Client Interaction
Put your hat on as a Graphic Designer. You are working for a medium size studio, where you are part of a team of designers. Your "client" is the person who is paying for their business card to be designed by you. You meet with the client to determine their needs. You need to gather basic information from them in order to design the business card. Such as their name and address, contact phone numbers, email address, web site etc.You might ask questions like what size is the business card. Look at other business cards. Will it be in colour or just black ink? Will there be an image or logo on the card? Does the client want you to take photos? What type of card (stock) will it be printed on? Ring a printer to see what is available.
What software will you design your business card in? Adobe Photoshop? Illustrator? InDesign? When you ring the printer, find out how you will send your file to the printer - Email or via their website? It's important to make sure you have all the necessary details as some printers will charge you (the designer) if there are mistakes that need to be fixed!
So as you can see there are many things to consider when designing work for a client. This is when we need to produce a "client checklist".
Client Interaction
- · Name of Individual.
- · Name of Business or Organization.
- · Address.
- · Phone Number.
- · Fax Number.
- · Email Address.
- · Web Page Address.
- · Job Title of Individual.
- · Tagline or description of Business or Organization.
- · Logo.
- · Graphic Image(s) (including purely decorative elements).
- · List of services or products.
- · Horizontal or Vertical Layout.
- · Emphasis on Business or Organization (name and/or logo).
- · Emphasis on Individual.
- · Emphasis on Title of Individual.
- · Emphasis on a particular part of the contact information (phone, address, email, etc.)
- · Size of Logo or other graphics — large (dominant) or small, etc.
- · Number of Colours.
- · White space (blank spaces) toward the middle or toward the outer edges.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WELL DESIGNED BUSINESS CARD
Business
cards are something that people tend to take for granted. They shouldn’t. The
look, feel and message on a card helps people determine how they view you and,
more importantly, if they will remember you.
When you
leave a conversation and the other person has your business card, your identity
is that piece of paper, and it should leave a lasting impression.
Your
business card should not only state the name of your business, your contact
information and what you do, but it should also state something about you. Not
in a written sense, but more so on the overall image it creates about you.
SOME
TIPS: Don’t put
absolutely everything on your card. Too much information ruins the design of
your card and please refrain from adding clichéd mission statements or values
on the back. All the additional information should be on your website (which
should be prominent and easy to find).
A good
business card is one of the best marketing tools you’ll ever invest in, and
should be considered as such an investment.
Questions to ask the Client:
·
What
is your budget for the business card?
·
What
design ideas have you in mind such as font, graphic shapes, images and colours
for the business card?
·
What
is the target market or audience?
·
What
is the time-frame expected to complete the business card?
·
How
many cards do you want?
·
Do
you have a colour palette?
·
What
type of layout do you require?
·
Do
you have your own images or would you like me to handle that?
·
Have
you got your own logo or one can be designed for you?
·
What
type of card (stock) will it be printed on?
Business Card Design: 7 Essentials to Consider
1. The Issue of Size and Colour
Decide on a
business card printer before you begin the design process. You can find out the
size of their cards (and whether it is what you are looking for) and their
supported file types. The most common card size is 84 mm x 55 mm, so the best
document size to work on is 1039 x 697 pixels; remember that you need to take
Bleed (more on this after the break) into account. Ensure any images you use
are at least 300dpi for a high quality result.
It’s a good
idea to work in CMYK colour mode as opposed to RGB. CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta,
Yellow and Black (Black is known as Key), and is
used in colour printing. CMYK is a subtractive colour model, which works by
masking colours on a light or white background, reducing the amount and colour
of the light that is reflected by the paper.
2. Prepare the Bleed Area
Unless your
design background colour is white you need to prepare the Bleed area for your card design. Preparing the Bleed (yes,
it sounds like a heavy metal band) involves highlighting an area surrounding
the document, usually 3 mm thick (this may vary depending on the printing
company) with the same colour as the background colour of your card design.
This prevents any ugly border strips from turning up on the edge of the cards.
3. Avoid Using Borders
In fact,
it’s best to try to avoid using borders on your business card designs at all.
They may look good, but when the cards are cut, you will most likely have some
‘lop-sided’ edges. All printers have a margin of error for cutting your cards, which can be as much as a few
millimetres, so expect some variance in the area where the blade falls.
4. Use Complimentary Colours
Choose colours that are aesthetically
pleasing. A mish-mash of bright and bold colours may make your card stand out
in a stack of 50, but it could be for the wrong reasons. It’s also worthwhile
to think beyond your business cards: try to keep your colour scheme
consistent throughout your media (website, twitter, email signature) to develop
a professional image of yourself.
There are
plenty of tools available on the Web to help you create the perfect scheme.COLOURlovers is a community-driven website
where people can create colour palettes and allow others to vote and comment on
them. It’s a great source of inspiration, with some impressive tools to boot.
5. Ensure Your Text Is Readable
This is a
pretty vital (sometimes overlooked) element in business card design. You
wouldn’t want your clients to have to strain their eyes to read your website
address or email. Make sure your text is at least 8 pt., in a clear readable
font and in bold colour. Anything smaller than 8 pt. may look fine on your
monitor, but may be printed as a fuzzy, smudged-out line. You could also try to
accentuate your name or important contact information by making it slightly
bigger or bolder than the rest of your information.
6. Include Important Information
Make sure
you include all the information on the back of your card that you think the
client would find useful. We’ve provided a quick checklist, but you may have
other things you want to throw in as well.
- Your name – Put the name your
contacts know you by.
- What you do – Remember to include
what you do or what defines your job scope. Include the
organization you are currently attached to if you wish.
- Contact information – Phone number, e-mail, work
address, social media profiles etc.
- QR Code – QR codes are a great
way to visually present web addresses, phone numbers or vCards.
There are plenty of free QR code generators on the Web to help you with
this.
7. Saving Your Design
This is
also an important part of the process, as you want to make sure all your hard
work shows in the final product.
- Make sure all text is embedded
or outlined
- Don’t forget to remove any
guidelines or colour scheme blocks
- For best results, save your
design as a vector based PDF, to ensure crisp lines and high print quality
- Saving them in JPEG or PNG may
result in fuzziness around edges and text
Printing Terms
Before we
begin, printing has an unusual terminology that is attached to it. Below is a
small list of terms you will run into when talking with your printer. Although
not totally complete, the terms listed below will get you well on your way to
understanding your printer and the language that they use.
Bleed - A bleed occurs when your colour or
image extends off of the printed piece, typically bleeds are created when the
printed piece is trimmed.
CMYK - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black are the colours used in 4
colour process printing. On the printing press they are run in a specific
order. Black, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow, the most transparent of the four and
containing the most varnish in the formula is yellow and is laid down last. The
most opaque colour, black, is laid down first. Following this sequence allows
for brighter imaging and better control of colour.
Colour Densitometer - A piece of equipment used by press personnel
to determine the density of the ink colour being laid down on the printed
sheet. It has a numerical digital read out and the higher the readout on the
densitometer, the greater the amount of ink that is being laid down on the
sheet. While there is a wide variance in the numbers used, the average range
is:
Cyan and
Magenta reading around 135 to 145......... Yellow around 105 and Black anywhere
from 175 to 210.............. This is only a generalization and the densities
that are run should be left up to the press personnel.
Colour Density - The amount of ink printed on the sheet.
CTP - Computer to Plate. A process that
bypasses the use of film when creating the image that is receptive to ink on
the printing plate.
Emboss - Impressing an image by forming the
paper using a die that is cast in the shape of the image you want to create.
When pressure is applied, the paper takes the form of the die.
Film - A sheet of material that is
processed with the image on it. This material will be placed over the printing
plate and with the use of light, burning the image into the printing plate,
determining the ink receptive areas of the plate.
Halftone
- The
screening of a continuous tone image, converting the image into different
sized, yet, equally spaced dots.
Impression
- Each time
the sheet passes through the press and is printed, it is an impression. The
terminology is useful in production scheduling and estimating because it
determines the quantity of the run and the efficiency and speed of the press
and the operator.
Large
Format - A
term that describes the printing of large sized substrates. Printed pieces
would include large posters, POP (Point of Purchase) signage and banners. The
printers that are used are typically inkjet or IRIS printers. This is an
evolutionary segment of the print world and the technology, chemistries and
equipment are constantly changing.
Moiré
- A pattern
that is created from incorrect screen angles seen in the CMYK printing process
Offset - The printing process that uses a
blanket to receive the ink from the plate and then impresses it onto a sheet of
paper as the paper passes between the blanket and a hard steel cylinder called
an Impression Cylinder.
Perfect
Bind - A type
of binding that combines the cover and the inside pages on the spine with glue.
Magazine examples that are perfect bound are Photoshop User, Mac Design,
Graphic Arts Monthly and Communication Arts.
Registration - The alignment of dots in relation to each other.
When the cyan, magenta, yellow and black plates are aligned and brought into
focus, the printed piece is considered to be in register.
RIP
- Raster Image
processing............ a computer language that arranges the dots, solids,
lines and type in a particular pattern concerning densities and angles. The
function of the RIP is to send instructions to the film processor, telling the
processor where to place each item and what angle each item is to be placed in
relation to the other items on the film or combination of films used in
creating the image.
Saddle
Stitch - The
binding of a book using wire staples on the binding edge to hold the book
together. Some magazine and flyer examples are PC Connection, Micro Warehouse
and the Java Developers Journal.
Score - A crease that is impressed into the paper. Scoring will
allow for exact folding on heavier stocks and helps to eliminate the cracking
of some substrates.
Separations - In four colour process printing you have a continuous
tone image that is separated into four different colours, CMYK, enabling it to
be printed. The process begins with scanning an image. The scanned image is
then separated into the four process colours. These are processed on film flats
with each flat representing a separation.
Sheet Fed Press - A printing press that prints individual sheets of
paper as opposed to rolls.
Signature
- A parent
sheet that consists of 4, 8 or 16 pages depending on the size of the montage
that is built for the press it is scheduled to run on. The signature is then
folded, collated (depending on how many pages are needed to complete the
project), glued or stitched and then trimmed.
Spot
Colour-PMS-Pantone -
Colours that are mixed in batches and are identified by a number. The number can
be followed by a C (Coated) or U (Uncoated). The formula is designed for the
type of substrate it is to be printed on taking into consideration the porosity
of the paper.
Trapping - The overlay or over printing of dots in relation to each
other to compensate for miss-registration on the printing press creating an
illusion of tight register.
Web Press - A printing press that prints rolls of paper.
CHOOSING
YOUR PRINTER
This is the
biggest decision you will make when it comes to the overall success of your
project. Once your files are in the printer's hands your control has been
minimized and you are at their mercy. There needs to be a level of trust
developed, from the handling of your files, to completing your project on time.
They can make you look like a hero or a villain and they can cause you to empty
the shelves of Excedrin. You have to believe what they are telling you is true
and you cannot leave any room for doubt.
It is
important to build a relationship with your printer, a relationship that evolves
into trust and even friendship. They are your partner and there are several
things to look for when choosing one.
It is rare
to find a printer that can fulfill all of your print needs. Since you could be developing projects that range from a business card to an annual report let’s
review the different types of printers and what they are suited to produce.
Turnaround time, price and quality will be estimated on a scale of 1-10. Ten
being the highest price and quality and the quickest turn around. Please keep
in mind we are covering printers that are the most common for print designers
to deal with and that some printers out there offer a wide range of services
and may include one or more of the types of printing we will review.
We'll start
with the instant print guy on the corner. They are
probably a franchise or a family run outfit. The services they offer will
include copy work, colour and black and white. The quality will be good, but
since they are set up for fast turnaround, don't expect them to offer a lot of
specialized services. They have a niche and they don't like to deviate from
that. They have their set inventory of copy and bond papers and PMS inks. Sizes
of paper will be limited to the size of the presses they run. Typically this
will be 11.5 by 17.5. Even though you could have a finished piece of 11 by 17
with bleeds this is not the print shop to get this done in. They will offer a
limited Pantone colour choice as they attempt to keep inventory at a minimum.
They like to accept hard copy for artwork and you will find little support in
the electronic file arena. So don't be disappointed if you walk in with your
latest upgrade or newest program and find they don't support it. Not to say
that they won't accept electronic files, just ask for a list of what they do
support, first.
Pricing
will be very competitive and the atmosphere friendly. They are used to dealing
with the average citizen. The person down the street that is designing a
Christmas card to send to the relatives or the new business owner that is
saving money by having the secretary designing their business card and
letterhead.
The
equipment they run will be small offset presses, colour copiers, B&W
copiers, table top folders suited for half folds and tri-folds, drills and
small format laminators. The types of work they are suited for will be business
cards, letterheads, short run brochures with a low degree of difficulty, black
and white copies, transparencies, 3 hole drill copies, coil bound books up to
125 pages, etc. Typical job quantities will run from 500 to 5,000.
Pricing ranges from 4 - 6, turnaround time a 9 and quality a 6.
Next, we'll
examine the colour copy and large format shop. They are
a specialty shop that finds its niche in short run colour, big and small. So if
your designing trade show graphics or you have a presentation to prepare for a
client and you only need 1 or 20 or 50 pieces, then this is the shop to look
for.
Typical
equipment will be laser colour copiers, large format inkjet printers supported
by laminating and mounting machines. Typically, colour copy sizes will range up
to 11" by 17". Large format inkjets will run in sizes from 13"
in width to 72" in width. Since they run roll material as opposed to
sheeted material they can run almost any length. Most rolls come in 150'
lengths. Although impractical, with the right RIP and software, extreme lengths
can be achieved. Usually they support a well-rounded choice of programs and
since they deal with images they like vector programs and .eps or .tiff files
The types
of work they are suited for are posters, POP (point of purchase) displays,
colour copies or transparencies, banners or short run colour brochures or
letterheads.
I want to
add the sign shop in this section. With the development
of new inks and substrates large format ink jets are being introduced into the
outdoor and trade show signage arena with success. Pricing ranges from 6 to 9,
turnaround time a 7 and quality has a wide range due to the variables involved
which would give them a rating of 4 to 9.
Mid-Size sheet fed offset printing shops are
the most popular with the average designer. They are suited for booklets with
low page counts........ 8, 16 or 24 pages that would be saddle stitched with a
finished size of 8.5" by 11" and a flat or open size of 11" by
17", brochures, small posters, low volume annual reports, corporate
identity packages, etc. They offer complete prepress services supporting a wide
range of design software including, InDesign, Quark, PageMaker, FreeHand,
Photoshop......... you get the picture. The prepress area is equipped with
several work stations on a network, high end scanners with a separate RIP
station. Various proofing options would include a continuous tone print, either
with laser, inkjet or a Fuji Pictro, bluelines and matchprints with a strip-up
(film assembly) department. Some offer design services, which is invaluable if
you're a distance away and there are some minor changes that need to be made.
You did give them the native application file with fonts and images, didn't you?
The
equipment in the pressroom can vary. The largest press would be a 20" by
28" offset press ranging from 2 to 6 printing units usually with a coater
attached. There is probably a 2 colour unit there for 1 and 2 colour jobs. All
presses may be equipped with perfecting capabilities allowing for the printing
of both sides of the sheet in one pass. There is also a small press department
on site to handle business card imprints, letterheads, small quantity forms,
etc.
You can
look for this shop to have a DI or Digital Imaging printing press on the floor.
These press runs DTP (direct to plate technology) with no film process included
in the preliminary set up. The computer on board reads your files and burns the
images onto silicon based plates that reside on the printing cylinder. It is
designed for quick, short-run colour work with quantities that range from 500
to 5,000 where sizes typically do not exceed 11.5" by 17.5". DTP
printing has come a long way and gains ground every day. At this point, it is
not for colour critical work and proofing remains a hurdle. The latter is my
opinion; several printers out there will disagree.
This is all
supported by a bindery department equipped with a cutter for the trimming of
parent sheets, folders, booklet machinery and a shipping department.
You will
probably deal with a customer service representative or sales representative
depending on the quantity/size of the job or the volume of work you do with the
company.
The pricing
can range from 6 to 9 with the turnaround time at a 6 and quality anywhere from
7 to 9.
Full
Size sheet
fed offset printing shops are much the same as the Mid-Size shops except for
the volume they are designed to handle and the size of the presses that are on
the production floor. The printing presses in this type of shop run a 16 page
signature as opposed to an 8 page layout. The typical parent sheet size is
26" by 40". They can run large size posters and they are designed for
runs of 10,000 impressions or more. The next step in volume would be the web
press, so this puts the full size shop at a pinnacle of competitiveness in the
offset world. At the designed quantity they are the most efficient while
producing a high quality printed piece.
The types
of work they are set up to handle would include full colour catalogues with
page counts of 16 to 64 pages, brochure runs of 25,000 to 150,000, annual
reports, maps, POP (Point of Purchase) and trade show graphics.
The pricing
will range from 7 -10 with the turnaround time a 6 and quality
From 8 -
10.
There is a
large group of printers that fall into the Full Size category; however the
trend in the industry shows that the move is toward mid-size equipment.
Web
Printing is
in an arena that the average freelance designer will not find themselves using.
They are for extremely large runs and the degree of difficulty in putting a
layout together means that you are working in a large group and any decisions
made will be made by your art director or production manager.
Web presses
include everything from black and white to full colour. They may be running
standard offset technology or it may be gravure or flexography.
You will be
dealing with a CSR (customer service representative) or sales representative
and may meet with the production manager of the shop.
The types
of work would include large volume catalogues, newspapers, magazines and Sunday
newspaper inserts.
Pricing
will range between 7 - 10 with turnaround time 5 - 10 and quality at
3
(newsprint) - 10 (National Geographic)
I have
given you a very general run down on the types of offset printers that most
designers will use, their abilities coupled with a price range and acceptable
quality rating for the particular type or category that they fall into. There
are many types of shops that include all of the services listed above and it is
recommended that you visit and tour your prospective printers shop and
determine the core competency of the printer. You do not want a printer that
specializes in business cards and letterheads to be printing your 48 page full colour
annual report. It is not a good fit quality and price wise.
Location is the final consideration I will
include and probably the most important. With the internet there are a lot of
printers offering their services online. Although this is convenient, it is a
practice I would not recommend unless you are a seasoned professional that
understands the printing process and knows the particular printers core
competency.
No matter
how convenient, there is no replacement for actually meeting with your printer
and touring their plant. It gives you the opportunity for onsite press proofs
and if you run into any problems with your files or media you're only minutes
away from your studio, making it easy to correct whatever problem you have
incurred, burn another CD and get it back to your printer. When you are under a
tight deadline the day or two that you lose in the mail can make a huge
difference.
This is not
to say that you cannot work with online printers and do it successfully, as
many professional designers are. It is a matter of choice, but it is something
that needs to be given careful consideration.
Your
printer is going to need some very specific details and the more information
you provide, the more success you're going to have in completing your project
without problems. Listed below are specifics that you will need to include with
your files. Please keep in mind this is only a guideline and it would be to
your advantage to communicate your needs to your specific printer and follow
the guidelines they give you.
1 Complete billing address and phone
number with a personal contact
2 Sales tax resellers ID number. It is
recommended that you obtain one if you currently are not registered with your
state
3 P.O. number. This is important for
your own records.
4 Give your job a name and or a form
number
5 Arrangements for payment with a
signed contract that includes pricing/ deadline/ any additional charges that
you may incur /
*In the
printing industry it is a standard 10% over or under the quantity specified and
you are responsible for payment of the overrun up to 10%
6 Type of artwork supplied -
Electronic Files / Camera Ready Art -
6a a colour proof to show
layout, colour breaks and what the finished product will look like
7 Content of files - fonts, images,
bleeds, trapping..... Also include the estimated amount of ink coverage
8 Type of job and quantity needed-
example; booklet (# of pages and type of binding), brochure, business card,
etc. Include with that the finished flat size and the finished size
8a
Type of stock or paper/substrate
9 Number of ink colours and whether it
prints one side or two
10 Finishing aspects - saddle stitch,
perfect bind, fold and type of fold, emboss, stamp, etc.
11 Packaging instructions
12 Shipping Instructions complete with
address, contact name and phone #
13 Deadline/Schedule - Date you are to
deliver artwork, time of first proof and date of job completion
Once you
have decided on a printer, received and accepted an estimate and agreed upon a
deadline, you deliver your files with a hard copy colour proof and mock up.
Your printer will take in the materials and a customer service rep will write
up a job ticket. This ticket will be numbered and contain all of the
information that is critical to your project. Once your job has been put into
the system it will move from the customer service area and into the prepress
department.
The first
thing they will do is scan your disk for viruses, pre-flight your files to
ensure that all of the files are workable and contain all of the images and
fonts needed to print the job.
There are
three ways that your job can be prepared for print depending on the type of
artwork you supply and the press it is going to be printed on.
Your files
can be arranged and setup to run on a digital press, Ripped to be output to
film, or your hard copy can be prepared for a small press using a paper plate.
Once that
decision is made, a proof will be prepared for you to review and approve.
If your
file is going to a DI (Digital press) the typical proof will be a continuous
tone proof. Pictro is an example and is a Fuji process print that is a
very close, but not exact colour proof of your files. With the advancements in
inkjet technology you may receive an inkjet proof. Both are created with a CMYK
output which is what the printing press uses for offset colour.
If it is
going to film you will receive two proofs, a blue line proof which looks like a
blueprint and represents the layout and finished size of your job. It is
created with the film that is output from your files which is the same film
that will be used to burn the plates that will be mounted on the printing
press. The blue line insures that the layout works and that all pages, folds
and bleeds work correctly. You will then receive a match print or colourmatch
proof that is the colour built from your separate film flats (CMYK). This
colour proof is what is going to be used by the press personnel to match colour
off of the printing press.
If you have
PMS or pantone colours in your job, typically they will be built out of the
CMYK process film flats and are a very close resemblance to your pantone
colour. If your work is colour critical it is recommended that you build your
files and specify your pantone colour as a separate flat using the pantone ink
number. This requires an additional printing unit or a separate run if it is
run on a 4 colour press (a printing press with 4 printing units). Many printers
have or are installing 5 and 6 or even 8 colour presses enabling the printer to
print the pantone colour separately without a second pass on the sheet.
Beware;
there is not an exact way to proof a pantone colour without doing an ink rub.
This entails taking the actual PMS ink and smearing or printing it on the paper
to be used in the manufacture of your product.
Some
printers offer on-site press proofs. This is where the designer or art director
works with the press personnel in determining the level of ink densities and
registration. This is usually an extra charge but if your work is colour
critical and the cost of the job is high it is worth the money spent. This
ensures that you see and approve exactly what your end product will look like.
If your job
is going on a digital press the process is called CTP or computer to plate. The
files are sent to an on board computer to the press and then the images are
burned into a special silicon plate that is on the press unit.
For
conventional offset printing, once you have approved the blue line and colour
print the film is then stripped up on a flat of material that holds the film in
place. Then the flat is placed onto a plate burning machine. Each film flat is
punched so that the position of the film in relation to the plate is exact. The
plate has an aluminium base with a coating that is sensitive to light and
water. The plate is then burned with the film which determines the amount of
light that is passed through the film and onto the plate. This in turn,
determines the image that will be receptive to ink when it is on the press,
which is the image that will be printed on the sheet of paper or substrate.
Ink is not
the only thing that can be printed on your substrate or paper. You can spot
varnish or overall coat your sheet with the use of a printing plate. Spot
varnish is a popular technique that enters into the design of a printed piece
of artwork.
The plates
are placed into a large job folder. When your job reaches the end of the queue
and your job is ready to print, the press personnel will take each plate and
mount them onto the printing units with respect to the colour they represent.
The Sheet begins at the front of the press (the feeder area) and it is passed
through the printing units moving between an impression cylinder and blanket.
Each colour is printed onto the sheet and ends up at the delivery end of the
press with the printed colour image.
Due to the
variables involved the complexity of the process and the wide variety of
equipment that is used in printing I will not get into any more detail. If you
are interested in the actual printing process or have specific questions about
the printing process and the different types of printing presses, contact me
and I will give you the resources that will explain it in as much detail as you
need.
Once your
sheet has the printed image on it, it is time for the finishing of your
product. There are many different techniques that can be used to finish your
piece but the typical processes include trimming or cutting your job to size,
folding your piece into a brochure or booklet signature, collating, stitching,
perfect binding, coil binding, scoring, embossing, etc.
The
finishing area is important because the job has been printed and if the wrong information
reaches the bindery or finishing department it can cause the job to be
scratched due to incorrect assembly.
After your
work has been completed it is time to package it and either store or ships the
materials. There are several options available depending on the type of job.
Your materials are sensitive to the environmental conditions that surround it
so you need to be very clear in what you want to do with your work and how you
want to do it.
Always ask
for at least 10 samples. Eight of the samples should be of the finished piece
and two should be press sheets with the colour bars and registration marks
viewable. Ask for them to be pulled at different intervals of the run. The samples
can be used as a future reference to your job, a backup, (in case your files
get damaged you have a viewable reference) and samples are very useful for your
portfolio. The reason for asking for a flat sheet with colour bars and
registration marks on it is that it is more impressive when showing a potential
client your work. Anyone can pull a brochure or booklet off of a shelf and say
they designed it, but if you have the press sheet, it is pretty clear that you
were involved in the creation of that work.
While
you're asking for your samples, be sure to ask for your artwork and/or files to
be returned.
The film is
your property. Yours or your customers, that is. Let your printer store them in
case you have a re-run, just make sure there is an understanding between you
and your printer that you "own" the film. This is a touchy subject so
be careful how you approach it.
I would
also like to recommend that you write up some sort of general contract to be
signed by you and your printer. A rule of thumb as to how you're going to do
business. One thing you need to include is a confidentiality agreement.
Your customer is your customer and you don't
want your customer or your printer doing an end run, by-passing you on any
future work or re-run.
In a few
words I made an attempt at explaining how to choose a printer, information that
is important for your printer to give you a quote and manufacture your job,
what happens to your files once you have accepted a contract on your
manufacturing and a little on the manufacturing process itself.
One point I
want to make very clear is that your view while designing was representative of
a "light source" made up of Red, Green and Blue. Your printed piece
will be viewed with the "reflection of light", using the printed
colours Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. The printing process uses three
incompatible materials, oil- based ink, water and paper. Keep this in mind when
developing your expectations of colour match and quality. It never is and never
will be an exact match to what you view on your monitor. Colour match across
viewing and manufacturing platforms is one of the biggest; if not "the
biggest" challenges designers and printers face today.
This only
skims the surface of the variables and technology involved in the creation and
manufacturing of your printed artwork.
While this
may be a guide that gets you started in finding and building a relationship
with a printer, there is no replacement for communicating with your printer.
Ask questions about every aspect of your job. Know the limitations of your
printer and ask for the expectations they have of you. Most of the printers out
there are very knowledgeable and helpful. They don't want to make your life a
living hell. They want your printed product to look as great as you do. They
want your customer as happy as you do. Believe it! They are on your side.
Finding the
right printer for the right job is the most important advice I can give. Ask
for samples and a tour. Find your printers core competency and use it as a
guide. Usually you will want to find three types of printers to use. The fast,
small printing outfit for business cards, letterheads and 1 or 2 colour short
run brochures, the offset printer that is capable of high quality work at a
reasonable price and reasonable deadlines, and of course, the large format
colour copy shop that can provide you with short run colour lasers and large
colour posters and signage.
Tools for
creating a business card would include:
·
Adobe
Photoshop
·
Adobe
Illustrator
·
Adobe
InDesign
·
Microsoft
Word
·
Sketch
book
·
Digital
Camera
·
Pencils
·
Printer
·
Ink
·
(Online
printing an option)
8 Ideas for
Unique and Affordable Business Cards
1.
Rounded Corners
Having all
or some of the corners on your business card rounded can make a huge difference
in the overall look and feel of your cards.
2.
Magnets
It’s not a
new idea, but making magnets out of your business cards is a way to create a
useful product with your contact information. And they are more likely to be
stuck on the fridge and less likely to be tossed in the trash.
3.
Folded
Folded
cards let you stand them up like a table tent on an exhibit or display, and you
can make them mini brochures with additional information about your company or
services.
4. Mini
Cards
Mini cards
are business cards that are smaller than the standard size. This can make the
cards stand out, yet those receiving them can still stick them in their pocket
or stack them with other business cards.
5. Die
Cut
Just like
mini cards, business cards in a different shape can be especially memorable.
You can try something as simple as a circular card or create a custom shape.
6. Rip
Cards
Rip cards
are traditionally used as door hangers or rack cards with a tear-off piece at
the bottom that can be a coupon or business card. But you can create your own
rip cards in business card size. Use it for a tear-off basic HTML cheat sheet,
a hex code colour table, or even a list of resource sites for your clients. You
can do this by using the back of your cards, too.
7.
Plastic
For a
stand-out card, try a clear plastic design. Not only are they creative and
different than most other cards, but they are extremely durable.
8.
Recycled
Recycled
cards are a great way to lessen your carbon footprint while creating a unique
image for your business. There are a lot of options out there from recycled
paper, to soy-based ink, to reused paper and materials.
Business Card - Client Interaction
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