Great Tips For Building Efficient Layouts

If you’re a freelance graphic artist, there have most likely been times when you’ve had to load up the files of the layout you’ve created for your client and sent them to the printer. And most likely there have been times when the printer has called and told you the files weren’t built correctly.

If you’ve ever working in a agency, you’ve probably designed a layout and then handed it off to a production artist to make it production ready. But if you’re freelance, you’re the designer AND the production artist. Making efficient mechanicals will help you save time and money.

 

 

INFORMATION:

 

When I start on a job I try to get as much information as I can from the client or production manager. Information such as size, how many colors, and budget may sound like obvious things to know, but you’d be surprised how often great concepts are nixed because the designer wasn’t told pertinent information when the project started. It is best to find out your design limitations before the project is started.

Sometimes the client will give you these limitations, but then tell you that if you have a really great idea that goes beyond those limitations then go ahead and go for it. Just be prepared to have that great idea nixed and consider it an exercise in stretching your design muscle.

 

These limitations help you most in the final art. The size of a layout being the most important and how many colors to use being the most important. So get that information in writing or email from the client and be sure to double check the size of your layout when working on it.

 

 

EFFICIENT FILE STRUCTURE:

 

When I start on a project I have three components: An Illustrator file, a .psd file and a jpeg.

The Illustrator file is where I have the crop marks and text of the layout.

 

The .psd file is the image file with layers for editing. The resolution of this file should be the resolution needed for printing, which is usually 300dpi. It should be kept in layers and remember to save often while working on it. Make sure you never flatten this file, as it is your working file and be sure it is in CMYK. Sometimes printing houses charge extra to convert RGB files to CMYK. And if someone forgets to change the color, the color proof can sometimes be very off.

 

The jpeg is the low-resolution image of the flattened .psd file that is placed in the Illustrator layout. The resolution of this file should be 72dpi, sometimes 100dpi, depending on the size of the layout. But this is only used during the creation of the layout. The reason to set this file to a lower resolution is for the efficiency when updating the file in the Illustrator layout.

 

A higher resolution file takes longer to import or update in the layout than a lower resolution file. And even though computers nowadays have faster coprocessors, no one likes to sit waiting for that rainbow wheel to spin while the layout updates your image. A smaller file also takes less time to print out on your home or office computer.

 

When the layout is approved and ready go to print, then save the jpeg as high-resolution file and place it into your document. For safety purposes, so as not to place that image into the layout or load it on the disk, add the resolution setting to the end of the jpeg file name, such as “image_300dpi.jpeg”. There are times when you might need to name the high-resolution jpeg the same as the low-resolution jpeg, and I explain that here.

 

 

LINK YOUR IMAGES:

 

When placing an image in Illustrator always link to the image. That way when you make changes to the image, it will automatically update. Once the layout is approved and ready to go to the printer, then you save the image as a higher resolution file and make sure your Illustrator layout updates the new image.

Sometimes printing houses will need the Illustrator file with the image embedded in the file and if you come across that, well, that is what you will need to do.

 

 

SELECT THE CORRECT COLOR MODE:

 

When creating a new Illustrator file to work in, make sure it is set in the correct color mode you will need when going to print. And that is usually CMYK. Make sure you do this when you first create your document, as changing it from RGB to CMYK after you have your layout created could change the colors drastically.

If you’re working on a project that has more than one page, you might be working in InDesign. Recently I worked on a menu design, created each page in Illustrator and imported them into InDesign. Even if you decided to create your project in InDesign I would still apply my principles above to insure that your time spent waiting for your computer to update files is short.

 

Though some of these tips are basic, I hope that they help you keep your work flow moving smoothly.