Check and archive finished print job records
Overview
When a print production job is completed, it is usual to archive production records, including samples of the finished job, and there may also be other things to archive such as artwork, plates, screens, films, dies or formes.
This standard is for you if you are responsible for archiving the job records and any standing matter associated with production, or at least making sure that standing matter has been archived in the form and place required by your company.
There are several important points to bear in mind when running an archive system. Firstly, the storage needs to be safe and secure so that the archived material does not get damaged or deteriorate over time. Secondly the indexing and storage needs to be logical and methodical so that items that need to be retrieved can be quickly located. Thirdly, there is nothing worse than going to retrieve an archived record only to find that not everything that should have been with the archive is actually there! So, before records are archived, it is important to check that the records are complete.
The increasing use of digital media in printing means there is less physical artwork material to archive than once was the case, but storage of digital artwork has its own problems. These include the need to be able to find the artwork from what may become a huge archive of tapes or CDs. The question of reliability of storage media may also be an issue – it may be extremely costly to reproduce digital artwork (if it is even possible) if the storage media is found to be defective and cannot be read when needed. For this reason, it is not usual to leave digital files on a hard drive without backup.
Whilst it is usually the responsibility of pre-press departments to archive digital artwork and printing and finishing departments to take responsibility for their own standing matter respectively, it is nevertheless usual for the administration department to check that a record is kept of what has been stored and to check that anything that was sent outside the company, has been returned and archived. This role may also require that customer owned material is returned to the customer and, if so, to check that a record is kept of the date and method of return.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- collect records to be archived following standard operating procedures
- check essential documents are available and marked following standard operating procedures
- check records are identified and indexed or referenced for future retrieval
- check standing matter such as film, plates, formes, dies, have been identified and stored following standard operating procedures
- check electronic files have been identified and stored following standard operating procedures
- check customer owned materials are either stored or returned to the customer following standard operating procedures
- archive job records/files following standard operating procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
Ethical and Employment Issues relevant to printing
- confidentiality
- why it is important to maintain confidentiality, including for reasons of commercial competition, market sensitive information, 'embargoed' publications with a specific publication date
- legal duty of confidentiality**
The safe handling of customer material
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4. kinds of customer materials handled, including original photographs or artwork, samples, disks, raw materials for print or finishing
5. techniques for protecting customer materials
6. insurance
7. the potential for loss or damage
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Computer system security and virus protection
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8. backups
9. encryption
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High value products or print with a high risk of theft
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10. types of products that may be affected, such as certificates, tickets, money, books, games
11. security precautions
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Secure means of archiving digital and conventional artwork
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12. back-up to removable media
13. off-site storage
14. multiple copies, if necessary
15. means of protection from physical damage or loss; identification and indexing
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Communication
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16. how to communicate with colleagues
17. the advantages of team-working
18. consequences of poor team-working
19. use of language
20. techniques for communicating with colleagues, such as verbal and written
21. responding to enquiries professionally and courteously
22. how to communicate with customers
23. use of language, such as technical or non-technical