Below are a number of tips for page layout, text styles and fonts. Before starting your project, read these tips and you may save yourself a lot of time and headaches!

Plan your work

Know ahead of time what you are trying to accomplish and know how you wish to accomplish it.

Use scans where scans are needed (usually only in photos or continuous tone art) and line art as logos and flat art.

Consulting a printer at the early part of a job will usually save you time, money & frustration.

Most printers have a set of "standard" inks that they order premixed to PMS standard colors. Using one of these standards can save the cost of the printer having to mix inks to a precise formula to achieve an exact specified PMS color.

Be aware of folding panels. Do your work at 100% the size of the printed piece and allow for proper margins where you want it to fold!

Plan what program is best to accomplish your goal.

Single page layouts should be built at trim size with bleeds.

Resize ALL halftone and four color scans in PhotoShop or any other paint program. Resizing in the page programs or draw programs can lead to long imaging (RIP) time (and therefore cost more money).

When using colors, plan on what the colors will be and how they will print -spot or process. If you use spot colors, specify colors in PMS (Pantone Matching System). If the colors are built out of process, please specify them as CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow & black) or Separations within the color pallet.

Issues with fonts

Fonts used by both client (you) and vendor (printer/service bureau) MUST be of the same vendor, name and manufacturer.

Don't forget to send dingbat fonts if you are using them.

PostScript fonts have both a "screen font" for proper display on your monitor AND a "printer font" that is used to create smooth type on a printer, especially on an imagesetter. Always send BOTH!

Tips on text

Convert headline type to paths in Illustrator or Freehand, etc. Then you wont need to list the font, and the vendor can't accidentally make a type or line-break change.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use the style menu to make type "BOLD" or "ITALIC", etc., if the document is going outside your company or to a high-resolution device (imagesetter). Chances are it will not print correctly.

When all else fails, LET US DESIGN IT!