Questions and Answers for Printcraft Customers
What file formats do you accept?
Our workflow system has the newest PDF RIP from Adobe, so we are able to handle all ll versions of PDF, from PDF 1.2 to PDF 1.5. We can properly process files with transparent objects (only a few printers in Vancouver can do this.)Can you accept application files from QuarkXpress and InDesign?
We accept and can work with application files from Adobe's Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign). For printing of long documents like collective agreements from Microsoft Word, we recommend you create a PDF file from your desktop. PrimoPDF works well for this. Note that turnaround time may be longer if you send in applications files rather than PDF files. If you printing PDF from Indesign, you can get the Printcraft job options file here.
Do I need to send in fonts?
Not if you give us PDF, which is one more reason to consider learning the proper way to make PDF files. At the very least, if you are giving us application files, make sure to click on the "collect for output " button for Quark and the "package" option for Indesign.What do the acronyms CMYK and RGB stand for?
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and BlacK are the colours of the ink channels used on a standard offset press.CMYK printing allows for full colour to be printed, for example a picture of forest or a clothing catalogue. Red, Green and Blue are the primary colours used to display images and elements on your computer monitor.Do my images need to be converted to CMYK from RGB?
No, our workflow will do that for you automatically. Yes, we know other Vancouver printers require CMYK images. But trust us, leave it in RGB.
What is spot colour and why would I choose spot?
Sometimes you need an EXACT colour on the press, so you pick a colour from a standard colour library. We use the Pantone formula guide solid coated, third edition 2005. Note that is sometimes cheaper to print with spot colours, rather than CMYK (For example, all two colour print jobs would go spot).What is a proof?
It is rare that a job goes to press without the customer signing off on the "proof," which is simply your job printed on an inkjet or laser printer. If the job is colour critical, then you would be expected to sign off on a high quality proof such as a a Matchprint. For black and white printing or for some colour jobs, you would be able to sign off on laser (toner-based) copies.What is the lowest number of impressions (sheets of paper) you can run on your press?
We can quote competitively on print runs as low as 500 impressions.What is the highest?
We can do a print runs as high as 100,000 impressions.How quickly can you print my job?
Due to our state -of-the-art CTP system, we can start imaging plates just minutes after you sign off the proofs. However, the coordinator has to book time on the press and bindery needs time to do their job. To give a short answer, it depends. It is extremely rare to get a job printed and bound in less than 24 hours, and extremely rare to take more than a week to get the job out the door.What types of paper can you print my job on?
If you don't know your paper and how paper is classified, check out this web page which is very helpful in paper-weight conversion. Our Komori press can print on all basic web-offset stocks, coated and uncoated, and we can apply a gloss or matte finsh.What other factors affect my pricing?
When we estimate a price for you, here are a bunch other questions that we would ask you that adds (or subtracts) cost. Most of the following questions have to do with bindery issues:1. Does the finished job have a bleed (images that extend right to the edge of the page)?
2. Does the job require a gate fold? (the pages fold into the centre like a gate)?
3. Will the job be saddle-stiched (staple through the centre) or perfect bound (edges glued together, like a paperback book)?
4. The actual finished size of the job.
How do I Create PDF files?
We recommend Primopdf, it works and its free. Once you download the free primopdf program, it installs itself as printer on your PC.