The file is not the finished thing.

01

Preparing the catalogue.

I produce catalogues as part of my work, and the starting information is not always the same. One draws on database records with product information and image references. Another starts with an order sheet containing the products and pricing. I design the layout and use a data merge to put the repeating information onto the pages.

The merge does not finish the catalogue. I check it for completeness, add divider pages and accompanying content, and work through page numbering and the table of contents. Getting the information onto a page is one part of making the whole publication usable.

02

Printing is another part of the job.

I also prepare the physical copies. That means choosing paper, loading trays and setting up the printer and driver for the size, orientation and media the job needs. The layout has to become something the equipment can actually produce.

For catalogues I bind in-house, I print the pages, punch them and assemble and close the bindings. The catalogue can also be one part of a mailing packet: an order form, a designed envelope, mailing labels and postage all need preparing before it is handed over for mailing.

That work is a regular part of the job. A finished PDF still leaves materials, equipment and assembly to work through.

03

Working with outside fabricators.

Labels are another everyday example. Database and ERP information has to fit the label format, the media and the printer that will produce it. I work on product, pricing, shipping and other operational labels, printing test labels and checking that they are right for the people using them. I also print employee ID and discount cards.

Other work goes to an outside producer. For signs, branded tablecloths or canopies, I prepare the design or production artwork and the vendor manufactures the item. That is a different responsibility from printing and finishing it myself.

The work does not always end in the same place. Sometimes I make and assemble the copies. Sometimes I prepare the artwork for someone else to make. In both cases, I need to understand what happens to the design after it leaves the screen.