AO5 - Prepare publication for print

Follow standard stages for producing a commercial document:

• proof read and check for accuracy making changes where
  necessary
  produce proof copies with a covering submission letter
• Describe the remaining stages of producing multiple copies of thedocument using commercial printing processes

For this assessment objective you will check your publication for errors and quality. This will involve checking and printing a final proof copy. You will also be finding out what happens between printing the proof copy and the final copy of your desktop published document.

Assessment Criteria

In order to achieve a pass you will:

• P1 – print a final proof copy of your publication
• P2 – produce a covering letter
• P3 - Provide a brief outline of the final stages of producing multiple copies using commercial printing process

In order to achieve a merit you will:

• M1 – Print a final proof copy of your publication that will not contain many errors
• M2 - Produce a covering letter
• M3 – The overall quality of the document will be good
• M4 – provide an outline of all the final stages of producing multiple copies using the commercial print process

In order to achieve a distinction you will:

• D1 – Print a final proof copy of your publication that will be mostly free from errors
• D2 – Produce a covering letter
• D3 – Produce a document that is near to business standard
• D4 – Provide a detailed outline of all the final stages of producing multiple copies using commercial printing process

Final quality checks

Common errors when producing a DTP document include:

• Typing errors e.g. spelling
• Text overflow frames e.g. are any sentences missing from the bottom of text frames)
• Graphics e.g. are any pixelated or stretched out of proportion?
• Hyphenation e.g. has the software automatically hyphenated words that look odd
• Lines and shapes e.g. do they meet where they should?
• Layers e.g. are shapes and lines layered correctly?
• Layout e.g. are pages over crowded? Do they have too much white space?

Activity 1

Carry out following checks to minimise errors:

• Use the spell check tool. Copy and paste text into a word processor to check grammar as Publisher does not have this facility.
• Use the Design Checker tool to check for text overflowing frames and out of proportion graphics.
• Proof read your document on screen.
• Remove hyphenation go to Tools > Language > Hyphenation
• Check the impact of removing hyphenation by looking through your document. It may be that this might change the number of lines of text taken up etc.
• Check graphics e.g. are they pixelated or stretched out of proportion?
• Print your publication, proof read it and check for layout errors
• Ask a friend to proof read your document
• Ask your client (the person you are producing your publication for) to proof read your publication to find out if they want any changes making.

Exporting your publication for use on another computer

Once your publication has been checked you need to prepare it to be sent to a commercial print company. Although some print companies will have Publisher installed on their IT system they may not have the same fonts installed on their system that you used in your publication. To overcome this Publisher allows you to export your document along with the fonts you have used.

Once your document is in its final form you should save it normally. Then you should choose File > Pack and Go > Take to a Commercial Printing Service. You will be asked for a suitable location. Under normal circumstances this would be a CD which you could send to the publishing company. For this purpose you should export it to a folder in your work area.

You will be offered the opportunity to print a proof copy. This will be a composite proof. This will print all elements on the page.

Activity 2

Prepare your publication for use on another computer.

Commercial Printing

For this assignment you do not have to have your document commercially printed. However, you need to have an understanding of the process. This will be in the form of a short report based on the final stages of producing multiple copies using commercial printing process.

Commercial print companies use two main types of print technology. These are digital printing and offset lithography.

Digital printing involves using a fast laser printer. This method of printing is most suitable for small print runs e.g. less than 500 sheets. Although these printers are much faster than domestic laser printers they are not as fast as traditional printing methods. Large volume printing using this technique is very expensive.

Offset lithography uses plates each of which is inked a single colour. A number of plates are used to create different colours. This method of printing is only cost effective if you have a large amount of printing. You can find out more about this type of printing here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offset_printing

Preparing your document for commercial printing

In order to print your document commercially you need to find a company that will print it. Prices vary from place to place. However, there are a number of things you need to take into consideration. These are:

• Number of colours
• Type of fold
• Number of pages
• Type of paper

Number of colours

The more colours you use in your publication the more expensive the print run will be. A black and white print is the cheapest option. Coloured paper could then be used. Another method is using spot printing. This allows for other colours to be added. You would require one addition plate for each colour you wish to use. Another technique you could choose is process printing. This uses four colours (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black – referred to as CYMK printing). Although expensive you can produce a wider range of colours. Different shades and colours can be produced by mixing tiny dots of colour.

Type of fold

The type of fold you choose for the pages of your publication will affect the price of the print run. A4 publications are likely to be printed on A3 sheets. For documents such as leaflets A4 paper is often used. It is then folded e.g. C fold would allow you to print on 6 pages.

Number of pages

The more pages you include in your publication the more expensive the print run.

Type of paper

The quality and thickness of paper will affect the price of a print run. 80gsm (gsm = grams per square metre, the thicker the paper the higher the gsm) is standard weight paper usually used for general printing. Leaflets and commercially produced documents are usually printed on heavier paper.

File Types

Not all publishers accept Publisher files. If they do not accept Publisher files they are likely to ask for a PostScript file or PDF file.

• A PostScript file is a file that can be opened by any publishing software. The document cannot be changed but the layout and content can be easily viewed.
• A PDF (portable document format) file is a file produced using software to create a file that can be read without the need for the original software.

Publisher allows you to save a file in PostScript format. Though you will need a printer driver. In order to create a PDF file you will need additional software.

Sending your document to the printing company

Before you send your document to the print company you must be 100% sure it is accurate and error free. Making changes later could prove very costly.

When you negotiate with the print company you will agree deadlines. You will agree the print deadline with the publisher. You will also agree the deadline for getting the completed publication to the print company.

There are several methods you can use to get the document to the print company. These include CD or sending it as an email attachment. The method of delivery is usually agreed during negotiations. The format will be either Pack and Go (produced in Publisher), pdf or Postscript. In addition to this you should also provide a high quality black and white copy. To do this go to Print > Advanced Print Settings > select Composite Grayscale.

You should accompany these documents with a letter to confirm your requirements. This letter should include:

• Name and contact details
• Name/type of publication
• Paper required (colour, size, weight, glossy/matt)
• Folding / stapling requirements
• Print type (digital / offset lithography)
• Colour printing required (black / spot printing / CMYK printing)
• Date of final printed copies
• Delivery/collection of completed documents

Once the letter has been received the company will make the printing plates (unless digital printing is requested). One copy of the document will be printed for final checking. This is the last opportunity to check the document before it is printed on a mass scale. If changes are required this can cost extra.

After checking the printed document you will send it back. This should include any appropriate annotations to indicate changes using standard proof reading symbols.

Activity 3
Produce a letter to send a publishing company to accompany your completed document. Ensure that all the appropriate information that the company will need to print your document is included in the letter. Use a standard letter format to create your letter.

Activity 4
Produce a report to describe the stages you should follow from completing the final document to the production of multiple copies by a commercial printing company. The information on this page will provide an overview, though it is recommended that you complete further research to add more detail. This is particularly the case if you are aiming for a merit or distinction.