Getting your files print-ready shouldn't feel like solving a puzzle. Our prepress support takes the technical headaches out of book production, making sure your files are optimised and ready to print with us beautifully every single time. We catch potential issues before they become problems to help you fine-tune everything from printing to finishing, so your book looks exactly as you intended when it rolls off the press. We know that not everyone speaks "print tech", and that's perfectly fine.

Our prepress service is there for all FolioFox printing clients, to help translate your creative vision into the technical requirements of professional printing. This service is complimentary and available for all onboarding clients printing their books with us. We're here to make sure that your files are ready for print, whether they'll require you to make minor tweaks or if you need a referral to a professional to help you make some major overhauls. We're proud to leverage an extensive network of Australian design and publishing professionals with years of experience, who are availabel to help our printing clients get their work ready to print.

Prepress Support

Ways We Provide Prepress Support

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File Review and Optimisation

Before sending your work to print, we always check your files for print readiness, inform you of any common issues like incorrect bleeds or low resolution images, so that your file can be optimised for the best possible print quality.

Colour Management

All files heading to print need to be in a print-ready profile, but if needed, we can convert your files to the right colour profiles in our pre-flighting process. You'll be able to review these colour changes for print consistency in a digital proof, to make sure that what you see on screen matches what comes off the press.

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Print & Cover Designer Matching Service

We can connect you with freelance designers, editors, typesetters and other professionals who specialise in print and book projects, and can understand your specific needs, budget, and timeline. We collaborate with skilled professionals who cater to diverse styles and budgets, providing support with cover design, layout/formatting optimisation, typography, and more to elevate your print project.

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Proofing and Quality Control

Before anything is printed, our team creates and awaits approval on a digital PDF proof or physical (unbound or bound) proofs sent to you for review. These proofs give you a chance to verify the file we're going to print and provide detailed feedback on any concerns, so that we're sure that all the elements in the file are as expected and ready for production.

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Technical Consultation

We’re here to answer questions about print specifications, share best practice tips and recommendations for your type of book, and provide guidance throughout the process to elevate your work in print.

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What file formats do you work with for prepress?

We primarily work with PDFs, but can also accept InDesign files, Word documents, and other common formats. All files need to be converted to print-ready PDFs before going to print, which you can more about in our print-ready guide here.

Can you fix files that were designed by someone else?

That depends on the issue. We're able to troubleshoot and fix minor, common issues for a file to be print-ready, however, we generally don't make any changes to the actual artwork. Design and artwork changes are complex fixes that require the original or a matched designer.

How much does prepress support cost?

We pride ourselves on being not just any printer, but your partner in print, therefore all our prepress support services are complimentary for commercial book printing customers. We don't provide this as a standalone service. If you're unsure about your requirements, submit a quick enquiry with us online and one of our local team members will be in touch to discuss your goals and requirements.

What's included in a file review?

As part of our file review, we look at resolution, colour profiles, crop marks, bleeds, margins, font embedding, page setup, and overall print readiness. You'll be informed throughout the process if we spot anything that should be fixed or amended before your project goes to print.

How do you match me with the right designer?

We ask about your project type, style preferences, budget, and timeline, then recommend designers from our network who are the best fit for your specific needs.

Do you provide design services directly?

As much as we love books, our passion is for bringing them to life in print! We focus on prepress technical work, but we do work closely with a network of trusted designers who can handle the creative side while we manage the technical printing requirements.

Can you work with files in languages other than English?

Absolutely. We handle books in many languages, though we likely won’t be able to catch any typos during file reviews.

What happens if I'm not happy with my printed books?

We're committed to getting it right. If there's an issue with print quality or our work doesn't meet the agreed specifications, we'll work with you to fix it.

Prepress Support Service