For editors and advertisers who work with UMR Communications (our print house) and The Presbyterian SUN newspaper...
New equipment at the printing house works much better but requires SPECIFIC preparation when converting files to PDF (recommended).
Acrobat 6 and 7 users need to choose/use the PDF x/1a-2001 settings in Distiller.
Investing in the full version of Adobe Acrobat can help with many publishing and office and website needs.
INSTRUCTIONS for PDF with/without spot color
1) IF you have a last minute problem with your PDF, UMR (our print house) can usually fix files created in Quark, PageMaker, InDesign.
2) Ads and Presbytery Pages in BLACK & WHITE: File needed on black plate only.
NOTE: Your program may be "using" color even though you can't see any!
Solution: In a program like PageMaker, Click UTILITIES > DEFINE COLORS > and REMOVE UNUSED colors from the list.
HELP: Send us similar tips for other programs.
3) Ads using SPOT COLOR: Our print house needs composites that separate to the black plate and to ONE color plate only.
Detailed example: What UMR said about one ad using spot color
Problem AD has 5 plates (C, M, Y, K) AND a Pantone spot color plate.
- All 5 plates have graphics on them.
- We need the black elements to be on the K plate only.
- The spot color elements to be on the C plate only.
- We don't need the Pantone plate at all.
- Problem AD has black elements on the K plate (good)
- But the color is on both C and M (bad)
- If the color was on just C or M, it would be perfect.
Option A:
- Open .pdf, use the Advanced option at the Adobe Acrobat toolbar, pull down to Output Preview.
- Pulldown to select for U.S. web press. This shows us all 4 plates (and a fifth, if the customer has created a spot color plate.)
- Open the .pdf, click FILE > PRINT
- On the PRINT dialog box, choose Advanced (bottom left).
- On the Advanced Print Setup dialog box, select Separations as Color
- Now you can select and deselect the plate colors in the Ink Manager section to see what's on each plate.
3 comments:
Any chance UMR will provide a JDF file so we can avoid the last minute headaches? That way we can just run the file with their specifications without having to have the technical knowledge that they require. I'm happy to continue as I have been, but I think it would save time for everyone.
Most print houses already have JDF files created for their clients. Perhaps it could be posted on the blog?
Thanks!
The message above was immediately sent to UMR. What is a JDF? -Shane
It is a Job Definition Format file - much like a Postscript Printer Description, which is created for a specific output device. (Which wouldn't hurt to have, either!)
A Job Definition Format file takes all of the pre-press work out of the hands of the designers and places it where it belongs - with the print shop.
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