Prepressforums.com - What issues/problems does your preflight miss?

abc · #1 (**permalink**) 03-08-2005, 04:59 AM

This was prompted by re-reading an old thread, and it set me thinking.

In these days of pdf and preflight the knowledge and applications are so much better than when I first started doing preflight manually, and that was back in the heady days of Quark 3 and postscript level 1.

Yet for all the sophisticated programs, things still go wrong, files get printed incorrectly and jobs bounce.

Most of my problems seem to be down to communication but I wondered what still slips through your net?

MAX · #2 (**permalink**) 03-08-2005, 06:39 AM

Yes 4 color builds--- I can't stand 4 color builds..they drive me crazy & the time to fix 4 color build takes forever...if I am really tight on deadline I let it go & hope press can do their best to register. I do have to say that since I got Speedflow Check(by OneVision) & upgrading Xitron Rip the problesm with overprints, CID font problems, RGB color, LAB color ,Indesign gradients and many other problems that I used to get have reduced down dramatically. Since 95% of our workflow is PDF files we seem to get a lot clients who make mistakes like sending a color proofs that is complete diffrent from their PDF file or setting up theis PDF incorrect even if give them specific instruction on how to make PDF files. I am looking forward for a developer who can fix 4 color builds---- :P

johnny_jay · #3 (**permalink**) 03-08-2005, 08:09 AM

We also get the 4 color builds. The worst are the people that typeset in Photoshop and choose the default black for all there text.

Or scan a 4 color ad as color, the Dish Netork/Direct TV with oodles of fineprint.

John Stewart

Cory · #4 (**permalink**) 03-08-2005, 08:36 AM

we also miss the 4 color builds and 400% coverage in the shadows of pictures...

on our imposition proof, we pull the black ink waaaaay back, so it really pops out when you have 4 color black type...it helps some, but doesn't get caught all the time.

abc · #5 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 05:03 AM

No bleeds always a good one.

JoePixel · #6 (**permalink**) 03-10-2005, 11:57 AM

I think one thing that Preflyting software can never see is bad clipping paths on Photoshop files. The only way to check that is to open up the file and check the path yourself.

pspdfppd · #7 (**permalink**) 03-10-2005, 01:49 PM

I don't use any preflight software except the one in pitstop. When we get native files I open each and every graphic.

Does preflight show you when there is a color cast in a color pic? When there is a white dot on a person's face on a grayscale? When the color is washed out and needs more ink?

I had one today I wonder if preflght sofware would get or not. It was an illustrator graphic being used in a 88 page black and white book. It looked black but when I checked it out the color was 100c-100m-100y- and 0 k. I know it would disapear when separated to black. I would think that the preflight software would probobly detect this.

JoePixel · #8 (**permalink**) 03-10-2005, 03:05 PM

Agreed,

I open up each and every graphic for every job. I need to see if a file is built with the correct rich black, boxes line up, images are embedded and so forth.
In my early days, I got burned by too many things, so now when I open up each graphic I have a feeling for what could be a problem.

abc · #9 (**permalink**) 03-11-2005, 12:16 AM

Nice Idea, but at today's prices can you really justify that amount of time?

Do your customers really expect that level of service?

We don't have the time or the labour for that detailed a check.

MAX · #10 (**permalink**) 03-11-2005, 12:26 AM

Might a PDF workflow work better, I know I had my share of opening & checking images & found the beauty of PDF workflow..of course their is the transition. We even bought Acrobat to large clients to justify the change......