When planning a publication, clients should budget at least six weeks for production time and two weeks for printing. Large projects, such as the university's student recruitment publications, require both longer production and printing times. Depending on the office's workload, smaller projects may be completed in a shorter time frame.

To ensure high quality publications for the University, the office of publications requires a planning meeting with the client when initiating a job. At that time, the director of publications will discuss details concerning the project and develop a reasonable production schedule. Before the client visits the office of publications to discuss the project, he or she may find it helpful to consider these questions. All of the issues will be discussed in the initial interview, and the publications staff can be helpful in determining answers which are unclear.

1. Who is the target audience?

2. What goal is the publication to accomplish?

3. How many copies of the publication will need to be printed?

4. What budget number will be used for this publication?

5. Will photographs be utilized? Or are there existing, good quality photos?

6. Will the publication be mailed by itself, or in an envelope?

7. When is the publication needed?