Offset printing help: How to make pdf's files for offset printing of brochures, catalogs, newsletters

Creating PDF's for high-resolution output

Looking for a way to speed your files through your printer's prep department? Look no further than Adobe Acrobat!

History and Background
In the early 1990's there were several programs promising a paperless office. By the late 90's Adobe Acrobat had emerged as the de facto standard. You can use Acrobat to create high-resolution files suitable for offset printing. It's a seamless way to submit your files with minimal drawbacks.

Acrobat creates Portable Document Files (PDF's). The PDF is truly portable. All you need is the free Adobe Reader (formerly Acrobat Reader) to view and print PDF's. Anyone with Reader can open any PDF created from any software package. It works and it's really neat.

While the Reader program is free, the full version of Acrobat is $300.00 and is required if you want to create PDF's. That's a small price to pay for the incredible versatility PDF's offer.

In the late 1990's printing workflow systems were starting to embrace the PDF model. Now most printing companies are able to accept PDF's instead of Quark Xpress or InDesign files or other desktop programs.

Why Use PDF's?
PDF's, when created correctly, virtually ensure your job has a smooth path through your printer's prep department. This means you get your proofs faster and your job stays on track in the plant. That's a great for jobs you need in a hurry.

In 9 out of 10 cases, the proof you get back from your printer will match your PDF exactly. The reason is that a PDF captures the components of your job in the environment in which it was created.

When you transfer a job from one computer you need to include lots of files: fonts, images and page layout files. Screw up on just one of these and the file won't output as you want. When you create a PDF on your machine you are doing so with all elements present. The resulting PDF is a compact clone, if you will, of your document and the accompanying files.

At least 60% of all file delays are font related. PDF's eliminate almost all font problems. One of the options in the PDF creation process is to embed the fonts. When you do so you don't need to send the fonts anymore, they are included in the PDF.

PDF's also eliminate many other problems such as missing graphic files. The PDF is created on your machine so it will most likely find any file you've used.

PDF's are very useful for files created in non-traditional page layout programs. Software packages such as Microsoft Publisher, Word, Excel and PowerPoint are popular and people are using them for page layout. However they are generally not well suited for preparation of files to be printed via offset. More information about these programs is available in a separate article. By creating a PDF from these packages most of their inherent shortcomings are circumvented.

Any Drawbacks?
There are a few. Acrobat has very, very limited editing capabilities. It was designed that way. So if you submit a PDF, then want to make changes after you've seen the proof, you need to submit a new PDF. This means you will most likely receive another proof from your printer. So it's best to make sure everyone is happy with the job before you send it to your printer.

You should also print out a copy of the PDF and review it carefully. The creation process isn't 100% accurate all of the time. Small inconsistencies can arise. The proof you get from your printer and the final printed piece will look like the PDF, not your native files. So print it out and check it carefully.

Acrobat isn't a cure-all. It won't increase the resolution of low-res files. It won't make dark photos bright. It doesn't substitute for well-crafted files, it just make the transition process less troublesome.

How Do You Make PDF's?
It's really quite simple. First though you need to buy the full version of Acrobat. Currently there is a Standard and a Professional version; you only need purchase the Standard version.

The next thing is to make sure you create the PDF using the correct parameters. These cover font and graphic treatments as well as other options. Click here for a PDF showing the recommended settings. These settings are for Rampage, a specific RIP software package. However the screens should be applicable to the PDF creation process from most software packages including Quark and InDesign.

If you have any questions about the creation process please contact me.