Digital Prepress – Simplifying the Workflow for Publishers

In digital processing, the electronic outputs are usually in the form of PDFs or application files with different file sizes and file types, which may impact the effectiveness of the digital prepress, and therefore, it is prudent to utilize a trained prepress technician to provide competent results, quickly and efficiently.

The digital prepress processes

The digital prepress process usually starts immediately after the word manuscripts are submitted to the prepress company. Let us have a look at the processes that follow.

1. Copyediting: This is to ensure consistency in the written work, making sure the content is fair and sensible, and refining the content without altering the original intent. This process also includes formatting the content to publisher’s house style using customized publisher-specific automation tools and services offered by clients. Know more about Copyediting. 
2. Typesetting: This involves creating a proof, that is, designing a layout using one of the leading design applications, for example, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, ArborText (3B2), to name a few. The correction cycle includes image retouching, for which Adobe Photoshop is the leading application. Also read, what is typesetting and why it is important. 
3. Proofreading: This is the penultimate step taken before a document is published. Formatting and typographical errors are checked. This step also ensures the document adheres to the design/layout style guide. Here are the top tips on proofreading. 
4. Digital structuring of the content: The last step is to structure the text for final display. This is done using Markup language, which is a means to give instructions about the layout of how the text of the document or book will be displayed.
5. Pre-flighting: Before finished pages go through the remaining processes, a validation is done to check whether all the data meet the necessary printer requirements.
6. Creating high-quality print files: This is the process of creating a high-resolution PDF that meets all the specifications to produce a high-quality print.
7. Digital prepress checklist: The sequence of procedures followed in a digital prepress collectively constitutes a workflow. Each workflow process is unique with the preferred use of technologies. Whatever the workflow is, the bottom line is that each and every step of the process has to be carefully managed, which requires collective participation and coordination from each of the digital prepress processes mentioned.