For signs, banners and big stuff....seldom does any customer
provide a usable file or even usable photos or graphics.
Mostly what is brought in has low resolution graphics and is
way out of proportion. It's common to receive a 2x3' poster
designed in Publisher/WORD on an 8.5"x11" letter file.
BUT, being a print shop, we get WORD & Publisher files all the
time for flyers, business cards, etc.
For the most part they print out okay...as long as we are
producing it on the desktop printer or copy machine...and they
don't mind the colors being a bit differrent than their office printer
and maybe the fonts are substituted.
Ooops, you want 5000???
Of course, that's too expensive to produce with the office printer.
Then they can't understand why we can't just push a button
and print it out...cheap.
What really gets me going is when they tell me how much time
took them to "create" whatever masterpiece....and they think
I can just wave a magic wand over it and make it work for free.
I wish I had an easy to understand explanation WHY their office
RGB files have to be converted to professional CMYK files.
The minute I start explaining light and pigment inks I can see
their eyes glazing over.
Oh, and how many times have I heard:
"the online printers will take the office files"???
Do the online companies fix the margins?
Make the text center properly in the columns?
Fix any type that's too close to the cut edges?
Check the resolution on the graphics and photos?
Tweek the layout to make it look better?
Fix the blue that turns to purple?
Sorry, I think I needed that vent!