Fundamentals of Print Production

In the course you will learn all about print production and best practices for your next print job.

Learn how detailed and complex the print process truly is, and the value of working with someone who has the expertise to ensure your job is handled correctly.

There is an enormous difference between a quality print job and simply sending your files to a local franchise print shop. In this course, we open the doors of our Art/Production Department to give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of what the print process looks

Learn how to better communicate with your printer, think about print as you're designing, and choose the correct paper, inks, colors, and fonts for your project.

We'll also help you understand how to create files that print with no surprises and how to catch print problems before they become catastrophes. The course will help you and your printer produce a professionally finished print job, whether it's a business card, brochure, or multipage magazine, and anything else.

By the end of this course you will have a solid understanding of the print production life cycle and be better prepared to print your next print project.

While it is tempting to hire a freelance graphic designer to create materials that can be sent directly to a low-cost printer, not all graphic designers know how to properly prepare files for printing. Once a design is approved, the files must be “packaged”. Unless the graphic designer is trained in production management, the odds increase substantially for a less than satisfactory print job. The reasons vary from missing fonts and/or images, to the use of incompatible software, for example. This generates delays, cost overruns, unanticipated proofing rounds, late-stage design changes, and sometimes disappointment over the finished job. Meticulous attention to detail at each step of the process is necessary to avoid these kinds of issues.