Pre-Press
Understanding Pre-Press: Pre-press constitutes the indispensable preliminary steps that occur before ink meets paper. This process involves meticulous preparation, conversion, and quality control to ensure that digital designs are flawlessly translated into tangible printed materials.
Our Team and consultants are all mobile and can work on layouts, designs and proofs in consultation with the client at the client’s premises. Mailtronic’s Pre-Press division can manage the copywriting, design, editing, illustration and production of a range of communications products. Deliverables will depend on the specifications of each individual product, thus might include any or all of the following:
Key Elements of Pre-Press
Consultation with client with regards to their needs for the specific product Producing photographs, illustrations, graphics and other visual elements Copy-writing Copy-editing MS Word documents before returning these to client for review and approval Concept design work and the presentation of layout proposals Implementation of design, copy and visual elements Proofing of designed products Finished artwork Production Liaison with client ensuring approval at all stages Implementation of copy, design and illustration/photographic/graphic revisions supplied by client
File Preparation: Design files, which are typically created using software like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop, need to be checked and prepared for printing. This includes ensuring proper dimensions, resolution, color mode (CMYK for printing), and correct bleeds and margins.
Color Management: Ensuring that the colors used in the design are accurately represented when printed requires color calibration and management. This involves converting RGB colors to CMYK for accurate color reproduction on the printing press.
Image Resolution: Images included in the design need to be of sufficient resolution to avoid pixelation when printed. Images should typically have a resolution of 300 dots per inch (DPI) or higher for high-quality printing.
Bleeds and Trim Marks: Bleeds are extended areas of the design that go beyond the intended final size of the printed piece. They ensure that there is no white space at the edges after trimming. Trim marks indicate where the printed piece should be cut to its final size.
Font Embedding: Fonts used in the design should be embedded in the file to ensure consistent appearance when the file is opened on different systems or printers.
Proofing: Proofing involves creating a preliminary print or digital representation of the design to review for errors, color accuracy, and layout. This step helps catch any issues before the final printing process begins.
Imposition: For projects like books, magazines, or brochures, imposition is the process of arranging pages on a sheet of paper in a specific order to optimize printing and minimize paper waste. This step is crucial for efficient production.
Plate Creation: In offset printing, the design is transferred onto printing plates that are used on the printing press. These plates are created from the digital design using specialized equipment.
Quality Control: Thoroughly reviewing the prepress files and proofs for any errors, inconsistencies, or issues is crucial before giving the final approval for printing.
Once the prepress stage is completed and the final proof is approved, the printing process can begin. Prepress plays a vital role in ensuring that the final printed materials meet the desired quality standards and accurately reflect the original design. Any errors or issues caught during prepress can save significant time and resources that might otherwise be wasted in correcting mistakes after printing has started.
The Mailtronic Pre-Press division’s comprehensive approach to fulfilling client needs can be summarized in a five-phase formula.
Extensive consultation on the design, editing and illustration needs and objectives for the specific product.
Generation of copy and/or coordination of copy submission from designated writer/s where necessary. Working through the supplied text in MS Word to ensure that it is well structured; it communicates its messages effectively: the headings throughout the document are consistent; all the components of the text are consistent with each other in terms of style and content; all facts ore correct; the copy is free of errors; the copy is a suitable length for the format.
Production of visual elements: illustrations: sourcing of visual references, producing rough sketches for approval, line work and coloring; photographs: capturing projects, interacting with the groups involved and producing true imagery that documents the events; infographics: conversion of supplied graphs to o format that will be both print ready as well as consistent with guidelines in terms of colors, fonts etc.
Concept design work and the presentation of layout proposals, taking into account client branding requirements as well as those of other sponsors and/or organizations/ companies involved. Obtaining approval on concept design. Implementation of design, copy and visual elements.
Working intensively with proofs to check: consistent layout of headings; consistent use of bullet style and punctuation; spacing above and below headings and bullets; quality of typesetting (kerning, line spacing); line and page breaks. Marking up of proofs for corrections and checking corrections prior to final delivery.
Finished art; obtaining final approval from client; print management -delivery of original version of designed material, conversion of print-ready copy to PDF format and low-res PDF versions for website and electronic distribution to client or Mailtronic Print division where required. Supervision of plotter proofs, liaison with Print division and between client and Print division if necessary.