Do you have standard dies?
Dies are not really considered standard because they have to be maintained and rebuilt depending upon the amount of use. Some common sizes, like a 4" pocket, are readily available and not that expensive to use.
What is the typical production time for a project?
This of course depends on the complexity of the project and the number of steps needed to complete. Typically, once the proof is approved to print projects that print and trim 3-4 business days. If it folds or folds and stitches add another 1-3 days. For projects that die cut, perfect bind, wire-o bind etc plan on 2 weeks from proof approval to completion. All that being said there are times when projects take longer than the 2 weeks and times when we can get projects done in a shorter than “normal” production time. If you have project that HAS to be done on a certain date, please contact us to see if we can accommodate your needs.
What is a good trim size to keep costs down?
Most everything in our industry revolves around the 8 1/2'’ X 11" format. If you get away from that size you should have your representative check the size you are considering and confirm that it fits an available press sheet and works in an efficient manner. Bleeds are also an important factor. We realize that sometimes design is more important, but it is good to know that in the beginning. Sometimes small changes in design can have a large impact on cost.
How do I set up the margins for drilling, page numbers and other spacing?
The edge of a 3-hole 5/16" drilling hole is close to 5/8" from the trim or center gutter of a brochure. Live copy you want to clear drilling, should be kept about 3/4" from that point. Other live copy, such as page numbers, should be kept a minimum of 1/4" from the trim. This is especially important with the thicker brochures, price lists and other more critical jobs to trim. We also will apply additional tiling to these types of projects, to compensate for the build up you may have with the larger saddle stitched type literature.
Why does there need to be trapping?
Trapping is the slight overlapping of items and colors within the project. It eliminates any leaks of white showing if you were to produce a job by just butting the colors to each other. Trapping is done by our imaging personnel who understand how to layer colors in the correct order to obtain the desired result.
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