Prepressforums.com

kovachjon · #1 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 12:18 PM

Hi,
One problem that is probably more human error than anything, but I'm wondering if anyone has any solutions to...
We get files in from customers, and sometimes they send their fonts and sometimes they don't... but when we process their files, I am guessing that sometimes the line spacing or font spacing is somehow SLIGHTLY off.... enough that it will knock the last line down and out of the text box... so then we won't print it, but we don't notice it, job goes though the shop - then we get a phone call saying that the text was clipped off.
Is there any kind of idiot message that I can set to come up - be it a plugin, or whatever - that will alert you before printing that there is text being cut off? I know there are those little red plus signs at the bottom right corner of text boxes, but is there anything more obvious, like a pop up window, that will alert you? I'm pretty sick of this stuff happening!!
Also - this would be for InDesign, Quark, Illustrator, etc. etc. etc..... any and all programs!
Thanks,
Jon

seetomtype · #2 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 12:25 PM

InDesign CS3 tells you that text is flowing out of the text box when printing. I
assume you aren't using that version. I don't mean to sound flip, but if you can't
see the red "+" on screen, and you have that warning enabled, then it should be
caught.
The simplest solution is getting the correct fonts before moving forward with
the job, but that isn't always the easiest solution. I don't know of a plug in that
will detect it for CS2. Maybe someone else does.

kovachjon · #3 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 12:44 PM

Here is my predicament, and I hope you can understand this. I am managing the print department, so I am not working on the files on a daily basis. I am running CS3, and I was not aware that error message popped up in CS3. Thanks for the tip, and don't worry about sounding flip. I probably sound worse when I call my employees on it. I am not sure why they can't take the extra time to check over the file before they print it.
We make every attempt possible to get the fonts before we start the job - but this is not always possible. And hopefully everyone here can understand that when I say it. We are not always dealing with design firms.
Jon

seetomtype · #4 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 01:29 PM

Ya, you can't always get the fonts from our clients either. That's why I
mentioned that it's simple, but not easy

You may need to look for new blood, or do some re-education with some of the
people there. IMO, the operator should be able to see the overflow marker on
a text box in InDesign.

Eyetech · #5 (**permalink**) 07-31-2007, 02:29 AM

Try this Plugin
Overset Manager for InDesign

I've not used it personally - I figure checking overset text should be part of the discipline prior to output.

chm · #6 (**permalink**) 07-31-2007, 02:42 AM

Do you really need to work with the live Indesign file?
Cant you ask for them to deliver pdf files with embedded fonts, you can run them trough a certified workflow and do some extra checks to.

As long you dont have to do changes to a file, pdf is the safest way to go I think.

SlaveToTheMan · #7 (**permalink**) 07-31-2007, 06:52 AM

Do you suppose that clients who can't even include the fonts in a live job can somehow create a proper PDF? I'm with Tom on this one - if the employees aren't seeing the obvious then they're not doing their jobs.

kovachjon · #8 (**permalink**) 07-31-2007, 08:21 AM

I am with all of you, in a way.
We get such a wide range of customers - some are complete and utter disasters, and some are so well organized it makes us look bad. So I cannot expect to get all the fonts from every customer. We have to rely on our own library from time to time.
And I do agree that my employees should see the obvious, however we work with prints that have TONS of type on them. Books on a stick. So to miss a text run off, while it is extremely frustrating, I can understand how it happens. We probably work with different files than most of you - some jobs we do have 20-25 different 36" x 48" interpretive panels, each with different text flowing across the entire sign at 14-16pt. All the while, we work on probably 5-6 new jobs per day. So I do understand how it can happen, and my employees are NOT incompetent or slacking. There is not always time in the job to go through and check every text box - we have to assume that the clients sent good files.
PageMaker, probably one of the biggest culprits, does not embed line spacing data in the files - and your default settings can override what was originally used in the file. So we come up against this kind of stuff, as well.
I do not know what types of prints everyone on your ends work with - I am interested to see. We do car wash signs from time to time, and subway signs.... so if a word or line was dropped off of one of those, and it was missed.... THAT would be bad.
My humble opinions.
Jon