Thanks for following my blog mini series, My Creative Process; an eight-part explanation discussing the different steps of my approach to working with clients on design projects. This entry brings us to the last post and final step on this topic–sending the files to print. For today’s post, I’ll be focusing strictly on the printing process (if I’m developing a website, this would be the part of the project where all webpage layouts have been approved and it’s now time for programming; in the instance of an advertisement, a print-ready PDF file would be emailed to the publication meeting their specs and guidelines).

Pre-Press Production
Now that I’ve received client approval on a print design it’s time to turn the design concept into an actual piece. This starts by taking the finalized design and prepping it for print (often referred to as pre-press production or file output). The best place to find out about how to prep a file for print is from the publication or the printer themselves. If the client didn’t provide these specifications during the design development phase, now is the time to learn about any requirements. These file guidelines are likely to include anything from file type preference, bleed size, color set-up requirements, font specifications, etc. For most of my projects, however, I follow the same series of steps when prepping a design’s file for printing. These steps are most commonly requested by printers and ensure that the file comes through with little or no issue. I’m always sure to do the following (unless specified otherwise by the printer):

• I first ensure all image links are doing one of two things… They’re either linking to the file and provided with the artwork or the images are embedded in the artwork file itself. I am sure to convert all images to CMYK and set them to 300dpi unless the project requires otherwise.
• Fonts are converted to outlines. Unless I know changes will need to be made to the text after I submit a design for print (such as with business cards), all fonts used within the design are converted to outlines or vector shapes. This keeps the printer from opening my file and being unable to show the correct font if they don’t have it installed on their machine. In the event the text needs to be editable, and they do require the font, those are provided with the artwork files specifically for use on editing that particular design only.
• Colors are converted to either CMYK or to Pantone swatch colors. Though I’ve already set my images to the necessary color mode, it’s important to ensure all elements of the design are converted accordingly as well. If the job is for digital printing, all colors are set to CMYK printing mode. If the job requires matching colors to the Pantone color swatch system, Pantone color swatches are used to color the elements of the design.
• The bleed is extended. For most projects, I use a .125″ or 1/8″ bleed. Some designs require something smaller or larger, but this bleed size seems to be the most common.
• When saving the file, all printer’s marks and bleed marks are included.

Typically if any other specifications need to be met when prepping the file for print, the printer or publication will let me know up front. From this prepped file, I often create a print-ready PDF for submission. This will be used by the printer to either print the design directly from or as a sample visual to accompany other artwork files (as the printer might require). This PDF is sent not only to the printer/publication, but to the client as a final proof for their records.

Requesting an Estimate
With my file(s) prepped and ready for printing, it’s time to put an estimate request together. My preference for this is to type up an email so I can copy my client on the correspondance. I’m sure to include a brief explanation of the project, the print-ready PDF file (and any other artwork files), and a list of project requirements. These guidelines tell the printer exactly what they need to know to estimate the job cost as accurately as possible. Having the print-ready PDF attached in the email might visually answer any questions the printer has and also gives them a true understanding of what needs to be printed. Here’s an example estimate request for a recent self-promotion project I submitted for development:

Note that I’m clear to point out the title name of the file. This ensures (if other file elements are included) that there’s no confusion about which file needs to be printed. The size and number of sides are listed along with specs on the number of colors/color type. Whether or not the piece requires a bleed is pointed out along with a paper request. The quantity is shown so the printer knows how many pieces to account for in their estimate while any “extras” or finishing services (like folding, trimming, etc.) is provided here too. Copying the client on this request is essential should they want to make any changes to the quantity and so they have this request in their records.

From there on out, it’s all about approving items from the printer such as the estimate, a digital proof, and a hard-copy proof should the client or myself request one. Based on the outcome of these proofs the file will either be printed and shipped directly to the client or requested changes will be made. Once the design is printed and on its way to the client, the project is officially considered completed (and the creative process is as well).

This post officially concludes the eight-part blog series, My Creative Process. While my process is certainly different from many designers’ out there, it’s a series of steps that has worked for me and my clients. I’d love to hear about how you work with your clients and how you may do different steps of the creative process differently. Thank you for joining me for the past eight weeks!

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At this point in my creative process I’ve already presented my initial design concepts to my client. I’ve provided visuals with a written explanation so the client can clearly understand the approach (should I not be able to explain this in person). Once in a great while a client will approve the work right off the bat and we’re set to wrap up the design process. Most of the time, however, revisions are required.

Charging for Revisions
Revisions can really add to the cost of any project. Making too many modifications can deterioriate the quality of the design while increasing overall costs. In an effort to manage the number of changes a client requests to the original design approach, I’m sure to show in my project estimates that two or three rounds of revisions (depending on the scope of the assignment) are included. Thereafter the client is subject to charges for additional time required to complete the requests. In doing so, I think I show two things:

1. It’s not my way or the highway when it comes to the design. The client knows the creative process involves changes and that I expect and appreciate that. It gives them the feeling of “wiggle room” in the event they’ve never worked with me before–the client knows there’s room for “corrections” if needed.
2. Financially-speaking, all the cards are out on the table. The client knows that they can ask for revisions two or three separate times. Any modification requests beyond this will be timed and charged accordingly in addition to the original estimate amount. In my experience, when a client knows they’re paying extra for changes, they’re likely to keep the number of requests to a minimum.

Revisions and Concept Deterioration
Let’s say the client has asked for multiple revisions on an ad design I’ve developed. I might see that the client is choosing to play art director–telling me how large or small to make the font, which typefaces to use, what colors go where. This can be very frustrating and it certainly makes me feel as if the client is questioning my knowledge as a professional. As a designer, I may also see that the quality of the ad design is deteriorating or that we’re straying from the creative brief. Is it time to dump the project, fire the client or both? No, not at all; that approach would likely leave any designer with zero clients on their roster. Instead, here’s how I handle those tough revision requests:

• Anytime I make a revision, I talk to the client about what’s working within the new look and what isn’t. In keeping with the example ad design, I might say, “I see you’d like the logo bigger. Our ad design before clearly displayed the logo and I think the headline really stood out as the most attention-getting part of the ad. This new approach takes some of that emphasis away. While it’s certainly up to you, it would be my recommendation to go with the text formatting/logo design size we used before.”
• Say the client wanted to take the ad design in a completely different direction. I take out the creative brief and ask loads of questions before doing any design work. Is there something on the creative brief listed incorrectly? If not, what about going in a new direction will work better than the original solution? Does the new solution proposed by the client meet the creative brief guidelines at all? By re-discussing the project goals and objectives, often times the client is reminded of the assignment intent.
• Perhaps the project objectives have changed during a project and this is why a new design approach is required. The client makes a suggestion about how they think the ad should be designed but as a designer, I know this might not be the best approach for reaching the target market. Often in these types of situations I create two concepts; one based on the client’s direction and one based on my own approach. Of course, these two concepts are provided with a written explanation of the concept for each. More often than not, I’ve had the client choose the design solution I created. They see there’s a science involved in the work and usually express this by saying something such as, “I guess this is why I hired you. You do what you do and I’ll stick to what I do.”

Sometimes it becomes clear through a creative process that a particular client doesn’t really want my help; they want to direct my work. I may try one or more of the above approaches but walk away feeling shot-down and overruled. Should this be a pattern of how the client works, it’s up to me as the designer to decide if the client relationship is beneficial. If I don’t feel the work output is up to my standards due to client micro-management, if the client is disrespectful with my time, and if working with said client is more frustrating than beneficial, it’s time to evaluate the relationship on a larger scale than just the one project.

Finalizing Designs
Once the client has verbally approved the design (whether right off the bat or after revisions) it’s time to get a written approval. This can be as simple as an email reply stating they like the work and are ready to move onto print, programming, etc. Some designers I know provide a specific form for the client to sign off on and return by email, fax or snail mail. Either way, getting the approval in writing is essential to the creative process.

Thereafter, it’s time to move onto the execution phase of the project. For print work, I’ll begin formatting a final proof complete with registration and bleed marks before sending to the printer. Logo projects require that I format all logo files to a disc for the client’s use. With website projects, after design approval is obtained I start the programming phase. Ad designs might be sent directly to the publication or to the client to pass along depending on their preference. Every type of marketing collateral requires a different process when it comes to execution.

Next week’s post in the My Creative Process series brings us to the end; the process of sending files to print. I won’t be going into detail on programming a website I’ve designed and launching it to the web. Instead, I’ll be focusing strictly on pre-press production, file output and requesting an estimate from a printer for print collateral.

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The client and I have met. We’ve developed a creative brief which has allowed me to truly understand the target market, the objectives and the ins-and-outs of the project. From there I’ve done the research and have put together my first series of design concepts. Now it’s time to present the work to the client. How?

Every designer and every client are different. Some designers may prefer to only show concepts in face-to-face meetings with their work printed and spray-mounted on illustration board. Alternatively, there may be clients out there that strictly prefer to look at emailed pdf proofs of concepts at their own convenience. The key is finding a preference as a designer and merging that with what works best for the client.

PDF Concept Proofs
I’m an eco-friendly business owner so I firmly believe less paper waste is better. For the most part, I email design proofs as pdfs via email. This works well for brochure designs, posters and direct mail pieces. Even logo concepts are presented well this way (I feel). Working in a digital format keeps a paper trail that both the client and I can easily access by saving the emails to our computers. It also works best in long-distance client relationships when presenting concepts in person isn’t feasible. Having had to present so many different pieces of collateral in an online format, I’ve gotten pretty good at laying out items in such a way that the client can truly understand and appreciate the design.

Take this brochure proposal for instance. A client and I had talked about a brochure for an upcoming tradeshow. They were looking for suggestions when it came to the size and fold of the piece. Before working on the actual layout, I wanted to take a preliminary step and suggest a few different fold options. I created a way to see the proposed brochure folds on-screen so a face-to-face meeting with folded scrap paper wouldn’t be necessary.

These images were provided to the client via email accompanied by written reasoning. I was sure to refer to the different samples by file name to ensure they understood exactly which diagram I was talking about. The explanation included a written break-down of how the fold would work and why I chose that as a brochure option. The client was excited about the different brochure approaches and was able to decide on a layout approach very quickly. From there, I began work.

Concepts that have already been designed are treated in the same way. I work with clients all over the country on branding campaigns so it’s essential I present logo concepts in a concise and clear manner. After going through the creative process of developing various logo concepts, I select the best three to show to my client. I ask myself which logos are the most legible when reduced in size. Which logos are the easiest to understand in the shortest amount of time? Does the logo meet the requirements shown on the creative brief such as the target market, brand objectives, etc? Does the logo project the correct image to the client’s intended market? The three logos that fit these criteria the best are formatted for presentation.

With a written explanation as to how the proposed logo fulfills the creative brief, I provide a proof that looks like the above. I format the logo in its ideal state; full color and at a larger size. From there, the logo is shown in various color combinations, in black and white, reduced in size, and shown in reverse color options. Any secondary graphics I might create will be presented here as well along with a color break-down and font information. This shows the client how the logo will look in various applications. Should the client ask for revisions on the logo design, those modified concepts are presented in the same way.

Print-ready proofs for projects, such as the brochure sample below, are hardly ever supplied to clients before we’re ready for the printing phase. Often times the bleed and trim marks can be confusing and it’s best to save proofs like these for the last steps of the entire design process until the artwork has been finalized.

Presenting Mock-Ups
Sure, there are times when I’d prefer to create a mock-up for a client rather than send them a flat pdf proof. Packaging is the most common one. It’s hard for a client to gather a sense of the design “in action” if they don’t have access to something tangible. Even some very complex brochure folds might require a more hands-on explanation. If I can, I try to create three-dimensional proofs in these situations. But what happens if the client is on the other side of the country and purchasing airfare is not a reasonable option?

I’ve had many occasions where presenting a pdf proof for a packaging product design isn’t ideal, however, I’ve had to work to make a 2-dimensional proof do the job. Take the following for example: MOKA asked that I help them with designing packaged tins for their retail coffee products. With the client more than three hours away, getting together to present concepts in a timely fashion wasn’t an option. Instead, I created sample images of how the product would look with the design applied (you might recognize this proposed design from my portfolio).

A written explanation of the approach was provided along with the image above and the image below. The image above gives the client a true idea as to how the design will look when printed on each tin. The graphic below breaks down the artwork. I show each tin with the proposed label design and I pull the stickers that are to be placed on the lids. I also break down the label and text to give the client a closer look as to how each piece reads.

Of course showing the proposed tin design in person might have given the client a better idea as to how it worked, and it certainly would’ve been less work on my end to put together. MOKA would’ve been able to interact with the tin and see how good they looked in person. However, in those situations where meeting in the flesh isn’t possible, elaborate proofs like these have been very helpful.

A Note on Color
Presenting concepts to clients on-screen can be tricky when it comes to color. All computer screens are calibrated differently so no two screens actually see the same color exactly the same way. This can make getting approval on design color a challenge. How do I handle this? I always request a printed proof be sent to a client for approval before the whole project lot is run. This ensures the client knows what they’re getting and it only takes a few extra days during the production process.

I also provide my clients with color cards when/if I help them with their company branding. When the logo is established, I send sample Pantone swatches for both uncoated and coated color systems. I make sure they see their ink swatches in person and that they save the cards to ensure we’re always on the same page about what their ink color looks like. This is hugely helpful when working with the client and the printer simultaneously. Referring to Pantone swatch colors, even in digital projects, gives the printer a tone to match ensuring color consistency as much as possible. I’ll be showing examples of my color cards later this week or next.

How do you present your concepts to clients? Do you have a consistent method you use for proofs, no matter the project type? Or do you stray from presenting concepts online all together and strictly stick to meetings?

Each week I’ll take you one step further into my creative process. With only two steps remaining in this blog series, I’ll be showing you how I handle revision requests and finalizing the design in my next “My Creative Process” post. Thanks for reading!

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Last week I talked a little bit about the inspiration phase of my creative process. With my creative brief in-hand and my project objectives clearly defined, I’m able to start gathering samples of similar project solutions by other designers while being able to research the client’s competition. Knowing what’s out there, what’s worked, and what hasn’t allows me to build from others’ knowledge while getting my own ideas flowing. With my inspirational research complete, it’s time to start working on my own design solutions. This is the Concept Development step of my creative process.

All designers are different; some take right to the computer and start building designs. Some sketch for a while, building and building on ideas until they’re comfortable transferring them to the screen. I learned an intermediate step from one of my design professors in college that’s really stuck with me and which I find incredibly useful–it’s the generation of key words and phrases to help me think of visuals.

For example, a client I worked with a couple of years ago named Embellished Events wanted a new logo design. They had a series of colors they had already picked out and wanted to use, but the actual logo visual was to be created by me. After meeting with the client and doing the research, I sat down with my paper and pen in-hand and began to think of keywords and phrases that described their business. I thought both literally and conceptually and wrote down anything that came to mind. If you choose to do this yourself, don’t edit or worry about coming up with lame options; that only hinders the creative thought process. Just write everything down (I call this a brain dump).

In looking at the list of keywords after I’ve finished and can think of no more, these words start to translate themselves into visuals I can draw or create on the computer. These illustrations then become the (or part of a) logo. Keyword samples included on my list for Embellished Events (as shown above) are:
Embellished

• Fancy
• Ornate
• Filigree
• Floral
• Frame

Events

• Party
• Wedding
• People
• Music
• List

Usually this is enough to kick-start my brain and to help me think of visuals to sketch out. Again, some might take right to the computer as creating duplicates and undoing items is certainly quicker that way, but I just prefer working on paper. Sketching concepts usually takes me several hours to several days depending on the quantity of ideas I have.

This idea generation method certainly works for logos, and I’ve used it on poster designs, brochure projects, and even ad designs from time to time. Thinking of words that can translate into visuals is a huge help. Here are a couple of sample pages from my sketchbook when I developed concepts for Embellished Events.

Finally, once I feel as though I’ve thoroughly sketched my concepts, it’s time to move to the computer. Using Adobe Illustrator primarily, I begin the process of laying out type, assigning colors, adding effects and generating any required illustrations. Because I have all my ideas and possible directions already sketched, I don’t feel the need to work through this phase quickly as I’m not afraid of any ideas escaping me. Each concept is assigned to its own layer in Adobe Illustrator and the most effective concepts are polished and presented to the client.

How do I set up concepts for client presentation? Which concepts should be shown and which should be left behind? What’s the right number of ideas to show a client so they feel they have options without confusing them? I’ll touch on these points in my next “My Creative Process” series post, the artwork presentation phase.

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