Sending Job Files

The print service provider should give you some guidelines for submitting job files. Some prefer PDF files, while some would rather have application files such as QuarkXPress, InDesign, or Illustrator. Usually, you'll be asked to provide multipage documents in reader's spreads, which is how you normally build such documents: Page two facing page three, and so on. If you're asked to provide printer's spreadsimposed for platingyou should be suspicious that the printer doesn't have dedicated software to perform imposition. This may be a sign that the printer lacks other important capabilities.

Submitting PDF Files

If the print service provider requests that you submit PDF files, they should give you specifications for creating PDF files. While PDF creation has been discussed in other chapters, be sure to address these crucial issues:

• Preflight PDFs before submitting. Even if you have performed a preflight on the application files that generated the PDF files, it's a good idea to preflight the PDF files themselves. Markzware's FlightCheck Designer and FlightCheck Professional products can preflight PDF files. The print production tools in Acrobat 7.0 Professional offer extensive preflighting features as well.

• Follow print service provider specifications. Faithfully replicate the specifications that are provided for creating PDF files. Restrict your PDF to the version your printer requests. That is, don't send them an Acrobat 7.0 file if they've asked for an Acrobat 4.0 file. Ask the print service provider to send you Acrobat Distiller job options if you're distilling PostScript or using Adobe CS2 applications to create your files. CS2 applications share a common repository of PDF-creation settings, and dragging a job options file into Distiller makes those settings available to other CS2 applications.

• Embed fonts. Use the correct settings as you export PDFs from your final application, or when you distill PostScript files. If you've used fonts whose vendor forbids embedding, you must either request that the print service provider purchase the same fonts, or you'll have to substitute fonts that can be embedded.

• Ensure safe transit. Even though it's easy to think of PDF files as being hermetically sealed, they can be corrupted when sent as e-mail attachments unless they're first compressed with a utility like StuffIt on the Macintosh or WinZip on Windows. Encasing the PDF files in a compressed archive protects them in transit. If you are submitting the job on disk, this isn't an issue, and you don't need to compress the PDF files.

Submitting Application Files

It isn't sufficient to send only your finished page-layout file to the print service provider. The page-layout file is like a recipe for the printed piece. And a recipe is not much good without all the necessary ingredients. The fonts and images used in your page layout are the ingredients, and you must supply all those constituent parts for the print service provider to complete your job. While you're working on your project, you may be using graphics stored in multiple locations on your hard drive or on a server. Graphics are simply referenced by your page-layout file, as are the fonts you've used. They're not embedded in the page-layout file, so the graphics and fonts must be gathered up to constitute a complete kit for your project. Fortunately, your page-layout programs provide methods for rounding up all the necessary images, vector artwork files, and fonts.

When you're sure all your work is in good shape, the Collect for Output feature in QuarkXPress, the Package function in InDesign, and PageMaker's Save for Service Provider make it easy to gather up all the pieces necessary for printing a page-layout file, including support art and necessary fonts. In QuarkXPress, choose File > Collect for Output. In InDesign, choose File > Package. In PageMaker, choose Utilities > Plug-ins > Save for Service Provider.

Before you exercise your layout program's collection feature, make sure that all necessary fonts are active, and that support art links are current. Make sure that no graphics are missing or in need of updating. The final package for a page-layout file should contain the following components:

• The layout file.

• All support art, including all raster images and all vector artwork. Also include any raster images that have been placed in vector drawings from FreeHand or Illustrator (unless you embedded the images).

• All necessary fonts, including those needed by support art such as Illustrator or Photoshop files. Be mindful of the end-user licensing agreements (EULAs) for the fonts you've usedsome forbid supplying fonts to print service providers (see Chapter 6, "Fonts"). Carefully examine the collected job. QuarkXPress 4.0 does not collect fonts, and you must remember to check the Copy Fonts option in PageMaker's Package dialog to package fonts.

Additionally, if you have created any elaborate compositions with multilayered Photoshop files, you should consider including those working files with your support art, even if you have used a flattened, simplified version of the image in your page-layout file. The flattened image may be your final file, but if the print service provider needs to make any corrections to the image, it may be easier to modify your working, layered Photoshop file than to work with the flattened image. If you are using InDesign, you can place the layered Photoshop file in the page layout without flattening it, so the print service provider would make any necessary corrections to that file.

Since software is constantly being updated, make sure the print service provider knows which version of the page-layout application you are using. If you're using QuarkXPress 7.0, for example, alert them that you're using the most current version, in case they haven't yet purchased the update. You might think that print service providers would be the first to buy new software, but they're just like the rest of usthey don't buy new software until they have to.

This leads to another important thought. If you are using an earlier version of software than the print service provider, this may present problems if the printer needs to perform any corrections to your files, and then returns them to you for future use. Most print service providers maintain earlier versions of software so they can keep client files in their original version. But not all printers are so conscientious, so it's worthwhile to mention that you're using an earlier version than the current release in the marketplace. If you're one version behind them in QuarkXPress or InDesign, they can usually save your files to your earlier version. Don't forget that, while it's possible to save an InDesign CS2 file to InDesign CS, there's no provision for saving back from InDesign CS to InDesign 2.0. That bridge doesn't exist. And if you are two or more versions behind your printer, regardless of the application you're using, they may not be able to go back that far. If you have no intentions of upgrading, this may become an issue for you. Discuss this with your print service provider. You may have to perform any corrections on your own files using your own, earlier version of the software, and then submit new, corrected files.

Platform Issues

Generally speaking, it's preferable to keep a job on one platform throughout its lifespan. While sending files across platforms is not the major undertaking it once was, fonts remain an issue. If you're using all OpenType fonts, there's no need to worry. But if you are using PostScript or TrueType fonts on Windows, and your print service provider is Macintosh-only, you should insist on submitting your job in PDF format. While there may be Macintosh fonts with the same names as your Windows fonts, they aren't necessarily identical in terms of font metrics, and there may be text reflow as a result of opening the job on a Mac (see Chapter 7, "Cross-Platform Issues"). Most print service providers sensibly keep Windows files in their native habitat for this reason, but if you're using Windows, it's worth mentioning this concern early in your discussions with the CSR.

Sending Files

Ask the print service provider about their preferred method of file submission. If they provide a way of submitting files online via FTP (File Transfer Protocol), they'll give you directions for accessing the correct target directory and any needed passwords. Use a file-compression program such as StuffIt (Macintosh and PC), ZipMagic (PC), or WinZip (PC) to consolidate the job into a single archive and to reduce the amount of data you're uploading. Additionally, both the Macintosh OS X operating system and Windows XP have built-in file compression utilities. On the Mac, select a file or folder, and then control-click it (or right-click with a two-button mouse) to select Create Archive from the context menu that appears. In Windows XP, select a folder, and then right-click and select Send To > Compressed (zipped) Folder. Windows will then create a compressed archive of the folder and its contents.

While CDs and DVDs are probably the most commonly used physical methods of transporting files, many print service providers still support removable media such as Iomega^®JAZ^® and Zip disks. It's also not uncommon for extremely large jobs to be submitted on large-capacity portable external drives that connect via FireWire or USB connections.

In addition to the files themselves, it's helpful if you provide these collateral materials to the print service provider:

• Contact information for you, along with any alternate contacts such as other members of your design team, or appropriate contacts at your client if you're acting as an intermediary.

• Comprehensive assembled printouts of the job (comps) if there's anything tricky about the final piece, such as inserts or foldout panels.