Illustrator Template

Starting a new job:  I load my slug file in Illustrator before I start each new job. In the slug I have the breakdown of how many colors are in the job (Typical presses have 4-6 but can go as low as 1 color and as high as 8 or sometimes 9). You can always have jobs rerun thru a press if you have a job that requires more colors than available but you have an increased chance of alignment issues and wastage. I wouldnt worry about the color order, it varies by presses and by what jobs they have run before yours but typically lighter colors go first.  We also have standardized the colors for the dieline, dimension callouts and the coatings.

In my layers tab I have tagline (slug) as my top layer, and then structure layer (with the phrase DO NOT PRINT on it), Dimensions,  Coating, Lineart, Images, and Bkgd Layer. Obviously if there are no images or spot coatings, or the bkgd is the paper color, those layers get deleted. Only layers with actual information on them remain. Same way in the swatch tab. Only colors used in the job are listed. Its a great way to double check your files when you go to production if you find additional colors in the swatches.

As for preferences, its always important to keep your smart guides turned on. If you go to outline mode and see lines everywhere, you are going to have some sloppy files with colors not butting to score or overlapping and knocking out. Keeping a clean, simple file is a good file. I also keep my paste remembers layers pref on. It keeps the right information on the right layer. That way it takes a little bit more work to actively mess up your files.

Thats pretty much it for starting a new file. If I am working with multiple SKUs that uses different artwork but the same structure, I find it helpful to keep the slug and structure in the same place on each file (Illustrator has a hidden X-Y coord system that remembers where everything is and places them in the same spot regardless of what job you have open). That way if I am making revisions that effect multiple jobs (say the logo changes) I can edit one job, then copy the new change and open each new file and copy paste to front and it places it in the exact same location and on the correct layer (you did check to make sure paste remembers layers, right?). This will speed up your work flow dramatically.

Next post I will talk about tips and tricks on what to do with client files that are incomplete (ie, no font, no linked images, created in photoshop or indesign instead of illustrator, bitmapped logos) and working with structural files (Artioscad).