Everyone today is offering cheap four-color printing online.

It can be tempting for designers and clients to want to go for the lowest possible price advertised. But be careful, often the prices quoted online are not complete quotes—you can end up spending a lot more on a project for proofs, folding, shrink wrapping and other details you assume will be included—which are not.

Calibrated proofs versus PDF or simple inkjet proofs

Make sure the color proof you receive is representational of the project. Some printers provide a "digital" proof, generally an ink jet proof that may or may not be calibrated to their presses. If your project has critical color or you client insists on a proof that will be used by the pressmen to match to, make sure the proof you receive to sign off on is a quality proof.

Some budget online printers offer "soft proofs" which are merely PDF proofs. While this approach can work well, everyone involved in the approval process has to have their monitor calibrated so that everyone is seeing the same thing and can truly compare apples to apples. If your computer monitor is not calibrated and you approve a PDF proof, the actual printed material will look different.

Some printers force you to go through their special file submission process, so the printer's pre-press system is actually able to check your files automatically and make sure they are compatible with their plate system. While a bit more time-consuming to the designer and sometimes requiring the downloading of "client" software, this approach can alert the designer of any problems before you go to press.

Making changes

It happens to all of us—something slips through the cracks and a mistake is found just before a project is scheduled to hit the press.

Even after a client has signed off on a design project and released the files to the printer, the proof comes back a few days later from the printer and either a mistake needs to be corrected or something needs to be changed. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking.

If you send your printer a PDF file to proof and plate from, and the client makes changes to the printer's proof, you will need to go back to your original files, make the changes and submit new PDF files to your printer.

Most printers will not charge for submitting a second file and creating a second proof, but many do. Be sure you date the new files or rename the revised file entirely, so there will be no confusion between the old files and the new files. I have experienced the having brochures delivered with old information, but fortunately I could prove I sent updated files to my printer.

Luckily, I had sent the updated file via e-mail and had changed the file name to reflect the fact it was the latest version. The printer admitted they made the error and they reprinted the brochure project at their expense, but having a clear paper trail made this a painless process for me and for my client.

If the client requests a change that the printer will make to the pre-press files, make sure your client is aware of any additional charges involved. Clients have a way of remembering the exact amount they were quoted for printing and assume the price is all-inclusive.