Have you written out your specifications?

Take some time to review your specifications, making sure that you've communicated them clearly and that you haven't left out any important details—such as paper (or substrate) and colors requiring special inks—that might add to your cost or turnaround time.

Have you given your printer the specifications?

Attach your written specifications to your job in a prominent position. Include;
Number of copies
Paper (or substrate)
Colors
Special graphics or imaging requirements
Position and trims for photographs,halftone screens, bleeds, embossing etc.

The location of inserts and tabs
Size
Binding
Type of proof
Delivery date and time

To avoid communication errors, it is a good idea to go over your specifications with your printer, either in person or on the telephone. Make sure you underscore any specifications that may have changed since the original price estimate and schedule the printer gave you.

Have you given your printer a comprehensive dummy that includes folding/backing?
Your printer needs a folding/backing dummy to set up your plates so the press sheets fold correctly and the pages back up properly. The folding/backing dummy also assists during bindery operations. Don't forget to include a comprehensive dummy with your specifications.

Have you addressed your finishing requirements?

If your job requires special finishing—such as packing, labeling. drop shipping, and the like make sure you've given the printer detailed instructions, including shipping addresses.

Do you need proofs from your printer?

A proof provides a service to both you and your printer, regardless if the proof is digital or analog. A digital proof represents the digital file, indicates element position and acts
as an overall color simulation of the printed piece. A conventional analog proof represents the film, checks element position, film registration and simulates the color of
the printed piece.

By the time the job goes to the printer, all edits should be final, the copy carefully proofread, and design issues settled. When you go to press, make sure the copy has been preapproved and signed off by the customer. Don't go to press with corrections marked on the proofs. If your final proof has corrections indicated, how will you know if these changes were made? Once on press, you don't want surprises that require copy, film, or plate remakes of any kind. Down time on the press for copy rework means cost over-run and lost profits to vour bottom line.

Does your printer know how to reach you?

Give your printer your daytime phone number. If you're on a tight deadline and looking for quick turnaround, it is also a good idea to give your printer your nighttime phone number and, if you have one, your pager number. In case you're unreachable for any reason, also give your printer the name and phone number of someone else who can speak knowledgeably, answer questions, and make decisions about what you've sent for printing.

What about color bars?

If possible, specify that your printer include an acceptable color bar on the press forms.

Ask your printer to pull and save press sheets Ask your printer to pull and save sheets at regular intervals through- out the press run. These samples and color bars will help answer questions or address complaints that may come up later. Save the press sheets until the job is complete and you have been paid.

Try to be at the printer's plant Try to be at the printer's plant where the job is run for the color OK.Depending on your expertise, you or the printer's representative can do most of the work. Explain how much help you'll need before the press run. Keep a copy of the color OK when you leave.

Ask the bindery for samples Also ask the bindery to keep samples of their work as the job progresses.

In today's complex binding and finishing operation, a variety of on-press and post' press functions may take place. Listed below are just a few of the steps possible in completing a customer's job,

• Binding
    Case binding
     Saddle wire
     Smyth sewing
     Sidewire book
     Perfect binding (adhesive binding)
     Ring binding
• Finishing
     Bronzing
     Coating
     Die Cutting
     Drilling
     Embossing
     Foil stamping
     Folding
     Gathering
     Imprinting
     Ink Jetting
     Lamination
     Numbering
     Padding
     Perforation
     Polybagging
     Round cornering
     Scoring
     Screen printing
     Shrink wrapping
     Tipping
     Trimming
     Varnishing
.
Because the process of binding and finishing has become so specialized, your project may be done on several pieces of equipment, even in several different plants. Planning is critical to the success of your project. If a job is not well planned, it may fail at several critical points along the production process resulting in lost time and money. Poor planning can jeopardize the entire job. Be sure to review your job carefully and always provide a dummy of your proposed project. Communicate every mechanical change you make with your prepress service provider and printer.