The 2018 Diamond Certified Directory: Behind the Scenes

Director of Production Char Leary (L) and Graphic Design Specialist Megan Harris spend press check with the staff at Creel Printing. Photo: American Ratings Corporation ©2018

In mid-March, our design team flew to Las Vegas to oversee the production of the 2018 Diamond Certified Directory. “Press check” takes place while the directory is actually being printed on the big publishing machines at Creel Printing. During press check, our team stays up all night (the presses run 24/7!) and checks to make sure everything looks exactly as it’s supposed to. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look. (We’ve already started mailing 840,000 copies of the Diamond Certified Directory to consumers throughout the Bay Area. You can order one by signing up to become a Diamond Certified Preferred Consumer here—it’s free!)

Megan Harris makes sure the colors on these pages have printed correctly. Photo: American Ratings Corporation ©2018

During press check, we make sure there are no last-minute mistakes or errors in the printing process. Photo: American Ratings Corporation ©2018

We changed the design of each Diamond Certified company’s profile page this year, so these pages require extra scrutiny. Photo: American Ratings Corporation ©2018

These Directory pages are being printed on Creel Printing’s high velocity machines. Photo: American Ratings Corporation ©2018

Producing 840,000 Diamond Certified Directories means producing a lot of pages! Photo: American Ratings Corporation ©2018

Occasionally, the team can slip outside for a desert sunset (or sunrise). Photo: American Ratings Corporation ©2018