from The Business Card Book—What your business card
          reveals about you… and how to fix it     Dr. Lynella Grant

Time gremlins lurk in any printing project, causing complications that
throw it off track. Such delays frustrate both the customer and the
printer. Changes in technology may reduce some such problems but
have been responsible for causing different ones instead.

Negotiate the time frames as carefully as the money parts of a print bid.
Also, never make assumptions about the compatibility of your computer
programs or equipment with theirs.

Problems frequently arise from the way computer files (digital input)
arrive at the printer. Such problems can easily eliminate the efficiency
and speed that high-tech equipment is designed to deliver. A study
by the Graphic ArtsTechnical Foundation found that a remarkable 57
percent (based on a thousand cases) had problems which caused
production delays and/or increased costs. Of the 27 potential
problems often encountered, here are the ten worst offenders.

1. Missing or incorrect fonts   (22.2%)
2. Missing or incorrect trapping (relates to how colors line up)   (11.5%)
3. Files defined with incorrect color—RGB (red, green, blue) versus
   CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black)   (10.9%)
4. Scans supplied in wrong file format   (7.8%)
5. Incorrect page settings or page setup   (7.4%)
6. Graphics are not linked   (5.2%)
7. Incorrectly defined or undefined bleeds (ink going to the edge of
   the page)   (5.2%)
8. No laser-printed proof supplied   (4.6%)
9. Missing graphics   (4.5%)
10. Resolution too high or too low in customer-supplied scans   (3.2%)

Many print projects include some computer files since they’re used for
creating visual images and layout. Theoretically they reduce required
steps or duplication at the print shop—but only if such pitfalls are
avoided. Most of these delays won’t occur when the customer provides
careful specifications and verifies the printer’s guidelines prior to
submitting projects to them.

       Dr. Lynella Grant is an expert on the signals that make up the body
       language of a business. Author of The Business Card Book and
       Stop Looking Like Small Potatoes    http://www.giantpotatoes.com
       Off the Page Press (719) 395-9450