Top 3 Print Problems & How To Avoid Them
Some of the biggest reasons print runs are delayed involve customer-furnished files.
In fact, 76% of the files we receive from customers aren't set up correctly. That is, they aren't "print ready." If you want to save yourself some money and get your print job done on time, it helps to understand what constitutes a print-ready file.
3 Common Printing Issues
There are three main problems associated with customer-furnished files, and they're all easily avoidable. In general, print runs are delayed for one of these three reasons:
1. Low Resolution Images
If your images are low quality, it will slow down your print run, because someone will have to edit those files to get them print ready. So what resolution is apropos for your images? They should be at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). The higher the number of dots per inch the more detail exists in that image and the higher quality, in general, you can expect from the printing.
To increase your resolution to 300 dpi, you'll need to resize the image. You can do that in any photo editor, but most professionals prefer Photoshop. You can do this easily enough yourself, but be careful that you resize the image as opposed to resampling it.
2. Files With No Bleeds
The bleed is the proximity of the image to the edge of the paper. Every print job has a bleed zone. Your printer will recommend the bleed for the particular print job. If your files don't conform to the suggested bleed, then it could delay your print job or cost you more because your printer will have to adjust for the error. Besides, if you want your materials to look professional, bleed is very important.
3. RGB vs. CMYK
Computer monitors are limited in the range of the color spectrum they can display. That's why they use the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) scale. Printers operate differently. Monitors emit color as light. Paper reflects color on a wavelength. The CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) serve as filters that subtract a degree of red, green, and blue from white light to produce the associated color on the paper.
While print ink uses a limited range of the visible color spectrum, as computers monitors do, the range is different. Therefore, RGB colors have to be converted to CMYK for print jobs. This can be done in any photo editor.
Save Time & Money - Become Your Own Print Document Editor
If you submit images with low resolution or that use the wrong color spectrum, your printer will need to make the adjustments for you, and it may increase your costs. The same goes for ignoring suggested bleeds.
By editing your own print files before you send them to your printer, you can save yourself some money and get your print job back on time.