At Swift Print Communications, we aim to deliver top quality printing services, no matter the type or size of project. In order to achieve the highest quality print solutions, we have outlined a few preparation guidelines, which offer explanations of common terms to help customers better understand the printing process. This information is useful for our clients to look over before beginning each project. Following these guidelines will make for a much faster and smoother process. If you would like help or have a question, please give us a call, and we’ll be glad to assist in any way we can.
Try and use the most common layout programs available such as InDesign, Illustrator, Quark, PageMaker, or Word. When creating your document, please remember the following:
It’s important to follow certain protocols when saving images.
Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors, otherwise known as “spot colors,” must use the same name in all image files. Even a change as small as calling PMS 270 in one image file and then calling it PMS 270C in another will cause your design software to see two separate colors.
Pro Tip: For consistent color representation, remember to calibrate your monitor frequently.
With our custom printing services, we use the primary colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black: CMYK) to reproduce vibrant images. PMS, or Pantone Matching System, colors are built with variations of CMYK with one or more of the colors removed. This is important to note because when printing using digital technology, we must use all four colors, which may not produce an exact PMS match.
When saving images from your design software to be printed, be sure to use CMYK. If saved in RGB (Red, Green, Blue, which monitors use to create colors), we will not be able to reproduce your images.
We offer a wide array of coating and embellishments for your finished pieces. Coatings can be used for special effects, protecting the piece from “marking,” or adding an additional design element. We recommend coating any product printed on Matte paper stock due to the nature of the finish of the paper.
Some coatings/embellishments to consider are:
Fonts are the “typeface” used in your piece. The basic fonts include postscript, TrueType and OpenType. Postscript is the most popular and comes in type 1, 2, or 3. In Postscript, you will have two fonts: 1) the “screen” font, which will be for displaying the font on your monitor, and 2) the “printer” font, which is used when you send your file to be printed using a mathematical formula. TrueType fonts contain both the screen and printer fonts in the same file. OpenType fonts continue to grow in popularity as they are basically a hybrid of PostScript and TrueType fonts so you will have only one file per font weight or style. Since fonts are not identically used or installed among all computers, it is important to include both the printer and screen fonts in your document.
Printers work mostly in a Mac environment due to the flexibility and plugins available. We support both PC and MAC platforms, so please let us know which system you are using so that we can process your project using a common platform.
Trapping is the technique of printing one ink on top of another. Poor trapping leads to inks that do not adhere properly. This can cause the ink to form little beads or be rubbed off easily. Fortunately, with our quality printing services, we handle most trapping. If you have concerns, please contact us and we are more than happy to assist.
If there is one issue that stands out causing the most challenges, it is spelling. As a rule, we do not check for spelling errors, yet we have caught an untold amount of errors in our Quality Control procedures. Our best advice is to spell-check your documents and, if possible, have another person proofread your document before submitting.
The Golden Rule of “save early and save often” should be followed whenever working on a file. The more often you save or back-up your files the better chance you won’t lose the hours spent creating your artwork. Having a regular archiving procedure also helps make sure artwork is not lost or deleted.
To be sure your project is completed in a timely fashion and the quality meets your expectations, please remember to complete the following:
Standard email allows for easy transmittal of projects for files 5 MB or smaller. If your file is larger than 5 MB, we recommend sending them through JotForm to our account at www.swiftgobig.com/order-and-upload/.
We will always send proofs of your project for approval before we begin production. This is your final opportunity to fully review your project before we go to press. The proof is meant to be an accurate simulation of the final printed piece in terms of size, folds, pages, and finishing. We take proofing very seriously as it is a crucial step in the production process. It is the moment where we pause and allow you to review and make sure we have properly executed your instructions before moving into final production. Therefore, we recommend the following when reviewing your proofs:
If anything is not as you expected, corrections and alterations should be marked clearly on the proof and discussed prior to giving approval. If you are going to provide a new file, that information should be noted on the proof as well.
Every hardcopy proof has a “proof slip” that needs to be signed before moving forward. You also can note any corrections at that time. We have safeguards in place at every stage of production to prevent a print component from proceeding until we are sure you have reviewed and approved your proofs.
Remember, we are a phone call away if you run into any challenges. For more information regarding our custom printing process, we suggest looking over our Terms and Conditions. In the meantime we look forward to working with you and completing a successful custom printing project!
At Swift Print Communications, our skilled team can help you throughout your entire project, from concept through completion. If you would like further assistance in preparing your file, or need help designing your print materials, contact our team of graphic designers today! To learn more about our graphic design services and capabilities, check out our Graphic Design page!
© Copyright 2021 Swift Print Communications
1248 Research Blvd | St. Louis, MO 63132
Phone: (314) 991-4300