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Print Workflow and Processes – Key Workflow Processes

Print Workflow and Processes - Key Workflow Processes

Key Workflow Processes of Production Printing – Episode Summary

In this essential episode of The Print University, Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee break down the four fundamental stages of a print workflow: onboard, prepare, produce, and deliver. Whether you’re setting up printing industry training programs for new employees or seeking lean manufacturing training for the printing industry, this course provides a strategic overview of how jobs move through a print shop—from intake to output.

The onboarding phase captures everything from customer requests and estimates to order entry and asset submission. The hosts explain how poor onboarding—like manual data entry or file mishandling—leads to downstream errors and profit loss. Automating this phase using MIS, web-to-print portals, and secure file transfers creates efficiency and reduces rework.

In the prepare stage, files undergo preflighting, optimization, imposition, proofing, and possible re-engineering. Tools like PDF optimizers, prepress automation, and approval portals ensure accuracy while saving time. The episode stresses tailoring preparation steps to the final product (e.g., signage vs. direct mail).

Production varies by equipment: analog (offset, flexo) involves calibration, plate mounting, and manual setup, while digital presses feature inline calibration, G7 compliance, and drop-size optimization. Smart finishing—inline, nearline, or offline—uses barcodes and automation to streamline bindery.

Finally, delivery includes shipping, mailing, fulfillment, and kitting. Whether mailing a statement, drop-shipping a book, or building a new customer welcome kit, this phase requires logistics planning and cross-department coordination.

Together, these stages form the heartbeat of every print production business.

You Will Learn:

  • The four key workflow stages: Onboard, Prepare, Produce, Deliver

  • Best practices for automation, error prevention, and cross-platform integration

  • Why preflighting, proofing, and imposition must be tailored to the final product

  • The difference in workflow between analog and digital production systems

  • Fulfillment models: mailing, warehousing, kitting, and branded unboxing experiences

Who This Course Is For:

Print operations managers, production coordinators, onboarding teams, and IT professionals building MIS software training for print production or prepress automation training (Kodak Prinergy, Esko) into their team development plans

Time to Watch:

Approx. 30 minutes