Custom Packaging: What Is Prepress?
What is Prepress?
Prepress is an essential part of the process which happens after we receive your artwork, before your order enters our production queue. During prepress, our experts ensure everything is correctly mounted to the structural dieline and confirm that your artwork is print-ready. Here are the steps of this process:
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For new projects, we’ll provide a structural dieline for your artwork to be mounted on.
If you already have a dieline, we’ll provide an exact spec matched dieline in the file format our machinery requires.
The dieline notes where any folds, bleed lines and cutouts will be, so you or your graphic designer knows how and where to place your images and text.
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Once you have your dieline, you or your graphic designer can mount your artwork or design to your dieline. We’ll need these proofs at the time of order.
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Once we receive your art proofs, our prepress team will prepare it for print. We’ll work with you to make any minor adjustments to prepare the file for print.
Here are some common issues we catch in Pre-press:
Low image quality
Designs or images that may need to be optimized for different print options.
File compatibility issues
We will provide a pre-pressed proof for your approval once this process is complete.
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After you receive your final, Pre-Pressed proofs via email, you’ll want to spend some time making sure they are just right.
Your pre-pressed proof acts as an agreement between you and Givr confirming the design and specifications of your item are exactly as you want them before going to production. Please review them with a high level of scrutiny before approving or suggesting adjustments.
You can learn more about our final proof approval process here.
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With artwork prepressed and finalized, your order will enter our print queue.
This is when your lead time begins.
How Long Does Prepress Take?
Typically this process takes 3-5 business days, depending on the complexity of your project. For example, if your project has multiple print versions, prepress will take longer than it would for a single SKU.
If your team needs to make extensive changes to your proof, we will have to repeat the prepress process again after those changes are made. Trust us - taking the time now to make sure your files are ready will save time and trouble later in the process.
How Much Does Prepress Cost?
We don’t charge for standard prepress, so this expert file preparation comes at no cost to you! However, if your submitted proof does not meet our file guidelines, our team can make some minor adjustments for you. For anything outside of standard file preparation we charge a flat rate fee of $350 per file.
Additionally, our team cannot update images, your nutritional copy, or any disclaimers.
How Do I Review My Prepressed Proofs?
The image below on the left is artwork we received from a customer, and the right is the prepressed final proof. Can you spot the difference?
In most cases, our prepress team will not need to make any visible changes to the art file. So your final, prepressed proof should look just how it did when you sent it to us. However, if any visible adjustments were necessary we’ll let you know what changes were made when we send you the proof for approval.
With your approval, your proof is ready to send to the presses!
