Preliminary Functions Of Copy Preparation

With the Copy Preparation Section serving as the clearinghouse for all offset materials, preliminary handling of new work becomes one of its most important functions. Determining what work needs to be done, how and where it is to be done, and dispatching the work to accomplish these needs requires careful review of all new work.

In addition, standards for each new job must be established during this review of work, to determine the best practices to follow in achieving the desired quality. Top-quality work is promptly labeled “Quality Control” to distinguish it from other processing. Each job has its own unique problems which must be solved by the preparer in an individual manner. These solutions are so varied that a complete listing of the functions performed is impossible but the following incomplete list of functions may serve to indicate the various general operations that may be performed.

Jacket instruction frequently requires pickup of stored material—negatives, positives, press sheets, plates, type, or camera copy. The preparer performing preliminary review of new work coordinates the pickup of these materials with the dispatch of copy for mends on these pickups. The method of mending pickup material is also deter-mined at this point. Preliminary prints, negatives, or positives of pickup reproducibles for use in mending may be ordered made in the Negative Section. When ordering mends to correct negatives on hand, care must also be taken to weigh the cost of resetting type against the value of mending pickup material.

Among the most common needs in new copy is that of type to be set for reproduction. The preparer must order this set in sizes and styles suitable for a particular job. This requirement may be for either metal or photocomposition. It is usual for the preparer to be completely responsible for the makeup of photocomposed film and paper.


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