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## Prepping files for Commercial Printing

If you have never dealt with printers, nothing will assure a worry free experience for printing files commercially better than talking to your printer well in advance. Preventing mis-understandings and making them well aware in advance of your goals will more than likely prevent 90% of the mistakes. If you do not get satisfactory answers shop around. The printing business is competitive. The best offer both technical savvy and good service.

### Ask questions:

#### If they accept PDF, which level ?

PDF 1.3 (Acrobat 4), PDF 1.4 (Acrobat 5) or PDF/X-3 (ISO Standard) ? If they accept PDF/X-3, consider yourself lucky. This type of PDF is the most advanced for commercial printing. PDF/X is expressly designed to assure good color fidelity between systems. If they can recommend specific ICC profiles to use, then even better.

#### Will they be converting the PDF to other formats like EPS?

Be aware, not all page layout app;ications are capable of supporting some of the advanced PS3 or PDF 1.4 features Scribus supports. Unless the printer's systems are using PDF 1.4, this is not a recommended solution.

#### Can they provide an ICC profile of their printer if color fidelity is critical?

#### What is the PS level of their RIP ?

This can be a determining factor in how you prepare the files. If their RIP is 3015.xxx+, you can be sure their RIP can handle 100% of the features of Scribus. They might not be able to directly answer that, but...

Consult The Pre-Press Notes and you can even take a printed copy of the PDF with you if the printer has not heard of Scribus. We have an online a listing of printers who support Scribus. See: Scribus Printers

If there remains unanswered issues, ask on the mailing list or on IRC. Usually, there is someone knowledgable who can answer your questions.

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