15 Printing Tips to Make VDP Easier
The clients that trust you to handle their data expect the best from you. The documents you send them should reflect that.
The printing tips in this blog post will help you get the best possible mailings to your clients. You’ll learn how to help your documents look exactly the way you need, how to make the variable data printing process more efficient, how to qualify for mailing discounts, and how to keep client data secure, among other insights.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Printing Tips to Develop Production-Ready Files
One of the most useful printing tips for high-volume workflows is to design files optimized for print production from the start. A document may look polished on screen, but that does not always mean it will perform well once it reaches the press.
Use the Right Bleed Settings
Files should be built to the right dimensions and include proper bleed settings.
Bleed refers to extra image area that extends beyond the final trim edge of a document. Bleed is what allows graphics to extend cleanly to the edge of each printed page.
Whenever documents are printed, they are cut to their final size after leaving the printer. However, trim positions can vary slightly during production.
Without proper bleed settings, documents that are designed to have graphics extending all the way to the edge may instead have small white borders on the side, creating a less polished look.
Because of this, a key printing tip to be aware of is to include bleed on each end of a document. Industry standard is 0.125″, but talk to your print provider about how much bleed you should use, as it will depend on the specifications of your job. Including bleed helps ensure that, even if cuts are not made in the exact right position, the graphics of each document still extend to the end of all sides of that document.
Use the Right Margin Settings
Margins are borders within a document beyond which text boxes and other important elements are not placed. For example, documents with 1″ margins keep all text at least 1″ away from every edge.
Using margins helps important information stay clear of trim edges, folds, and perforations.
Format Files Properly for VDP
Documents printed using variable data printing often include names, addresses, balances, due dates, and personalized messaging.
Because these fields can vary in length, a layout that works for one recipient may not work for another. When printing documents for clients with longer names or addresses, important information could overflow designated fields or shift outside intended layout areas if the layout is not properly designed.
To avoid formatting issues, one of our printing tips is to build templates with enough flexibility to accommodate longer content. Make sure that files are tested before production so you can catch spacing, alignment, or overflow problems early.
Printing Tips for Better Color Accuracy and Brand Consistency
When the documents you print will be seen by customers or clients, you want to give them a good representation of your organization.
This means you need to make your documents as clean and aesthetically appealing as possible. Graphic design errors stick out to clients and make you look less professional.
These insights will help. Here are our best printing tips for document color accuracy:
Set Your Files to CMYK, Not RGB
Setting your files to the CMYK color mode before production is one of the most important printing tips for document design.
Commercial printing presses are designed to use the CMYK mode. CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black), and gets its name from the four colors of ink that are printed onto a white background in order to give each document its colors.
Most digital designs are created in RGB mode. RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue, and is named for the three types of light emitted from digital devices that combine to make up the colors of each image.
When a file is designed in RGB and left in this mode, it must be converted to CMYK during the printing process. This conversion can cause noticeable shifts in color. Bright or saturated tones may appear duller, and brand colors may not match expectations.
Setting your files to CMYK ahead of time gives you more control over how colors will actually print. It allows you to review and adjust color output before production begins, rather than reacting to unexpected output after the fact.
Use Spot Colors
Designing documents using spot colors, is another of our printing tips for maintaining brand consistency in high-volume print environments, especially when printing elements with specific brand colors, such as logos.
Spot colors are designed to deliver more precise and repeatable results. They use pre-mixed inks that allow for tighter control on press.
That added control makes an impact.
Documents such as statements, healthcare communications, and financial notices often rely on branding to reinforce trust and recognition. Variations in color should be avoided when possible because they can make materials look inconsistent across large mail runs.
Using spot colors allows print operators to make fine adjustments during production. This helps branding to remain consistent from the first piece to the last.
For any elements where color accuracy is highly important, such as logos, headers, or key visual identifiers, using spot colors can help produce a more reliable and professional result.
Review Color Proofs Before Full Production
The best print and mail partners will have you review proofs of your documents, and will gain your approval before moving to full production. One of our printing tips is to work with partners that prioritize your ability to review document proofs. Make sure you check the coloration of your documents when examining these proofs.
Even when files are set up correctly, you want to make sure that your document’s colors appear as they should once they are printed. A proof gives you the opportunity to see how your document will actually look in its final form.
This step is especially important for high-volume jobs. A small color issue is often easy to correct before high-volume printing begins, but the same issue across thousands of printed pieces can lead to reprints, delays, and added costs.
Printing Tips to Improve Production Speed and Reduce Delays
If you’re printing and mailing highly regulated documents, timeliness is important.
You may be required to get certain documents in the hands of your consumers by a given time period.
Preventing delays on the production floor makes it easier for documents to arrive at their final destinations quicker. Here’s our advice on what you can do to increase the efficiency of your workflows:
Optimize and Flatten PDFs Before Submission
Optimizing and flattening PDFs before submission helps keep production running efficiently. While layered design files may work well during the design process, they can slow things down once they reach the press.
Flattening a PDF simplifies the file by combining layers, transparencies, and complex elements into a more stable format. In many cases, this process rasterizes portions of the document so it can be processed more like an image.
That simplification makes a difference during production.
High-volume print environments rely on RIP systems to prepare files for printing. RIP stands for Raster Image Processor. Files with heavy layering, transparency effects, or complex graphics can take longer to process, creating bottlenecks that slow down the entire job.
Optimized and flattened PDFs are easier for printing systems to handle. This helps reduce production time, minimize errors, and keep production moving without unnecessary interruptions.
Printing Tips to Prevent Formatting and Layout Errors
The following printing tips can help you make the production process as smooth as it can be, while maintaining brand image in the eyes of your clients:
Always Embed Fonts into Your PDFs
Embedding fonts prevents formatting issues. If fonts are not embedded, the print system may substitute them with something else, which can change the appearance of the document.
Font substitution can affect spacing, line breaks, and alignment. Text may reflow, causing content to shift into unintended areas. This can lead to readability issues, especially for clients with longer names or home addresses.
Embedding fonts helps each document reach its final recipient looking exactly as it was intended to look.
Use Version Control
Using version control is an important printing tip for reducing errors.
In high-volume environments, files often go through multiple rounds of edits and approvals. Without a clear system in place, outdated or incorrect versions can accidentally be sent to print.
To reduce that risk, establish clear processes for naming file versions, tracking revisions, and confirming final approvals before release.
Printing Tips for Cleaner Data and Mail Performance
We’ve thoroughly covered printing tips for document design, but now it’s time to talk about the next stage of the workflow, which is delivering these documents to their intended recipients.
These tips will help make your mailing lists more accurate, reduce undeliverable mail, and allow you to qualify for reduced pricing.
Use CASS to Standardize and Validate Addresses
CASS-certified software helps organizations improve address quality.
With CASS processing, addresses are standardized based on official postal data, and all records are completed and correctly formatted. Street abbreviations are corrected, city and state information is verified, and ZIP+4 codes are appended when available.
Standardized addresses are easier for postal systems to process, requiring less time and effort on the part of USPS employees. That’s why the use of CASS-certified software is required to obtain USPS automation pricing.
CASS software also reduces the risk of mail getting marked undeliverable, helping organizations avoid delays when sending critical communications to customers.
Use the NCOA to Keep Mailing Lists Up to Date
Processing mailing lists against the NCOA helps you keep your mailing data current.
The National Change of Address database, or NCOA, is a USPS-maintained database of address change requests from individuals and businesses.
This database helps you identify which of your clients have moved, and update your records accordingly.
Without NCOA processing, mail may be sent to outdated addresses. This can lead to returned mail, wasted postage, mailing delays, and missed communications.
Undeliverable mail is a hassle, both for mailing organizations and for the USPS. This is why those that want to claim USPS presort or automation pricing, or that want to use the Marketing Mail class, are required to comply with the USPS’s Move Update standard.
The Move Update standard mandates that address lists be checked against an approved address change database no more than 95 days before mailing. Processing mailing lists against the NCOA is one way organizations can comply with this guideline.
In summary, using the NCOA helps organizations obtain postal discounts and deliver mail more effectively.
Printing Tips for Security and Compliance
If you’re working in a highly-regulated industry, choosing a secure printing vendor is of the utmost importance.
Keeping sensitive client data safe allows you to comply with regulations and maintain consumer trust.
Here are some of the ways you can protect client information in your print and mail workflows:
Choose Systems and Facilities with Digital Access Controls
Controlling who can access data and digital systems helps maintain security in regulated environments. Without clearly defined access protocols, sensitive information is more vulnerable to unauthorized use or exposure.
Access controls should be applied at every level of the workflow. This includes digital systems used for file transfer and processing, as well as physical access to print and mail production areas.
Multi-factor authentication, or MFA, adds an extra layer of security when users are trying to interact with technology. MFA requires those accessing digital systems to verify their identity in two separate ways. For example, after entering a passcode, employees may be prompted to enter an authentication app.
Role-based access control assigns each user a role, and then restricts information so that it is only available to those with certain roles. This grants users access only to the information and systems necessary for their specific job functions. It reduces the risk of internal errors and strengthens overall data security.
Choose Systems and Facilities with Physical Access Controls
In high-volume print and mail environments, where personal information about clients is handled at scale, controlling entry to the production facility is a key data security step.
Badge access systems help restrict entry to secure areas such as print floors, data centers, and mail processing zones. This helps prevent unauthorized personnel from being exposed to sensitive data.
Choose Systems and Facilities with Rapid Response Capabilities
Vendors with 24/7 real-time monitoring and rapid response capabilities are better equipped to maintain security in high-volume and highly-regulated printing environments. Organizations need to be prepared to act quickly when something unexpected occurs.
The longer a potential issue goes unaddressed, the greater the risk to sensitive data and ongoing production. Real-time monitoring and quick response processes help identify and contain problems before they escalate.
Response may involve isolating affected systems, pausing production jobs, or investigating specific records to determine the scope of the issue.
Clear escalation procedures are also important.
If there is ever a security issue, teams should know who to notify, how to document the issue, and what steps are required to resolve the issue.
Partner with SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA Audited Printing Providers
Choosing an audited vendor is an important printing tip for organizations operating in regulated environments.
Not all providers are equipped to handle sensitive information at scale. Working with audited partners helps reduce the risk of data exposure.
A SOC 2 Type II audit is a stringent security audit that is completed over an extended period of time, usually several months. It demonstrates that a given organization follows security protocols consistently.
Healthcare organizations handling PHI need to protect it at all stages of their processes. Part of this responsibility is partnering with third-party vendors that are equipped to follow HIPAA regulations. A vendor with a HIPAA-audited status has proved their ability to comply with these standards.
D4 Solutions: Your Variable Data Printing Partner
D4 Solutions is a HIPAA and SOC 2 Type II audited printing vendor serving organizations across industries.
Our team of print and mail experts develops optimized workflows that save clients time and money while mailing documents securely and accurately.
Reach out now to speak with our team about your needs.
Q+A: Printing Tips
What are the most important printing tips for high-volume workflows?
The most important printing tips for high-volume workflows include:
- Designing files for print from the beginning of the process.
- Setting files to CMYK instead of RGB.
- Embedding fonts into your PDFs.
- Validating data before production.
These steps help reduce errors, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent output across large print runs.
Why should I convert files to CMYK before printing?
CMYK is the color model used by commercial printing presses, while RGB is used for screens.
If files are left in RGB, they are converted to CMYK during printing, which can cause color shifts. Converting to CMYK ahead of time is one of our printing tips because doing so gives you more control over the final appearance and helps maintain brand consistency.
When should I use Pantone or spot colors?
Pantone or spot colors should be used when designing brand elements and logos where color accuracy is a concern.
Pantone colors are pre-mixed and allow for more precise matching on press. This is one of our key printing tips for organizations that rely on consistent branding across large mailings.
Why is it important to review proofs before production?
Proofs allow you to see how your document will look when printed.
Reviewing proofs is one of our important printing tips because doing so helps catch issues with color, layout, or formatting before full production begins. This step can prevent costly reprints and delays, especially in high-volume jobs.
Why should fonts always be embedded?
If fonts are not embedded, they may be substituted during printing.
This can change spacing, alignment, and overall layout. Embedding fonts is one of our printing tips because doing so helps ensure that documents print exactly as designed.
How can I prevent errors in variable data printing?
Some of our printing tips surrounding the reduction of errors in variable data printing are:
- design templates that adjust to data length.
- review proofs with real data samples before production begins.
- check for text overflow and alignment issues.
This helps allow personalized content to display correctly across every document.
What are some tips to keep data secure in print and mail workflows?
Some of our security-focused printing tips are:
- use secure file transfer methods.
- implement access controls across digital and print systems.
- work with audited print providers.
These practices help protect sensitive data and support regulatory compliance.
Who should I partner with for variable data printing?
If you’re handling high-volume print and mail workflows, the most important of our printing tips is to partner with us! D4 Solutions is a SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA audited print and mail vendor with experience across industries. Reach out to us now to learn more.
