Publications : FAQs

Q. How do I know how much to budget for publications in grant applications?

A. Look at the project form and discuss with an editor. Each editor has material from Printing Services and our own pricing sheets to help you with estimates.

Q. Can I select my own printer if I don’t like the estimates provided?

A. If you are using an ISU account number, you must go through ISU Printing Services. If this is an Extension publication, you must go through the communications office.

Q. What’s the deal with the wordmark and penalty and justice statements?

A. Please refer to these web pages for more information on the wordmark and penalty and justice statements.

Q. What are the graphics and text requirements for publications?

A. Electronic photographs should be at a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (dpi). The TIF format is preferred, but JPG format is acceptable. Most images downloaded from a Web site or PowerPoint presentation are NOT acceptable, since they are usually 72 dpi in size. Text should be submitted
in its final format as MS Word or rich text format (rtf). Iowa State University’s approved fonts are Berkeley and Univers. See Micki’s Communications and Marketing Print Project Specification Sheet for additional information.

Q. What can I do to help the publications process?

A. Make sure all submitted materials follow the guidelines established by Communications and Marketing, supply the necessary paperwork and account numbers for the billing process, and allow enough time for the project to be edited and submitted to printing.

Q. Why do I need an editor?

A. Even editors need editors. When you’ve been working on a project for awhile, you begin to overlook typos and errors of omission and flow. You’re too familiar with the information. A fresh set of eyes, looking for the things editors look for, can improve a product. Editors are advocates for the reader. Editors catch mistakes that would affect an author’s credibility (if xxx can’t spell that word, can I trust the content?).

Q. What resources (money, people) are available to me for pubs development?

A. The resources of the Communications and Marketing group are available to Extension staff and other ISU employees. Level of support is determined by the Communications and Marketing manager and Extension program leaders.

Q. Did your ISU Extension program director approve your project?

In addition to your department head, your ISU Extension program director must approve your educational materials project and authorize that Extension funding may be used to pay for it. (Extension has six program areas: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Business and Industry, Communities, Families, 4-H Youth Development, and Continuing Education and Communication Services.)

Before you bring your project to Communications and Marketing, your program director should sign the 123 form (approving and authorizing your publication project) or the Extension project planning form (for video, multimedia, and large publishing projects).

Q. I want to do a publication by next month. Can you help me?

A. Clients are scheduled according to:

a. First come, first served
b. Due date of publication
c. Immediate need
d. Emergency project

First come, first served. Most publications are the result of consultation with a communication specialist when planning a communication strategy. The Communications and Marketing consultant would schedule a publication in relation to the overall communication plan. Communication specialists often work six to twelve months out in managing their communication projects.  Including a communication specialist early in the planning stages makes project management easier for the Communications and Marketing unit.

Due date of publication. Projects may come in months or years before their due date and contain several stages of development. A project management plan for such a publication contains several steps that must be met in order to meet the publication’s final completion date.

Immediate need. These projects are short-term notice and usually mean delaying other projects already in the lineup. Projects that delay others need approval from the program leader(s) affected. Otherwise, such projects should come with additional dollars to purchase outside editorial/design staff so that other project deadlines can be maintained.

Emergency. These projects occur for such events as statewide flooding, a disease outbreak, or economic disaster, which would require the concerted efforts of the Extension organization. Such projects would usually be given precedence over all other projects and would be mandated by the Vice Provost for Extension.

Give us your feedback! (coming soon)