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August 23, 2016 at 8:37 am in reply to: Help! Print production wants me to use mostly Photoshop #87730
Natalie Fowler
MemberDavid,
Thanks! I will definitely keep you guys updated. Hoping we can make some progress eventually. Like I stated previously, I want my team members to succeed too. It’s not all about making life easier for me (though that nice too, of course). We will see!
August 23, 2016 at 8:11 am in reply to: Help! Print production wants me to use mostly Photoshop #87726MemberWow, thank you for reviewing their specs, DCurry!
Interesting. It does sound like the magazine’s production team is all about flattening layers. They have been very clear about that. So I can see them submitting flattened PDFs to the printer.
I could see that possibility — dealing with people who are running newer software with old-set ways. Not sure if it stems from the print shop or the magazine’s production department, but there seems to be this weird fear that Indesign is this fragile being who must be handled with caution or she will break into a million pieces. Either that or that she is this finicky woman whom they’ve learned how to please with THESE EXACT STEPS and any other method WILL ABSOLUTELY FAIL unless you know EXACTLY HOW TO MAKE HER HAPPY. It just seems silly. Sigh.
Thank you for this information. It really helps. I’ve mentioned to my editor I’d like to have a conversation on this subject sometime in the future. I know it won’t be any time soon. Things move very slowly. But hopefully we can make some progress.
August 15, 2016 at 1:14 pm in reply to: Help! Print production wants me to use mostly Photoshop #87501MemberOh, also: he was adamant that they have state-of-the-art, new technology. Whatever that is worth.
August 15, 2016 at 1:13 pm in reply to: Help! Print production wants me to use mostly Photoshop #87500MemberSo I may have called the print shop pretending to be a potential client looking to print my 56-page quarterly curated art/writing magazine, haha! I spoke with a sales rep so he didn’t know a lot about the technical side, but he took notes and is going to get back to me. I asked about their equipment and technology. Hopefully I’ll learn something that will help me.
August 15, 2016 at 7:28 am in reply to: Help! Print production wants me to use mostly Photoshop #87492MemberSorry the the lag in reply (had to let this rest over the weekend).
I did find out which printer the magazine uses. Democratic Printing (https://www.democratprinting.com). I downloaded their Prepress Guide to see if I could learn anything about their technology. The guide is located here (https://nebula.wsimg.com/de5766921d2ae45ff8d00ec7f956391b?AccessKeyId=F026E75F15D5B659F7A6&disposition=0&alloworigin=1).
I also called them (but had to leave a message) so I could ask if they are using an older PostScript-based RIP instead of a modern APPE (PDF-based) engine, like you suggested. Hopefully I’ll get a call back soon.
I’m going to check out that article too, David.
In the meantime, can we learn anything from the Presspress Guide?
Thanks!
August 12, 2016 at 9:51 am in reply to: Help! Print production wants me to use mostly Photoshop #87416MemberOh, I was also told to avoid using protected Typekit fonts in my designs. They said it causes problems on their end. Could this be a potential hangup for a print (or just an outdated one)?
August 12, 2016 at 9:35 am in reply to: Help! Print production wants me to use mostly Photoshop #87414MemberDCurry and David, Thanks for your responses. I’m still learning a bit about this process, so the education and expert opinions help.
If she says my ID files cause a crash at export, then perhaps she’s referring to the print shops process of ripping the file? Excuse my ignorance, but does this mean my production team is providing the printer with a PDF or with an ID file? Or does the ripping process involve just the PDF the client provides to them?
I can run an export of the PDF and see how it responds. But it’s pretty telling if you’re saying, DCurry — with your 20 years of experience — that you’ve never had an ID file crash during PDF export ever. I’ve never had that issue, either.
To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are using an out-of date print shop. This magazine has been around since the 1950s and it’s a small team of people who aren’t exactly on the cutting edge of technology, LOL. It actually makes me sad to think they are potentially making the process more complicated for themselves. But like I said before, I’m in an awkward position because here is the new girl to tell you you’re outdated and ass-backwards, haha! (THAT’S a fun conversation.)
David, I’ll check out those articles. I’ve had issues with the thin lines before and I know sometimes they only show up when previewing the PDF and not actually in print. Ooo! I’ll check out your Lynda course. (Now how to get the production team to take the course…)
Let me check out these articles and see if I have any follow-up questions. However, is there a list of must-haves a print shop needs to offer that I can review — hypothetically if the magazine were to go with a better print shop?
Thank you both!
August 12, 2016 at 8:13 am in reply to: Help! Print production wants me to use mostly Photoshop #87408MemberHi David,
Thank you so much! I read all of those articles and they really helped.
How should I respond to her about creating artwork within Photoshop? She claims when she exports to a PDF for print that my layers and “effects” cause her export to crash — apparently as Indesign flattens/outlines the artwork. Or if it does export correctly, there are weird lines and boxes that show up around elements or elements drop out entirely. Is this an error on her part? Or something we can workaround or prevent? How do I navigate this discussion without conceding to design mostly in Photoshop?
Thanks!
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