Submitting your files to the printer is a four step process with several options. For your convenience, we will outline as many options and methods as possible to ensure your success.

(1) Preflight Your Job - To preflight is to discover and identify predictable problems with your files and job <before> going forward. The preferred software that can aid in this process is a free application called FreeFlight. We recommend that you get and use FreeFlight to help preflight, repair, and collect your job. If you don't have FreeFlight, we recommend that go to the link above and download a free copy. As you review all your files, refer to our document, "Design and Planning Problems". You should read that and print it out.

(2) Repair Your Files - File repair is the process of correcting all problems found with your files <before> sending them to others. Accurate preflight and file repair is the responsibility of the file preparer. Please be proactive, using our "Design and Planning Problems" as a guide in supplying a trouble free job for production.

(3) Collect Your Job For Output - Collecting for output is when you gather all your carefully preflighted and repaired files for submission to the printer. At this point, hopefully your files were verified through a preflight review, problems were found are repaired. You must be sure you have reviewed our document, "Design and Planning Problems" to make sure your job meets specifications. It's time to gather all files, and dummy proofs together for a complete accurate hand off to the printer. For the next step there are the following options:

All Software Packages - If you scroll on down this page, we have outlined the most effective methods that can be used. Fonts not supplied is the most common print production problem. So, pay special attention that when you collect your job, that all fonts are activated and ready to be collected. If not, only some but not all of the fonts required will get collected.



Quark - Collect for Output Instructions: 

Quark's "Collect for Output" feature is great for copying your layout, and all graphics used in your layout, allowing you to save the complete job for handoff to the printer.

Unfortunately, you still have to manually include all the fonts you have used in your layout, but a Collect for Output "Report" will help you pinpoint which fonts you need to send along with your layout and graphics files. If your job is missing fonts, you might wind up seeing a lot of Courier. The safest way to ensure this doesn't happen is to include full type families, don't pick and choose.

(1) Open and Save your current document.

(2) Verify that all pictures are updated and currently linked with an "OK" status.

(2) Choose File > Collect for Output, the Collect for Output dialog box is displayed.

(3) If a picture file is missing or has been modified, an alert is displayed. Click List Pictures to display the dialog box. Select each modified or missing picture. Click Update to automatically update or locate the picture file. Click Collect or OK after all pictures have been located and updated. NOTE: If you click Collect, and continue with Collect for Output without updating missing or modified pictures, all the image files needed to output your document correctly may not be collected.

(4) If the document has not been saved during this session, or if any pictures have been updated, an alert is displayed asking “OK to save document before continuing with Collect for Output?” Click Save to continue. If the document has never been saved, the Save as dialog box displays. Enter a name in the Save current document as field; then, click Save to continue.

(5) Enter a name in the Report Name field of the Collect for Output dialog box. On the Mac the default name is the name of the document with the word “report” added. In Windows the default name is the name of the document with the extension .XTG.

(6) Select the drive and folder to which you want to save your files. Or, click New Folder (the New Folder icon in Windows) to create a new folder for the document and picture files to be placed in. Enter a name for the folder in the Create a Folder field and click Create.

(7) Click Collect in the Collect for Output dialog box. NOTE: Collect for Output does not copy the fonts for you. You must give us a copy of each font you use in your document Using the Collect For Output Report File.

(8) Compress the collected job folder to an .sit or .zip file before internet uploading.



Adobe InDesign - Preflight and Package: 

(1) Under the File menu, select Preflight. InDesign will check your document for any major technical problems.

(2) Read through the various sections of the preflight report to make sure they agree with what you thought you had.

(3) Click the Package button to collect everything you need for reproduction.

(4) Follow the instructions as they come up on the screen.



PageMaker - Save for Service Bureau Instructions: 

In PageMaker, there is a plug-in under Utilities named Save for Service Provider. Using the Save for Service Provider plug-in, the user can copy the publication, all linked image files, fonts, and other files required to print the document. Save for Service Provider also helps resolve broken links by prompting the user to locate the folders containing linked files. Similarly, this plug-in can also check the status of links and fonts in a PostScript file generated by PageMaker 6.5.

A concise report of the information we need to create out-put from a PageMaker or PostScript file can also be created. The report includes details about fonts, linked graphics, a summary of the print settings, as well as information about who to contact regarding the publication.

To save files and generate a report using Save for Service Provider:

(1) Choose Utilities > Plug-ins > Save for Service Provider. The Summary dialog box opens. The plug-in works on the active publication if the Check Pub is clicked. If the user wants to check a PostScript file, click Check .PS, and then double-click the PostScript file that is to be sent to the printer.

(2) Click Fonts, Links, Printing, or Colors to see a detailed report on that aspect of the publication or PostScript file. Print the status information by clicking Print at any time.

(3) If the Links dialog box shows one or more linked files needing attention, click Relink or Relink All, and navigate to the correct image files.

(4) To save the publication, click Package, and set options as follows:

(5) Specify a location in which to save all necessary files.

(6) Click Save to copy the necessary files to the destination folder.



Microsoft Publisher 2000 - Pack and Go: 

(1) Point to Pack and Go on the File menu, and then click Take to a commercial printing service. Follow the instructions on the screen from the Pack and Go Wizard.

(2) If a source file (a graphic or file you have linked to the publication) can't be found, you can locate the original picture and update the link.

(3) When Publisher packs the files, it names and numbers the files and adds a .puz extension. The first file is named Packed01.puz, the second file is named Packed02.puz and so on. Publisher copies the .puz files or files to the destination folder or disk and prompts you to insert additional disks if needed. By default, Publisher packs files to drive A. If you want to pack them to another location, click Browse on the Wizard page and then choose a different drive and folder.

(4) To send your file via the Internet, pack your files onto your hard drive. Publisher will create one .puz file which you can tranfer to our FTP server.

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