Publications Assistance: A Step-by-Step Guide
The Office of Marketing Communications coordinates the design and printing of all College publications and is available to guide you through the entire process – from concept to delivery. The office has developed a system to enable you to plan a semester ahead and ensure timely delivery of your publications.
Step One: How to get started on your publication
The process begins with filling out a Publications Request Form and submitting it to the Director of Marketing Communications. An e-mail reminder will be sent out to department heads twice yearly (two months prior to the start of the next semester) to submit request forms. Your project will then be entered into the Publications Calendar. This calendar is the master document which contains all requested publications for the year and is used as a tool for the Office of Marketing Communications to efficiently manage workflow.
If the publication is new or needs to be completely re-designed, a meeting will be set-up with you by the Director of Marketing Communications and the Director of Print Production/Senior Graphic Designer to assess the project and develop a realistic timeline and budget for production.
Some important considerations when planning a publication are:
- What is your budget?
- What is the quantity needed?
- Who is your target audience?*
- What is the message you are trying to convey with this publication?
- Will this be mailed?
- When do you need the project delivered?
- Does this publication require reply cards, envelopes or other supplemental materials?
- Does this publication require images? Is a photography shoot necessary?
*Publications which are targeted toward an external audience need to reflect the College’s visual identity and messaging standards. If you need any help determining your audience, please consult the Director of Marketing Communications.
Step Two: Developing a schedule
Depending on the complexity of your project, a publication can take up to 12 weeks to write, edit, design, revise, print and deliver. If the publication is being mailed, extra time may need to be added to your schedule. Following your publication request, a schedule of production will be sent to you, which will outline all milestones. From the time of request, the following timelines apply to typical two-color projects:
| Representational Graphic | Type of Publication | Turn-around Time |
|---|---|---|
 | Catalog Ex. Academic Catalog | 6 months |
 | Brochure Ex. Alumni Association Events brochure, Athletics brochure | 6-8 weeks |
 | Booklet Ex. Financial Aid Guide, GPP Course schedules | 8 weeks |
 | Invitation Ex. Commencement, Alumni events, receptions | 4-6 weeks |
 | ProgramEx. Commencement, Liturgies | 4-6 weeks |
 | Event poster Ex. Lecture series, special event, prominent speaker | 2 weeks |
 | Postcard Ex. Admissions invitation, announcement | 4 weeks |
Step Three: Developing Content: How to effectively convey your message and the Emmanuel brand
During the meeting with the Office of Marketing Communications, it will be determined whether your department has any content development needs. In most cases, the individual department will be responsible for generating all text. For some externally focused institutional publications, the office’s staff will aid in the development of content, or will arrange for an external writer to do so.
All content must be submitted in an unformatted Word document, either via e-mail or on a disk. It is expected that this content has been fully fact and spell-checked. Submit content with a Content Approval Form signed by your department head (this form will be provided to you by the Office of Marketing Communications). While the office will review content for high-level messaging, fact and spelling accuracy is the responsibility of the individual department requesting the publication.
The following links will help you to integrate institutional messaging into your content when appropriate and give you the tools to understand grammar and style standards.
The Office of Marketing Communications maintains a library of College photography. During your project meeting, it will be determined whether photos from the existing library will be used or whether a photographer should be hired. For more information, visit our photography page.
Step Four: The Design and Proofing Process
The office's graphic designers will begin layout and send you a series of proofs (based on the schedule of production previously developed). Upon final approval by you, your department head, and the Director of Marketing Communications, the job will be sent to a previously selected print vendor (see below). Please examine the proof carefully, as this is the last opportunity you will have to make edits to the publication before it is sent to the printer. Please be aware that delays in approving the proof will affect the schedule of the project.
Step Five: Printing
Once the format of your publication has been determined, the Director of Print Production will obtain competitive bids from print vendors based on the project's specifications. Once a printer is selected, the quote must be approved by the respective department head and a purchase order filed with the business office for the quoted amount. Your project cannot be sent to a printer without a purchase order on file.
The graphic designer will monitor the production of your publication to ensure that the project remains on schedule and will view printer's proofs. Making edits when the project is at the printer should be avoided as additional costs are incurred and delivery will be delayed.
Upon the approval of the printer's proof, the project will take approximately 10 business days to deliver.
Exact Re-Prints
Exact re-prints should be requested in the same way that new publications are, but the editing and proofing process is eliminated. Please fill out a Publication Request Form for re-prints and submit it to the Director of Marketing Communications.