What kind of bindings do you use for your manuals?
Most of our manuals are “perfect bound” with full-color
(optionally laminated) covers. If your manuals don't contain at least
50 pages we cannot "perfect bind" them. They will have to be
coil bound. Coil binding adds $0.70 to the cost of each manual, and
changes the appearance so that it is not consistent with the perfect
binding on your thicker manuals. To avoid this situation, you
might consider whether it is possible to combine several smaller
manuals into a larger one. This has the additional advantage of
allowing a title to be placed on the spine of the combined manual.
Manuals must contain at least 48 pages (24 sheets not including the
cover) to be perfect-bound. Anything less will have to be coil
bound. Page size needs to be 8.5 X 11 or less.
How can we ensure that our screen snapshots will reproduce
optimally?
The only resolution possible for screen shots is the standard 72 DPI.
Most images are reduced to fit your page size and will increase their
resolution (DPI) proportionately when downsized, unless your Adobe
Distiller is set to "downsample". If Distiller "downsamples"
when you create your PDF files, the image resolution will degenerate
to match Distiller’s Downsample setting. The default setting is 72
DPI so Distiller takes a 50% reduced image which was 144 DPI and
returns it to the original 72 DPI resolution. This results in very
fuzzy images.
The solution to this fuzzy image problem is to "TURN OFF"
downsampling in Distiller by going to "Setting/Job Options",
Compression (TAB) and UNCHECK all 3 downsampling options. This will
ensure crisp screen shot images in your printed manual.
How can we ensure that our PDF files will be correct and complete?
When you create a PDF file, it will look exactly the same on your
screen and printers as it will on ours, PROVIDED you have
"embedded all fonts". If the fonts are not embedded,
Distiller will substitute the closest matching font with unpredictable
results.
In Distiller, please make sure (on the FONTS tab) that "Embed all
fonts" is turned ON and "Subset all embedded fonts below
100%" should be turned OFF.
If you are distilling the file on a computer that is NOT the one you
used to create the manual document (in Pagemaker or whatever), you
must also select the "Embed all fonts" option in the
original program's "SAVE" dialog box. This will ensure that
Distiller will be able to embed all fonts (it can't embed the fonts
unless they are all on the machine that is doing the distillation).
What do you need from us to produce our covers in full color?
Most of our manual clients design their own covers and send us a PDF
file. We can create a simple cover layout for you at no cost, if you
provide us with your logo and any special rare fonts you use. If
you have a cover PDF file, please format it in CMYK format and send it
together with the text PDF file. There's no need to produce
color separations as our printing process does not require
separations. Please ensure that all the fonts you want are embedded in
your PDF file.
If you want us to do the cover layout, let us know which fonts you
want us to use. If your cover design includes graphics that bleed off
the edge of the cover, please extend the graphics at least 1/4”
beyond the edge of the cover to allow for the “bleed”.
How long does it take to process my order?
Once we receive your PDF and Cover PDF files it should take 2 weeks,
assuming there are no problems with the files. You will receive a
hard proof via UPS. We will need written approval within 24 hours of
receipt to adhere to the 2 week processing time.
If you have any other questions, please contact
us.
