Desktop publishing forum: Just starting out....

Thanks Jamn!

Would I then convert those same documents to pdf files for email and web application?

I have been a self-employed graphic designer for the past 22 years. I would be glad to help you with software choices - but I would need to know several things.

1) What kind of printer (laser or ink jet) will you be outputting to?
2. Will you be using a professional printer to reproduce your jobs or using a Photocopier/DocuTec?
3. Will you be doing spot color jobs?
4. Will you be doing process color jobs?

This is what you need to know about ouputting to a color inkjet.

What you create on screen and what you print out in color, will not necessarily be able to be reproduced in color. There is a lot to understand about color jobs - spot color vs process color. Just be aware before you frustrate yourself that quite often documents created by someone just starting out or in an office setting - that look great in color - can only be reproduced by color photocopying - which is about $1.00 a sheet (not cheap by anyone's standards).

I would suggest that if you're just starting out, to stick to one color jobs. Black and white or grayscale. You can have them printed in color ink on color paper. You should also know that an injket will NOT produce "camera ready" copy if it has photos or screens in it. When the printer makes plates from camera ready copy - the camera needs to be able to pick up the dot pattern in screens and photos. The dot pattern made by inkjet printers is a dithered pattern and can not be picked up by the camera. How do you get around this ? There are two ways. One is to put your job on disk and take it to Kinkos or some other such place and output your job to a laser printer. Lasers make their screens in dot patterns (like a newspaper photo). The other is to put it on disk and take it to the printer to have them "rip film". This will take your job and put it directly on a negative - it costs about $14 a sheet (piece of film) but provides the best quality you can get.

Now for the issue of software. If you plan on taking anything at all to a printer on disk - you are probably going to want to use Publisher at a minimum. Be aware that most commercial printers loath this software - but they will usually accept a Publisher file (they may ask you to make it into a PDF file first). The problem with Publisher is that it isn't a "postscript" application. Depending on the device the file is output to - the type on the page "walks." The software assumes the margins and settings of the output device. Microsoft Word works the same way. What you put on page one and print out on your inkjet printer - may end up on page two when printed out on another printer. Quark Xpress or QXD are the preferred software in the industry. InDesign is gaining followers because it is packaged so attractively with Photoshop and Illustrator. Adobe isn't pushing Pagemaker so much anymore, but also cheaper than Quark.

Your local community college probably offers classes in Desktop publishing using one of these 2 pieces of software. Until you have a full understanding of image resolution, line screens, color separations, etc. I would stay away from color. You will find that most commercial printers are unsympathetic these days to customers who have major mistakes in their files which prevent them from being output. I charge $60 an hour to fix such nightmares. So, if you want to make any money in this business (and you can) educate yourself.

The analogy I use frequently with customers who bring me jobs on file (color files especially) is (1) Can you check the oil in your car? - Most will say yes. (2) Would you then decide based on your ability to check your oil that you could rebuild your engine? - Most will say no. That is the leap in understanding that is needed between being to output to a color inkjet and making a quality outputtable pre-press file.

I wish you the best of luck! Take it slowly, don't get in over your head, educate yourself. The quickest way to loose a customer is to promise them something you cannot deliver.

In 20 years of business - I have never run across Serif - of course, I live on a Mac, so that could explain it! I have seen you recommend this software several times - I think I'll check it out on my PC.

PDF files are wonderful and easy to work with on the pre-press end. We do run into problems about 1/2 the time with PDF files we receive from customers - mostly due to the way the file was created or saved. Most of the problems are because the consumer does not know how to use all the settings in their particular piece of software.

These are typical problems we encounter in order or occurrence:
1) The file is created in full color - but is only going to be printed in one color. All the colors output as grayscale - usually including black.
2) The file needs to be spot color separated - and the pdf file is not saved as a color separated file. A non separated PDF file can only be printed in Process Color ($$$$$$$$) or grayscale.
3) The default in many applications is to save the PDF file as RGB and needs to be changed to Black and White for a 1 color document. Even black type (like a document) saved in an RGB file will pixelate - as it is the equivalent of grayscale.

Of course, our shop creates jobs that mostly go on a printing press. The above parameters can be thrown out the window if you're photocopying!

Try http://www.openoffice.org I'm using the latest and it's very nice.

Others have noted Free Serif Software as well. I have not tried that yet. Try www.freeserifsoftware.com

Bob

Karen, Thanks for your wake-up-call using spot color in Illustrator. Havent used spot color in five years with Illustrator. Deal mostly with cmyk right now. You are right-on having certain files as spot color in Illustrator V/S Photoshops cmyk.
I am not sure how our rips are set up, yet all the cmyk files in Photoshop and Illustrator are broken down to spot color when called for.
If I selected red as a spot color in a file, and the page called for blue to be printed, than the press would print the file in blue. Do not know how they do that.
I look forward to all your posts.

Kevin

Frankly, such is a morass of posturing and politics.

At the office we use Open Office for manuals for our products. And the output can be stunning when sent to the Canon or Fiery postscript printers.

I think it's more the artist than the tools.

Bob

You're very close. For example years ago, only certain software such as Page Maker was acceptable for some as DTP. Today we know better.

The tool isn't the issue but the people that use such.
You don't have to look far to get great tools.

-> About .PDF files. I make them all the time from Open Office. Is that DTP? Could be.

Bob