that’s it, you are not going to be able to produce First Time Right PDF files. There are many, many things that software cannot even check for, and things unique to YOUR jobs, customers, company that are important. Things that MUST be checked to ensure success and accuracy.

50% of commercial printing is headed for a delay or additional costs:

Publishers and printers regularly report more than 50 percent of the digital files they receive are improperly prepared to spec. Thus, these files will need preflight & then repair to go forward. This may be done by a publisher, printer, or kicked back to the graphic designer. At stake is the budget and schedule of the print project. Now, think about that… 50% of commercial printing projects are destined for a delay in schedule or additional costs when submitted!

A graphic design project may be made for print, web, and or video. Depending on the type of media, documents must be prepared exactly to specifications based on final output media. Common file flaws include fonts not embedded or supplied, color space(CMYK vs. RGB, or inappropriate use of Pantone or specialty colors), and resolution conflicts. These are some of the many things that can be identified quickly by Preflight tools. A Preflight tool is utility software that is specially suited to help identify these file issues.

Preflight Software, helpful, required, but not a Whole Solution:

So there are tools that help. But what about things you have to identify by visual inspection? What about bleed and trim margins, placement and position, checking dates on event ads and coupon ads. What about checking every full page ad that is a repeat to be sure that the folio (page number) is deleted or updated. What about copy flow from 2 successive documents in a publication. These are all things that must be checked visually by a human. So, if you want to be a top notch designer or prepress operator, there is a list of important Preflight items that you, the human, must check. I always advise people to develop and update THEIR LIST every time a mistake is found or caught. Use the list as a checklist often enough that it becomes completely automatic to you as you prepare and process graphics files. If you get burned on a project, think of making that a part of your preflight checklist. An example or beginning preflight checklist can be found at this URL, review it and use it as a starting point.

http://prepressforum.com/preflight/job_planning.html

Preflighting Applications, Help, and History of Preflight:

I once read an article that stated Preflight Applications were invented in the 1990’s. Actually, preflight applications are nothing new at all. The early layout applications like Quark Xpress, Aldus PageMaker, Adobe Photoshop, Ready Set Go, were the first preflight applications. Preflight applications were invented in the 80’s, and have been improved upon and developed since. Today there is a Free Preflight Tool available called FreeFlight™ at the URL below, you can download the software free and get free help and support.

http://FREE-PREFLIGHT.com

There is also an online community at PREPRESSFORUM.COM that has extensive and free, user to user support. I help folks there most every day and the site is chock full of great insider tips, tricks, problems and solutions. I would encourage any designer, publisher, or printer to join and participate, teach or learn. All experience levels are welcome to post and answer questions at this site.

Examples of First Preflight Software Tools:

Example (A) PageMaker has a links palette that scanned through the document providing a report about images linked/missing, RGB/CMYK, Tiff/EPS, etc. This was a preflight results report covering the main document AND many support document files combined. Thus Pagemaker was a preflight tool that could report on files originating from other applications, like scans. It would give the user a list of confirmations and or problems identified that was to be used to repair and prepare files prior to output.

Example (B) Quark Xpress has had a usage palette, when called, it scans through the open document providing detailed reports about fonts used/missing, images used/missing/modified, image types, image colors, image paths. This was a preflight results report covering the open document AND many support document files combined. Thus Quark Xpress was a preflight tool that could report on files originating in other applications, like scans. It would give the user a list of confirmations and or problems identified that was to be used to repair and prepare files prior to output. Additionally Quark Xpress may have started collect for output, a feature mentioned in other patents from the 1990’s regarding preflight software invention.

Example© Adobe Photoshop was used to inspect and verify images. Back in the day, a user would grab all the Tiffs and Eps placed into a job. The selected files drag & dropped onto Adobe Photoshop would automatically open and display the color space in the title bar of each file, CMYK/RGB/Grayscale etc. Thus Adobe PhotoShop was a preflight tool that could report on files originating from other applications. An operator could open the Image size palette and verify resolution before closing each document. Thus a semi-automatic preflight of graphic images was performed. So, yes, Adobe Photoshop was and still is a preflight application and a file repair application that could inspect and identify problems in files which it did not originate.

Preflighting, Today’s Hottest Current Applications:

QuarkXpress 6.5, QuarkXpress 7, Adobe InDesign CS2, these applications have built in preflight function these days. Unlike all other preflight software, these are native function that is fast and effective. Best of all, they come at no additional cost to the designer, publisher, or printer. These are built into both of today’s most common preflight applications.

However, there’s a few very critical holes in the built in preflight of these applications. No need to worry, there’s a FREE preflight application caller FreeFlight™ that has been recently released to address this. The application is a free download from a Quark Xtension and Adobe Plug-In developer site . FreeFlight is a must have tool that supplements the use of QuarkXpress and Adobe InDesign CS2 built in preflight. You can download and read about FreeFlight™ at this URL.

http://FREE-PREFLIGHT.com

“Preflighting” as a printing term came to popularity in the 1990s as printers and service bureaus ensured that problematic files would be caught and fixed before they found their way into CTF (Computer to Film) workflow. In this century the term has evolved into other variations, like post-flight, indicating when in the workflow the file is actually verified. To Preflight is proactive quality control, Postflight is reactive quality control. Preflight is good manufacturing process, Postflight is not. This may be a nice topic for later. Take my word on it and avoid Postflight workflow schemes. Real craftsmen and professionals find and fix all problems at the earliest possible point. Many of these tools below are actually post-flight oriented tools.

Preflighting, The Older Expensive Applications for the job at hand:

Markzware FlightCheck Classic: This preflight software is developed by Markzware Software. Markzware’s FlightCheck Classic is a standalone application that scans, verifies and collects each job for output. Currently available as version 5.8 (6.0 was due out this fall), Although it was the gold standard for years and is still a great tool, the software is not staying current with releases of software. Example Quark Xpress 7. Markzware’s FlightCheck Classic will preflight a wide range of digital file formats, including PDF documents and those created in most popular native application programs (QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, etc.). Ground Controls enable users to highlight potential problems, out of more than 150 choices, for which to search. Single-user licenses for Windows and Mac users are available for about $400. This software is no longer recommended because development does not stay current with the support of new application versions that it’s users face every day like Quark Xpress 7.

http://www.markzware.com

Markzware FlightCheck Collect!: This preflight software deemed the “lite” version of Markzware’s FlightCheck Classic, FlightCheck Collect! inspects for common file problems, like improperly assigned color space, missing fonts and image or resolution conflicts. Once preflighted, the application can then collect the document, including images, extensions and screen and printer fonts, for output. Markzware offers Windows and Mac versions for around $180. This software is no longer recommended because development does not stay current with the support of new application versions that it’s users face every day like Quark Xpress 7.

http://www.markzware.com

Markzware HawkEye: This preflight software from Markzware is HawkEye, a preflighting tool designed specifically for designers and content creators. It runs as a plug-in to most popular desktop publishing applications like QuarkXPress, Illustrator, Acrobat, FreeHand and more. Before content is created, designers can create specifications (known as TrueFileSpecifications) for each job they plan to create. For example, an art director can choose the color schema or font set to use. If the designer mistakenly places an element into the document that doesn’t meet the TrueFileSpecifications, he or she is immediately alerted to the discrepancy. Users can also choose to forbid saving or printing a file that is in a “failed” or “unfixed” state, helping to better manage revisions, versions and cut down on consumable waste. This product from Markzware was advertised and was on a seybold Hot Picks 2002 but may have been pulled or may have never made it to market, unable to confirm at Markzware’s site?

http://www.markzware.com

PDF/X-1 Verifier 2.0: This preflight software developed for the DDAP (Digital Distribution of Advertising for Publication association, www.ddap.org), this application verifies the integrity of PDF/X-1a files, the professional format of choice for print advertising. This application is suited for both digital ad designers as well as file recipients like publishers, prepress suppliers and printers. It offers pass-fail results or more comprehensive preflight reports. DDAP members can purchase single-seat licenses for about $95; non-members pay about $125.

http://www.ddap.org

Apago PDF/X-1 CheckUp: This preflight software developed by Apago offers PDF/X-1 CheckUp 2.5, a plug-in to Adobe Acrobat that preflights and produces PDF/X files. It supports both ISO (International Standards Organization) PDF/X-1:2001 and PDF/X-1a:2001 standards. Mac and Windows versions are available for Acrobat 4.0.5 and 5.0, for about $250ea.

http://www.apagoinc.com

Enfocus PitStop Professional: This preflight software developed by Enfocus Software, PitStop Pro preflights and edits PDF documents. It checks for 140 potential problems and offers 70 automated correction features. After running the document through preflight, users can edit existing objects and text, or add new elements. It’s also equipped to re-map color space or tag/detag images with ICC (International Color Consortium) profiles. The software comes with several common PDF profiles to select according to a file’s final destination. Windows and Mac versions of PitStop Professional are available for about $550. Enfocus Pitstop is a great tool for repairing bad PDF files. However, it is not recommended as a Preflight solution. Since the PDF is the end result, to check a PDF files is really Postflight, a good preflight workflow is about making good PDF in the first place.

http://www.enfocus.com

Extensis Preflight Pro: This preflight software is developed by Extensis, Preflight Pro inspects entire folders of native application documents created in popular desktop publishing applications like QuarkXPress, Acrobat, Illustrator, PageMaker, Photoshop and FreeHand. Following preflight inspection, the software then collects the job for output. Mac version is available for about $400.

http://www.extensis.com

TIFF/IT-P1 Checker: This preflight software developed for DDAP by Congruent Development, TIFF/IT-P1 Checker is a bundle of software tools, that includes TIFF/IT-P1 Preflight. Suited for both digital ad and packaging designers, it also represents a low-cost tool for any manufacturing partner that receives a large number of TIFF/IT-P1 files. It’s available in both Mac and Windows versions and costs about $100 for DDAP members, $180 for non-members.

http://www.ddap.org

Asura & Solvero: This preflight software created by OneVision Software AG, Asura eliminates frequently occurring production problems in PDF, EPS and PostScript files, with the help of hot-folder specifications. Asura preflights incoming files, while Solvero automatically repairs common problems. The system keeps a log of all changes made to a file. According to the developer, this coupled solution is most popular among newspaper publishers, which receive a wide range of digital file formats.

http://www.onevision.com

AdCheck: This preflight software developed by Total Integration, AdCheck 2.1 allows users to open and view production-image format files, including TIFF/IT, CT, HC and LW, using a standard Mac workstation. Its Show Info prompt provides detailed information about the file, including size and colors used.

http://www.totalint.com

Markzware MarkzNet: This preflight software developed by Markzware, MarkzNet is not an out-of-the-box preflighting solution. Rather, it’s a blend of the company’s popular FlightCheck technology with systems integration. For high-volume production environments, MarkzNet provides a Web-based portal into a company’s production workflow. Customers submit files with drag-and-drop simplicity. Files are automatically inspected for flaws or conflicts with the recipient’s specifications and either pass or fail. Failed files are rejected and both recipient and sender are immediately alerted to the problem. If the file passes, it’s automatically forwarded to the next stage of production for a truly seamless digital workflow. This software is not recommended because it is a web based tool and has proved to be really slow and not productive to many users.

http://www.markzware.com

Preflight Online: This preflight software developed from a partnership between Extensis and WAM!NET, Preflight Online is a Web-based solution for printers and publishers that need a custom-branded solution for receiving digital files from customers and advertisers. It accepts a wide range of file formats, including EPS, native Quark and Adobe PDF, preflights them and forwards files that pass directly to the recipient’s FTP server. There’s a one-time admin charge, as well as a monthly subscription fee that’s based on the customer’s actual inspection traffic. This software is not recommended because it is a web based tool and has proved to be really slow and not productive to many users.

http://www.extensis.com http://workspace.wamnet.com

TIFF/ITeyes: This preflight software developed by Rorke Data, enables users to view the complete data in TIFF/IT-P1 files, the widely adopted accredited standard for digital ad exchange. Users can measure X-Y coordinates, as well as CMYK values. http://www.rorke.com

SpeedFlow Check: This preflight software developed by OneVision, SpeedFlow Check is one component of a suite of tools that preflights, edits and imposes PDF, EPS and PostScript files. Files that pass SpeedFlow Check inspection are saved in PostScript or PDF form (depending on the manufacturer’s or publisher’s workflow) and sent to a hot-folder on the server. Problems may be fixed manually in SpeedFlow Edit and electronically routed to SpeedFlow Impose for impositioning.

http://www.onevision.com

Designed Checks

There are some professionals who are over confident about their abilities. Being confident is good, being over confident is dangerous and at times it can create problems that leaves them with no escape route. These professionals try to save money when it comes to get a professional logo design done for their organization. They have no idea of logo design yet the call the professional designers to their office and direct them to use his ideas. One can be rest assured that the custom logo design made as per their directions will ultimately spoil the image of the company in the eyes of its clients. A professional job is best left in the hands of professionals and then nobody should interfere when they are going about their work.

The same stand good for all type and fields of work and it is true for the designing and printing industry too. However, the smart executive thinks he knows more about Professional logo design than the accomplished artists are. When you are utilizing the services of a professional for your organization’s logo design services, it is understood that you are the boss and will be pulling the strings. This is understood and accepted by the designing agency that will undertake the job of designing the logo for your organization. These artists know that the executive will make corrections in the logo designs submitted by them and they know that some of the changes will not be suitable for the logo.

They can then suggest what they think is not good for the logo and hope that the executive will agree with their point of view. However, this does not happen all the time. Since the executive has called the agency to do the work, he believes that he knows the entire job, even though he cannot even draw a circle or even a square. Yet he will try to impose his views on the business logo design of the company. Suggesting changes in the design to the advertising agency after they have submitted a few samples is one thing, but telling them how to design the logo from scratch is blasphemy. You can be rest assured that the professional artists will lose all interest in the job and they will not focus their minds on the same any more.

If you are interested in getting a professional logo design made, leave it in the hands of the professionals instead of trying to impose your point of view. They have undertaken many such tasks before are know more about logos that you might ever learn during your lifetime. It will be wiser if you spent you time telling them some details about the company and what it does. This will give the designers a base on which to conceptualize their design. Check out any professional logo and you will find that there is a hint of the work done by the company it depicts. There are some companies whose logo does not portray anything. These companies are so famous that they need no add any other things to their organization’s logo.

For the first few days the professionals from the designing agency might bother you to know more about the company. This helps them to provide you with a professional logo design. They might even check the existing stationery of the company to learn about the color schemes used. This will help them to plan the color scheme of the logo so that it’s color does not clash with the colors of other elements in the page. One classic example used by many organizations is to use a cream colored paper with the text in jet black and the logo in red. This makes an excellent combination and if the types and logo used are appropriate, they are sure to attract one’s attention. Professional logo design means that the logo should be catchy and at the same time it should be simple.

It should not leave the viewers wondering what the logo means. If people start thinking about what you logo stands for, it is high time you got a change over done. While your sales representatives work for 5 days a week, and take holidays during Christmas and summer holidays, the logo keeps on working without complaining 365 days a year. They are the best friends your company has. Is it not their due that they were made using professional logo design? If you are an executive that wants to poke his nose in the initial stages of the professional logo design of your company’s logo, here is a hint. There are many books available which have collections of the world’s best and award winning logos.

Purchase a few of them and go through the different logos they contain and try to visualize which one would best represent your company. Once you have been able to target a few of them, get Photostat copies made of them. This can be showed to the professional designers when they pay you a visit in context with the professional logo design of your company. Do not try to impose yourself on these artists and let them guide you. If you are patient enough you will see that they will soon come down to your wavelength and then you can also make your views regarding the professional logo design understood by them easily.

Professionals are professionals and they take pride of their work. If pinches them when someone who does not know anything about their profession tries to pass on advice to them. It is best to approach them in a friendly manner. Once you approach them as a friend, the entire scene changes. They will be willing to hear you out patiently. If you want to get the best-designed logo for your organization’s logo, it is best to leave the entire thing to them, right from the visualization to the printing stage.

Checks for You

For Article/Press Release:-

Consider 5 Steps in website Designing

If you have an online business or if you are trying to encourage your services and products through the World Wide Web, then you must knew that your website will be your mode of relationship to your Internet users.  Hence, the website design being implemented will determine if you are going to be successful or not.

If you think that it’s practically easy to do website design, then you’re probably wrong. The process actually requires more than perfect combination of colors, use of energy and Flash, as well as great structures of every web page.

5 Things to Consider in Website Design

1. Know the purpose of your website. Most definitely, you cannot build a website just for the sake of having one. Otherwise, you are not making the most out of your investment. You need to know the reason behind its creation so, you can also determine what kind of website design you are going to utilize. For example, if you are simply providing information to your target market, then you may want to make sure that articles are easy to scan. If you are selling products or contribution services, meanwhile, you should have your own Products and Services page, with accompanying photos and images that are both suitable to look at.

2. Make sure that all links are clickable. Dead links, or those that lead users and search engine spiders to removed or non-accessible pages, will certainly not become too pleasing to both Internet users and search engines. Basically, your goal customers would not like to feel deceived or waste their time on dead links. Your website will also be getting supplemental pages, which can hinder your chances of getting excellent page ranks. Hence, when you are doing web design, check the links first before uploading the pages. They should lead you to the page with the right contents.

3. Strike balance among the different elements in your website. Though usability and accessibility will be two of your foremost deliberation in creating a website, you should also make sure that your pages appear professional. Internet users still go for websites where contents are properly laid out, there are a number of photos or videos that go with them, and that the right colors are chosen.

4. Website should be easy to find the way. There are only few people who execute the static Home button technique. This is when Home appears in every web page of your site. Normally, when you have too many pages, users can get lost while browsing. The Home button can help them start from scratch.

5. Site maps and proper headline tags do count. One of the goals in website design is to make all pages of your website easy to index. Hence, you need to add a site map, so it becomes convenient for search engine spiders to index your various web pages.

Useful Checks

Just the other day I received a question on Twitter from Adam at Design4Love:

“Hi.. how are you? Do you have any tips for me how to get into the UK design industry (Other than sending applications to agencies). Thanks!”

Which got me thinking about how difficult it was for me and some of the fellow graphic design students I studied with to get a job in the design industry back in 1999 (yes that long ago!) straight out of design college. I snapped up a job with a Central London design agency in Soho within 2 weeks of leaving college but looking back it wasn’t really the right job for me then. Though just 13 months later I changed positions and worked for a great design agency based in London Bridge and learned a huge amount as well as working on lots of different types of projects as a designer.

Anyway competition was fierce then BUT the amount of graphic design and other design courses available in art colleges and universities up and down the college has grown hugely since then.

So here are a few tips on (like Adam asked) “how to get into the UK Design industry”

The Portfolio:

Having a great design portfolio is a must. To be honest your design portfolio is the most important thing on this list, its what you’ll mainly be judged on. It must be well presented and include at least 6 or more design projects. Think about the kind of work the agency your applying to does and try to tailor your portfolio towards that. For example if they specialise in corporate identity and branding work try to include work of this kind.

Be ready to talk about your design work, what inspired you, why you approached the project in the way you did, even choice of typeface, colours, imagery etc. Show them some of your sketchs and development work, some agencies what to see your scribbles more than the finished work as it shows your design process and how you think!

Before taking your portfolio along to job interviews, make sure you show it to a people (tutors, other design students) talk them through it, get them to ask you questions about your design work and respond with suitable answers. This will get you used to talking people through your portfolio, making you a more prepared for the interview.

Work Experience:

Offer to do some work experience with a design company who’s work you really admire (for free if you have to!), even if its just a week then spend that week wowing them, making the tea, producing great work, take an interest in everything relating to that design company. It is a good way to get your foot in the door but also don’t be too pushy or cocky, you might think your a great designer but remember there is a big difference between design college and the real world!

If the company really like you during your work experience they might offer you a full time job!

Finding Work:

Send your portfolio as a PDF etc to as many design companies (that your interested in) as possible, then after a few days give them a quick call to check they have received it.

Another alternative and one that worked for me is to approach a design recruitment agency. I contacted Major Players (there are many others!) when looking for a new graphic design position. They interviewed me and I took them through my portfolio and skills set, based on this they then contacted me when suitable jobs became available. This worked very well as they got me a new job within 2 weeks.

Dress code:

There isn’t one as such. Wear what your comfortable in but also look like you have made some sort of effort! That said I wouldn’t recommend turning up in a suit! Remember what you wear can be seen as a reflection of yourself and your design style or preferences.

Behaviour:

Be yourself, be calm and open to discussing your work and the work of the design agency. Remember to ask questions about what work they produce and what your role would be. One thing I found useful was to ask if someone could take you around the studio, afterall that is where you’ll be working if you get the job and you need to see what sort of environment you’ll be working in. It also easier to ask questions as you move around and see how they work.

Research:

Remember to do some research on the company that is interviewing you, as they are likely to ask you what made you apply for a job with them, what sort of work do they produce, what awards have they won (if any), why do you want to work for them in particular?

Keep trying:

Above all keep trying and keep looking at ways to improve your portfolio. If you go for an interview and they don’t give you a job, don’t worry, your work just might not be suitable for that particular design agency.

So hope this has helped, good luck!

Checks for You

It takes immense talent and skills to design a web page which is creatively designed, neatly coded, easily downloadable, displays properly on different browsers and above all, can be indexed easily by search engines as well. This is why it becomes more important to choose a company which has a team of talented web and graphic designers, equipped to give you a high quality web solution.

Here are some useful tips to help you choose an efficient web designer.

Check out the previous works

Ask the company to show you the portfolio of their web designs. Most good web and graphic design companies will have a neatly done portfolio in their website itself.

The prior works of the designers highlight not only their talent but also what you can expect from them. Analyze whether all the pages are easy to navigate, whether the designs are impressive and professional, is the layout effective etc. Only after you are satisfied with the previous works, you should move further.

Give importance to HTML knowledge

Make sure that the web designer uses HTML to build a site along with cascading style sheets i.e. CSS. The knowledge of CSS is important for a designer as CSS allows the designer to easily and quickly make system-wide changes to the site.

This helps in saving time and energy and of course, cost. A good designer must be in the know of these things. If your designer is not familiar with CSS, then you’d better leave the task for some other designer.

Know about the features

Enquire what kind of features your web designer can provide you in your website. There are plenty of features available in web solutions today but you must know what exactly you would need. Your web designer must be able to suggest you the features that would make your site attractive and user-friendly.

For example, if you are building a product-selling site, you can have some flash components to enhance the appeal of your home page, a good admin panel to manage visitors and sales, security features to ensure secure payment gateways and so on.

Updating criteria

It is essential to know beforehand, how the web and graphic designer plan to have the site updated. It is better to have the ability to update the website on your own with the help of Content Management System (CMS), or user-friendly admin panel type interface which allow one to make changes to static content. Paying the designer every time you need to update your site is an expensive proposition and quite unnecessary in today’s hi-tech web world.

Performance of your website

To make sure your website performs well, ask your designer beforehand about the time required for loading a page and search engine indexing. If your site takes more time to load than the average website does, take it as a warning signal. It might be due to bad HTML coding. A good web designer will code the page in a way in which it loads within seconds and is easily indexed by search engines.

Get in touch with previous clients

Apart from just going through the testimonials online, it is worthwhile to get in touch with the previous clients and ask them about their experience with the web design company and the web designers. You can contact them either through phone or e-mail them seeking their opinion whether they were happy and satisfied with the kind of quality and service they have got.

These are just few guidelines that can be taken into consideration while looking for a good professional web designer. These are by no means the only criteria but it will surely help to find the good ones who can be trusted with your dream project.

Useful Checks

The number of people who are being more and more interested in the art and concepts of web design are increasing by the second. Whether it would be use for business or for personal use, a lot of people are trying to learn everything they can about good web design. There are those who take tutorials and short courses online or offline. For web designers and developers, the art of web designing comes naturally but beginners, web designing could be a bit more difficult and so here are a couple of things to consider as one takes on the task of web designing.

Design your index page to be as short yet informative as possible. Do not cram all the content you have on your website’s index page. Make use of numerous web pages so that it would be more organized and therefore, more convenient for your visitors to read and take in your content. Putting everything in a single page would only confuse your visitors and would not be very effective for your website.

Have a toolbar or an understandable menu available for ease of navigation and accessibility. This would encourage your visitors to browse through the entire website because they can easily make use of the menu or toolbar to do their navigation.

Ensure that the design of your layout would be clean and organized so that the information will be presented efficiently. To achieve a better and safer design, you might want to look into the use of web templates.

Make use of uniform fonts so that you would achieve a coherent web design.

Check the compatibility of the web design in all browsers so you would be sure that website can be viewed by as many users as possible.

Design you Check

Effective graphic design is the applied art of arranging text and images in a way that effectively communicates a message. Effective graphic designers can enhance the image of advertising your company and products through media such as direct mail, flyers, newsletter design, brochure design, annual reports, business cards, letterheads and of course web site design. Graphic design agencies can assist you with all the above stationary to be designed to a good standard and would give you ideas of how to implement brand development.

Effective graphic designers attract people to read the content of your message. People often get their first impression of your company through some communication such as a brochure or flier or even a business card. And the quality of the graphic design influences their reaction. Effective graphic designers build trust and confidence in your company and products and helps in brand development.

At its best, graphic design agencies welds artistic concepts such as colour and shape to the essence of your products or services and takes into account the characteristics of the consumer and their trends.

Effective graphic design is also a key component of brand development. Consumers respond to graphic images such as logos, and skillful graphic design companies helps make your product stand out in a crowded marketplace.

So though you may be tempted to give your brochure design job to Sid in accounting who’s a dab hand with watercolours, you should realise that the image of your organisation is something that needs a professional’s touch. Graphic design agencies offer a specialised service so outsourcing is your best option. For one thing, pro designers work in many fields and are in touch with the trends of the day.

So how do you go about finding effective graphic design agencies, graphic design companies or graphic design studios? Look for a company with a strong portfolio of memorable designs. Check if you recognise any of the clients the design firm has done work for. And don’t forget that graphic design is an applied art. Designs that are beautiful for their own sakes don’t guarantee commercially viability. Look for designs that indicate the designer has a strong grasp of marketing too.

When you find graphic design agencies, you need to ask them about brand development, advertising etc like, how many revisions the firm will do until you’re satisfied. Clarify such factors as what you’ll get at the end of the project. For example, is printing included? In what format would the graphic design agencies delivery any graphics? There are a host of details like this that you need to consider.

If you want convenience, it’s an advantage to hire effective graphic designers that offers a complete range of services in web development, brand development, advertising and other promotional tasks, along with portfolio management and printing. This means you can leave the whole project to one company which streamlines the whole procedure.

Checks Design

Even before the advent of desktop publishing, designers and printers have had a tenuous relationship at best. The reason being, we do not think alike, we do not speak the same language, and quite frankly we just don’t understand the limitations and complexities of the printing process; yet we need each the other to coexist.

It is incumbent upon the designer to have a basic understanding of preflighting, the printing process, and standard procedures surrounding a press check to be successful at it. Do a little research, buy a Pocket Pal, and ask a lot of questions from your printer or others with experience.

Printers are very helpful if they see that you have a genuine desire to make their job easier. Having worked in the printing industry for several years, over 90% of the jobs I produced had problems directly related to a designer’s failure to grasp the basics principles of printing. With that said, let’s take a look at the basics of preparing, performing and concluding a press check.

Your Ultimate Goals

Revenue–As a designer, the primarily objective is to add revenue to your business. Marking up printing is different for each job, but a simple rule of thumb is to look at the time you will devote to it and multiply that by your hourly rate. That includes quoting, preproduction, travel, press check, billing and delivery. It should fall somewhere between 10-30% of the total cost of printing.

Relationships–Creative work that transfers well in print reflects well on you and ultimately on your clients in front of their potential and existing customers. Your goal is to make your client satisfied (ecstatic if possible) to continue using your services and hopefully increasing your workload.

Second, it is to enhance your relationship with the printer by showing yourself to be easy and profitable to work with. Print works and press checks that are efficient in time, manpower and materials will help you become a part of the team in the printer’s eyes. In return they may also give your time sensitive jobs preference in the future and even overlook additional charges that were yours or your client’s error.

Referrals–In marketing, few things are better than a referral. Printing in itself is an advertisement for you and your business every time someone compliments your work either to your client or your printer, and as a result both may provide referrals to you.

Preparing (Do Your Homework)

There’s nothing like being prepared, so let’s touch on the fundamentals of what you should have completed and collected ahead of time from your client, the printer, and the items you will need to take with you.

First, you must have final approval in written form; either via email or a signed off proof. If the project is a multi-page piece or has a custom shape, I suggest showing your client a full-size mock up. A signature or written approval will be your main leverage if the job has errors that were not initially identified by your client. If can also protect you financially if it is reduced to litigation.

Be sure to call the printer the day before or earlier that day if the press check will take place in the afternoon. You want to make sure that they’re on schedule and that all the needed materials have arrived. Confirm the time and leave a number where they can reach you easily if things change at the last minute. The objective is to spend as little time as possible with the printer. You’re a service industry; you don’t make money unless you’re in front of a computer.

If you have any last minute questions or concerns, bring them up now. Let me emphasize that…bring them up now! You don’t want to waste everyone’s time and money correcting mistakes on your project while it is on the press. Speak with someone in prepress if you have a revision or a question about your files. Also, talk to your CSR about any other last minute details. If your client has specific areas of your design that he or she consider critical, such as “make sure the sky is blue” or “will this red match the red in our logo?”, be sure to communicate that.

You should also view a digital proof beforehand or request a PDF version so you can check for text reflow or anything that may have gone awry in prepress production. I recommend bringing a complete set of files with you too, which includes fonts and support files. It will save you valuable time if a font was substituted or an image was color corrected improperly.

Many printers have a separate room for their customers with phones and internet connections, so bring your laptop and prepare to make the most of your time while you wait. If you are bringing your client, let them know the same and be prepared to take them to lunch if things take longer than expected. Your CSR may also be happy to give both of you a tour and meet with other key staff members.

Performing (Making it a Success)

I recommend arriving 15 minutes before your scheduled time. This puts everyone at ease and shows that you are considerate of the printer’s time. Be friendly and relaxed with everyone involved in your job; especially the press person(s) responsible for printing it. If this is the first time you have worked with the printer and you have requested a specifically higher grade paper, ask to view a sample of the paper in the warehouse. Most printers are honest, but some are tempted to substitute your request for a lower grade and increase their profit margin. Paper is generally half the cost of a job so it could be significant amount on a large quantity. This practice constitutes fraud, so it is very unlikely, but be mindful that it could occur.

As I mentioned, good relations with the person(s) directly printing your job is essential. They have a wealth of experience in getting the most out of their press, so defer to their recommendations and make it clear that their opinions are valued. View them as an intelligent colleague that knows the limitations of the equipment and materials.

Bear in mind that they do not get a lot of the perks they see given to management and customers, so if you have any early morning press check or realize that they will be working through their lunch, bring in a box of pastries or order out pizza for them. The small cost to you will bring much more goodwill than you realize.

When you are asked to inspect the first press sheet, you could approve it and the press check is over. But, there are a number of things to check off your list beforehand. Do not feel pressured to sign off or make a decision quickly. It should take you at least 5 to 10 minutes of inspection and questions before you make your decision.

Things to Consider

Color–Compare the press sheet with the digital proof to make sure the colors are vibrant and true. If you want to further enhance or reduce a color, be sure to ask if other areas on the sheet will suffer to achieve it. Inspect solid color areas and central items to the job such as a main image. Are there pinholes or “hickies” in them? If so, circle them on the press sheet as an indication that they need to be eliminated.

Registration–Look at the crop marks at the corners of the sheet and the marks at the center of the sheet. They should be aligned with no individual color hanging outside it. The press person will have a loupe or magnifier to take a closer look. Remember, printing is not a perfect science, but registration should very accurate.

Alignment–Check that colors are butting up next to each other without overlapping too much or having white space between them. This could happen even if the sheet is properly registered.

Sharpness–Look for detail in the photographs of the proof and compare them to the sheet. You should be able to see the same clarity and detail; especially in the highlight and shadow areas.

Non Image Areas–Make sure there are no ink spots or slight color hues in the white areas of the sheet. This can be caused by a lack of fountain solution in non image areas that is used to repel ink.

Text–Inspect the text to make sure it is crisp and that there are no broken characters. If the text is a color other than black, make sure there are no other colors hanging out.

As you move forward, be specific in what you want to achieve with the next press sheet. Be clear about the corrections you need, ask if it is possible and assure them that it will be approved if the corrections are made and nothing else changes. You will be escorted back to the waiting area and depending on the adjustments it could take between 30 minutes to an hour for the next press sheet.

Do not leave the building without informing your CSR; you won’t score any points if you can’t be found. When the next press sheet is ready, compare it with the previous one and the proof. If everything is acceptable, sign off and thank everyone for their time and effort. The average number of press sheets it takes to get to final approval is 2 to 3. If there are more than that, then there is a mechanical problem, a problem with the digital files or someone’s expectations are unrealistic. A press check should never be used by you or your client as tool to throw your weight around. Petty or unattainable demands will reflect poorly on the party involved.

Conclusion

Press checks can be a great learning tool for any designer and the added experience creates a higher greater value for you, your clients and the printer. Use it to build lasting and profitable relationships with both of them. If you go into a press check prepared, and communicate clearly and concisely everybody wins.

Finally, consider sending a short “Thank You” note to your printer if the job went well and communicate your client’s satisfaction by adding a short quote from them. It may go a long way in being remembered the next time your printer is asked for a referral. It has worked for me.

About the Author

Derald Schultz is the founder and principal of Mediarail Design, Inc. A design firm based in Atlanta, Georgia specializing in graphic design, web design, and commercial printing services. Mr. Schultz holds degrees in Printing & Publishing, and Visual Communications. He worked within the design and printing communities for over 25 years before launching his own firm. Mediarail Design serves a wide variety clients across the country.

© 2006-2008 Derald Schultz, Mediarail Design, Inc.

Check Site

If you think that it’s practically easy to do website design, then you’re probably wrong. The process actually requires more than perfect combination of colors, use of animation and Flash, as well as perfect structures of every web page.

What Should You Keep in Mind in Website Design ?

If you have an online business, or if you are trying to promote your services and products through the World Wide Web, then you must know that your website will be your mode of connection to your Internet users. Hence, the website design being implemented will determine if you are going to be successful or not.

To help you out, you can remember these website design considerations:

1. Know the purpose of your website. Most definitely, you cannot build a website just for the sake of having one. Otherwise, you are not making the most out of your investment. You need to know the reason behind its creation so, you can also determine what kind of website design you are going to utilize. For example, if you are simply providing information to your target market, then you may want to make sure that articles are easy to scan. If you are selling products or offering services, meanwhile, you should have your own Products and Services page, with accompanying photos and descriptions that are both convenient to look at.

2. Make sure that all links are clickable. Dead links, or those that lead users and search engine spiders to removed or non-accessible pages, will definitely not become too pleasing to both Internet users and search engines. Basically, your target customers would not like to feel deceived or waste their time on dead links. Your website will also be getting supplemental pages, which can hinder your chances of getting excellent page ranks. Hence, when you are doing web design, check the links first before uploading the pages. They should lead you to the page with the right contents.

3. Strike balance among the different elements in your website. Though usability and accessibility will be two of your foremost consideration in creating a website, you should also make sure that your pages appear professional. Internet users still go for websites where contents are properly laid out, there are a number of photos or videos that accompany them, and that the right colors are chosen.

4. Website should be easy to navigate. There are only few people who implement the static Home button technique. This is when Home appears in every web page of your site. Normally, when you have too many pages, users can get lost while browsing. The Home button can help them start from scratch.

5. Site maps and proper headline tags do count. One of the goals in website design is to make all pages of your website easy to index. Hence, you need to add a site map, so it becomes convenient for search engine spiders to index your various web pages. Headline tags will also make you convenient to search in Google, Yahoo, and MSN.