Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Top 10 Errors in Design Files

If your CSR staff is checking customer files,you might want them to look for the top 10 mistakes Adobe reports are usually made in a graphic design file.

1. The resolution of images is too low.

2. Fonts are not embedded in the PDF.

3. The wrong color space is used.

4. The information about trim or bleed are incorrect.

5. There is an inconsistency with the native file. The original page, as viewed in QuarkXPress or InDesign or whatever other application looks different from the PDF. Hairlines might be different or gradients have changed.

6. A spot color is misnamed or it is accidentally converted to a process color.

7. Images are compressed too much. This causes a quality loss and in some cases artifacts appear inside or around the images.

8. The page size is incorrect.

9. There are problems with transparent objects.

10. ICC profiles are missing or incorrect.

One of the reasons why many of these problems go undetected is that users will make proofs from their lay-out, check the proofs and then create PDF files. The PDF files don't get reviewed. It would be far better if designers created PDF files and then made a proof of these files. This way the consistency between supplied file and proof is much better.

All printing companies should be preflighting PDF files with Acrobat, Enfocus Pitstop, Markzware and other similar programs.

It takes time to check files to assure they will print properly. Rushing jobs through and skipping preflighting procedures won't save any time if you have to reprint the job.

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