service bureau printing

[sdentoni]

I would like to get input on how to use service bureaus. I've plotted and printed on many large scale machines, but have only used plotting services for A..CAD drawings. As a new (independent) vectorworks user, I'm trying to explore lower cost printing solutions for my low volume printing. I'm certainly waiting for my volume to pick up as well as more OSX printer solutions.

I gather from the discussions that people submit .pdf files to the services. There were always problems and quirks with .plt files do these exist with pdfs? Are people sending to service bureaus electronically? What should I expect to pay per 24x36? Are people happy with Kinko's?

Thanks for your help.

Sarah

[Guest]

We have a free VW 9.5.1 Viewer that is available for download. This allows a service bureau to download the viewer and you can send them your direct VW files. No need to worry about converting your files to another type of file and open the door for possibly losing information.

There are a number of service bureau's that cooperate with the download. There are some service bureau's that won't download 3rd party programs to allow for a direct application to application print. When this happens, some people send in plt/prn files, pdf files, or dxf files. It all depends on the output that works for the drawings you are working with. Some people fare better with plt/prn/ps files, some are better with dxf/dwg files while others find PDF files are the answer for them.

The best thing to do is to consult with your service bureau to see if they will participate in downloading the free viewer. If not, then discuss the alternatives they are willing to work with whterh it be pdf files, ps/prn/plt files, etc.

[richcaud]

I downloaded VW Viewer myself, loaded it and opened a file. Much to my dismay, my file did not display as it does in VW. Whats up?