For most new to the world of commercial printing, there is quite a bit of terminology to absorb. As with any industry, the printing world has its own acronyms and glossary. I won’t delve into that right now, but one thing that might need some clarification for the first-timer is the subject of electronic prepress.

To answer the title question, no, prepress and preflight are not the same thing. Preflight is the process that is used to check over electronic layout and art files before they are allowed to enter the production workflow. It is a series of checks that are preformed in various ways to make sure that the job will print without error. This typically involves the use of several different applications and may require that we send the files through a RIP (Raster Image Processor, the computer that translates electronic files into printable data) in order to discover any problems early on.

Electronic Prepress is the department that is responsible for all production procedures that lead to final print production. Prepress activities have traditionally included typesetting, preflighting, production planning, file management, archiving, file corrections, proofing, workflow management, scanning, color correcting, color management, imposition, separation, RIPping and plate production.

With the advent of digital printing, the line between prepress and press production has blurred. Traditional offset printing presses require very skilled and experienced operators to produce a great looking, sellable product. It is both an art and a science. By comparison, digital presses have a more straight forward, albeit a less flexible way of getting an image on paper. Digital devices require a greater technical and less mechanical aptitude to operate effectively. For this reason, It is not uncommon for prepress operators to be tasked with digital print production.

Technology has decreased the production cycle in almost all phases of printing over the last several decades. What use to take weeks to produce is now delivered in days. I think it’s safe to say that in the future, what takes us days to do right now will be done in hours. One thing is for certain, your prepress operator will be there helping to make your project a reality.