Service bureaus provide a wide variety of services, depending on their size. Some handle photo processing and various photographic output options such as prints (of varying sizes) and slides. Mounting and lamination services may also be provided. Many service bureaus provide scanning services, including high-end drum scanning. A common service is taking scans or digital photos and burning them onto Kodak Photo CDs. Many service bureaus provide output to color separations to film and RC Paper. Larger bureaus may even have a digital press to handle a short run (500 or less), on-demand printing need.
Getting the ball rolling
Developing a good working relationship with your service bureau and/or offset printer will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration. These folks are the experts and know their equipment and processes. And believe me, they’re only too willing to help. The fewer problems they have with your files, the better they like it. Here are some things you can do to keep the relationship on solid footing:
- Get a dialogue going about the specs: If your file is going directly to a newspaper, magazine, or other publication, talk with the art director, graphics production coordinator, or other knowledgeable person about the graphic specifications required. Different service bureaus and offset printers will accept files from different applications and files of various formats. Find out which file types the service bureau can handle and/or recommends before you prepare your files. Larger bureaus should be able to handle anything you can throw at them.
- Build a lasting relationship: Consistency is also key. When you find a good bureau or offset printer, stick with it for all your jobs. Jumping from one company to another because a quote came in a little cheaper doesn’t always pay off in the long run. If you’re a faithful customer, often your service bureau or offset printer will match that lower quote if it can. You don’t want to have to relearn what a new company can and can’t do and vice versa. And if possible, try to let one company handle your entire job. That way, one company controls the quality from beginning to end, and there’s no finger-pointing if things go bad.
- Get on the Web: Many service bureaus have Web sites where you can find a listing of services they offer, price lists, file specs, and even downloadable order forms. Larger offset printers also have Web sites offering general information and online requests for quote applications. Larger offset printers may provide services such as scanning and film-separation output, so be sure to check the Web site for details.
Using a prepress checklist
In addition to communicating with your offset printers and service bureau, you need to do some additional work to prepare your file for print. Here is a handy checklist that you can use whenever you’re prepping a file for print. Use it to ensure your file is ready and rarin’ for problem-free output. Note that this list isn’t all-inclusive when it comes to prepress; I include tips that pertain to Photoshop only.
- Always transform your images in their native application. Size, crop, rotate, shear, and reflect art in Photoshop. Transforming images in an illustration or page layout program is very complex and calculation-intensive and will cause the RIP (raster image processing, which converts objects to a series of dots/pixels for printing) to take a long time to process the file.
- Ensure that images can first print from Photoshop. Do this before importing the images into an illustration or page layout program.
- If you’re placing Photoshop EPS images into a page layout or illustration program, set the halftone screen frequency in the destination program instead of embedding it in each image in Photoshop. Or better yet, don’t set any halftone screen frequencies in your images and let your service bureau or offset printer handle setting them in the other program.
- When saving Photoshop images for print purposes, stick to TIFF, EPS, native PSD, or PDF file formats. If you’re unsure of the proper format to use for a specific job, ask your offset printer or service bureau for recommendations.
- Make sure that you have used the proper color mode. For example, use CMYK for color separations and RGB for slide output. Again, if you’re not sure, ask your offset printer or service bureau for recommendations.
- Create vector shapes and paths efficiently. Printing vector art involves using intense calculations for every anchor point, and overly complex paths can cause problems during the RIP process. Here are some suggestions:
- Use the fewest number of anchor points possible to draw the shape or create the path and delete any unnecessary objects or points, even those that are invisible.
- Simplify the complexity and number of vector masks and clipping paths.
- Set optimum flatness levels for paths, dependent on complexity of the path and output resolution. Use 1–3 for low-resolution printing (300–600 dpi as with laser printers) and 7–10 for complex paths on high-resolution printing devices (1,200 and up as with imagesetters). Or you can leave the flatness setting text box blank. In that case, Photoshop uses the default setting for the output device, which is usually a safe bet.
- Limit the number of typefaces. Downloading takes time. Limiting the number of typefaces also makes your document look more sophisticated and polished.
- Make sure that all scanning is at the appropriate dpi. As a general rule, 2 x line screen (lines per inch or lpi) equals the dpi to use in scanning the images. If you need to resize your image, be sure to scan it at a higher resolution accordingly. For example, if you need it twice as big, scan it at twice the final resolution needed.
- If your image is to bleed (extend to the edge of the printed page), take that into account when creating your image. Note that you need to allow for 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 of an inch on any side that will bleed to allow for slippages when the paper is cut.
- Always specify colors from a Pantone color swatch chart and then select the color, whether process or spot, in Photoshop. Never trust the way colors look on-screen because of calibration deficiencies and differences between RGB and CMYK color models.
- Make spot color names consistent. Make sure that the Photoshop spot color names exactly match those of any programs to which you are importing your image, such as an illustration or page layout program. Otherwise, you may get an additional color separation.
- Print and provide laser prints of your file, both separations (if warranted), and a composite print. Print all with printer marks — crop marks, registration marks, labels, and so on.
- Provide all fonts used in your file. Provide both screen and PostScript printer fonts. (Note: Avoid cheapie fonts; you usually get what you pay for. If you want to use them, consider rasterizing them.)
- Choose File-->Save As for your final save to squeeze down to the smallest file size.
Doing a Save As compresses your file as small as possible.
- Organize your files into folders. For example, put the image files together in one folder, all the fonts in another, and so on. Practice good file management and organization.
- Communicate any trapping needs to your service bureau or offset printer. For color separations, indicate whether you have created the trapping yourself or if you want the service bureau/offset printer to do it.
Some file format warnings
If you save your file as an EPS or DCS and reopen the file in Photoshop, Photoshop rasterizes the vector data to pixels. Save the original in the native PSD format. If you save your layered file as an EPS, Photoshop converts your vector type to clipping paths. Extensive and small type creates complex clipping paths, which can be time consuming and sometimes difficult to print. You can either flatten your file or deselect the Include Vector Data option in the Save as EPS Options dialog box. Either choice rasterizes the type into pixels at the resolution of your image. You may want to consider eliminating the type in your image file and applying it either in a drawing or page layout program that can retain vector type.
Getting the ball rolling
Developing a good working relationship with your service bureau and/or offset printer will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration. These folks are the experts and know their equipment and processes. And believe me, they’re only too willing to help. The fewer problems they have with your files, the better they like it. Here are some things you can do to keep the relationship on solid footing:
- Get a dialogue going about the specs: If your file is going directly to a newspaper, magazine, or other publication, talk with the art director, graphics production coordinator, or other knowledgeable person about the graphic specifications required. Different service bureaus and offset printers will accept files from different applications and files of various formats. Find out which file types the service bureau can handle and/or recommends before you prepare your files. Larger bureaus should be able to handle anything you can throw at them.
- Build a lasting relationship: Consistency is also key. When you find a good bureau or offset printer, stick with it for all your jobs. Jumping from one company to another because a quote came in a little cheaper doesn’t always pay off in the long run. If you’re a faithful customer, often your service bureau or offset printer will match that lower quote if it can. You don’t want to have to relearn what a new company can and can’t do and vice versa. And if possible, try to let one company handle your entire job. That way, one company controls the quality from beginning to end, and there’s no finger-pointing if things go bad.
- Get on the Web: Many service bureaus have Web sites where you can find a listing of services they offer, price lists, file specs, and even downloadable order forms. Larger offset printers also have Web sites offering general information and online requests for quote applications. Larger offset printers may provide services such as scanning and film-separation output, so be sure to check the Web site for details.
Using a prepress checklist
In addition to communicating with your offset printers and service bureau, you need to do some additional work to prepare your file for print. Here is a handy checklist that you can use whenever you’re prepping a file for print. Use it to ensure your file is ready and rarin’ for problem-free output. Note that this list isn’t all-inclusive when it comes to prepress; I include tips that pertain to Photoshop only.
- Always transform your images in their native application. Size, crop, rotate, shear, and reflect art in Photoshop. Transforming images in an illustration or page layout program is very complex and calculation-intensive and will cause the RIP (raster image processing, which converts objects to a series of dots/pixels for printing) to take a long time to process the file.
- Ensure that images can first print from Photoshop. Do this before importing the images into an illustration or page layout program.
- If you’re placing Photoshop EPS images into a page layout or illustration program, set the halftone screen frequency in the destination program instead of embedding it in each image in Photoshop. Or better yet, don’t set any halftone screen frequencies in your images and let your service bureau or offset printer handle setting them in the other program.
- When saving Photoshop images for print purposes, stick to TIFF, EPS, native PSD, or PDF file formats. If you’re unsure of the proper format to use for a specific job, ask your offset printer or service bureau for recommendations.
- Make sure that you have used the proper color mode. For example, use CMYK for color separations and RGB for slide output. Again, if you’re not sure, ask your offset printer or service bureau for recommendations.
- Create vector shapes and paths efficiently. Printing vector art involves using intense calculations for every anchor point, and overly complex paths can cause problems during the RIP process. Here are some suggestions:
- Use the fewest number of anchor points possible to draw the shape or create the path and delete any unnecessary objects or points, even those that are invisible.
- Simplify the complexity and number of vector masks and clipping paths.
- Set optimum flatness levels for paths, dependent on complexity of the path and output resolution. Use 1–3 for low-resolution printing (300–600 dpi as with laser printers) and 7–10 for complex paths on high-resolution printing devices (1,200 and up as with imagesetters). Or you can leave the flatness setting text box blank. In that case, Photoshop uses the default setting for the output device, which is usually a safe bet.
- Limit the number of typefaces. Downloading takes time. Limiting the number of typefaces also makes your document look more sophisticated and polished.
- Make sure that all scanning is at the appropriate dpi. As a general rule, 2 x line screen (lines per inch or lpi) equals the dpi to use in scanning the images. If you need to resize your image, be sure to scan it at a higher resolution accordingly. For example, if you need it twice as big, scan it at twice the final resolution needed.
- If your image is to bleed (extend to the edge of the printed page), take that into account when creating your image. Note that you need to allow for 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 of an inch on any side that will bleed to allow for slippages when the paper is cut.
- Always specify colors from a Pantone color swatch chart and then select the color, whether process or spot, in Photoshop. Never trust the way colors look on-screen because of calibration deficiencies and differences between RGB and CMYK color models.
- Make spot color names consistent. Make sure that the Photoshop spot color names exactly match those of any programs to which you are importing your image, such as an illustration or page layout program. Otherwise, you may get an additional color separation.
- Print and provide laser prints of your file, both separations (if warranted), and a composite print. Print all with printer marks — crop marks, registration marks, labels, and so on.
- Provide all fonts used in your file. Provide both screen and PostScript printer fonts. (Note: Avoid cheapie fonts; you usually get what you pay for. If you want to use them, consider rasterizing them.)
- Choose File-->Save As for your final save to squeeze down to the smallest file size.
Doing a Save As compresses your file as small as possible.
- Organize your files into folders. For example, put the image files together in one folder, all the fonts in another, and so on. Practice good file management and organization.
- Communicate any trapping needs to your service bureau or offset printer. For color separations, indicate whether you have created the trapping yourself or if you want the service bureau/offset printer to do it.
Some file format warnings
If you save your file as an EPS or DCS and reopen the file in Photoshop, Photoshop rasterizes the vector data to pixels. Save the original in the native PSD format. If you save your layered file as an EPS, Photoshop converts your vector type to clipping paths. Extensive and small type creates complex clipping paths, which can be time consuming and sometimes difficult to print. You can either flatten your file or deselect the Include Vector Data option in the Save as EPS Options dialog box. Either choice rasterizes the type into pixels at the resolution of your image. You may want to consider eliminating the type in your image file and applying it either in a drawing or page layout program that can retain vector type.
Working with a Service Bureau
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