With the digital revolution, magazine, book and newspaper production has been made more accessible. Major parts of it can moved from production offices (which have complicated, sometimes dangerous equipment) to your kitchen table. Previously highly specialized professions, such as typesetters, have disappeared completely and professionals-only software has been replaced by easy access programs at a 10th of the cost. One thing has stayed the same, however: The success of the product is still depends on the creative capabilities of the producers.
Instructions
Designing the Magazine
1. Phoning the printer before you start is essential.
Contact a printing company and agree upon a delivery date for your material. This should be done 14 to 30 days before the expected printing date, depending on the number of pages in the magazine. Specify the software you use, the size of the magazine (format and pages) and the delivery method. Also mention if you require gloss or any particular paper as the printer will have to order the materials in advance.
2. Calibrate your printer to avoid disappointment.
Make sure that your monitor is calibrated to Pantone standards, which means that the color shown on screen is as close as possible to the color shown on the corresponding Pantone swatch. This guarantees that the printed pages will have the same shades and variations as seen on the monitor. Create your design in InDesign by setting up a grid for each page, defining fonts and assigning text and picture fields and advertisement space. Decide where to place page numbers.
3. Proofread the text files you wish to use, then insert them into the assigned text field in the Indesign document. If a text proves too long for the page, edit it by deleting words and sections, or remove photo fields or advertisement space on the same page. If the text turns out to be too short, add photo fields or advertisement space.
4. Choose CMYK in your Photoshop, settings and treat your photos one by one. Crop the pictures to size and retouch flairs. Pictures meant for printing must have a resolution of minimum 300 dpi to avoid pixelation. Do the same with your advertisement files, and insert photos and ads into their assigned picture and ad fields in your InDesign document.
5. Adjust text, photos and advertisements and make sure that no extra pages have been created through extensive text or oversize photos. Print out pages on desktop printer and proofread. Please note that the colors on a desktop printer will always differ from the colors on your screen. The printer is not meant for commercial print and will not mix the ink as conscientiously as a professional offset printing machine. Make corrections, print out a second time and proofread. Assemble for transfer to the printer after final corrections.
6. Save the entire document as an InDesign file. Create PDF files of every page and place them in a folder named "PDF." Assemble all fonts you have used in the document, advertisements included, and transfer them into a folder titled "Fonts." Create a "Cover" folder and include your front and back cover files, and a document for the spine if the magazine is going to be thick. Make a folder for each page and include the text, pictures and advertisements. Send to printer by either DVD, FTP or ISDN.
At the Printer
7. The printer will look at the PDF files to see what the pages are supposed to look like. He then will open the InDesign document, which will assemble all components from each folder automatically. The document together with all folders will then be sent to a pre-press station, where a proof will be created. A proof is a cheap version of the magazine, usually prepared on an inkjet printer on low-quality paper. The proof will be sent to you for approval.
8. The proof usually arrives a few hours after the printer has confirmed receipt of the folders. Check it immediately for mistakes and inform the printer of changes. Send missing pictures, fonts or text corrections at once to the printer and return the proof.
9. The document then will be forwarded to either plate setting or the operations console, where the fonts, text and the color profiles embedded in the magazine document will be transferred to the press that will print the information on paper. Once printed, the paper will be placed in a post-press machine for drying. It then will be cut according to the format specified, sorted in page order and either laminated/glued to the spine, or stapled. The magazines then will be sent to either you, or a distributor.
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