A guide to the printing process

This will vary with the final look and feel you are hoping for and the number of documents you need.

The University’s Publications team can offer more detailed advice but here are some of the main types you might be offered.

Short run i.e. 500 or fewer with simple graphics

This can include quick turnaround black and colour digital printing, photocopies, flyers, brochures, booklets, stationery, postcards, invitations.

Medium–short run i.e. 5,000 or fewer with moderate graphics

Higher quality documents using one, two or four colours such as brochures and newsletters, posters, or multi-page books with a separate cover.

Medium–long run i.e. 20,000 or fewer featuring complex graphics

Mostly for two and four colour projects such as large brochures and books with complex images, where the colour is critical and where some form of cutting or binding is also needed.

Long run i.e. 20,000 or more with colour-critical graphics

For four and six-colour projects, complex promotional, information or marketing materials needing detailed preparation work. This might be annual reports, recruitment, and fundraising materials, work requiring extensive work on colours or use of other advanced technologies.

Digital printing

This is a way of producing a printed image directly from an electronic file, without the setup costs, materials and longer turnaround time of traditional printing presses.

Digital printing can be on a variety of paper and is most often used where you need a small number of copies (up to a few hundred items).

One advantage is that delivery can be quicker; it will cost less but you can still get good quality, four-colour print.

Another big advantage with digital printing is that you can vary elements of the final product….maybe even just changing one element to produce a different version for different parts of your audience. Elements of the document such as text, graphics and images stored in a database may be changed from one printed piece to the next without interrupting the press run. For example you can personalise a conference document by adding in the delegates name.

If you are planning a project that falls outside these standard types, for example gift items, signage or banners, the Publications Office may be able to offer advice on printers who have done similar work for us in the past.

• Prepare a brief setting out the details of the project to include the type of document, the size you would like it to be, whether it is to be full colour, use two colours or be black and white, whether it has pictures, graphics or other images, the number of documents you need and when you need them by.
• Send the brief by email to at least three printers and set a deadline for replies.
• You can, if you need to, ask the printers for their advice on the type of paper to use and on other issues like binding or packaging
• Compare the estimates you get, make your choice and then agree a schedule, making allowance for possible delays so that you always have time in hand before your deadline.

One of the issues you will need to discuss with the printer is the format in which you send material across to them. There are some programmes that printers prefer because this gives them the quality they need to print. It may be that they have difficulty with documents in Microsoft Word or Publisher or PowerPoint; you may need to convert your document, for example, into a PDF, but this is something you can discuss with your printer at the outset.

• Before sending your document you should do a thorough check for spelling, punctuation or any other errors. It can add to the cost if you later correct something that could have been done at this stage.
• When your document is complete, send it to the printer making sure that you include all fonts, and any logos or images that you have used. It is also worthwhile printing a copy yourself and sending that to the printer so they can see how you intend it to look.
• You should confirm, in writing, print numbers, the agreed price and timescales, and set out where the finished publication should be delivered to. If it is important to you, you can also say how you would like it to be delivered (for example you may prefer it in boxes of a certain number so that it can be easily shipped on to your end user). It may be possible to arrange for the printer to deliver to a number of different destinations, even for them to mail individual copies to your database, but there will be cost and data protection issues to consider before you take this step.
• At this stage you should also supply a purchase order number.

You will need to arrange to be sent a proof version so that you can make a final check before you agree to the document being printed.

It is vital at this stage that you check every element:

• that there are no pages missing
• that all pages appear in the right order
• that all page headings match what it says in the contents list
• that all the colours are correct (you will need to check with the printer if there are any differences between the proof version and how it will look at the final print)
• that no pictures or text boxes have failed to appear and that nothing has been missed from a margin or at the bottom of a page, and
• that no unwanted marks appear on the proofs (this can sometimes happen when documents are converted from one format to another or printed on different equipment).

You should also take this opportunity to do a final check on spelling and punctuation.

Once you are happy you can sign the form the printer will have sent you, either authorising the final print as is, or noting the changes you would like. If the changes are significant, you may want to ask for a further proof. If this has not been allowed for in the original schedule there may be extra costs and/or delay to the process, and you will need to agree these before continuing.

The printer will have said how long the job will take to print and deliver. This will vary with the printer, the size of the job and how busy they are at the time.

Once delivered, check that the document appears as promised and that the invoice is accurate.