After designing your print marketing materials, files are sent to the printer. What comes next is essentially the same sequence, whether you are working with an all-in-one printing partner or if you’re using separate partners for each step. In this article, we’ll explain what happens after design files are sent to print, whether you plan to utilize an all-in-one print partner or separate facilities for each step.
After Design Files Are Sent, What Happens Next in Commercial Print?
Once design files are approved internally and submitted to the printer, they go through some more production stages before they can be delivered.
Here’s what happens after design files are sent to print:
- Preflight and design file prep
- Proofing and final file review
- Press and print production
- Finishing and assembly
- Shipping and delivery
If a turnkey print partner is used, each of the steps is managed through one provider to minimize logistics, reduce handoffs and save time. When using separate teams for production, finishing, and assembly, an extra step for shipping between the facilities is needed.
Preflight: Checking Files & Print Settings
Preflight is the quality control step of printing that ensures technical aspects of the process are ready. Before it goes to press, your commercial print partner will check that everything is good to go. This might include checking:
- File formats are set to the necessary print requirements
- Design resolution and sizing are accurate for print
- Colors are set to CMYK mode rather than digital RGB mode
- Fonts are properly embedded and will reproduce correctly
- Page dimensions, margins, and bleed are set appropriately
Ensuring that each of these aligns with your commercial print goals helps keep production accurate and on track. If something is off, your print partner will communicate accordingly to get the issue solved.
Proofing: Final File Review
Before sending the design file straight to press, there’s a final proofing step after checking files and print settings. While preflight checks the technical aspects of a file, commercial print proofing checks visual and editorial accuracy with images and content.
Depending on the project, a soft proof digital PDF or hard proof physical print may be created to ensure accuracy during production.
Press: Print Production
During the press stage, print production officially begins. After client sign-off, print operators take the finished design and set up the presses accordingly. Using either heatset or coldset presses, depending on the project needs, the process looks a little different for each. Heatset printing requires an extra drying step for a high-quality print finish. Meanwhile, coldset printing is left to air dry. Once the prints are finished, post-press can begin.
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Post-Press: Finishing & Assembling
The post-press process includes finishing and assembly needs, including trimming, folding, stitching, tabbing, addressing and other services. This step gets your prints ready for direct mail, in-store distribution, print campaigns and more.
Instead of hand-folding thousands of papers, placing prints in envelopes or binding finished catalogs and magazines, the finishing and assembly process expedites it to get the product out faster and with greater consistency.
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Logistics: Shipping & Delivery
Lastly, prints are packaged and prepared for shipping and delivery, whether they go to your facility or directly to distribution centers that send them to consumers’ homes. The logistics step in the process ensures everything is bundled into groups and covered in protective wrapping.
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Work with an Expert All-in-One Print Partner
Learning what happens after files are sent to print helps businesses better manage timing and know what to expect from beginning to end in the commercial printing process. If you need a strong commercial print partner at any point in the process, Signature Graphics can help. With turnkey print services and expert technicians, we help companies save time on high-volume commercial printing. Ready to get started?
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