Layout duties

[pape -at- ecoroll -dot- de]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Eric Bolton" <ERICB -at- marvin -dot- com
1. Hand off to composition.
2. Receive from composition (hard copy), mark up mistakes and hand off to
composition.
3. Receive from composition; correct mistakes again, make additional changes
as a result of SME input.
4. Receive from composition, correct changes made without my request,
frequently a cut and paste error only without the "paste".
5. Receive from composition, again, upon approval request to convert to PDF
(I don't have Adobe Acrobat) so that I can send to a committee for formal
approval.

You can probably sense my frustration with this process. Which begs the
question, why can't we just do the composition and layout ourselves, like
most
technical writers do?! I'm certainly able.  I have a bachelor's degree and
have
as much formal training with the publishing software as our composition
people
(none).

Hello,

I have a similar layout problem. However, my frustration is with our
contracted printing service, not with the approval process. Because I'm
relatively new to the document producing game I don't have much experience
dealing with printers (is that the correct term for the profession?). I am
responsible for document layout and I produce what I think are print-ready
PDF files and supply them to our printer. I have recently discovered that
the composition folks at the print shop deconstruct the PDF files and
reassemble the data in QuarkXpress, which explains why sometimes the printed
documents do not resemble my original PDFs

Can anyone tell me why a printer would not use a print ready PDF file? Or on
a more general level, can anyone advise me as to what information a printer
needs from me so that s/he can produce the documents as I have already laid
them out? Also, what should I expect from the printer in terms of a proof
document?

I guess what I really need is a firm tutorial in writer-printer relations,
or how the printing process works. Are there any good resources anyone can
recommend?

Thanks!

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Paula Pape
Redaktion/Marketing
ECOROLL AG
Werkzeugtechnik
Hans-Heinrich-Warnke-Str. 8
29227 Celle

Tel.: +49-(0)5141-98-65-35
Fax.:+49-(0)5141-881440

E-Mail: pape -at- ecoroll -dot- de
Homepage: www.ecoroll.de
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