Who's Fault Is It?
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- Arvizu
alright, long story, hear me out. Just got a job back from the press: 20,000 beautiful brochures on Mohawk Najavo uncoated paper. Tri-fold cover opens up to reveal a 4 page saddle stitched book inside, it's really nice and everyone is very pleased. Except after they were delivered to the clients office, someone noticed an error. A word had been deleted from a sentence. Instead of saying, "or email us at it says, "or us at .
I was at the press check, and I gave the final sign-off. After I learned about this I checked the last file I had sent to the printer, no typo. Apparently, this deletion occurred on the printer's end between when I send the file and when it made it to press. What I believe happened was after I sent the file, the printer called me and told me my text was 4 color process and asked me to convert it to 100% black. "Yes", I said and thanked them. We then got a proof back, signed it with changes and offered to resend an updated file. The printer said, "no need." They had me go over the changes (which were rather minor) with them over the phone. They then placed the revised pdf's on the web for me to review and approve. I looked over the changes that needed made and didn't bother looking too hard at the pages where there were no changes. This is when the mistake must have happened. Whoever changed the text ink composition must have accidentally deleted the word. I didn't notice, my client didn't notice. At the press check I proofed for color and not type. Now all of us involved are trying to be cool about this and play fair, but my question to you is: who is ultimately responsible for this? Is it me? I signed the proofs. Or is it the printer? They made a mistake on a page that had already been approved without changes. Is it the client? (who also happened to be at the press check.) and signed the proofs as well...
What do you think?
- GreedoLives0
The printer obvi. The word was in the file you provided, they went over the changes they made with you but skipped that one, so it's their fault.
People won't even notice, they see email address and fill in the word 'email' in their head.
- mtgentry0
Why would someone delete just that one word when changing the color? Its an odd thing to have happen.
- OSFA0
Printer. I say start printing all your original files with no typo for backup just in case...
- mg330
Man, I've had a few situations like this at the law firm I worked at where we were all scratching our heads figuring out who to blame and taking the heat from lawyers and executives. Things like announcements, newsletters, around 4,000 going to clients and contacts.
So glad I only work with Web sites now. "What's that, client, an error?" *fixes page with phone held between shoulder and head "There's no error, go look!"
- welded0
This is a big reason why I stick to web work.
- Cuz you're truly just a sorry idiot, bro!JesseJensen
- Uncalled for.todelete__1
- _salisae_0
the error occurred at the point when the printer made the text color change instead of you .. Never skip over formalities. Especially on a project of this caliber. My alarm would have gone off just after hearing them utter the words 'no need'. It sounds lazy and like a shortcut has been taken. Keep the job in your control.
- _salisae_0
I understand a printer feeling defensive and protecting the income made from the job but placing the blame on you when it's clearly their fault is a bad business move. It's no way to develop a relationship. They should at least accept partial blame.
- Antonelli0
Yes, like said above, this is one of the things I hate most about print work - everything has to be PERFECT. If you screw up, it's a big deal, but if the web guy at your firm screws up... no biggie - 3 second fix. I should've been a web designer.
- Antonelli0
Mowawk Navajo is nice!
- _salisae_0
lol flavor!
- Gucci0
Unfortunately, you guys all signed off on it - which means you looked it over with a fine toothed comb.
Granted, the printer made the error - which should make them feel sheepish and at least offer you some kind of compensation, but as an above poster stated - they're probably saving their own asses (which is completely understandable).
Were you or your client to pursue it further (ie: litigation), I don't believe you'd get too far - so stand firm, but keep your cool.- Exactly, both to blame. But don't admit it!JerseyRaindog
- Studiospooky0
I think its the printer's fault but they cover their arse by getting you to sign off so they will push the blame back your way. But your involvement in the error was passive, they ACTIVELY deleted the word and you would be morally in the right to state that you don't consider it a necessity to check whetehr a printer removed a word that should not have been removed... by that logic you'd be locked in a room for weeks cross-checking every word was still present and correct. I would push this back to the printer by asking them, cc'd to yourclient in a joint email, to explain why they deleted a word when making a simple CMYK to black colour conversion becuase, no matter what the printer says there is no reason for words to be deleted during that simple change, so they will make themselves entirely responsible merely by answering a simpel question. In future, get proofs over to your client to proof check and sign-off.
On a side note, can I just promote the re-introduction of adendum sheets for jobs with mistakes. One thing I loath and detest in these days of ecological awareness is when a clients decides they will reject entirely a print job and demand that its done again becuase of a simple typo. That is disgustiong and reprehensible. Since the dawn of print errors have been made and addressed with a notice of correction printed and inserted into the inside front cover of the finished product. Its up to designers to try to make a virtue of this approach in the event that clients spot typos and try to behave badly as a result. A beatifully designed adendum insert that also states the client's environmental credentials by correcting the error this way is better than pulping 10,000 litho print brochures and starting again just becuase of a simple error.
- Good point.JerseyRaindog
- excellent suggestion!ovsm
- always make a virtue of an error and if beautiful , great, if humorous even better.capsize
- roundabout0
The printer is at fault, If you gave over the correct files, as they where when you signed off on the project for the first time, and you have proof they where correct, then the error must of happened at there end.
- Randd0
this shit happens more and more as people become used to these fucking insane turnarounds. I for one am sick of it, no matter whose fault it is
- billl0
i concur with rand... and i'm sorry to hear it
- joyride0
So the web has made people accept, or get used to the idea, that there will be errors, but they can be fixed easily? That kinda bad for clients right?
- OneNine0
The same thing happened to me once...on a much smaller scale thankfully...and the printer took the blame and reprinted everything at their expense.
- Studiospooky0
Hear hear Randd. I became an illustrator to do the best work I could. Over the course of the two/three years I've been doing it the deadlines have got tighter, the resources/budgets smaller, and the client-side anxiety has increased ten-fold so that I have hardly put the phone down after being told the brief and the client is calling me up to request a 'progress review'... "what??? You only briefed me ten minutes ago. First thing I always do is take a shit... you want to see that?".
- I blame the fact the clients know a little more about the process, with all these lite apps around they think it's easy/fastjoyride
- Clients know production processes but still have no idea about the design process. They think that since it takes 20 minutes to flow text into inDesign then it only takes 20 minutes to design the page.Josev
- Client think that since it only takes 20 minutes to flow text into inDesign then it only takes 20 minutes to design the page.Josev
- "Clients"... I wish we could edit our comments.Josev