Mark Vruno

Where can I find custom application and workflow training?
August 7, 2007

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Question: Most of what I see offered out there is application training that, while helpful, does not directly relate to the issues that we as a prepress department see on a regular basis. I’d like to see a training course that deals more with the nuts and bolts that separate prepress from design.

An example might be where a designer would worry about how to style fonts or wrap text, the prepress expert has to know how to keep that wrap while possibly changing its layer, or how to outline or stroke that font. A designer will know how to make gradients; prepress person will have to know how to ‘dummy-down’ those pesky gradients so they’ll be understood by the ripping system and, in turn, print properly. This may involve rasterizing those gradients.

The training that I would like to have available to my staff would deal directly with our specific workflow: InDesign/Quark, to PDF, to Rampage, to Preps, then to plate/proof. They are all relative. If you do not know what you are going to be trying to do with a file next, how can you offer good advice on file creation from the beginning?

— Cory Sawatzki, Prepress Manager
Jarvis Press/Consolidated Graphics, Dallas

Answer: Most application training is generic and designer-oriented, providing the skills needed for day-to-day operations. For prepress it’s important to be able to use the software efficiently, see how that software fits into the workflow and adapt the use of the software to the intricacies of each printing company’s workflow processes.

Focus on Process
Most training does not directly address specific prepress issues. Training for prepress professionals, for the most part, avoids the “bells and whistles” of the application, which are typically used by the graphic designers creating the content. The main goal of prepress training should be to teach operators the most efficient process and ensure files are output correctly.

PrepressTraining.com offers courses that cover topics typically associated with design: Illustrator Layers, Advanced & Output course covering Transparency and Printing, Printing Options and Print Settings, among others. Again, the goal of this training is to aid the prepress department in getting their files to press efficiently and correctly.

Built to Order
While many “canned” training programs are available, none of them are or can be 100% specific to your company’s workflow and procedures. With the myriad of unique workflows being utilized by the industry, making generic or canned training for everybody is virtually impossible. However, a few companies and independent consultants, including PrepressTraining.com, offer customized training packages to match specific workflows.

Editor’s note:
There are a number of training companies offering generic print and web application training for designers and workgroups. Some also augment this basic training with customized offerings to suit your individual prepress workflow. In some cases, system developers who provided software designed to interoperate with desktop applications in your workflow also supplement their normal system training with broader workflow offerings that may fit your needs. Search “pre-press training” and “prepress training” in Google to get started building a list of training companies. Also see Goodman’s article in GAM’s July issue.

Posted by Mark Vruno on August 7, 2007 | Comments (1)