how often do you get files for print that have mistakes?

[gabagoo]

I guess what I really mean here is mistakes that are not obvious unless scrutinized. With many files received from customers or even resellers there can be errors in copy or spelling. If you see it and can fix it thats great, but what about issues where you have received the file and set up for print and then afterwards the error is found.

It is a sensative situation with some customers. Do you cut them a break?
have the "to bad" attitude and charge them full whack again?
I will suppose it is a little of each depending on just how important the customer is.


A good example would be a file wherby the customer has dropped in a picture that looks close cropped and nothing is visible on the screen around the pic. When you print however the white background they have is really a very light grey and now is obvious after the job is done.

 

[J Hill Designs]

If you are charging based on print-ready artwork, it's their bad...

 

[Monsterkidz]

I've seen some pretty bad "camera ready" client supplied art. I have them sign off on the quote that I am not responsible for anything.
If I do catch something glaring I contact the client and give them a chance to make the change before we go to production.

 

[threeputt]

Yeah, that's a tough one. We obviously try to inform the client if there's a glaring error that we notice prior to production.

But half the time we don't see it until it's printed. This happened just the other day. When told about it the client said, "ooops, just charge us again."....and we did.

Another thing is this. We are the agency that several print shops in the area use to get digital stuff out. The first time through with a new shop, we usually want to talk to their "pre-press" guy, art dept. or whatever you want to call it.

I inform them that we will run the art as supplied, making no judgements about layout, color, spelling errors, ommisions, etc. That puts the responsibility back on them where it belongs.

Otherwise you're constantly second-guessing their decisions and that becomes stressful.

 

[gabagoo]

Yeah, that's a tough one. We obviously try to inform the client if there's a glaring error that we notice prior to production.

But half the time we don't see it until it's printed. This happened just the other day. When told about it the client said, "ooops, just charge us again."....and we did.

Another thing is this. We are the agency that several print shops in the area use to get digital stuff out. The first time through with a new shop, we usually want to talk to their "pre-press" guy, art dept. or whatever you want to call it.

I inform them that we will run the art as supplied, making no judgements about layout, color, spelling errors, ommisions, etc. That puts the responsibility back on them where it belongs.

Otherwise you're constantly second-guessing their decisions and that becomes stressful.

Now lets take it a step farther.
The client who supplies the info is reselling and the file came from their client. Also this client of yours is one of your major customers and sends you a lot of work without even getting quotes elsewhere.
Obviously you will probably try and eat it and not disturb the waters to much, but it is still an issue.

 

[Circleville Signs]

Nope.

Our wholesale customers are simply that. We do nothing but plug their provided file into the RIP, and print it. If it is a bad file, or they made a mistake, then that is their issue. We do not charge enough to eat those jobs.

If their client made the mistake, then I expect them to charge THEIR client for the mistake. Why should I pay for the mistake of someone who ISN'T EVEN MY CLIENT?


Gary

 

[HaroldDesign]

The person setting copy is responsible for the spelling. As for a "box" appearing around an image, it's probably an issue of properly preparing the file for print, and the person on that end of the printing is responsible for doing it properly.

 

[quicksigns]

I had a customer a few years back that I did a partial wrap, some magnetics, and some banners to start off his new company. He did side walk and pavement and the name of the company was Curbit (with a picture of a frog). Well about few weeks later he came back and was down because he found out that there was already a company with that name. He wanted to get everything redone but with a Kurbit instead. Seeing that he was down about it, I told him I would redo everything he order before, but for half the price because I know how hard it is to start a business. He starts to question me "if I could charge him half price now, why didn't I charge him this price in the beginning". I told him I'm doing him a favor now cause I felt bad for his mistake, but he insist that I should have charge him the cheaper price in the first place. He stormed out and didn't want the work I was offering for half.

 

[Gino]

We just had a tough one last week.

Customer [another sign shop we wholesale to] brings in file on CD. We look at it and have to add a cut line to the print.. He wants 30 or so at one size and about 24 of another size. Good grade vinyl and laminated. Project is completed and delivered and everyone is happy............ until his customer sees it. Wrong color for outside border. So, in order to get these out quickly as the customer is in a hurry...... we change the color for him and started printing again. A little while later we just finishing up laminating and before we put them back in to cut....we get a phone call..... the color is fine. The person was thinking of the wrong job. Oh Crappolla !! So, we decided not to charge any extra.

Then we get another call and there is a misspelled word. Turns out our sign friend spelled 'ORDINANCE with an 'I'.


These signs were for the Bomb Squad near Philly and that's spelled 'ORDNANCE'.


We had to do this job three times. Now, who should split or go without in order to pay for this job ??

 

[gabagoo]

I know you can be hard nosed and insist on having the customer pay for their mistakes. I understand the concept fully and for wholesalers, I would absolutely make them pay.

After all, it's not like I can charge a customer for my mistakes....can I?
Hmmmmm.... interesting concept..... charge an extra 6% for internal errors. I don't think that will fly.

 

[royster13]

Any relationship is a partnership......It goes both ways and it should be profitable for both.....Many of my regular suppliers help me out of a jam from time to time and as such I am loyal to them.....If you do not need regular work from your wholesale customers then you can take a harder line...After all, it is your business.......

PS....And you should never be afraid to fire a wholesale customer that is a problem on every second order.....

 

[threeputt]

Now lets take it a step farther.
The client who supplies the info is reselling and the file came from their client. Also this client of yours is one of your major customers and sends you a lot of work without even getting quotes elsewhere.
Obviously you will probably try and eat it and not disturb the waters to much, but it is still an issue.

Actually I stand by my statement. I also agree with Circle that we (at the wholesale level) are not selling with enough margin to simply redo jobs.

And we're not the only ones. Here's a true example. We out-source our screenprinting. (actually it's nowadays done on a Vutek 2000) I drop ship 4x8 Corex sheets and they print and cut them for me. All automated equipment.

The company that does this for me sends me an invoice for each and every sign we have them make. It's not their job to try and figure it what they are printing is actually what was intended. That's my job. The other day I sent a file for 100 signs and neglected to notice that I had an off-white, bluish-grey background color.

I couldn't "see" it on my display monitor. It was too light, but when it was printed it was more like a 20 percent grey value. Very noticeable to the client.

Now....is the wholesale printer in someway responsible for that? And by the way, we send tons of files to this company for printing every year.

 

[Mosh]

The best one is when they try to spin it to be our fault. Like we changed the spelling to make them look bad.

Depends on the customer, it they are good and it is not a big project we reprint for free.
Others who we are sure will never be back anyway pay twice.

 

[threeputt]

Some client's will argue for a proof... and when they get it, give it a cursory review and rubber-stamp it for go-ahead. We've had that a ton of times.

Then piss and moan about errors when the job is finished. Comical!

 

[thewood]

Some client's will argue for a proof... and when they get it, give it a cursory review and rubber-stamp it for go-ahead. We've had that a ton of times.

Then piss and moan about errors when the job is finished. Comical!

Unfortunately, that is common. I hate it when a client barely glances at the proof prior to approval, then painstakingly proofreads the finished product in the showroom only to find errors.

 

[FatCat]

After 14 years in the offset printing field as a prepress tech I've pretty much seen and heard it all. -IF- the client is supplying a "print-ready" file then it should indeed "print-ready". To me, print ready means it has been proofed, edited, and completely gone through to the point that it is "ready to print".

*However, if given special instructions as to a PMS color they're trying to hit, or perhaps if they wonder if a certain filter or effect will print correctly, then that is on my shoulders - I know my equipment and RIP software better than they do.

When I worked in offset printing, we lost several customers due to their typos and print files setup incorrectly. No matter the story, usually they were too cheap to hire us or a designer to create the print file. They tried to save a buck by doing it themselves, and in the end it cost them.

Certainly no way to reasonably take the blame for someone else's mistakes. Unless you want the fast lane to ruin.

 

[pointjockey]

Yes, It can be a "sensative" situation!

Bottom line it cost money no matter who is at fault.

We get things that are spelled wrong all the time. We have a 3 proof system in place so 99.9% of the time we catch it. Just last week I did a last minute rush job for a local PTA group. I spelled meeting as "meeeting".

Funny thing is that the sign was up in a GOVERNMENT School for a week and no one noticed. I caught it when filing invoices and proof sheets.
I reprinted the A-Frame panels and let them know.

 

[threeputt]

Unfortunately, that is common. I hate it when a client barely glances at the proof prior to approval, then painstakingly proofreads the finished product in the showroom only to find errors.

Yep! Bingo. Seen that one too.