Job Planning – a preflight checklist is used to verify the engineering of the print project. The graphic designer should make a dummy, or mock-up that demonstrates folding, backup, and physical details of the piece. See #7 below, take time to seek any potential problems, talk to your printer, take time to explicitly communicate every detail.

File repair – your prflight checklist is used in the process of correcting these problems with your files before sending them to others. Accurate preflight and file repair is the responsibility of the file preparer. Please be proactive, using this document as a guide.

Proofing – to actually read your proofs at every stage. It is simply shocking how many printing jobs have type corrections AFTER submitted and proofed at the printing company. Your job should never go to the printer with simple type corrections and type-o’s. Take pride in the quality and integrity of your work that goes to others.

Graphic Designers Goal = One Way First Time Right Submission

It’s your job as a graphic designer. If you are a top notch designer, your job is about more than aesthetics, it’s about integrity and accuracy too. Your job should go to the printer in a state of readiness, to flow right to press with No Delay and No Additional Cost. It all comes together to make your design project a real professional job.

Any problems with your graphic design will cause delays in production. File repair costs from the printer are never in your print quote. Expensive prepress time to repair files is also not built into your schedule. A consistant process using a preflight checklist will help avoid delays and additional costs. In most printing quotations is usually some verbage like:

“This quotation is based on the assumption that all supplied files are ready for output. Any corrections or changes necessary to ensure successful output will be charged as additional work, upon approval of the customer. Upload Files