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Print release guide

In this guide

Print release policy

Regardless of the funding source, before placing orders costing $50 or more for ads, apparel, billboards, swag, publications and other items, you must first obtain a print release number from the College's communications team through the print release process (described below). Print release requests should be submitted to the team at least 10 business days in advance of the planned purchase. The request should not be the first time that the team has seen a designed piece.

All* items ordered must be compliant with University and College policies; they must feature University and/or College branding. (Tip: Be mindful to choose swag items with imprint areas large enough to meet this requirement.)

Don't wait until the print release stage to find out that an item is not in compliance. Instead:

  • Start with a brand template.
  • Reference the print release checklist (below) throughout the design process.
  • Reach out to the communications team early with questions or for feedback.

*Note: If an order costs less than $50, it does not need a print release. However, it must still be in compliance with all University and College policies, including those related to branding, so it must still meet print release standards.

Following this policy helps our University, College, and units and departments to ensure that our work is recognized, valued and funded, and that our legal liability is reduced. Please know, if the policy and approval process aren’t followed, per University policy:

  • You and/or your employee(s) may lose your purchasing card(s).
  • You and/or your employee(s) may be required to reimburse the University at your personal expense.

Print release process

  1. Evaluate your product against the checklist below to ensure it meets the standards to receive a print release.
  2. . Be sure to include the artwork, vendor proof and quote. 
  3. The team will review the artwork, provide feedback, work with you on any required revisions for compliance with University and College policies, and file the print release paperwork with campus.
  4. The team will send you the print release number. Do not make any purchases until you receive that number from the team.

Print release checklist

Brand compliance checks

  • Does College or Unit branding lead? That is, is it displayed first and more prominently than any other other branding, including program or partner branding?
    • Is the University's name included?
    • Are program names linked to Unit/Department names? Are Unit/Department names linked to the College's name? (e.g. Extension's 4-H Youth Development Program. For more examples, see the College's writing guide)
  • Have you checked the logo?
    • Is there enough clear space around the logo? The clear space should be equal to half the height of the Block N.
      • Does any nearby text, such as a program's name, look like it’s separate from the logo?
    • Was the logo used as-is? Or has it been manipulated?
      • Is the logo text spelled correctly?
      • Is the size of the N accurate? Or did the N grow or shrink inside the block? 
      • Is the box around the N filled in with Nevada Blue or black (not white)?
  • Are brand fonts the lead?
    • Myriad Pro
    • Minion Pro
    • Last resort Arial
  • Are brand colors the lead?
    • Nevada Blue - HEX: #041E42; RGB: 4, 30, 66
    • Nevada Gray - HEX: #74767B; RGB: 116, 118, 123
    • Nevada Dark Gray - HEX: #3A3B3E; RGB: 58, 59, 62
  • Was the University style guide followed? For a distilled version, see our style notes.
    • Are Oxford commas removed?
    • Is Ph.D. used instead of Dr.? Use Dr. for medical doctors only
    • Have “st” and “th” been removed from any dates?
    • Is a.m. and p.m. used for any times?

Accessibility / civil rights compliance checks

  • Is the EEO/AA statement included? (except swag)
  • Is this for an event? Is the reasonable accommodations statement included?
    • "Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should contact Paul Lessick, civil rights and compliance coordinator, at plessick@unr.edu or (702) 257-5577 at least five days prior to the scheduled event with their needs or for more information."
  • Is this for digital distribution? Does it meet digital accessibility requirements?
    • Is there alt text?
    • Is the reading order correct?
    • Are headings used and in order?
    • Are links descriptive hyperlinks and not not URLs? e.g. .

Quality checks

  • Is this for print distribution?
    • Are the URLs shortened or is a QR code used?
      • If URLs are used, has https://www. been removed from them, where possible?
  • Have you / your team proofread this?
    • Did you check for:
      • Typos, misspellings and grammatical errors?
      • Consistency in formatting? Fonts, font sizes, bullets, spacing, styling, etc.
    • Are links, QR codes or email addresses included? Did you check that:
      • All links and QR codes work and go to the correct place? (no unce.unr.edu)
      • All email addresses are correct? (no cabnr.unr.edu or unce.unr.edu)
    • Is contact info for requesting more information included?
    • Is this for an event? Did you check that the:
      • Day, date and time are included and correct?
      • Day and date match? 
      • Location is included, including the address?
      • Cost is included (even if free)?
  • Should this receive copyediting?
    • Does it have a lot of text? Will be in use for a long time? Is for a big order?
      • If yes, are we the primary author?
        • If also yes, contact Claudene Wharton to confirm whether her review is needed before the print release is issued and the item is ordered/printed.

Tips for working with external designers

Use templates first

Document authors are strongly encouraged to use our existing brand templates, found in our College's Brand Toolkit, instead of creating new designs in-house or with an external vendor.

Determine an efficient project workflow

To avoid rework and delays in the printing/purchasing process, it's recommended that document authors:

  1. Develop the document's content in a plain Word document.
  2. Get feedback from all subject-matter experts involved in the project (document authors, collaborators, funders, etc.), and incorporate their edits.
  3. Spell and grammar check.
    1. Bonus points for also using the:
      1. , if you have it
      2. College's writing guide
  4. Send that file to the communications team at cabnrcomms@unr.edu for proofing and early branding and accessibility checks, and incorporate the team's feedback.
  5. Then, provide that content to the designer, along with any assets they'll need to complete the project, such as:
    1. Photos with cutlines/captions and alternate text
    2. Logo files, with info on which should be used when/where
  6. Work with the designer until you have a proof you're happy with, then request a print release according to the policy and through the process described above.

Note: A print release request should not be the first time the communications team has seen a piece.

Set expectations for vendors

When hiring external designers, be sure to let them know that as part of the final deliverables, we need:

  • All design files, such as the InDesign file and all fonts, photos, etc. used in the document.
  • An accessible PDF that meets the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA standards AND is brand compliant.

Brand compliance tips

Below are some steps to meeting those brand compliance standards.

Logos

The designer should use official University logos in the document. College branding should lead. This means it should be displayed first/most prominently.

  • See our College’s Brand Toolkit for information on our logos, and how to use them.
    • Common mistakes include:
      • Leading with program logos
      • Not leaving clear space around the logo
      • Adjusting the logo's proportions or colors
      • Incorporating partner logos without thinking through and communicating by logo placement and size:
        • Who is the program owner/leader? (Hint: It's usually our College or one of its academic departments or outreach/research units.)
        • Who provides significant funding to the program?
        • Who supports the program?

Document authors and designers can reach out to the communications team at cabnrcomms@unr.edu for early brand checks and consultations on incorporating program branding or partner logos.

Fonts

The designer should also use official University fonts in the document. These fonts should lead the show, but they can be accented by others.

See the print release checklist above.

Colors

The designer should use official University colors in the document. As with brand fonts, brand colors should lead the show but can be accented by others.

See the print release checklist above.

Accessibility tips

Below are some steps to meeting those accessibility standards.

  1. Use  to ensure good color contrast
    1. Among and between all of the colors in any visuals
    2. Between visuals and the background color
    3. Between the font and background colors
      1. Consider the font size
      2. Consider the paper color, texture and weight
    4. When color conveys meaning, include a secondary indicator (texture, etc.)
    5. Limit colored text to titles, headlines, brief passages
  5. Avoid rework by double checking that everything that needs doing in InDesign is done
    1. Subject-expert edits: Document authors, collaborators, funders
    2. Initial proofing and accessibility checks/branding edits: cabnrcomms@unr.edu
    3. Spell check, etc.
  6. Export to PDF
    1. Check "Create Tagged PDF" (Print and Interactive)
    2. Check "Use Structure for Tab Order" (Interactive)
  7. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat
  8. Use the Action Wizard (Select Tools>Action Wizard>Make Accessible>Start)
  9. Run an Accessibility Check (Select Tools>Accessibility>Full Check>Start Checking)
  10. Click on each error to learn more about it and ways to fix it.
  11. Run all manual checks
    1. Reading order: Use ,  or Adobe Read Out Loud (Select View>Read Out Loud>Activate Read Out Loud>Read this Page Only)

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