Close to fifteen years on the same question arises, time and time again, with regards to quality control in the design to print process:

Where is the best place to preflight the art-work or print layout?

Stop a preflight problem in an element at the design stage, it may only set you back $10€; that same problem on the press will cost you potentially $thousands€. This chart answers that age-old question pretty clearly and shows how simple preflight controls can greatly improve your ROI. Preflighting is not a process just ‘done by someone else’ in the manufacturing of your designs you want to take flight in the form or a printed piece. It should be done throughout in the workflow, time and time again. Just ask Toyota and their recent huge recall of Prius automobilies due to faulty brake software.

Naturally each workflow varies, often greatly, but as a rule of thumb, you should preflight with tools like FlightCheck Professional v6.5 just before you are about to:

A) Send off to another party to work further on the layout or design
B) Before using received  artwork from other sources
C) Whenever something is unsure or elements “act-up” in the layout
D) (before) Output or Export to PDF or Print
E) Postflight the resulting/received print PDF file
 Read more... (341 words, 1 image, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

With president Obama just leaving China, this post may be seen as timely; Adopt a printer in China or other far-east markets. That is my idea for the day. Just as many small towns and cities will have sister, partner cities in other parts of the world, so should print-shops. Why?

Print is not dead. Neither is outsourcing.

We read here on this reply to a Chinese print representative looking for work with American printers:

“Many companies are taking their large print orders to Chinese printing companies in the hopes of saving money. I know of three sales reps in my area alone that are representing chinese printing companies.Their pricing is half to one third of mine on larger projects. They have a high degree of success bringing work to their Chinese employers.

But as always with a lower price, comes a cost…” (Read full source post for full details)
Source: PrintPlanet on Linkedin.com

And that cost can be partly be overcome by setting up real, perhaps even legal, partnerships. If you just shop for the cheapest print, you’ll be switching every job or monthly. Why not form a true partnership?  Read more... (567 words, 2 images, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)