This standard covers the checking or 'preflighting' of digital artwork files supplied for production-scale printing.
Checking that digital artwork files are correctly configured has come to be known as 'preflighting'. For a simple piece of digital artwork in native format, it may not be difficult to preflight the file manually by opening the document in the software that created it and checking the individual components such as fonts, images, bleeds and page sizes. However, the sophistication of modern graphic art software also means that many complex issues may present themselves, such as layers, clipping paths, transparencies and colour spaces, to name a few. As a result, most documents presented for printing tend to be routinely checked using preflighting software.
It applies to you if you work in a studio, imaging bureau, pre-press department or digital printing environment and receive digital files from or on behalf of customers.
This is what the standard covers:
If you work in a studio, bureau, pre-press or printing environment you may often receive digital artwork files for printing from customers, designers or others. Sometimes you may have created or reformatted the digital artwork yourself.
In order to print the artwork successfully in a production environment - whether by screen printing, lithography, flexography, gravure or any other method – the artwork must be correctly configured for printing process, substrates, and any post-press operations that will follow printing.
There are a large number of parameters within digital artwork files that must be checked prior to sending the job to print. International and national organisations have produced standards or specifications for printing and / or digital artwork, including:
The International Organisation for Standardisation - ISO 12647 (Process control for the production of half-tone colour separations, proofs and production prints).
The Ghent Workgroup - has specifications for PDF files, including formats such as PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3
The UK's Periodical Publishers Association – has issued 'Pass4Press' specifications for artwork so that it will reproduce properly in periodicals printed by high speed web presses.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Preflight digital artwork files
provide file specifications and details of external standards, specifications, profiles or job options for the creation of pdf files to digital artwork originators or suppliers in accordance with organisational procedures
identify which digital artwork files to preflight check and advise the file supplier or originator when the format is not acceptable
determine appropriate parameters in the artwork to be checked in accordance with organisational procedures
determine the appropriate typical values, settings or external specification which artwork parameters should comply with
select appropriate profile, rules or values against which to compare digital artwork
preflight artwork file(s) using the most appropriate electronic preflight software
review and save preflight reports in suitable electronic or paper based format in accordance with organisational requirements
determine the significance of issues reported from electronic preflighting against organisational expectations
pass the significant findings of preflight reports to customers or other relevant people in accordance with organisational requirements
communicate issues and their solutions in accordance with organisational procedures
Interpret and report the results of preflighting digital artwork files
determine whether artwork meets external standards or specifications
carry out accurate analysis of preflight reports and identify any reasons why external standards or specifications have not been met
determine from preflight reports, whether failure to meet standards prevent files from being used for their intended purpose
review and interpret preflight reports and determine whether any alerts, errors, warnings or other information in the report indicate issues that will prevent files being used for their intended purpose
report delays when digital artwork cannot proceed to the next stage in accordance with organisational procedures
communicate any significant issues causing non-compliance of digital artwork files in accordance with organisational procedures
advise on what needs to be done to correct files in accordance with organisational procedures
maintain quality assurance or other records in line with organisational requirements
Knowledge and understanding
You need to know and understand
the law as it affects printing: copyright and ownership of images, image requirements, data protection
hazards and risks in your own job, their assessment and the action to take to deal with them
manufacturers' and suppliers' health and safety requirements relevant to your job
how to safely handle customer material
computer system security and virus protection
how to communicate with colleagues and customers
when to communicate with originators or suppliers of digital artwork and colleagues
workplace objectives, priorities, standards and procedures
the identification and assessment of printing options
the stages in the printing process from pre-press to printed product
the relationship between resource usage and profitability
the set-up of preflighting software
the operation of preflighting software
the principles of layout and imposition, including the use and placement of marks and control guides
the principles of the printing processes for which digital artwork files are intended
the relationship between image size, file size and resolution
font management
colour management
RGB versus CMYK and other colour models
file management procedures
the international standards and specifications for digital files
the causes and treatment of common faults
file conversion techniques
the common reasons for missing fonts and images
knockout versus overprinting
recording and reporting procedures
the main features of quality assurance and quality control systems
the purpose and benefits of preflighting including the identification of layers, clipping paths, transparencies and colour spaces
the organisational expectations of preflighting
the principles of preflighting and how to operate preflight software
how to interpret preflight reports
Scope/range
The operator can work with preflighting software to check that digital artwork files are correctly configured for print. The preflight software can either check 'native' artwork files (for example Quark or InDesign documents) or only PDF files. It may be 'standalone' preflighting software or part of a workflow.
The operator is a highly skilled specialist capable of identifying any issue that could prevent a digital artwork file from being used satisfactorily for the printing process for which it was intended.
It is not sufficient to simply run a pre-configured preflight software programme or workflow module and then pass the report on to someone else.
PRODPP130 – Preflight digital files
Overview
This standard covers the checking or 'preflighting' of digital artwork files supplied for production-scale printing.
Checking that digital artwork files are correctly configured has come to be known as 'preflighting'. For a simple piece of digital artwork in native format, it may not be difficult to preflight the file manually by opening the document in the software that created it and checking the individual components such as fonts, images, bleeds and page sizes. However, the sophistication of modern graphic art software also means that many complex issues may present themselves, such as layers, clipping paths, transparencies and colour spaces, to name a few. As a result, most documents presented for printing tend to be routinely checked using preflighting software.
It applies to you if you work in a studio, imaging bureau, pre-press department or digital printing environment and receive digital files from or on behalf of customers.
This is what the standard covers:
If you work in a studio, bureau, pre-press or printing environment you may often receive digital artwork files for printing from customers, designers or others. Sometimes you may have created or reformatted the digital artwork yourself.
In order to print the artwork successfully in a production environment - whether by screen printing, lithography, flexography, gravure or any other method – the artwork must be correctly configured for printing process, substrates, and any post-press operations that will follow printing.
There are a large number of parameters within digital artwork files that must be checked prior to sending the job to print. International and national organisations have produced standards or specifications for printing and / or digital artwork, including:
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Preflight digital artwork files
Interpret and report the results of preflighting digital artwork files
Knowledge and understanding
You need to know and understand
Scope/range
The operator can work with preflighting software to check that digital artwork files are correctly configured for print. The preflight software can either check 'native' artwork files (for example Quark or InDesign documents) or only PDF files. It may be 'standalone' preflighting software or part of a workflow.
The operator is a highly skilled specialist capable of identifying any issue that could prevent a digital artwork file from being used satisfactorily for the printing process for which it was intended.
It is not sufficient to simply run a pre-configured preflight software programme or workflow module and then pass the report on to someone else.
Keywords: digital, print, pre-press, pre-flight, files