Perhaps a printer mistake...

[teniworks]

I have a bit of a beef with a printer that just did a job for us. Originally, our client contacted this printer to place the order and make arrangements for payment. From there, they put us in touch with them to send them the files. First, it took forever-as in days- to get someone on the phone to even ask them how they wanted the files set up. They just needed a hi-res pdf-fine, works for me. So I send them a PDF/x-1a which they said would be fine for them. The file had two pages within it in this order blue first and red second. We had a set date to have the job out but, when we sent someone down to take pictures of the it (they are bus shelter ads)-they were not up. So when I call to ask them why they are not up, I am told that the printing facility suffered damage from recent tornados and the date had been moved. It would have been nice if someone had let us know before we sent someone down there-it was three counties away.

The printer finally gave us the pictures of the shelters that their guys took only to find out that they only printed one out of the two ads. The red one, which is the second one that you see when you open the file and scroll down. So when I contacted them about it, I was told (very rudely) that there was only one file sent. When I informed them that it was two ads within that one file and they just had to scroll down to see the other one, they told me that their email would not let them scroll down. WHAT!?!? Here's the kicker: So since the person that I sent the file to could not scroll down, she said that she sent the PDF to production and with only one ad shown and they printed just that. So my question is after the pdf was sent to the I guess acct. person and they sent the file over to production, wouldn't they be able to see that there were two ads in there if they opened the pdf? Note: when the file was sent to them I also CC'd a couple of other people and they were able to view everything just fine. She (acct. person) just struck me as not wanting to admit that a mistake had been made because that makes absolutely no sense to me that because she couldn't scroll down, that's the reason the second ad-the red one that one would have to scroll down to even get to was printed and not the first one. If something like this is even remotely possible someone please let me know.

[urstwile]

Sounds like she's scrambling to cover her ass for sure.

[budafist]

Weird. The printer should have been looking for that second file if that was what was ordered. When I am missing a file I definitely do not just go with what I have. I check where the other one is. Was there a purchase order? Quotes?

By the sounds of it, your client saw only 1 pdf file, ordered only the blue one and then made an order accordingly. It's possible the printer saw the second file but only followed the order instructions.

When there is a print deadline delay we always let the client know. In this case you were not the client, so I guess your own client should have let you know about the deadline change. Though they might not have seen it as important to let you know since your part of the job was already done according to your client.

As for not being able to contact the printers, that's slack. I get back to people within an hour of them calling me - as long as they call during business hours. I reply to emails instantly. Maybe you need to send a letter to the owner about their service. Sometimes owners don't know what their workers are doing. It might be unacceptable to them too.

[PrintDriver]

And this is why I hate sending orders out into the ether when I broker jobs. You never just send it then forget about it until it's supposed to be installed.

Did you happen to, by any chance, provide the printer with a hard copy, either paper or a screen shot, of what you wanted? As Buda asks, was there a PO or a quote? Were there no proofs? On a large format job? Who was in charge of those aspects? You or your client?

I can't make any apologies for anyone not getting back to you when you called for file prep instructions. But do they have a website with downloadable specs?

[teniworks]

No, downloadable specs on their website. It's a bare bones site. The client had all of the contact and made all of the plans for job until it came to me. By the time that this job came to me and after two days of trying contact the printer for file prep, it was the day that it was due to go to print. There were screenshots provided for them but, this is insane. Now the client wants to change the one that was not printed originally. How did I become the middle man for all of this?

[PrintDriver]

By agreeing. :D

A client gave you 2 days to get a large format job into print? (I hope that was get it into print and not get it printed and installed. That's at least 5 business days unless you wanna pay rush.)
And the client did not give you the printer specs?
Did the client pay for and sign off on proofs?

As far as changing a file that was mistakenly not printed, that becomes a whole nuther issue. Did they print twice the number of red ones and no blue ones? I ask because, technically the printer only has to reprint the blue ones as received. Once you make a change to the file, then it becomes YOUR mistake, not theirs. A printers' error is not an excuse to change a file. You can usually work out a deal though.

And who pays for the reinstall?

Again, I'm not defending this printer in particular. This is clearly a case of Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way. In this kind of situation (large format mistakes are expensive), you hand off files to your client and let them finish their own deal, or you get all of the details from your client up front before you agree to a print/install date, or you broker the deal completely with your own vendors start to finish. Alas, the world is not perfect. It's up to you to try to make it more so.

[teniworks]

No, specs from client. I do know that some correspondence was going on between the client and printer that we were not aware of. I do not know about the reinstall. I had a feeling that it would become an issue if they (client) wanted to change the ad-which they probably do. Also, the printer just sent the proof for the old (non printed blue) one as well. That's just a whole nuther bag of crap. What to do? What to do?

[Workshy]

I do know that some correspondence was going on between the client and printer that we were not aware of.

As a printer this is the worst possible scenario.

Spilt milk/bolted horse i know but whenever we have our brokers and THEIR clients sticking their respective oars in it tends to end in tears. Surely the reason you go to a broker is to avoid dealing with a printer. Equally as a broker you should keep your client away from the printer, not to be rude but if they are dealing direct why do they need a broker?

[PrintDriver]

Sounds like this client went direct to the printer without a broker and kept the designer out of the loop. That is always a recipe for disaster.

Teni, I'd suggest, though with the way this printer operates it might not be possible, is to get your client, their print rep, and you in the same room and sort this out. If not the same room, at least the same conference line. With all three of you together, there is no playing the telephone game (less garbled info). You get answers from the source.

[MikeHun]

If you didn't make out a purchase order you are not to blame.
You did as asked by your client. In your original post, all the printer
asked for was a Print ready PDF. I would have emailed a proof and file
list to accompany also. The printers conduct doesn't sound very professional either.
I think your client holds a larger portion of the responsibility if not all.