AI brushes and possible printing issues?

Question

Hello fellow creatives!
I have a project that I am considering doing 100% in illustrator CS6 for Mac.  ( Three character illustrations ).
The final files will be CMYK vector files.
I will be drawing the illustrations in pencil.  Scanning the pencils in, and using my wacom cintiq to ink and color the illustrations in Adobe Illustrator using the illustrator inking and bristle brushes.
The characters will be printed to be approximently 5 feet tall and 2 or 3 feet wide.
Question:
What do I need to keep in mind to make sure that the sign printer doesn't run into printing problems with the artwork?
For instance:  Should I expand the apprearance of all of my brush strokes and gradients?  What else?
Thank you in advance for your input?
Best Regards,
Bill

Answer 1

How you export it is entirely up to you, but personally, I would do it as a PDF/X-1a:2001, Acrobat 4 (1.3), FOGRA39 file if you're in Europe. If you are not in Europe, then you may find that you need something other than FOGRA39. I do it like this because I can lock down the artwork and be confident that it's not really going to go wrong... but I understand print!
However, doing it as an industry standard format doesn't allow you to be lazy about checking for errors. I have seen people go to print without checking white text on a coloured background and the text disappears on press. In some instances (which I won't cover here), white objects can be set to overprint on a coloured background which basically means that the white disappears when you go to print. It may look OK in an unflattened PDF, but as soon as it goes to print through a RIP, it disappears... this is why I say to look at the PDF in acrobat by checking each page you create with the Output Preview. This panel allows you to switch the individual C, M, Y and K plates on and off to show you the mixes, overprints and knockouts of each object. You will also see spot colours if you have the need to use them.
If you flatten a PDF, it effectively does part of the RIPs job by creating the overpints and knockouts. A flattened PDF will be the first thing to show you that something is amiss.
Another thing to do is use the Attributes Panel of Illustrator, click an object and see if it's set to overprint. Do a test: Place a white object on a coloured background and set it to overprint, then export a PDF... there should be a difference when viewed in Acrobat.
In Illustrator, you could go to the menu View --> Output Preview and this will give you a view of how the file will print. It will show you how a file flattens and how solid blacks handle colours underneath them, but again, you will see this from a PDF/X-1a:2001 file.
I will employ a number of methods, but whatever way I go about it, I always end up using the Output Preveiw in Acrobat. On that panel is a checkbox called 'Simulate Overprint'... click it on and off, and if you see things appear and disappear, then there's a good chance it'll print wrong. Also click each colour on and off and make sure colour is where it's meant to be AND where it's not meant to be.
It sounds like a long process, but it's really not, it just adds a few extra minutes.
Having said everything that I have, somebody pointed this out further up the thread... if you're unsure, have a word with the printer as to how they would like it supplied; you never know, they may have their own joboption they can give to you.