Publications Answers

At any given time I have at least a dozen jobs, and very often I have more than that, in addition to phone calls, meetings, etc. I do them more or less in the order they were received, and I will TRY to get small jobs finished up within a week of receipt. Large jobs necessarily take longer. I will try to accommodate your schedule, but please don't place unnecessary burdens on me. Cooperation is key.

I need to have something printed. How do I send you a request?

Most small typesetting requests can be sent via Groupwise, campus mail, walk-in, Internet, or email (heinold@falcon.tamucc.edu).
Many large jobs will require a meeting to lay out timelines and expectations.

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I sent you my request. What happens next?

I will call when I am finished with your request.
I will give you the option to send someone to pick up your proof, to pick it up yourself, or to have it sent to you via campus mail. It is then your responsibility to return the proof in a timely manner.
I will make the necessary corrections and let you know when the finished product is ready, at which time you have the same options as before.
Once you receive the camera-ready artwork, this is your last chance to look over the project to ensure there are no more corrections or items that I may have missed (Rarely, but I am only human!) You forward this camera-ready artwork to the print shop with your duplication center work order.

What is a proof? What do I do with it?

A proof is a printout of a project or job request made for the purpose of correcting errors. A proof is not to be sent to the print shop for printing.
When you receive a proof, please check over it carefully for typographical mistakes, spelling errors, or other problems. Clearly mark any mistakes on the proof, preferably with a bright colored (not black) pen; do not correct your original text file and re-send it.
Corrections will be made and a final proof will be sent to verify that all corrections were made and that no more were discovered. If there are still errors, mark them and send the proof back. This process will continue until no more changes are made.
Human beings are capable of making mistakes; the purpose of a proof is to catch mistakes before they are printed. As far as this office is concerned, if there is a mistake on a proof, it does not matter whose fault it was or who made the mistake. There is no need to make a mountain out of a molehill, as the saying goes; simply mark the change. *Please note: the one case where it does matter who made the mistake is at an off-campus printer. Some printers charge for author's alterations but not for printer's errors. However, by the time a project gets to an off-campus printer, it should have gone through at least two proofing steps.
All proofs must be signed, dated, and returned to the office of the multimedia designer.

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Should I lay out my project ahead of time?

Please do not lay out your project in Word or any other program before you bring it to us. Word is a word processing program, not a page layout program. The project will take longer because we must first strip the formatting from your electronic file and then recreate the formatting in our layout program. Also be aware that you will miss out on input and ideas from our graphic design professionals. This office is responsible for the overall look of publications. We will take your likes and dislikes into account when we plan the graphic image of your project. If you have a very specific expectation of what your project should look like, bring a hard copy or sketch, but remove most formatting from the electronic file. More details.

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How do you want the text for my project?

Please type the text and send it to me either electronically or on a disk according to our office's file format specifications. Be sure to tell me what program the file was created in and what format it was saved in. This saves me a lot of time; I can't open every file you send me, and I won't spend time trying to open it if I have no idea what kind of file it is. Please run spell check and proofread before you send something to me. It's easier to do this before all of the formatting, and it cuts some time out of the proofing process.
Don't send me your only copy of anything. I don't archive original text files.

In what file formats do you accept text?

Word, preferably text-only format. Use minimal formatting. Please do NOT lay out your project in Word. If you have a layout in mind, make a hard copy and bring the original text file in text-only format. Saving the file as “Text Only” nearly always ensures that I will be able to use it.
Excel files can be accepted for tabular data.
WordPerfect files can no longer be accepted as we have no way to open them.
Absolutely no files laid out in MS Publisher, Print house, Printmaster, or any other page layout program will be accepted due to the fact that we have no way to open them.

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I have this photo I want to use in my project. How should I send it to you?
OR: There is a defect in this photo I scanned. Can you fix it?

Although we can open most image files, we prefer to scan original prints or photographs to ensure a standard of quality. I can do some limited touch up work on images, but I cannot fix a bad scan. Even with a highly skilled technician, a certain percentage of photos cannot be made to look good in print if the original input was bad.
Please do not place photos and graphics in Word and send them. Once they are placed in Word, I can't get them back!
If no photographic prints of a particular image are available, we will try to use your electronic file. In this case, you assume all responsibility for the image quality. Please consult this office before sending any image files. More details.

I got this image from _______________. Can I use it for my project?

Please beware of copyright infringement. According to copyright law, “Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work is 'created' when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time.” Effective March 1, 1989, a notice of copyright does not have to appear on the work for it to be protected. More details.
I will not start a project if I think there is a copyright issue.

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This image was from the Web. Can I use it?

In general, you cannot get an image off the web and use it for print. The resolution is not high enough. Also, all images from the Internet are considered copyrighted unless otherwise noted. More details.

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What limitations are there on illustration work in this office?

Please realize that I invest time in doing your project. I generally don't have time to fully develop several illustrations so that you can pick one. I can present you with some sketches or ideas in the beginning of the project, but once one design is chosen and the work in the computer is begun, please don't change your mind. If you do, chances are very good that your project will be delayed.

What kind of color can I use in my project?

The way color is represented in your project depends on where it is printed. The on-campus print shop can only print non-overlapping spot color. Campus Copies, although more expensive, can do short runs of 4-color photographic work. Off campus printers can do either.
I need to know at the beginning of the project who will be printing the project. If it is the on-campus print shop, the project must be set up a certain way; please do not fold or write on color separations once they are received. If I will have to email the electronic file to a printer, I need to know who to contact at the company if I have questions.

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This project was printed before, but I need some changes on it. How do I do that?

While I have an archive of old files, I may not have them all. Don't assume; I am at the mercy of the previous graphic artists in this respect. Other times, files become corrupted and are no longer usable. Sometimes I have to recreate files.
If I do have the original, laid-out files...
- In most cases, just tell me where the updates are! When possible, bring me the proof or old copy with corrections highlighted.
- Please don't correct the original electronic file and send it to me again. This means I either have to search through the document looking for changes, increasing my chances of missing or overlooking them, or I have to replace the entire text, in which case I lose all my formatting and basically have to start from scratch. Either way it takes me at least twice as long as it should. This means that it takes longer to get the job finished and back to you.
- The one exception to this is when there are numerous, major changes in a piece of text. A rule of thumb: if you mark changes in red and the document looks like it's bleeding, it might be a good idea to send me the modified original file.
If I don't have the original (or sometimes, even if I do)...
- It's not the end of the world. In most cases, the same brochure or project has been printed numerous times with only minor changes, and it's time for a new design anyway. It will take a bit longer, but your project will get a face-lift!

What are University guidelines concerning the use of the logo?

There are specific guidelines for how the University name and logos are to be used. Please be aware of these guidelines. I can catch some errors but not all. The most common errors: putting extra spaces in the University name, as in “Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi” when the correct use is “Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.”

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Can't you just do this and send it to the print shop? Wouldn't that be faster?

I will not finish a job request and forward it to the print shop. Regardless of “how it was done in the past,” you must approve the project before it is printed. I will finish your project and call you when the proof is ready. Once you approve it, I will get the file ready for the print shop and notify you that the camera ready artwork is finished. You receive the camera ready artwork; this is your last chance to check for errors. Forward it to the print shop with a work order.
Signatures on final proofs are required before printing.