Printing

Planning Your Publication

Audience

It's very important to determine your audience before beginning your project. Because Creative Communications has many years of experience working with different departments here on campus we are expert at helping you determine:

• What group is your target audience?
• What are your key messages?
• What unique services do you offer?
• hat are your goals in producing your project?
• How will you measure results?
• How will your project be distributed?

Distribution

One thing to consider as you decide how your print project will look and how it is designed is how you plan to distribute the finished product. We can provide information that will save you money after your project is complete:

• Will your piece be mailed?
• Does your mail list meet USPS address standardization requirements for automation discounts?
• Does the design conform to requirements for OCR read area, barcode clear zone, and fold placement?
• Will your piece be a self-mailer? Does the design meet the USPS guidelines for shape, size, paper, and closure?
• Do you need a return card or envelope, and how will it be included?

Budget/Timeline Considerations

Obviously, the biggest factor in planning your project is budget. We have experience with both large and small projects and can help you maximize your dollar by explaining the costs and benefits of all your options. We can also pinpoint when the finished product can be delivered. Things to consider:

• What is the anticipated shelf life of the project?
• How many copies should be printed to reach your target audience?
• What is your budget for design, production and distribution?
• When do you need it delivered?

Preparing Your Files

If you have files ready to submit to Creative Communications for production, you simplify the process and avoid snafus by going through this checklist before sending the files:

• Has the final copy been proofread and spell checked?
• Are all photographs identified, cropped, sized, or scanned?
• Are all inks, screens, and reverses clearly marked on the hard copy?
• Are any "for position only" (FPO) graphics clearly marked?
• Do bleeds extend at least 1/8 inch beyond the page margins?
• For keylines (rules indicating the borders of photographs) that do not print, use dashed lines to indicate photo windows and clearly mark "Keylines do not print" on hard copy. For keylines to print as rules around photos, use half-point rules as a minimum–not hairlines–and mark clearly.
• Are all the common page elements (rules, margins, page numbers, etc.) consistent from page to page?
• Are trim, fold, and center marks indicated?
• Are color breaks pre-separated in the electronic file or on overlays? Be sure to indicate if they will need to be separated in our electronic prepress department.
• Are the pages the right size? For example, a publication printed on a web press is not 8 1/2 x 11 inches, but actually 8 3/8 x 10 7/8 inches or 8 3/8 x 10 1/2 inches. Files must be set up accordingly.
• Type that reverses out of a solid area may need to be "spread" to make sure the type does not fill in on press.
• Similarly, "trap" (a slight overlap) needs to be built in wherever two ink colors touch. We recommend that the printer handle these steps to achieve best results on press.

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