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DESIGN
Customer service + Delivery + Distribution + Glossary + Products and services + Start an order

The Printing Department's experienced designer will draw many elements of design together to develop a publication to meet your needs. This involves selecting ink colors, paper, type styles, photos, and graphics; planning an effective layout; and coordinating photography and illustration if you wish. Postal guidelines; printing capabilities; paper varieties; and ever-changing printing, computer, and design technologies are taken into account.

When you decide you want design services, call our designer to schedule a meeting. It is not necessary to provide layouts. Usually, the fewer preconceived notions there are, the better. But, it will help to know your audience and the purpose of your publication. We'll need to know specific information such as whether you will provide your copy as a manuscript or on a disk; when you need the publication; how many you want printed; and what your budget is. Distribution is something you should plan at this time.

We can provide approximate cost estimates for the design, production, and printing of your project after this meeting, and we can begin designing your publication after you approve the estimates and send a completed requisition. Depending on the complexity of your order, you'll see a series of proofs which could include a mock-up, comps, dummy, galley, pasteup, blueline, and color proof.

Our designer can help you work within budget constraints by being aware of a number of things that can affect printing costs. The choice of paper is one example. Will the finished piece cut from a press sheet efficiently? Is the grade of paper in your price range? The use of ink color is another example. When is it effective to add colors, or how can fewer colors have more impact? The Printing Department's designer can help with these and many more printing challenges.