Effective Communication

It may sound simple, but effective communication between printer and designer is one of the most overlooked aspects of the print production process. The back-and-forth transfer of small details that often results from poor communication can tack days and dollars onto your print project. Here are a few things you’ll want to discuss with your printer to be sure your projects will be completed on time and look their best:

What’s the Best Way to Layout My Project?
Print projects must be laid out carefully to take advantage of efficiencies in both the printing and post press stages. For example, depending on the specifics of your project, a reduction of an image size of as little as 1/4” may allow you to increase the number up you can place on a press sheet. This not only cuts the amount of paper used to print the job, it also reduces the time the project spends on press.

A slight change in layout may also be necessary to facilitate any post press production your project requires. A multi-panel roll-folded brochure, for example, requires each successive panel to be undersized slightly in order to fold properly. And if you’re designing a pocket folder, you’ll need to place your copy carefully so it won’t be obscured by the die cut pockets or glue tabs.

Planning Tip - At Springfield Printing, we can supply you with layout templates to aid in the design of pocket folders and other common products, ensuring that your projects are laid out properly as soon as we receive your file.

How Do I Ensure Good Quality on Tight-Turnaround Projects?
Many designers specify heavy ink coverage on coated paper stocks in order to create images that are as vibrant and eye-catching as possible. From a production and scheduling standpoint, it’s important to keep in mind that this combination will require plenty of drying time for the ink to settle into the stock.

Planning Tip - If your project is on a tight turnaround schedule, you may want to consider coating your projects with an aqueous or UV coating or varnish. These finishes can be performed inline during printing, and help prevent marking and scuffing.

The Springfield Advantage
These are just a few examples of how good communication can improve both the print production process and the finished project. At Springfield Printing, useful information is always free. We want to be actively involved in helping you save time and money on your projects, so communicate with us early and often during the project planning and design phases.