What do you furnish your pressman ??

Started by impodave, January 16, 2012, 02:18:57 PM

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impodave

     What do you give your pressman to work from in the way of proofs -- Flat proofs of the press sheet to be printed, or in the case of booklets and/or folded pieces, a folded proof ?? Or both ??

     In an effort to head off issues that result in plate remakes, there is now a new 'policy' in effect here that no job goes to plate without a folded proof, no matter how simple the job may be.

     Though I've commented that a folded proof will not resolve all issues, the powers that be - a.k.a. The Boss and the 'Lead' Pressman - think it will.

     Comments, anyone???

     

       
<<<<<< Here's my Grandkids once again -- they're growing up way too fast !!    Fuji XMF V6.8.2 Complete, Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite, Epson 7900/EFI XF V4.0, Fuji Dart 4300E, Komori L528 5 color, Komori L429P 4 color,  Heidelberg PM46 2 color, Ricoh, Kyocera, Xante Impressia and a shop full of finishing stuff ...

DigiCorn

We furnish our pressman with a folded down proof, "color accurate." Actually our yellow is off slightly, but in all my years, this is about as dialed in as I've seen, and it works for us. We only have one or two overly whiney customers, and we make them do press checks.
"There's been a lot of research recently on how hard it is to dislodge an impression once it's been implanted in someone's mind. (This is why political attack ads don't have to be true to be effective. The other side can point out their inaccuracies, but the voter's mind privileges the memory of the original accusation, which was juicier than any counterargument ever could be.)"
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DigitalCrapShoveler

We do a low resolution folded digital blue-line, current with all known changes applied, as well as flat sheets in high resolution showing impose, mainly for color on press. The low res will be done to each sig in it's entirety with every round of corrections. It does save on costly mistakes.
Member #285 - Civilian

Ear

We do a digital blueline and Epson, Spectroproof Verified color proofs that go out to the press with the plates. In addition, all presses bring a press pull up to prepress and hand them out for us to look over. I have the receptionist check page sequence while the typesetter looks for technical glitches and I check for overall color and quality. With all 3 of us looking, it only takes a minute. Something wrong, I run to the pressroom and shut them down.
"... profile says he's a seven-foot tall ex-basketball pro, Hindu guru drag queen alien." ~Jet Black

David

All of our jobs go to the press room with a page numbered, trimmed & folded, 2 sided inkjet for pagination and content.
And also high res contract color proofs (epson or approvals), either from us or the client.  No exceptions.

When the press room is happy with a sheet, they bring it to us with the folded inkjet for us to verify. We will initial the press sheet and it all goes back to the press room.
Prepress guy - Retired - Working from home
Livin' la Vida Loca

Joe

Imposed PDF flats only. The pressman is the only one that checks the work on the press.
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impodave

Thanks. Now, let me add a few more facts to make this more interesting:

1) Our prepress staffs' familiarity of how things need to work together mechanically is practically non-existent. 

2) The only person with that knowledge (yours truly) has been moved to bindery and finishing, for the most part.

3) The two ladies who work on documents continue to get saddled with more and more stuff: Layouts for wide format work, actual operation of the digital press, walk-in customers, answering the phone, and their normal prepress work.

Maybe this should be in prepress rants ... :death:
<<<<<< Here's my Grandkids once again -- they're growing up way too fast !!    Fuji XMF V6.8.2 Complete, Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite, Epson 7900/EFI XF V4.0, Fuji Dart 4300E, Komori L528 5 color, Komori L429P 4 color,  Heidelberg PM46 2 color, Ricoh, Kyocera, Xante Impressia and a shop full of finishing stuff ...

Skryber

#7
We would provide 2 proofs that the customer would sign off on. Always a double proof. Not color accurate but good to check content and folds. Believe me, I've seen a job pass through 4 folder operator folded backwards. And there were page numbers! If there's no double proof, the bindery points fingers and I remember one time they tried to blame the pressman (Jerry) for running the job on a different guide. That was a hilarious day. After that on top of all his loads read "A FUCKING GUIDE" or "B FUCKING GUIDE" with a million arrows on the top sheet. Hahaha!

edit: The reason why this was so hilarious was because Jerry told me he didn't want the night guy entering jobs in Pecom because he always screwed up the guides and only I would get them right. So I purposely entered the wrong guide to be funny, and with an "I'll show you" attitude, he ran it in the opposite guide. Which was no big deal bc he did mark the loads. So it all trailed down to me being a smart ass.  :lmao:

The other proof was a color proof and only if the customer requested that it was color critical. Our old final proofer would replicate the dots that you would see on our press. I loved that monster. We sold it to G_Tone's peeps.
Rampage 11.1 • Preps 5.32 • Fuji Film Sabre P-9600 CTP Platesetter with inline FLP 1260 processor • Rampage •  ManRoland PECOM using CIP3 data • HP DesignJet 5500 42" 6/C • Epson Stylus Pro 9880 • Xerox Docucolor 8000 with Fiery • Mutoh ValueJet 1604 • Océ Arizona 250 GT • Océ Arizona 365 GT • Onyx Production House/THRIVE • ManRoland 700 5/c + coat and 2/3 perfect • and a coupla' Heidelbergs and other stuff

Ear

This sounds like the perfect time to prove your point/get what you want by letting others fail. I'm not condoning causing others to fail, but sometimes, those of us who know how it all works are taken for granted and taken advantage of. It is possible to be too helpful.
"... profile says he's a seven-foot tall ex-basketball pro, Hindu guru drag queen alien." ~Jet Black

Skryber

When we starting going down the tubes, no one gave a shit except me. I used to get so mad. I was so meticulous about proofs and plates. Why am I walking into the pressroom, see the press running and no pressman? He's outside smoking. Or he would be there pulling sheets and I can see a smash in the sheet from 4 feet away. Oh, you ran the entire job that way and you're on the second side of a work and turn?  That guy was nothing but a hack. And he didn't know how to enter Pecom. Bossman didn't want to do anything about it so that's when I stopped giving a shit in that place. And then we went boom boom.
Rampage 11.1 • Preps 5.32 • Fuji Film Sabre P-9600 CTP Platesetter with inline FLP 1260 processor • Rampage •  ManRoland PECOM using CIP3 data • HP DesignJet 5500 42" 6/C • Epson Stylus Pro 9880 • Xerox Docucolor 8000 with Fiery • Mutoh ValueJet 1604 • Océ Arizona 250 GT • Océ Arizona 365 GT • Onyx Production House/THRIVE • ManRoland 700 5/c + coat and 2/3 perfect • and a coupla' Heidelbergs and other stuff

impodave

Ear -- Message received.

 I have thought of doing just that, but I guess I hate to see work get trashed when it doesn't have to, or see it take three times longer than it needs to passing through finishing. 

On the other hand, what have they done for me lately ??  That's another long story for Rants ....
 
Skryber -- sounds like an interesting place to work....    :laugh:
<<<<<< Here's my Grandkids once again -- they're growing up way too fast !!    Fuji XMF V6.8.2 Complete, Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite, Epson 7900/EFI XF V4.0, Fuji Dart 4300E, Komori L528 5 color, Komori L429P 4 color,  Heidelberg PM46 2 color, Ricoh, Kyocera, Xante Impressia and a shop full of finishing stuff ...

Skryber

Quote from: impodave on January 16, 2012, 03:06:12 PMEar -- Message received.

 I have thought of doing just that, but I guess I hate to see work get trashed when it doesn't have to, or see it take three times longer than it needs to passing through finishing. 

On the other hand, what have they done for me lately ??  That's another long story for Rants ....
 
Skryber -- sounds like an interesting place to work....    :laugh:

You have no idea. I used to be a lot of fun until shit hit the fan.
Rampage 11.1 • Preps 5.32 • Fuji Film Sabre P-9600 CTP Platesetter with inline FLP 1260 processor • Rampage •  ManRoland PECOM using CIP3 data • HP DesignJet 5500 42" 6/C • Epson Stylus Pro 9880 • Xerox Docucolor 8000 with Fiery • Mutoh ValueJet 1604 • Océ Arizona 250 GT • Océ Arizona 365 GT • Onyx Production House/THRIVE • ManRoland 700 5/c + coat and 2/3 perfect • and a coupla' Heidelbergs and other stuff

Ear

I hear ya man. I feel the same and in reality, I won't let things get messed up when I can help it. I recently had to prove a similar thing. Took three vacation days and was caught up before I left, I made sure of it. Day one, took a couple of stressy coworker calls. Day two, spent 3+ hours on the phone, trying to help them through rudimentary shit, that they have been trained on. Day three, said screw it and didn't answer my phone. Came back to crying boss and clients. Hey, man... one person literally can't do it all. And if you try, you will be harassed and/or hated when you can't.
"... profile says he's a seven-foot tall ex-basketball pro, Hindu guru drag queen alien." ~Jet Black

impodave

Skryber -- I'm on the same page as you were.

1) Our lease is up in 31 months.

2) The landlord is my boss' ex-partner, whom he fired 8 years ago.  NO WAY we're going to be allowed to stay here.  It's all about territory, not practicality.
 
3) The lead pressman is the 'Golden Boy'.  Ironically, he has so much faith in this outfit, that he now works three day shifts at nearby Walmart Distribution. He does whatever he wants -- whenever he wants.  Doesn't matter who's feelings he hurts or who's toes he steps on.
This is the person that the boss was going to fire last spring because of his attitude and mouth, but lacked the balls to do it.

4) My boss will be 60 when the lease is up.

5) Haven't had a raise in over 5 years, our fringe has been cut significantly, no other printing opportunities around here, my wife has a good teaching job, and my house is paid for.

6) Ear -- I like the way you think, but it would be a struggle for this minion with OCD  to stand back and let it happen .....   :grin:




4)
<<<<<< Here's my Grandkids once again -- they're growing up way too fast !!    Fuji XMF V6.8.2 Complete, Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite, Epson 7900/EFI XF V4.0, Fuji Dart 4300E, Komori L528 5 color, Komori L429P 4 color,  Heidelberg PM46 2 color, Ricoh, Kyocera, Xante Impressia and a shop full of finishing stuff ...

impodave

I've had to talk them through imposing a 150 page perfect bound from literally 1000 miles away in a campground -- took 30 minutes :grin:
<<<<<< Here's my Grandkids once again -- they're growing up way too fast !!    Fuji XMF V6.8.2 Complete, Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite, Epson 7900/EFI XF V4.0, Fuji Dart 4300E, Komori L528 5 color, Komori L429P 4 color,  Heidelberg PM46 2 color, Ricoh, Kyocera, Xante Impressia and a shop full of finishing stuff ...