Helpful Hints
When you choose to work with us, we will support your endeavours to raise communications standards. We aim to provide the very best value publishing service available anywhere in the world.
Please read or download these useful Helpful Hints before you embark on your publishing or communications project. You may well save time, money and hassle if you do.
To register for our free Monthly Media Memo, regular special offers and helpful advice click here
Helpful pre-publication hints General
Once your publication has been approved in principle and a required deadline and budget is set, you should meet us as soon as possible. The objectives would be to set up a sensible schedule, and to put lines of communication into place. We would like to get to know exactly the market you are aiming for so we can make relevant suggestions. Our responsibility is to help you achieve this without going over your budget. If we are involved in the editorial creation of the publication, a detailed editorial brief would need to be taken. Also, we would like to agree the following:
Physical appearance of the publication. We will show you various styles (see Designs) and help you achieve the most appropriate design. A visual will then be created and presented to you to help evolve the publication to your satisfaction.
Decide on trimmed size (i.e. A4, A3, etc.)
Paper type (i.e. Silk, Art, Matt) and weight.
Binding (i.e. stitched with two wires, perfect bound)
Special finishes (U.V. Varnishing, lamination etc.)
The extent of the publication i.e. number of pages
Acknowledgements, credits, contents
Illustrations and Photography
If we are producing the illustrations or photography for the publication, we would need to get a clear idea of your aims and objectives and to ensure that the work we produce is in line with both budget and editorial requirements.
We are specialists at creating magazine, newsletter and internet photography. A photographer may be involved at the initial meeting with the Author and Publisher to discuss the best approach for the publication, to advise on the best format and to help devise the overall schedule.
For colour repro, best results are obtained from transparencies. Recommended formats are 6x6cm 6x7 cm (or 4x5 inches). The larger the final image size, the better the result will be. 35mm is not generally recommended for publication over a certain size but good results can be obtained in certain circumstances. We will of course advise you on the suitability of prints you supply and can retake photographs as and when you require them for a pre-agreed sum. Please ensure that you provide captions with each picture. Colour prints should only be used for publication where no other images are available. For black and white and half tone reproduction, gloss prints produce the best result and these should be requested if new prints are being made.
Setting the print run
It is important to consider very carefully the print run you set. Getting the balance right can be tricky if there is no precident. Generally, it is as well to order a small number more than you may require. However, help will be given to identify the total you need based on our experience. Alterations to print run can be made almost at the last minute. The higher the print run, the cheaper the unit cost becomes.
Saving costs
Our responsibility is to ensure that your communications and publishing budget is wisely spent. Therefore, any text we intend to use text should be approved by the highest authority before design work commences. This will help to avoid costly author’s corrections which may also delay the publication.
Printing
The cost difference between four colour and mono or two colour work is narrowing due to the efficiency of 4 colour repro and printing machines. It is always worthwhile asking for a quote for a four colour publication even if it is just to see what the difference is. Colour, used well, helps to get your point across much more effectively.
Extent
Remember that it is not generally possible to increase the size of your publication in 1, 2 or 3 pages. A minimum of 4 pages is required to be added or subtracted to the extent you require. It is always best to budget by rounding up the number of pages to the nearest configuration of 4. Minor adjustments to length of the publication can be achieved by adjusting illustration size, spacing, type size. The ideal size of the publication can be accurately determined once we have seen the manuscript. Speak to us about creating the right environment for your message and we will advise on optimum page numbers. (e.g. 16 pages on a web printing press can be cheaper than 12 pages, so ask us before you decide!)
Paper
There is a huge variety of papers available in different finishes and sheet sizes. Addax Media will help you to select the appropriate paper to achieve your objectives within your budget range. We will gladly send you a paper sample and a made up page dummy to help you get a ‘feel’ of the proposed publication. All of our prices are correct at the time of going to press, and, all paper price increases will be advised to you at the time, if appropriate, before publication commences.
Binding and Finishing
Most publications are saddle-stitched with two staples. Perfect binding is more expensive but gives a superior finish and feel to the publication and normally works well only over 32 pages of quite heavy stock. A 5mm spine is normally required for perfect binding. Everything over 60 pages is not recommended for saddle-stitching unless the paper weight is light enough to warrant it.
It is cheaper to machine or U.V. gloss varnish outer covers than it is to laminate them. Lamination, however, is more durable and visually attractive. We would be happy to send you samples of both versions for you to consider.
Scheduling
If your publication must be delivered by a certain date, sufficient time should be allowed for in the schedule. It is often the case that if a printing slot which has been agreed with us is missed, expensive overtime working can occur. You will need to allow enough time to look at the proofs and approve the cromalins, (colour proofs) which are essential for trouble free printing.
If required, we can “fast track” your publication with 24 hour studio working. A 64 page publication can be produced in 10 days if needed. Clearly, this will be more expensive and requires a great deal of additional effort, but it is achievable. One late incomplete item is enough to throw out the whole schedule. It is our responsibility to let you know that there is a delay and to suggest a remedy.
Hints for preparation if you are providing editorial
Your publication will be prepared by our designers on the latest Apple Macintosh computers, using Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop software. You need to save your text as an ASCii file for converting on to our Apple Macs. A print out of your manuscript should be sent with the disk to enable us to compare the two. It is best to mark up on the print out what needs to be bold, headings, caps, etc. Text should be typed preferably in a sans serif typeface with the following points to be observed:
No underlining
No italics
No tabs
No ‘All caps’ words
Only one space should be left between full stop and the beginning of a new sentence.
Prioritising
If articles have a priority order, tell us what they are. We will help create a ‘flat-plan’ (a grid which shows what goes on what page) to help the designer create your publication accurately.
Getting the text to us
Three and a half inch (floppy) disks, ZIP or JAZ discs are required and the text contained there on should be final, edited, corrected and approved by the appropriate authority. Text may be e-mailed, observing the above points, to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Proof corrections
These will be supplied to you within the agreed schedule and an Urgent Proofing sheet will indicate return dates and whether author’s corrections apply. It is critical that corrections are clearly marked up in red and returned to us by the due dates. Text changes to your publication before reproduction (i.e. creation of film and colour proofs) will attract author’s correction charges. Colour cromalins are not normally used to correct text and should be changed only if a significant problem occurs. Alteration at this stage is costly and may cause delays.
General advice
We see our role as your communications partners. We can offer a wide range of advice and support to enhance your communications. It is often a good idea to get us involved fairly early in the publishing process. This advice is not a chargeable item, as we see it as part of a partnership and part of a long-term relationship.
You are reading Helpful Hints articles
Hot News
Newsletter
Exch.Rates
| Currency | Rate |
|---|---|
| USD | 1.3230 |
| JPY | 106.2200 |
| GBP | 0.8442 |
| ZAR | 10.2085 |