Agency

An ‘Agency‘ is a person or a group of people having technical capabilities to create high-resolution “ready-to-print” PDF artwork files for printed packaging using graphical design software. This person or group can be a Bayer colleague, an external graphical studio or a freelance person.

Requirements

An Agency needs to be trained, qualified and approved by Artwork & Specification Management team.

Tasks

The Agency is either taking previous (existing) PDF artwork files and update text and images as required or they create new PDF artwork files from scratch based on text, images and technical drawings provided to them by the Label Author.

250 ml bottle, first page and inside page of a Bayer label — Basic label versions are available as templates for the various kinds of labels. If different sizes are required, they can be produced using the same template and design.

Responsibilities

Creation of ready-to-print PDF artwork files

The Agency is responsible to provide a high-resolution, “ready-to-print” PDF file for our internal review and approval workflow. Basis for any PDF artwork file is the technical drawing of the belonging packaging. Quality of the PDF file must be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the so-called PDF/X-1a norm.

Quality management

PDF artwork files that do not comply with these technical requirements will be rejected. An Agency has the technical ability to run a quality pre-check on the e-Label-Server platform. If PDF artwork files are regularly rejected, the Agency becomes obliged to use this quality pre-check before sending new PDF artwork files for approval.

Transfer of new PDF artwork to Label Author

The Label Author defines if new PDF artwork files are send to him/her as mail attachment for further upload on e-Label-Server or whether the indirect upload functionality of the e-Label-Server needs to be used. In this case, the Agency will be responsible to upload the PDF artwork file on e-Label-Server. The PDF artwork file will process through our internal review and approval workflow before becoming valid on the e-Label-Server.

Contract

A working relation with an “Agency” should be written down in a general contract (see separate chapter ‘Managing agencies”) and prices should be a flat rate per packaging (e.g. single label, booklet, outer carton label,…) including corrections.