posted
Sometimes I want to send a proof electronically and wonder what is the best way to do it? I want something that is not editable, has decent resolution, and is not a huge file. I remember sending PDF's, and finding them large, but can't remember how to do it. What are some of the procedures you do?
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6732 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
PDF files do not make a file large it is what you put into the PDF file that makes it large. That being said for the most part PDF files are safe most people do not now how to do anything beyond view them. But if you want them to be safe you need to use Adobe acrobat and use the security settings. I also recommend you not use vector drawings because without security setting turned on CorelDraw will import them straight in. So now that leaves you with converting you proofs to JPEG's or PNG's and making them the size you feel is good enough to show the detail but not so big that it makes large files.
-------------------- Steve Eisenreich Dezine Signs PO BOX 6052 Stn Forces Cold Lake, Alberta T9M 2C5 Posts: 774 | From: Cold Lake | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Rick..I usually send the proofs in JPG format at 100 DPI..
I have seen a couple of printouts that the customers have printed from those e-mailed JPGs and they are quite acceptable for viewing. But couldn't be easily be "pirated" by another shop without having to do the same amount of work I did in the first place.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
I do it simply as well, sort of like Dave. I design it, unselect it, hit shift printscreen, open it in photoshop and save it as a jpg. Then I insert it as a picture into the email for viewing only, not as an attachment. Has never presented a problem, and the customer has an immediate visual with no work to do.
-------------------- Myra A. Grozinger Signs Limited Winston-Salem, NC
signslimited@triad.rr.com Posts: 1244 | From: Winston-Salem, NC USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Simple: In Corel hit F9 key to show image enlarged. Hit print screen. Go to your email and Ctr-V cut and paste it into your email. Works great and takes seconds. I do it daily.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
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Rick, I happen to use Adobe Illustrator, and that allows you to save a file as an uneditible PDF, directly within the application.
Acrobat is an advanced level application that allows you to generate and distill PDF's with various settings and functions that allow editing, security functions and attributes that are sometimes needed in the transfer of high resolition graphic files to service providers, such as printers and digital imaging places.
-------------------- Curt Stenz Graphics 700 Squirrel Lane Marathon, WI 54448 Posts: 593 | From: Marathon, WI 54448 | Registered: Dec 1998
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I typically create the file as a jpg. It's the most common file format in use online and doesn't require the customer to have to download the Acrobat reader. Using Corel photopaint and it's transparency tools, I paste a circled "C" and my company name over the design so it looks like a ghost image. They can clearly see the design, but get the copyright message clearly as well.
It is editable, but anyone who would choose to do it is going to find it time consuming (16 letters with serifs)and costly since it's a deliberate act to circumvent the copyright.
Once the design is finished, Corel's document information will show when the artwork was created. Should someone try to edit the design, you can produce the file to prove it was an alteration of your original work by the time stamp.
Hope this helps... Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Thank you, Bob Stephens! We had always done the export as a .jpg file attachment and your method is so much FASTER! It's amazing what we learn here!~
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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posted
Both Illustrator and Photoshop have a "Save for web" option. I usually do a quick 20% size reduction after saving my original and than the save for web option. Two quick steps.
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1357 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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quote:Originally posted by Bob Stephens: Simple: In Corel hit F9 key to show image enlarged. Hit print screen. Go to your email and Ctr-V cut and paste it into your email. Works great and takes seconds. I do it daily.
BOB
I tried your technique but I was not able to paste into email. my paste option was not 'lit up'. any ideas? I use outlook express for mail.
TIA
-------------------- Jerry VanHorn, Pres. Pure Sports Designs, LLC Pro Sign Design / United Wholesale Signs www.prosigndesign.comwww.unitedwholesalesigns.com West Liberty, OH 937-465-0595 866-942-3990 Since 1990 Posts: 925 | From: West :Liberty, OH | Registered: May 2004
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I tried your technique but I was not able to paste into email. my paste option was not 'lit up'. any ideas? I use outlook express for mail." --------------------------- Bob's method is pretty quick, huh? Alternatively, you open that screen-shot in Photo-Paint, reduce to the size you want, and save-as .jpg. Then INSERT the .jpg into a Rich Text e-mail in Outlook Express.
-------------------- Bruce Williams Lexington KY Posts: 945 | From: Lexington, KY, USA | Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Bruce Williams: "Bob's method is pretty quick, huh? Alternatively, you open that screen-shot in Photo-Paint, reduce to the size you want, and save-as .jpg. Then INSERT the .jpg into a Rich Text e-mail in Outlook Express.
thats basically the way I have been doing it. thanks
-------------------- Jerry VanHorn, Pres. Pure Sports Designs, LLC Pro Sign Design / United Wholesale Signs www.prosigndesign.comwww.unitedwholesalesigns.com West Liberty, OH 937-465-0595 866-942-3990 Since 1990 Posts: 925 | From: West :Liberty, OH | Registered: May 2004
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posted
I used to use jpgs but it was too unpredictable as to how or what program they'll be viewed in by the client. I have switched to pdf as this is becoming the standard for internet document delivery and although I'm not an Adobe fan I find it very robust, especially Acrobat Pro 6.0. I would never go back to jpeg now.
You just print your file from any program and select the Adobe PDF printer driver and your file is created. You have control over size/quality and security settings. I have a link to the free Acrobat Reader download in the signature area of my e-mail messages for anyone receiving the file who doesn't have Acrobat Reader. Although Reader is now about as common as having a web browser.
I find when I'm dealing with ad agencies or larger companies they want pdfs.
PDF also supports soft proofing for colour management.
posted
I always send email proofs, much nicer to send them in color than to fax them over. I typically save them as 72dpi jpgs, ftp them to my website server, and just email a link, such as
posted
I guess we like to complicate things here We normally don't send proofs via email or any other way for that matter. We direct our clients to our web site where the file can be viewed with just about any browser. We use proof codes which are related to the client job number to keep track of things. If you want to check it out, click here. you can enter the proof code 1000 to see how it works.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'm so bad. I still make the customer come to me. I've never emailed a sketch and I doubt I ever will. I have faxed a sketch on occasion. I just think that it is a pain in the butt to email customers. I like to keep it personal. Love...Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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I used Bob's method yesterday. Thanks, Bob! Worked beautiful and the client e-mailed back her acceptance this morning. I like how there are bounding boxes that come up and you can size it on the message screen.
Before that we always sent them as JPG attachments at 72dpi. This method is quicker.
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2107 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Bob & Bill, I can't get that to work. What's the trick? The Print Screen capture works fine - I can paste it into other programs; but, Paste isn't an option in email. I tried it on both our Win98 and XP systems. We're using Outlook Express. Any thoughts on why CTRL-V or Paste won't work?
posted
Thanks Elaine, but that's not it. I even entered some text to get things going. I can cut/paste text from, say, a Wordperfect document, but I can't paste an image. I even pasted the Print Screen image into Wordperect and then tried to cut and paste from there, but Outlook Express would not take it.
I've looked at all the options that might affect it, but I haven't found anything yet.
You need Adobe Acrobat (not just Acrobat Reader). Then you can create pdf files from any program just by printing to the Adobe PDF print driver. I realize it is an extra expense but it has saved me a lot of time and headaches as well as being preceived as a more professional way of proofing. I use it so often now that I have changed my default printer from the laser printer to the pdf print driver.
I even send about 50% (and growing)of our invoices to customers this way. There is less paper and the client's accounting dept. receives the invoice immediately.
Using pdf also ensures that when the client prints out a proof, as most of them will do, it will print out properly on an 8.5"x11" sheet or what ever you set it up on.
It's very easy to set up once you have the program.
Hope this helps.
[ June 13, 2004, 10:43 AM: Message edited by: Brian W ]
posted
Hiya Gene, To be honest, I'm not quite sure how it's done. We basically tell our web host what we want to do and they make it happen. For proofing, I log into the admin part of our site. From there I browse to the local file on my hard drive or network. From there, I assign a proof code and hit enter. The file is uploaded and deposited into a directory and it's ready for the client to view. I know that our provider is hammer.net, and I believe they use cold fusion.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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