Quark vs InDesign

[zelmo]

Be kind to newbie design folks. We really do try hard. Never pretended to be a real designer, I beg forgiveness and try to learn from the printers we use.

Had a laugh about the admin assistant comment. Just got a word file from one of group of a flyer they wanted me to add graphics to so they could send it out for printing. Some are just trying to protect their jobs, others just want to do it all themselves.

With the customer with the Print Shop Deluxe file, I hope you billed them out for the time.

It is in our best interest to do everything we can to help educate every client. It forges a strong bond between us, and also makes production easier. Any printer who does not understand that shouldn't be in busines for long.
We deal with a lot of clients who want to do it all themselves, but don't see the point in purchasing the right programs because they are "too expensive." What many fail to understand, no matter how hard we try to explain it to them, is that they pay a hefty premium on every job they send to their printer. After just a few print jobs, the hours of technical support add up to far more than $700 for quark or even $1300 for Adobe CS Standard. Some printers may not announce that they charge more for handling these programs, but they do (or they refuse the files. I know one printer who won't accept anything but Quark or Adobe CS files - gutsy).

 

[Sparky's]

It is in our best interest to do everything we can to help educate every client. It forges a strong bond between us, and also makes production easier. Any printer who does not understand that shouldn't be in business for long.
We deal with a lot of clients who want to do it all themselves, but don't see the point in purchasing the right programs because they are "too expensive." What many fail to understand, no matter how hard we try to explain it to them, is that they pay a hefty premium on every job they send to their printer. After just a few print jobs, the hours of technical support add up to far more than $700 for quark or even $1300 for Adobe CS Standard. Some printers may not announce that they charge more for handling these programs, but they do (or they refuse the files. I know one printer who won't accept anything but Quark or Adobe CS files - gutsy).

I once worked for a company (trade shop in LA) who refused anything but Quark files (at the time when 3.x was the mainstay, and ID 1.0 was. a dream in the eye... well you know) Anyway, I found out they didn't keep that attitude for long and finally even though they caved to other desktop apps finally folded. Now we (the shop I work for in NY) will accept any file in any platform regardless. We have instituted a huge program to educate our clients as to the proper apps to use and how to produce "print friendly" files but I agree, I spend so much time rooting our problems with RGB colors in .eps files and Index colors in .gif files (amazing how clients seem to feel that if you see it on the web you can print it to paper )
The cost of all these AAs would supply most of the schools in my area with the proper teachers AND the proper tools to teach the difference.