Pre Press Capabilities

First of all, we've got great prepress employees. Hard working, knowledgeable, dependable, problem solvers ... they are absolutely great at their craft.

Without them, all of our fancy equipment would be worthless.

Our Equipment

• A Bunch of Macs and PCs
• Nexus Total-PDF Workflow
• Linotype-Hell Topaz I scanner
• AGFA Grand Sherpamatic inkjet imposition proofer
• HP Z2100 color proofer
• Fully automated Fuji Javelin Thermal CTP platesetter

The Nuts and Bolts

• Our prepress is completely digital, from computer to plate.
• We have a state of the art prepress system called Nexus Total-PDF. It is the necessary backbone of our entire digital prepress department. Nexus can either rasterize and trap pages or maintain layered, editable PDF files through the entire prepress process. Either way, a trapped and separated digital file is created for each page of your job, from which all proofs and plates are made. This ensures that the color and content of each page will remain consistent from proof to plate to press.
• We have Macintosh and Windows workstations running QuarkXPress, PageMaker, InDesign, and many other software applications. If you send us files we can't process, we'll call you and offer solutions. See here for more information on how to send your files.
• Need scans? No problem. We have a drum scanner for high quality image capture.
• We can do PDF proofs for preliminary approval or super rush jobs.
• We have an HP DesignJet Z2100 with built in spectrophotometric calibration for accurate contract color proofs.
• We have an AGFA Grand Sherpamatic for dual-sided, full color imposition proofs that show final trim, fold, and binding.
• We have a fully automated Fuji Javelin thermal platemaker for super consistent color and precise registration on press.

PrePress Checklist

Download our pre-press checklist that will help you get your job organized and in the proper format before you send it to us.

Desktop publishing seems to have made life easier yet somehow more complicated.
At Bison Printing we have the equipment and expertise to make even your most imaginative project work, but sometimes things may get tricky. The key to a seamless transition from your files to the final product is communication. Not everyone runs the same type of computers and software. You talk to us, we talk to you, and together, over time, we establish the best way for you to supply your files. Many production considerations often come into play that our customers need to know about. Addressing these issues saves time, money, and headaches.

What about PDF?

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a wonderful way to send your job to Bison Printing. Properly saved PDF files eliminate many font and link issues commonly encountered when working with native application files.

When preparing to submit your job as a PDF for the first time, you may want to give us a call for some pointers. There are a few major keys to creating PDF files for offset printing:

Before you make the PDF, make sure the native files are created properly:

• all photos saved as CMYK and at least 300 dpi resolution
• all spot colors consistently named between native and support applications.
• all fonts loaded in your system.

Don't just create the default 'screen' PDF. This type of PDF is a file that is perfect for emailing and viewing on a computer screen. But there are several problems with 'screen' PDFs:

• photos are downsampled in resolution.
• all content is converted to RGB color.
• spot color information is not retained.

Instead, create a 'press' PDF. This works great for standard CMYK jobs, and black and white jobs. If your job has spot colors, call us for instructions.