Acceptable Formats

Handing over artwork to the printer or bureau is normally fairly painless but from time to time problems can arise with differences between what the printer use and what the client use.

Make sure that the printer or bureau can accept the operating system e.g.

  • Apple Macintosh
  • Microsoft Windows

the file format (if the file is supplied as something other than a PDF) e.g.

  • Quark Xpress,
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe FrameMaker
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Corel Draw

the version of that file format – using Adobe InDesign as an example

  • CS
  • CS2
  • CS3
  • CS4
  • CS5
  • CS5.5

or file media e.g.

  • Compact Disc
  • DVD
  • Blu-Ray
  • Iomega Zip
  • 3.5″ floppy
  • Syquest Discs
  • Removable media such as the SDHC card or a removable hard drive

This is important as a printer may say they can handle an Adobe InDesign CS5 file, but if they cannot open the Blu-Ray disc it was burnt onto, valuable time can be lost.

About colmin8r
A prepress operator and graphic designer for a South Australian commercial printer, with close to 20 years of experience in the trade. He is also a regular contributor to this site and InDesign Magazine, and hosts his own prepress blog "Colecandoo".

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