Written by:

Scott Stovall
sstovall@gpo.gov

Rumors, falsehoods, and plain old tomfoolery run rampant through the print industry. Finding extra halftone dots and tasting the cherry flavored PMS 185 ink are child's play compared to the false information that can float from shop to shop. What is truth and what is myth? Let ePUB help you root it out!

# 1: PDF files eliminate printing problems.

I have problems with my files, but I read somewhere that I can create a PDF file and give the PDF to my print vendor. Supplying PDF files eliminates all problems associated with supplying disk jobs (e.g., electronic mechanicals, or also Electronic Government Furnished Material - EGFM).

Like most myths the basic premise of this little bugger is grounded in reality. In certain circumstances, PDF files can eliminate or mitigate potential problems. This myth is usually associated with authors, editors, designers, and visual information specialists or trade reps that do not really understand print publishing. Customers who use Office Graphics (OG) applications or other software that is not supported by the printing industry are also prime PDF myth spreaders.

PDF files are not a magic bullet and making a document into PDF does not automatically guarantee that vendors can output the job successfully. In fact, no file format can mitigate all of the potential problems associated with improperly prepared files! In other words, PDF files are like any other computer generated file format and can be expressed in a great, time-tested equation that appears to be a constant in our universe:

Garbage In = Garbage Out

Like bad camera copy or negatives, an improperly created PDF file will result in a poor product. In a best-case scenario a bad PDF can be converted to a good product, but only with extra time and extra costs. Customers who would never think of sending a vendor damage/incorrect negatives or camera copy often send in PDF files that are equally "damaged." PDF files are only useful if they are properly created; however, most PDF files submitted to GPO are inadequate for print publishing.

Using PDF for print publishing also requires a commitment by the vendor community. Unfortunately, many GPO vendors do not have the capability of handling PDF files in a production workflow. It is a fact that most GPO vendors prefer to receive native application files because they view PDF as a file of last resort when the native files will not work.

Note: More PDF information is contained on ePUB's web site. Click HERE to see the PDF page.

# 2: I only use "standard" fonts.

My computer only uses standard fonts, so when I create a document I do not need to supply fonts or identify font name, manufacturer, or version.

It is true that some fonts are installed with a computer's base operating system. It is also true that many customers assume that they use only "standard" fonts when creating a publication. What is not true is that all fonts are standard among all computers.

The only way to guarantee that the proper fonts are available to a vendor is to make those fonts available to the vendor. ePUB recommends that customers supply fonts for EVERY job submitted to GPO. The reason is that there really is no such thing as a "standard" font because each computer has a unique configuration.

Using a basic Windows 98 machine as an example. It is true that fonts are installed when Win98 is installed, and those same fonts will be "standard" for every Win98 machine. However, in many instances fonts are also installed when software is installed on the machine. Fonts come with Word, PowerPoint, Illustrator, and other applications. The more applications a machine has, the more fonts will likely be installed. Fonts are also available from the Internet. In many cases these fonts have the same or similar name, yet are created at different times and by different companies. These differences usually show up in small ways. Spacing between letters is slightly larger with one version of Helvetica, or the space between lines is shorter with another Helvetica. With long documents these differences become exaggerated and can result in a significantly altered document. Reflow, as this process is called, is a major problem with failing to supply "standard" fonts.

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