|
 |
 Printing Once you have approved the proof, the desktop publisher will make corrections, then arrange to have the publication printed and delivered to you.
A word about content Quality counts. It really does. The words and images you use in a publication contribute greatly to its impact. Poorly written copy, misspellings, grammatical mistakes, fuzzy graphics, and blurry photos are marks of an unprofessional job. Photographs Photographs, when used properly, greatly increase the impact of a newsletter. But all too often, desktop publishers are given out-of-focus, poorly exposed photos showing a room full of tiny, unrecognizable heads to use for the front page.
If you can't afford to hire a professional photographer, look around for students interested in the subject. They may be willing to work cheaply or even for free in return for having the work published. I'll offer the same warning here that I did earlier regarding students — they are capable of great creativity, but they don't always understand the needs of a business or organization. Sometimes desktop publishers have photographs from stock companies that can be used in newsletters for a fee. It is worth asking to see whether stock photos are available and if any are suitable for your purposes. Try to bring a variety of photographs if you're providing your own. This will give your desktop publisher some options when choosing photos. Garbage in, garbage out Even the most gifted graphic designer can't make up for poorly written copy, misspellings, and bad grammar. Make sure you deliver the best quality you can. Use your spell-checker, then go through the transcript yourself. Spelling programs are great, but they don't catch improperly used words. If you can, have someone else edit your stories — a fresh pair of eyes often catches mistakes that you missed. A word of clarification here. If you are supplying the copy for a project, it's your job to get the words right, not the responsibility of the desktop publisher. And don't forget about good writing — writing that goes beyond correctly spelled words and grammatical sentences. If your publication is well written, people will read it — and that's what you want, right? Graphics
We can do a lot with computers and scanners, but we can't work miracles. A smudgy, blurry graphic printed on newsprint will look crummy no matter what you do to it. If you have a graphic or an advertisement you want to use in your newsletter or brochure, give the desktop publisher the original, not a copy of a copy. John Gold and his wife, Susan, are partners in Custom Communications, a desktop publishing firm in Saco, Maine, that Susan launched with a Macintosh SE computer in 1988. Together they design newsletters, brochures, nonfiction children's books and web sites. We feel fortunate to have enticed these internationally recognized leaders in their field to offer their expertise to you. When you visit Custom Communications, tell John and Susan the Internet Brothers sent you.
Was this site useful
to you? |
|
Register domain names at: |
||
|
The Internet Brothers have implemented hierarchical menus for navigation. Easier done than said. The hierarchical menus were created using Peter Belesis' © Dynomat DHTML scripting tool from Webreference. Give them a visit, you'll like what you learn.
|
The process of having
a publication printed is much more complicated than simply pushing the "print"
button on your computer. Printers — the men and women with the presses —
speak a language that is often confusing to publishing novices. Mistakes at this
end can cost hundreds of dollars, waste weeks of time and cause you incredible
headaches. At this point, you'll be glad you hired someone to do the job for
you.
It is often worth the
cost of hiring a professional photographer for your project. Remember, your
publication is a direct reflection of your business or organization. If it looks
amateurish, so do you.
Too many times a client
has handed me an advertisement or a graphic ripped from the newspaper and asked,
"Can you put this in the newsletter?" My answer, invariably, is,
"Yes, but you won't like it."
