Back to Dye Printing Tricks & Tips
If you've ever done a job and then handed the document off to another person and some element is missing, you've had to deal with missing links (no, not that creepy IT guy that glares at you). Once you've learned to include all the ingredients (fonts, graphic files, etc.) along with the recipe (your document) anyone outside your computer can "bake" the same "cake."
But there's that one other problem: nested files. What are they and why, oh why do they have to be so troublesome? Mostly it has to do with how your computer deals with names of documents.
For this example I'm going to pretend I'm working in PageMaker, but it could be any of a half dozen other programs. You'll see the workflow is similar in other applications. I know I need a graphic. One part is an EPS cartoon. It's a raster graphic, so I created it in Photoshop. I want to add some FreeHand based text so I place the graphic into FreeHand.
Then I add my text.
I finish up the artwork, then create an appropriate EPS file for my PageMaker newsletter.
Then I open my PageMaker document.
And now I place my EPS file.
I do some text wrapping and scaling until it's just the way I want it.
I save the document. Then I load up the EPS file, the fonts, and place them into a folder. Then I burn that folder and my PageMaker document to hand off to my offset printer.
My offset printer gives the CD to the prepress chimp and he opens the PageMaker document. Since the PageMaker document is now on a new computer, it's a bit disoriented. The last time it was awakened it was on MY computer. Now it's in a strange computer in a weird slightly inky smelling place. And it can't find the EPS file that was placed into the PageMaker document. Remember: any element placed from outside of PageMaker has to be included as a link to remain "hot"--PageMaker didn't create the EPS, it created the text and the layout.
The graphics guy fixes the "broken" link by directing PageMaker to the folder I made that includes the fonts and graphic. Now all is right with the world.
Oh no, it's not. This is what the prepress people will see. (PageMaker and other layout applications keep a "snapshot" of artwork, not necessarily all the data needed to image it perfectly. So people outside your computer's hard drive viewing your layout may or maynot be able to print or image a great reproduction.)
But this is what will image on the RIP computer that attempts to make the film:
PageMaker remembered the EPS file I brought in from FreeHand. But it had no clue that there was another EPS file NESTED inside that file from a third source. When it tries to image all my artwork, it can't go back to the piece inside the piece. The RIP software will look for the name of the FreeHand EPS. Deep in the binary code is hidden the name of the missing Photoshop EPS used within. PageMaker can't discern it, but the RIP software has to have it to run my job.
It knows about the FreeHand EPS and the PageMaker Document.
To make this file run correctly I need this workflow:
All three elements are needed: The Photoshop EPS placed inside the FreeHand EPS placed into the PageMaker document. In fact, to better facilitate the prepress department, I'd be better off to burn my CD with all three files in one location. Then, when PageMaker (or any other layout program) attempts to relink the various files, it doesn't have to be looking through dozens (or hundreds) of folders from dozens of other clients. I have to remember that my job and all its parts are only one project of the day for somebody else. If I make it easier to relink, I save them time and me money.
If I include all these parts, the offsite offset printer has a chance. Now, if I forgot a font....