Design Tip: Prepress Checklist

Once you have finished laying out and designing a job, you will need to figure out how you are going to send your files to the print vendor that you have chosen. Here’s a great resource for making sure your documents have high resolution and are press-ready.  Keep it handy and reference it when you are pre-flighting a job to send to a print vendor.

Preflight Checklist

• Ensure that all graphics and images are in their final size and correct resolution, 100% at 300 dpi
• Rotate, scale and edit images and graphics prior to placing them in page layout applications such as InDesign, Quark or Publisher
• Image file formats should be EPS or TIFF (if possible, not JPEG) and your should verify that you do not have any broken links
• All spot colors should be designated as spot colors and not as CMYK
• Spell check your document as most print vendors do not take responsibility for editing
• Remove any trapping (allow the print vendor to apply the trapping)
• Check for transparency and either flatten or notify the printer so they can flatten the file
• All bleeds should generally be set to .125 in. unless otherwise specified by the print vendor you plan to use
• Gather all source files: fonts, graphics, images and layout documents. Use the Package feature in InDesign or send the print vendor a high resolution PDF
• Prepare a mock-up to give the printer as a finished sample

Stay tuned…next Tuesday we will be posting step-by-step instructions on how to correctly package a file.

Source: Digital Job Preparation Guide for Designers, Zimmerman Printing Company