Training to Prevent Prepress/Print Mishaps
Mistakes do happen. Fonts, color and images quality are the prime culprits that damage smooth print workflows. These problems are just some of the topics covered as part of the Graphic Arts Institute [GAI] training program in San Francisco.
Located in the Northern California Print Center, which also is home to the Printing Industries of Northern California [PINC] and a number of other print-related businesses, the GAI’s in-plant uses a four-color 20-inch Heidelberg Speedmaster press to produce fliers, brochures, booklets and envelopes in print runs up to 8,000 units. Many of these printed pieces include information about PINC’s and GAI’s health program and health insurance program.
The GAI offers printing companies the opportunity to broaden their employees’ experience with prepress, press and Web technologies. Along with the 20-inch press, the facility houses more than 30 computers, state-of-the-art software and a Creo CTP platesetter driven by a Delta RIP.
Michale Carling, executive director of the GAI, believes preflighting is an important first step toward eliminating print mistakes. One of the tools used at the GAI is Markzware’s FlightCheck. “We look for problems with fonts, images, CMYK vs. RGB and difficult gradients,” says Carling. The examination begins with a check of native files created by staff and students. Using FlightCheck is part of the training that students receive at the GAI facility.
Font problem
Fonts are one of the biggest problems. “A lot of the files from the on-staff design team come from different computers,” says Carling. “Those computers are not dedicated to the RIP.”
To combat potentially bad files, the design staff creates PDF files. “It is easier to get interoffice approvals with PDFs,” says Carling. “I like the PDF file sizes because they are smaller, and our RIP handles native PDF.” Carling’s staff and students also use software to preflight their PDF files. “Often, the trapping is not correct,” says Carling. “FlightCheck tells me where the problems are.” The big PDF hurdle at the GAI is creating good native files before they’re re-created as PDF files. “That is where preflighting plays an important role,” says Carling. These measures mean a bad plate rarely is created at the GAI in-plant.
The software also will examine all images in a PDF file and determine their type, the mode (such as gray scale, indexed, RGB, CMYK, Lab, etc), the image resolution, the effective resolution (calculated based on the scale factor applied to the image), if the image contains a halftone or transfer function, if an ICC profile has been applied, if the image contains additional channels, if the ink density (highest pixel value) is greater than the specified amount, and so forth.
Hands-on training
Most of the more than 1,000 students who attend the GAI’s training courses are print professionals looking to enhance their careers or to learn skills that will help them perform their jobs more efficiently — such as working with PDF files. Students receive hands-on training in more than 60 classes. Courses cover Web site development and design, press training and all forms of electronic prepress and design. Classes are taught by working industry professionals. One of the areas that the GAI gets help with is HTML an XML training. Carling does not have a huge demand for these courses because the printing companies that offer these services already are well versed in how to set up Web pages and employ Webmasters. They often get help from an academy that teaches Perl scripting, CGI and more.
When asked about crossmedia applications, Carling says, “I think there is a great convergence of technology and ideas in that space. It is where the graphics content creator is going.”
“One of the things that troubles me is the fact that many of the students are proficient in only one program. some might know Photoshop, but might not know how to use Quark or InDesign. There is an extreme inconsistency in the level of knowledge.
Many of the GAI’s students do not have computers at home and that prevents them from practicing with the constantly changing software.
Prevent print mistakes
“One of the best ways to help prevent print mistakes is preflighting,” says Carling. When a CD disk comes in the door, a print company should be able to check it immediately for any potential problems. According to Carling, many small shops have employees who check the files and then proceed to prepress. But, he believes the larger the company, the greater the need for this specific service. “If you are able to pinpoint a potential problem early, it is easier to correct because you can enlist the client’s help.
“In the courses we teach at GAI, we see a major demand for PDF,” says Carling. “But, as it gets easier to make PDF files, content creators must remember the native application files have to be good to create usable PDF files. The growth of online services and e-commerce means that the need for PDF file creation is only going to grow. These files allow for greater interaction between clients and creators. Because of the amazing ability of PDF files to easily move via the Internet, it is easy to get customer approvals.”
Tags: Adobe, Design, FlightCheck, flightcheck pro, GAI, Graphics, Illustrator, Markzware, Markzware News, photoshop, preflighting, Preflighting News, prepress, Prepress News, QuarkXPress