The low pain approach to getting the work done is to start by understanding
the file format(s) your printer will be expecting for producing a quality
product.
You mention color pictures. You do not mention color text and/or line art.
Dealing with color spaces is one of the biggest problems when working with
Publisher. This program does fairly well with one color (i.e. Grayscale) and
full color CMYK printing (no SPOT color). Prepare yourself for some serious
learning if dealing with SPOT colors and grays hiding in RGB color space.
By the way, the word color space refers to the color environment used to
produce the elements that go into your publication. You can save yourself a
lot of grief if you can check all artwork prior to placing it into your new
publication.
As a first time user of Publisher, try to avoid the built in graphic
"eye-candy" devices. These create nice effects on the screen of your monitor
but can easily throw you into Postscript resolution and color hell... and in
big trouble with either your printer or your client... Keep in mind that
stuff disappears in this universe and that errors of omission are the most
difficult to spot... But your client will spot these within 10 seconds of
handing them a sample of the finished print job.
If you will be responsible for a large $ print job, do make sure you insert
a proof somewhere in your workflow that both the client and the printer will
sign off on. This way, your client will be responsible for missing items,
artifacts and color problems and your printer will not have any excuse for
not spotting glaring printing errors.
The other challenge is the resolution of your pictures. Your client probably
likes and expects 300dpi pictures. Publisher loves jpg pictures at 72dpi.
Your printer will probably spot your low resolution pictures using a high
end proofing tool and give you a call... Unless you're working with an ultra
discount printer that really can't afford to hold hands and will print
whatever you give them.
Hopefully you have already set up a series of quality checks to catch these
potential problems before they get into the hands of your client...
You should use the KISS principle on this first Publisher job.
Just a few suggestions.
J.P.
PS: Publisher is an excellent tool for testing someone's knowledge of
prepress. If they can get a finished print job to look somewhat like the
Publisher document staring at them from their computer screen, they deserve
a certificate of achievement.
