12 Steps to Prepress  Success

1. Set up your file so that the page size of the electronic document matches the page size of the printed piece.
2. Unless the typeface is intricate or finely detailed, convert any text in EPS graphics to paths before you import the graphics into your page layout program.
3. Scan or acquire images as close to the final size as possible (larger is not necessarily better) and at the appropriate resolution.
4. Rotate, mirror, or flip graphics in the program used to create them rather than in the page layout program.
5. Remove extra paths and channels to simplify the files before saving your final graphics.
6. Define colors according to the CMYK model if they are to be separated, or as spot color if they are to be printed that way.
7. Save graphics in TIFF or EPS format, uncompressed.
8. Print test separations on a laser printer to make sure you don’t have extra plates or unwanted spot colors.
9. Use QuarkXPress’s Collect for Output or Adobe Pagemaker’s Prepare for Service Bureau utility to make sure you know what fonts to include, and send the font’s with your files.
10. Leave trapping and imposition to us unless you’ve previously discussed and agreed on these procedures with us.
11. When sending files to AID Mailing, clearly label on the disk what’s needed for your job, and include a current hardcopy proof of your file with crop marks and bleeds,  preferably printed at final size.
12. As soon as you get a proof back from us, inspect it carefully for errors and report any problems immediately.