What should you ask the printer?

Question

We get a lot of questions in regards to *what should my file spec be, what should I do with X and Y, how should I do my black* etc. etc. and a large majority of the time we suggest to ask the printer which is an accurate assumption. Even though I think this is an accurate answer I think we should have a question that would help educate designers on what questions they should ask the printer. Knowing the right questions can help determine if the printer is professional and if you can meet the requirements. So my question is **when print designing what questions should I ask to make sure my designs are compatible and high quality for print?**

Answer 1

Most printers have specifications and requirements on their website or pamphlets at their business. I worked in the print industry for many years as lead design and I've heard all the questions so I can share a few.

You pointed out some good ones:

1. What file format? PDF is quite universal.
2. How should I do blacks? Full black is always recommended.
3. Does it need to be vector or raster?
4. What is vector? That's a good one!
5. What is the difference between size and resolution?
6. How to handle large file transfers?
7. What's the difference between Full Bleed and Trim Size?
8. What's the difference between CMYK and RGB?

Try going to several printers' websites and comparing their printing requirements; you'll find more ideas for sure!