What does "camera ready" mean?

S
Posted By
Satwa
Dec 17, 2003
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756
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10
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What does "camera ready" mean?
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RL
Robert_Levine
Dec 17, 2003
What does "camera ready" mean?

It means it’s time to find a new printer.

Bob
DM
Don_McCahill
Dec 17, 2003
Camera ready is a printers term that means that the work will not require any additional prepress work by the printer. Used to be a pasted up proof, but now it generally means a disk that can be run to a negative, then a plate, and then the press.

Most printers now request a PDF file when they want camera ready copy, which I think is where Bob is coming from.
L
LenHewitt
Dec 17, 2003
Just to expand a little on Don’s reply (and explain Bob’s comment)….

Before artwork was delivered digitally, in order to prepare artwork for print, it had to be in the form of hard copy, just black and white and separated into it’s four component colours.

This hard copy would then be photographed onto high-contrast Lith film on a process camera with a linescreen in contact with the film. Thus the ‘camera-ready’ – it was ready for the process camera. That film was then processed and used to expose the printing plate.

These days it would mean ‘complete’. That is, all components of the finished print job are all present/available in one file (Images, captions, text, illustrations, diagrams etc.), in the required colour mode, and the printer can just image that file straight to the imagesetter.

It’s not a term that is commonly used these days and Bob was suggesting that any shop that required "camera-ready artwork" was living in the past.
RO
Robert_Oliver
Dec 17, 2003
It’s not a term that is commonly used these days and Bob was suggesting that any shop that required "camera-ready artwork" was living in the past.

It’s a term I still see and hear quite a lot, although largely in reference to electronic files. Like any term, it’s meaning can change and evolve.
S
Satwa
Dec 17, 2003
Thanks to all:
Thats what I thought it mean’t, but I couldn’t find a definition of it in any graphics books. I have seen it still in use.
Thanks again
DM
dave_milbut
Dec 17, 2003
satwa, when in doubt, try webopedia first!

<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/c/camera_ready.html>
S
Satwa
Dec 17, 2003
Thanks Dave.
B
Brian
Dec 17, 2003
Interesting… I would never call files on a disk "camera ready," regardless of how complete and ready-to-go they were. Talk about a misleading use of terminology…

Brian
RL
Robert_Levine
Dec 17, 2003
but I couldn’t find a definition of it in any graphics books.

You need an older book. 🙂

Bob
RA
Richard_A._Ross
Dec 17, 2003
Before, you make printing plate by shooting art work to film first using a camera. This is be beginning of the printing process. "Camera-Ready" means no more change basically. These day, film come out of imagesetting driven by computer. No more camera.

But now, things can be tricky. What is the meaning of "camera-ready"? Is a PDF file "camera-ready"? What about bleed, printer spread, imposition? Sometimes you still have to spend lots of time fidling with the PDF file.

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