Put It on Paper !

About the Book

Put It on Paper! is an edited collection of Margie Dana’s popular e-column, the Print Tip of the Week. If you buy printing, sell printing, or are in any way connected to the commercial printing industry, this handy guide will provide valuable insights about working with printers in new and humorous ways.

Other trade books about printing are technical tomes and often difficult to “de-code.” This book, Margie Dana’s first, makes a great, plain-English companion to such favorites as The Pocket Pal and Getting It Printed.

So gather all of your questions that you’ve been saving for printers and settle down with your copy of Put It on Paper! It translates a lot of the common technical jargon so that future printing transactions become easier and more enjoyable. Throughout this book, Ms. Dana explains what printers need from customers to produce what’s expected of them.

For everyone who works in printing, this book sets the tone for a beautiful friendship between printers and their customers. The nine chapters of Put It on Paper! are as follows:

Chapter 1: Tips for Beginners
Common-Sense Advice for the First-Time Print Buyer
Parlez-Vous Printing?
The Major Types of Printing: A Primer
The Paper Trail: From Mill to Merchant to Printer
4-Color Process in Plain English

Chapter 2: Choosing – and Keeping – a Printer
Not All Printers Are Created Equal
“You Can’t Buy Service”
With Printing, Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words?
20 Questions – or How I’d Interview a Print Salesperson
Look Quick! Printers Are Doing Everything!
Scorecard #1: How Well Is Your Printer Serving You?
Scorecard #2: How Well Is Your Sales Rep Serving You?

Chapter 3: Preparing Your Materials
Never Proofread Your Own Stiff
Creating Your Own Files? Avoid These 10 Common Problems
PDF: The Remarkable, Versatile Digital Proof
Not So Fast, Lady. Macs Don’t Always Rule!
Type Tips
File Formats for Graphic Images
Printing from Word Files? Think ONE Color
Color Your World RGB – or CMYK??
When Color Isn’t WYSIWYG

Chapter 4: Placing Your Order
A Printer Is Not a Mind Reader
Estimate This!
Back to Basics for Buyers: Writing Specs
Forget the Price Break – Print What You Need!
“Overs” the River and Through the Woods
How Shall I Say This…Size Matters!

Chapter 5: Working Together
8 Ways to Work Better with Printers
How Customers Can Cut Print Production Time
A Primer on Proofs
Avoiding the Blues with a Blueline
AA’s vs. PE’s – Vive la Difference!
Doing a Press OK: Advice for New Print Buyers
Fear of Press OKs
Even Exact Reprints Can Go Awry
Checking Your Printed Product: What to Look For
Have a Heart: Pay Your Printer Promptly
Say Thanks

Chapter 6: Paper and Ink
Paper, Paper! Read All About It!
Figuring Paper Weight Is a Heavy Duty
Stock Tip: Making Sure Your Postcards Pass Muster
Dot’s the Truth
“…That’s Amore!”
Please Don’t Be Rubbed the Wrong Way!
Why Does Paper Crack?

Chapter 7: Some of the People Who Make It Happen
Love Thy CSR
Go for Broker
Graphic Designer vs. Desktop Publisher
Specifications Reps: The Paper Pros
Portrait of a Modern Printer: “Knee-Deep in W-2’s!”

Chapter 8: Going Deeper into the Printing Process
Get Ready for Makeready
Scanning Basics
The Scoop on Prepress
Digital Printing in Plain English
Top 7 Reasons to Use Digital Printing
VDP: Where the Printing Is Mine and Mine Alone
CTP – What Exactly Is It, Anyway?
Finally! Basic Q & A’s for Consumers about Print on Demand!
How Not to Weave a Tangled Web
Newspaper Printing… A Process of a Different Color?

Chapter 9: Finishing Touches: After You Print
Varnish: More Than a Garnish
The Common Fold
Two Lasting Impressions: Stamping & Embossing<

About the Author

Margie Gallo Dana, former print buyer turned consultant/writer, is on a mission to break down the barriers between printers and the business community. Through her popular email column, the Print Tip of the Week, she shines a light on the printing industry in ways that help print buyers and printers work together better – and have fun doing it. Margie considers herself the printing industry’s biggest fan. For more information on her consulting, writing, and public speaking services, visit her web site at www.printconsulting.com or send an email to mdana@printconsulting.com.