Prepare Print-Ready Files

All the assignments you submit in Typography courses should be print ready. This is what you have to check before packaging your files.

File Organization

As you work, keep your files organized in a project folder. You should have your main page layout file.

You will always simply submit a packaged folder including a PDF file for all assignments.

Process Colour

When the project calls for process colour (or four colour process), there should be no spot colours in any of the files you submit. Empty your swatches panel of all unused colours.

Font files

As we’ll only be using Adobe Fonts, there’s not much to do here. No fonts will ever be packaged with your projects, so you have nothing to worry about. Be sure to check Type > Find Fonts… to ensure only the fonts you’re using are in your document.

If there’s a font folder in your package folder, there’s a problem. Look inside to see what’s there. It’s not an Adobe Font, so you need to go remove it from your InDesign file, then package it again.

Printed Submission

You’re going to print your sell sheet on colour duplex tabloid paper in the hallway printer.

Export your completed InDesign layout to PDF. Be sure to to turn on Crop Marks and Use Document Bleed Settings in the Marks & Bleeds section of the PDF export dialogue. Check the Page Information box, too. You’ll get a two letter page PDF that has crop marks on it. This is what you’re going to print.

This is a video tutorial to help you print your sell sheet. Hand in this tabloid sheet as-is on the due date. No envelope required.

Digital Submission

Be sure your InDesign document is named as usual:

appleseed-johnny-010-sell-sheet.indd

Note

Never rename a file while it’s open. Close it. Rename it in Finder, then re-open it.

When you package your InDesign document with File > Package… It will create a folder that’s properly named if your file was well named to start with.