Order Check List

This check list should be used on every document you are sending to Tri-State Litho for printing. All possible problems are addressed here and tips are given for overcoming the problems. The best way to use this check list is to print it on your printer and check off the boxes that apply to your document with a pen. When you are done, if any box remains unchecked, there may be a problem with your file.

Order check list

Is the file laid out in the same dimensions as the finished document?

Problem: If we are required to make changes to your document there will be an extra charge and the document may not match the original file you provided.
Solution: Reformat your document so that the dimensions match the finished piece.

 

Yes

Are the pictures, if any, in your document linked or embedded?

Problem: Embedded pictures make the document file larger than necessary, and also make it hard for us to make requested changes to the document if they involve moving and/or resizing photos. If the wrong color separation is chosen in the picture (ie RGB, when four-color CMYK is needed) the photo may not separate correctly when we process it.
Solution: Always link pictures to your document, this way the original picture file is available for editing.

 

Linked

Are the fonts in your document conventional Postscript or True Type fonts?

Problem: Many non-Postscript fonts output differently based on the printer they are being output on.
Solution: If you are using unconventional fonts, change them in your document to standard Postscript by selecting the text in question and then changing the font for that text in the manner your desktop publishing program allows. If you are using a font that is internal to a program, such as certain vector fonts or word-art, and there is no standard replacement, contact us for possible alternatives.

 

Postscript

Have you allowed enough extra bleed for any colors or photos that bleed off the edge of your document?

Problem: Little or no bleed will require us to make changes to your document and there may be an extra charge. Also, the document may not match the original file you provided.
Solution: Correct all bleeds so that there is at least 1/8" or more. In the case of photos, try to extend them 1/4" off the page to allow for trim and spine thickness variations.

 

Yes

Are you using your programs "Save for Service Provider" option to collect all the pictures and fonts used in your document and copy them to a disk or new folder?

Problem: If you just copy your main document and other files that you think are used in the whole document, you will end up missing the fonts, and possibly some photos. When we pre-flight your job, we will not be able to do a complete and through check without these missing parts.
Solution: Use the "Save for Service Provider" option in Pagemaker, "Save for commercial printer" in Publisher, "Collect for output" in QuarkX. If these options are not available, you will have to manually copy all True Type and Postscript (both the .PFB & .PFM files) to your disk along with any supporting pictures. After making the copy, open the file on the disk (not your original on the Hard Drive) and you should see what photos are missing. This, unfortunately, will not tell you what Fonts may not be on the disk.

 

Yes

Are the document and supporting files/fonts the only files on the disk you are sending?

Problem: Sending a disk that contains unnecessary documents or fonts will delay your job and possibly cause the wrong file to be output, especially if there are multiple versions of the same document on the disk.
Solution: Remove all unnecessary files from the disk.

 

Yes

Have you printed a copy of your finished document to include with the file?

Problem: Without having an actual hard copy of the document, as you wish it to be printed, we are assuming what is on the screen and output by our computers is the same as what you wanted.
Solution: Include a hard copy of the document.

 

Yes

Have you printed a copy of the disk directory that lists all the files and fonts on the disk you are sending for your own records?

Problem: Sometimes the problem arises where a photo is not linked to a document, but is on the disk provided. If we are required to search for a photo by opening each one there may be an extra charge.
Solution: By having a hard copy of the directory of the disk you send, you will be able to tell us exactly what file and what folder it is in if any questions arise.

 

Yes

 

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