Generally, this is about how long it will take to produce the following items, from time text and art is received to delivery to the printer
- Booklets or catalogs: two to three months
- Newsletters: eight weeks
- Banners: six to eight weeks
- Brochures (new/major revisions): six to eight weeks
- Brochures (simple updates): two to three weeks
- Advertisements: two to three weeks
- Posters (depending on size, design): two to eight weeks
- Post cards (new/major revisions): six to eight weeks
- Post cards (simple updates): two to three weeks
- Event invitations: four to six weeks
- Event programs: six to eight weeks
Here is a sample timeline for the production of a new brochure:
Week one:
Meet with publications staff, outline needs and publication theme, determine number of pieces to be printed, discuss art possibilities (illustration? photographs? other?) and make any required arrangements with ACM for photographs, discuss layout (two-panel or three-panels?) and set production schedule based on when the publications is needed. If you need assistance in finding a vendor to print your publication, the publication staff can assist you.
Week two:
Submit edited text (the public affairs staff will edit your material for consistency, clarity and style usage, but it is up to you to provide factually correct and relatively clean text). Submit art.
Week three:
Public affairs graphics staff designs the brochure, based on comments from the initial meeting. By the end of the week, a preliminary proof should be ready for you to pick up. Also, by this time (but no later) you should have enough information to give purchasing for a requisition to pay to print your job. Remember that the public affairs office will not release the final artwork to the printer without a purchase order number.
Week four:
You review your first proof of your publication. Look for typos, update any incorrect information or add any missing information. Now is also the time to make suggestions to the look of the brochure. Mark up the proof and communicate your suggestions clearly to the publications staff what you want done. For example, don’t just say that you are not happy with the design. State clearly why it may not work for your publication, and state clearly what you would like the design to communicate to the eventual recipient. Return it to the public affairs office before the end of the week, if not sooner. Check on the progress of your purchase order number and give that to the public affairs department.
Week five:
Graphics staff makes the changes you indicated on the first proof. If there are major revisions to the design and/or text, that would require the entire week. If there are just simple revisions to the text, the second (and usually final) proof should be ready to pick up by the end of the week.
Week six:
Review final proof; a publications staff member also will review the text portion for typos and other errors. Only corrections to the text are made at this stage. Return the proof with your signed final approval on the proofing slip to the public affairs office so the graphics staff can prepare it for the printer. If you desire major changes at this point, be aware that it will add more time to the production process, and thus delay the delivery of your product.
Week seven:
The printer has your material and will prepare a “blue line” proof, which is your last opportunity to review the brochure before it goes on the press. Again, at this point only corrections to the text are made. If, however, there are major problems with the design that you want fixed, bear in mind that 1) it will further delay delivery of your publication and 2) will cost you more money for the additional step.
Week eight:
Delivery of your brochure.
Please note: We cannot make up production time due to late submissions or incomplete information from the client. It is up to the client to provide the required text and art in a timely manner, and it is up to the Office of Public Affairs to meet its deadlines. However, to ask the publications staff to accelerate a project, for which material arrived later than agreed upon, ahead of others that have met their deadlines not only jeopardizes completion of those projects, but of the one in question as well. We realize unexpected events occur, and we will do our best to accommodate you; however, please be aware that if you are late with your material, it is extremely difficult to make up time in the production process. Bottom line: Please meet the agreed upon deadlines.
