[Guide to Federal Publishing: What Every Federal Publisher Should Know About the Printing and Publishing Process, 1992]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Production Notes
The text for this publication was originally keyed in Wordperfect for DOS and translated to Macintosh Microsoft Word. It was designed by the Typography and Design Division of the Government Printing Office (GPO) utilizing a Macintosh Hci computer and Quark XPress software. The cover photo was scanned on the Howtek Scanmaster and brought into the program as a TIFF file. Proofs were generated on the Canon Laser Copier 500. Negatives were generated from Macintosh through the Linotronic Imagesetter in the GPO Electronic Job Section.
This publication was printed in black, soy oil modified offset printing ink on recycled 80lb litho coated cover stock and 701b dull coated text stock.
(All service marks and brand names listed are trademarks of their respective holders.)
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents. Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328
ISBN 0-16-036040-4
Federal Publishing
What every Federal publisher should know about the printing and publishing process
Preface
To our associates in Federal publishing
A group of Federal publishers and printing officers, with the collaboration of staff from the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the Congressional Joint Committee on Printing (JCP), has developed this publication for Federal publishers like you. As representatives of the sponsor agencies, we are excited about the information it provides.
The publishing process is complex. To be successful, Federal publishers must know what regulations govern Federal printing, who the service providers are, and how to be self-sufficient when there are no providers. We believe this guide will be of significant assistance in these areas.
Many Federal agencies have embraced the concept of Total Quality Management ( TQM) to improve the organization’s operations.
Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s philosophy of TQM stresses the importance of different groups working together to solve problems. This publication is a product of such collaboration, and we hope it will serve as a roadmap to persons interested in applying such techniques to Federal publishing.
Chairman,
Interagency Council on Printing and Publication Services
Chairman,
Federal Publishers Committee
c<
I
I. Introduction..................................................1
Why read this guide?.............................................1
Your publishing' team............................................1
Publisher....................................................1
Printing officer.............................................>
Government Printing Office (GPO).............................3
Administrative support.......................................4
Who must approve the publishing of information?..........4
Where does the money come from for your publication?.....4
Who can help promote your publication?...................4
II. Importance of planning.......................................5
Introduction.....................................................5
Preproduction....................................................5
Developing a publication plan................................5
Concept and prepublication conference........................5
Publications environment.....................................6
Establishing the project schedule............................7
Production and distribution......................................8
Introduction.................................................8
Communication and organization in planning for production....8
Production...................................................9
Distribution.................................................9
III. Resources..............................11
Pertinent laws and regulations..................................11
Title 44, United States Code (U.S.C.).......................11
Public Law 101-520..........................................11
Government Paper Specification Standards.........................11
Government Printing and Binding Regulations......................12
Other regulations and laws applicable to Federal publishing......13
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directives.............13
Title 41, U.S.C. and Title 41, Code of Federal Regulations and
related General Services Administration.. 13
Copyright laws..................................... 13
Postal regulations..............’ ?EA ..............13
Technology....................................... «gq?....14
Technology and you... ................................. it
Preproduction issues.................................  -14
Dissemination issues. ......... nJlVAS	-Uw**- • ■ J5
Online publishing from a central mimiwrtnT Computer.lb
Publishing via uniformly configured local area networks....15
Publishing in the PC environment...........................16
Publishing in the mainframe environment....................16
Microfilm and microfiche publishing........................16
On-demand publishing.......................................16
Mixed-media publishing.....................................16
Facsimile (fax) publishing.................................16
GPO services.......................................................17
Commercial procurement of printing.............................17
Quality control reviews........................................17
Contract development...........................................17
Term contracts.............................................17
Agency direct-deal/contractor direct-bill contracts........18
Other contract development services........................18
Distribution channels..............................................18
Depository library program.....................................18
GPO sales program..............................................18
The Consumer Information Center (C1C)..........................19
The National Technical Information Service (NTIS)..............20
Availability of additional references..............................20
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In his history of Yale University Press, Clarence Day referred to publishers as “They who build the fleet, plan the voyage, and sail on, facing wreck, till they find every possible harbor that will value their burden. I his guide has been developed as a navigational chart lor those about to embark on a Federal publishing journey for the first time, as well as for those who may have encountered unexpected shoals and tempests on their previous voyages.
The guide begins by identifying the participants in Federal publishing, their functions, and what you can expect from them. The "Importance ol planning” section explains the close connection between careful planning and publishing success and how to chart your course from the start to achieve your goal. The “Resources” section identifies pertinent laws, rules, and regulations so you can avoid navigational errors at the beginning ol your voyage. It also discusses the technology available, describes a broad spectrum ol services offered by the Government Printing Office (GPO) and other agencies, examines distribution options, and cites the availability of additional references.
Having a chart in hand is no substitute for an experienced crew. After you've finished reading this guide, please talk to your printing officer or liaison and meet with other participants involved in your agency’s publishing process. Their advice and assistance, combined with careful planning, will help you map your route within realistic limits, produce an information product that meets your needs, and distribute it efficiently and effectively to “every possible harbor.
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Publishing is a team effort, and all players must do their part for the team to succeed. Following is a discussion of the roles of some key players in the publishing process. Of course, the smaller your publishing operation or the less frequently you publish, the more likely it is that the participants will be wearing more than one hat or that their functions will overlap. Of major importance are the functions that must be performed, because at some point, you could be performing any of them.
Publisher
The role of the publisher is to manage the publishing process. Modern publishing uses state-of-the-art information technology in all media; print, film, micrographics, audio and video recordings, and electronic and photonic digital media. Today, publishing is the production and public dissemination of information in any form.
Due to revolutionary changes in technology, computers and automated equipment now perform much of the work previously done manually. Editing, formatting, and typesetting are increasingly performed online. Some published works no longer appear in print at all but reside entirely in digital media, such as computer tapes and diskettes, compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), and direct access computer connections. Federal publishers must understand all of these products and processes, old and new.
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Publishers coordinate a process that involves authors or creators ol information products; editors, graphic artists, printing specialists, dissemination specialists, and related production personnel; agency management; printers and other media producers; and customers for the information products (whether tangible goods or access to information services and databases). Federal publishing involves assuring that published products fulfill an agency mission and comply with the requirements of the agency’s policy makers, including editorial, graphics, and publishing standards.
Generally, a Federal publisher establishes a plan for information products. Once the plan is established, the publisher works closely with authors/cre-ators to develop each product intended for release and expedites its production and dissemination. Publishing management typically involves the following tasks:
•	product design, including size, format, typography, art work, color, type of reproduction, and binding;
•	planning, scheduling, and monitoring graphic design and production, including choosing or recommending production techniques to guarantee timeliness and quality at the least practical cost, and maintaining internal controls to accomplish this;
•	ensuring adherence to standards for elements such as text, data, graphics, style, and format. Depending upon agency policy, either the authors or the agency publisher may establish standards;
•	controlling quality of products;
•	coordinating production, forwarding reproducible versions of products to agency printing officers or other media producers for processing;
•	coordinating the promotion of the product, issuance of announcements, press releases and other public information materials. Liaison may also be required with GPO’s marketing and depository library specialists; the Consumer Information Center (CIC) in Pueblo, Colorado; and National Technical Information Service (NTIS) acquisition personnel (see the “Distribution channels" section for more information);
•	managing distribution, including maintaining agency distribution lists for mailing or other forms of dissemination, and collecting, analyzing, and reporting distribution statistics and performance data; and
•	identifying and resolving problems in production, promotion, and distribution.
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Printing officer
Agency priming officers are designated as sources of information regarding the design, procurement, and production of information in print and computerized formats. Usually they are part of the centralized printing management component of an organization. They are responsible for knowing which media are available to fill a specific publishing requirement and can arrange for production and distribution of a product that will suit your needs. Specifically, the printing officer is responsible for the following tasks:
•	analyzing your specific requirements and making recommendations on printed products that consider both the effective presentation of material and cost efficiencies that can be attained;
•	adhering to standards and limitations established for the Federal Government by the Congressional Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) regulations, including the quality levels of publications and product procurement rules used in the Federal Government;
•	apprising you of factors that are vital to the success of your publications, including prepress and press production issues as well as marketing and dissemination channels available;
•	working with you to establish a production schedule for your publications;
•	preparing production cost estimates when required;
•	assisting you with your desktop publishing efforts;
•	developing specifications;
•	performing quality assurance functions;
•	representing the agency in dealings with the JCP; and
•	accomplishing all printing procurement actions, including liaison with GPO, for procurement and other production-related issues.
Government Printing Office (GPO)
GPO manages and performs the production and procurement of printing for Congress and the agencies of the Federal Government; however, it exercises no control over the content of information products. (See ‘■‘Pertinent laws and regulations section for legal and regulatory limitations.)
GPO provides a full range of printing, binding, art and design services, and electronic products production through GPO s in-house production facilities or procurement from the private sector. Products range from state-of-the-art electronic publishing to the finest hand-binding and include all phases of CD-ROM development—preparing data, acquiring information search and retrieval software, and contracting for disc manufacture. For more information on other services available from GPO, see “Resources.”
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Administrative support
In addition to resolving issues concerning the content, printing, and dissemination of your publication, publishers must also be knowledgeable about the other administrative players involved in publishing their material. Following are some of the most commonly asked "Who does what? questions.
Who must approve the publishing of information?
rhe answer to this question varies widely from agency to agency. Any oil ice with a need to publish information should identify its agency’s procedures and develop publishing plans accordingly.
Where does the money come from for your publication?
Some agencies have a centralized budget category for printing. In effect, the person requesting the printing services justifies the expenditure of hinds from the centralized fund.
Other agencies include printing funds in the program funds available to many offices, including the office of the organization responsible for originating the material to be published.
Because variations exist on both of the above processes, you should contact your agency’s printing officer before beginning work on your publication.
Who can help promote your publication?
Again, there are significant agency-to-agency differences. Your agency’s public affairs officer is frequently a good place to start. The public affairs office can help you issue a news release announcing your publication or help you develop a special promotion campaign, when appropriate, including specialized media releases, public service announcements, radio and TV spots, posters, bus cards, or direct-mail campaigns. When your publication is included in the GPO Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Sales Program, such promotions should be coordinated with GPO’s Office of Marketing and Documents Sales Service and, when appropriate, with CIG in Pueblo, Colorado.
Other Government agencies involved in distribution and sales services (such as SuDocs, CIG, and NTIS) can also help promote publications. (See “Distribution channels" for more information.)
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Importance of planning
Introduction
Planning is not only desirable in the Federal publishing environment, it’s a necessity.
Having to produce more with diminished resources (less time, smaller staffs, and decreased budgets), publishers must work harder and smarter. In an environment where you must be budget conscious while delivering high-quality products in less time, planning becomes increasingly important.
Major savings in time and money can be accomplished through effective and thorough planning. These savings can be realized not only during the production of your publication but throughout the publication s life cycle, especially if the publication remains usable for a certain period and few revisions are required after publication.
A lack of planning can cause costly publication mistakes. If you fail to coordinate a publication properly with policy authorities and subject matter experts in its early stages, you may have to make hasty and expensive authors alterations to page proofs when reviewers insist on last-minute changes.
This section of the guide is divided into two parts. The first part discusses planning in the preproduction stages of a publication from conception to production. The second part discusses planning for the production and distribution of your publication—the activities required to physically produce your publication and get it into users’ hands.

Developing a publication plan
A publication plan can be a useful tool to ensure an orderly flow of publications through the organization while enhancing quality control and reducing production time. It can prevent inefficiencies, such as project “bumping or losing work invested in a publication because it never gets published.
Ideally, the plan should capitalize on efficiencies such as scheduling for slack periods, publishing related publications concurrently, and taking advantage of opportunities for revision during a publication’s life cycle.
To initiate a publication plan for your organization, set priorities for publication projects by mission importance, impact, cost/benefit, and scheduling concerns.
In setting up a publication plan, priority groups of projects can be established, such as “1—Must publish, “2—Should publish, and “3—Can be deferred. The plan should be sufficiently flexible to facilitate substitutions from lower priority categories as needed to use the production pipeline efficiently.
Concept and prepublication conference
Publishing projects arise for many reasons—to publicize new programs, to disseminate policies, to explain new procedures, to inform and educate the public, or to update material. I Ile concept for the project may be the result of a legal requirement or one imposed from a higher organizational level, an inheritance from someone else in your agency, or it may be all yours.
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Planning should begin with a prepublication conference. This meeting is usually initiated by the project director and attended by program and policy experts as well as individuals with publishing expertise, such as editors, graphic designers, and printing specialists. Before a publishing project can progress, the participants must resolve these issues:
•	Is this publication needed? Does it conflict with or duplicate existing material ?
•	Who is the audience for the publication? How large is the audience? At what educational level should the publication be targeted? Are its users in-house, Government-wide, or the general public? Is the audience already inclined to read it, or must you ‘■‘sell" to the audience?
•	What is the publication’s function? Under what circumstances will it be used?
•	What medium is to be used for your publication—a full-length book, a pamphlet, a periodical? Will access be through microfiche, CD-ROM, on-line? Is the need for it one-time or recurring? Will it have a short or long shelf life?
•	Will the tone of the publication be formal or informal? Will the design be attention-getting, as a promotional piece might be, or be strictly functional, such as a technical publication?
Once these issues have been resolved, you can decide what approach to take for your publishing project and begin outlining the material. As you do this, ask yourself these questions:
•	In what depth will the material be addressed? How long should my publication be to cover the material adequately?
•	How much research is required and from what sources?
•	What level of editing should the project have?
Publications environment
As a publishing project develops, it is important to remind yourself that you are not working in a vacuum. The operating environment affects your publishing project as profoundly as resource and organizational factors shape the finished product. Resource constraints, such as manpower and budget, can affect whether your publishing project will even get off the ground.
The budget can determine the project’s schedule. A tight budget diminishes options for priority printing or last-minute changes (author’s alterations) since these services increase printing costs.
The budget sometimes determines the medium as much as the actual func-tion does—for instance, black-and-white rather than color photos may appear in a periodical, or fewer illustrations may be used. When printing and distribution funds are scarce, budget can even determine how widely your publication is disseminated.
Organizational and regulatory constraints, such as your agency’s paperwork reduction program, also affect what is published and how it is published.
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In addition, external influences, such as Congressional changes and mandates, can affect your project’s format and content, determine deadlines, and provide the requirement or authority to print a publication.
Establishing the project schedule
Now that your publishing project has evolved from an initial concept to a tangible product, you, as project director, must specify the tasks to be performed, establish lines of responsibility, and devise a production schedule. To begin, designate a project manager. Depending on the size ol the organization and the complexity of the project, the project manager could be an expert in the subject matter, a writer, an editor, a designer or printing specialist, or an administrative staffer. In assembling a team for the project, this individual assigns responsibility lor:
•	research, including interviewing subject-matter experts and users;
•	editing, including substantive and copy editing and copy marking;
•	review and approval of content;
•	design, including graphics, photography, illustration, layout, and drafting of design specifications;
•	procurement or coordination of production services; and
•	dissemination.
Once lines of responsibility and accountability are established, you should begin scheduling. Start by determining the tasks that must be completed by the “drop dead” date for the finished product and work your way back. When scheduling, build in time and flexibility for obtaining the necessary approvals (concurrent routing can save time here) and for unexpected events, such as the absence of key team members or shift of organizational resources to a project with higher priority.
Everyone involved in the project should be advised ol the consequences ol missing production deadlines. In turn, the project manager must continuously track and monitor the project, aided by tools like production checklists.
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Production and distribution
Introduction
The activities described so far can be compared with developing the blueprint for a ship. A ship exists onlv on paper until construction begins. By the same token, a publishing project exists only on paper until the production process brings it to life.
Producing publications and getting them into the hands of the users cannot be accomplished without careful planning. Although the production process sometimes appears to consist of separate and totally unrelated tasks, each is actually linked in some wav to the other events in the production cycle.
The section that follows should increase your understanding of how planning can help you avoid, or at least control, the damage caused by production problems.
Communication and organization in planning for production
I he guiding principles for dealing with production personnel are communication and organization. Printing officers and production personnel want you to understand the process because it makes everyone’s life easier.
In working with your printing officer, you may discover how your product can be produced for less money without compromising quality or effectiveness. Useful topics to explore include:
•	production options that deliver essentially the same product at significant cost savings;
•	economies that can be achieved through long-term strategies, such as standardization of publications or the use of existing specifications and contracts for similar publications; and
•	production resource availability.
Communicating with production personnel can tell you about production costs and scheduling requirements for production alternatives. For example, production personnel can advise you on the pros and cons of producing camera-ready copy yourself versus professional typesetting (either manual or electronic).
You can “have it your way —if you are willing to pay the price. By communicating with your printing officer, you can make an intelligent decision on whether the end product justifies that price. Remember the following key points as you guide your project through production:
•	Submit projects in the format and manner the production department asks. Usually a good reason exists for their requirements. If you have to depart from the requirements, ask about the consequences.
•	Ensure that the necessary forms are completed and approvals obtained before requesting printing—the production department does not have the authority to ignore policy.
•	Strictly observe deadlines for tasks, such as returning proofs. Production personnel also have a schedule to meet.
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•	Avoid circumventing the normal production sequence or procedures, but if you must, be prepared for delays, possible errors, and increased costs.
•	Finally, maintain a list of everything sent to a production facility. Wherever feasible, keep duplicates of all elements of your publishing project, including manuscript, art, and diskettes. No matter how conscientious everyone involved in the project is, things can get lost. Retrieving lost material is the last thing that you want to spend time doing, particularly for projects with short deadlines.
Production
By law, you are required to have all printing produced or procured through GPO or a JCP approved printing plant, unless otherwise authorized by the JCP. (For a discussion of pertinent laws and regulations and GPO services, see “Resources. )
The bottom line is that you II be dealing with other people and an approval/review process is needed in getting your project published. To simplify the process, you should discuss the following issues with your printing officer long before starting production:
•	cost estimates for publishing work;
•	recommendations on cost-cutting measures that do not compromise agency and audience (user) requirements;
•	advice and assistance in incorporating unusual technical requirements into printing specifications;
•	procedures for soliciting bids and awarding and monitoring contracts;
•	developing and monitoring both the immediate project and long-range publishing requirements;
•	feasibility of establishing term contracts, which satisfy recurring needs over a specified period and normally provide better schedules and prices;
•	tracking progress of work;
•	establishment of product quality levels for printed products (the higher the quality required, the more costly and time consuming your project is likely to be);
•	necessity of monitoring quality during the production process, particularly for complex jobs; and
•	identifying defects in the final product and initiating corrective action.
Distribution
Although distribution is the last step before getting publications into users1 hands, you should begin planning early to avoid losses in time and money and to ensure that you accomplish desired results.
Proper planning can help you avoid reprinting your publication because some users did not receive it or received insufficient quantities. It can also
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help you avoid duplication, unnecessary or wasteful distribution, and the necessity of storing excess copies.
Your agency's publication plan, discussed earlier, takes in the “big picture'' of distribution. This includes the delivery and quantity of all the publications that you produce, not just a single project. Publication life cycles will also drive the distribution process as changes and revisions to existing publications become necessary.
On the other hand, your specific project can also affect a number of distribution concerns:
•	feasibility or necessity for contracting out any or all of the distribution;
•	determination of who gets publications free of charge and who has to
pay for them through SuDocs or the N ETS (for more information about the services of these organizations, see “Distribution channels );
•	standard procedures for maintaining and updating mailing lists;
•	applicability of postal regulations;
•	necessity for, or feasibility of, more economical mailing materials and methods, such as self-mailers and palletized or containerized shipping, or unique requirements, such as nonstandard boxes or envelopes;
•	necessity and budget for overnight or first-class delivery or feasibility of third-class or bulk-rate mailing;
•	provisions for storage or warehousing of publications; and
•	provisions for safeguarding sensitive materials, such as reports containing proprietary’ information.
Responsibility for the success of a publishing project lies with you, not the editorial or production departments. The smoothness of the publishing process often depends on your organizational skills.
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Iles< rces
Pe	■ . s
and
re	s
Federal publishing and printing, like most Federal activities, is governed by a number of statutes, regulations, and policies. I hese laws and regulations are intended to save Federal funds as well as minimize waste and duplication of effort within the Federal Government's publishing endeavors.
Title 44, United States Code (U.S.C.)
The primary statutes governing Federal publishing and printing activities are contained in Title 44, U.S.C. This law established the Congressional Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) for the purposes of policy and oversight of Government printing and publishing. I his law also does the following:
•	empowers GPO (with few exceptions) to produce or procure all Federal printing, binding, and distribution;
•	requires establishment and use of Government Paper Specification Standards;
•	provides for the distribution and sale of Government publications by the Superintendent of Documents; and
•	requires that Government publications be made available to the Depository Library Program.
Public Law 101-520
To provide additional strength to Section 501, 44 U.S.C., Congress has enacted PL 101-520, Section 206, which contains specific continuing limitations within appropriations law that prohibit the expenditure ol appropriated funds for the direct purchase of printing and related services,1 except through GPO. This legislation also allows agencies to purchase directly only certain emergency printing needs costing less than $1,000, il these are not repetitive and cannot be provided by GPO.
Government Paper Specification Standards
Title 44, U.S.C. also requires the JCP to establish appropriate standard grades of paper for all Government printing and publishing. To accomplish this, the JCP has published the Government Paper Specification Standards (available from the Superintendent of Documents). This guide contains almost 100 different grades of paper which represent the minimum quality suitable for the intended use. However, minimum quality for archival paper or paper for such things as Government art books can represent the best possible quality from the industry. The standard also encourages the selection and use of papers containing ground-wood and post-consumer waste papers as appropriate. GPO can provide a set ol standard paper samples to assist agencies in their selection ol paper. Use ol these specifications is mandatory, regardless of who performs the actual printing. JCP will consider requests for waivers in special situations, particularly if there is a cost savings involved. Such a waiver, however, should be obtained through the departmental printing officer or designated liaison early in the publishing process to prevent delays at the time of printing.
1 Printing services include typesetting and CD-ROM production. See Congressional Joint Committee on Printing policy letter of January 16, 1991.
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Agency publishers and designers, and particularly commercial designers hired on contract, should be made aware of these paper specifications and develop their publications designs with them in mind. Specifying a nonstandard, brand name paper will delay processing, as the request will have to be changed to specify a paper included in the Government Paper Specification Standards before the job can be produced or procured. The agency will have to justify successfully an exception through the formal waiver process with the JGP.
Government Printing and Binding Regulations
To clarify and focus the requirements of these laws, the JCP issues the Government Printing and Binding Regulations as well as occasional policy letters. Although some of these regulations are focused on in-house printing and duplicating operations and related equipment, many provisions have direct bearing on Federal publishing activities. Highlights of some specific provisions that affect Federal publishing activities follow:
•	Advertising or implied endorsement for any private individual, firm, or corporation is not permitted in Federal Government publications and other printed matter.
•	Art signatures, courtesy credit lines, and publication bylines are permitted only in limited specific situations.
•	The inclusion of illustrations must be in concert with specific guidelines that address the function and benefit gained bv their use.
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•	Effective single-color design and layout is preferred over printing in more than one color of ink. The use of more than one color may increase both cost and production time. Examples of both appropriate and inappropriate use of additional ink colors are discussed.
•	Mailing and distribution issues are discussed focusing on the use of selfmailer techniques, the need to update the accuracy of all mailing lists annually, and quantity limitations on free distribution to individuals or firms.
•	Information created at Government expense may not be made available to a private publisher for initial publication.
•	Publications and documents must clearly display the issuing Government organization and other basic prescribed information.
•	rhe publishing of annual reports to the Congress is the subject of both specific statutory limitations in terms of timeliness and quantity (44, U.S.C., Sections 1111 through 1117) and policy limitations that prevent the use of decorative and costlv embellishments. Before undertaking the design and/or publishing of an annual report, become familiar with the Annual Report Printing Policies issued by the ,ICP on February 24, 1989 (which are included in the back of the Government Printing and Binding Regulations).
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Other regulations and laws applicable to Federal publishing
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directives
OMB Circular A-3 establishes a requirement for an OMB approved control system within each executive department to monitor issuances of periodicals and publications. It also establishes an annual reporting requirement for OMB to obtain information from the departments concerning publications activity and cost. OMB generally issues an annual bulletin to convey specific reporting instructions to the departments, the most recent being OMB Bulletin 91-16. In addition, OMB Circular A-130 applies to Government information management and publishing activities.
Title 41, U.S.C. and Title 41, CFB and related General Services Administration (GSA) directives
Federal acquisitions and Federal information resource management in most agencies are regulated by these documents. Some of the covered areas specifically related to publishing include: Federal transportation and mail management, automated data processing (ADP) hardware and software acquisitions, copier management, acquisition of envelopes, and ADP supplies.
Copyright laws
Copyrighted information generally cannot be included in Government publications without the written consent of the copyright holder.
Postal regulations
All Government mail must be properly accounted for and postage paid. Mailing envelopes and self-mailers must include the appropriate indicia or permit information. Permits must be obtained for ah commercial organizations preparing Government mail. Agencies frequently take advantage of bulk rates and/or pre-sort discounts for large mailings, rhe use of business reply mail requires special preparation.
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Technology
Technology and you
The publishing industry has been using computer-based systems for many years to typeset publications and to control press and bindery equipment.
More recent technological developments affecting publishing include:
•	desktop publishing and computer graphics technologies that put increasingly powerful electronic tools in the hands of the author, editor, and designer;
•	electronic technologies (online retrieval systems, CD-ROM) that create new information dissemination alternatives to the conventional print medium.
A new array of choices exists in both preproduction and distribution processes that creates the possibility of much more effective published products and tighter schedules. However, these additional choices also complicate the life of the author/publisher by requiring more decisions and coordination.
One challenge associated with the application of these new technologies is that the links between initial input and final product must often be customized. This requires coordination among the publisher, automatic data processing organization, graphic designer, printing officer, dissemination specialist and/or other service providers.
Following is a summary of some of the specific technology issues for Federal publishers.
Preproduction issues
Possessing the tools of a graphic designer does not a designer make. Desktop publishing software does provide powerful formatting tools, and it is often appropriate for the author/publisher using desktop software to act as a designer, yet without the knowledge and skills of a professional graphic designer, the result can be less than desirable. It is best to seek professional advice.
When developing lengthy and predominantly textual published products for typesetting, your printing officer may use your word processing file as input to a typesetting system. This frequently saves time and money and minimizes the possibility of introducing new typographical errors. Remember, though, that no magical software exists that can instantaneously convert your word processing file to a beautiful typeset format. To be effective, the conversion of files requires planning and some work.
Laser printers, which are rapidly becoming the printers of choice in most office systems, support a variety of formatting options and often provide acceptable quality “camera copy” for many published products. However, high visibility publications needing high quality, should still be typeset.
The ability to integrate text and graphic files to develop published products is readily available. Your printing officer or graphic design staff should be able to secure this service for you.
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Dissemination issues
Conventional printing is still the medium ol choice lor most publishing projects, but other media should not be overlooked either as alternatives to print or as supplements to print distribution. (See Distribution channels for more information.) Once your publication text is on a computer file, a variety of output options exist. Selecting the most appropriate media depends on the answers to these questions:
•	What is my purpose?
•	Who are my audiences?
•	How can I most efficiently and effectively reach each of those audiences?
•	What is the most usable product format for each of those audiences?
The following are descriptions of some alternative information dissemination techniques:
Online publishing from a central mainframe computer is usually accomplished by dial-up access to the mainframe from a personal computer (PC) or other terminal using a modem. Although there is no general-use system of this type operated by the Federal Government, a wide variety of commercial services do publish Government information. These services obtain revenue by charging system users flat fees or fees for every minute users are online to their system. Information providers frequently bear (or share) the cost of formatting the information for online publishing and receive royalties based on user access. There are legal issues to be considered associated with collection of royalties by Federal agencies, and you should check with your agency’s General Counsel for guidance. System operators often independently publish Government information since it is generally in the public domain. Commercial online systems generally comprise four categories which are based on the type of audience served:
•	legal information systems, such as Mead Data’s Lexis, Prentice-Hall s Phi-Net, and West Publishing s Westlaw;
•	bibliographic systems, like Dialog and Bibliographic Research Service (BRS);
•	demographic information services, including the one operated by the Census Bureau; and
•	general information systems, such as CompuServe, Source, and Prodigy.
Federal publishers can attempt to have their information published in one or more of these information retrieval/videotex systems. Your agency’s General Counsel should be consulted before you enter into any negotiations with system operators.
Publishing via uniformly configured local area networks is used by some agencies at various locations. These offer the possibility of online publishing for an internal audience (and others served by the networks) but could require a significant investment in system software and in formatting and distributing the information.
Guide to
Federal
Publishing
Publishing in the PC environment ((loppy disk or CD-ROM) is a reality due to recent developments in the PC world, such as larger capacity hard and floppy disks, data compression techniques, and CD-ROM. In considering this option, you must evaluate a number of issues, including the hardware/software requirements of end users, the database formatting requirements, frequency of information change, and the cost and logistics of disk or CD-ROM duplication and distribution. This approach has the advantage of permitting the inclusion of graphics, which are usually too costly and slow to transmit via telecommunications.
Publishing in the mainframe environment using large databases on magnetic tape is found in many agencies. This information, usually distributed through N I IS or GPO, is used either in closed mainframe environments or in commercial online publishing services.
Microfilm and microfiche publishing continues to be a viable approach for some applications although computer technology has replaced many such publishing applications. This technology is useful particularly for catalogs and archival documents because microfilm can be generated inexpensively and directly from a computer file.
On-demand publishing in some cases can fulfill information demands by printing out selected portions of a database. This will become even more feasible with the advent of electronically driven copier-duplicators.
Mixed-media publishing, such as the combining of digital computer technology with videotape presentations to produce “interactive video,’’ will be used by many training publications in the future.
Facsimile (fax) publishing may be the most useful form when immediate publication to a limited number of locations is required.
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Guide to
Federal
Publishing
GPO
GPO’s Departmental Account Representatives or Regional Printing Procurement Office Managers are the primary points of contact between your agency and GPO. The account representatives and regional managers have expertise in all areas of GPO products, services, and applicable technologies and strive to tailor their services to your needs. They can provide liaison services, such as reporting on work in progress, or give technical advice on various matters, such as commercial term contracts and electronic photocomposition. Following are descriptions of other services available from GPO.
Commercial procurement of printing
Once GPO decides that a product will be commercially procured, GPO’s Printing Procurement Department initiates the process by writing complete specifications. It also maintains a master bidders list, solicits bids from contractors, and receives and certifies the responses. GPO s procurement experts can also meet with agency representatives to discuss technical and contractual matters and conduct pre-award surveys of potential contractors and onsite press sheet inspections.
Once a contract is awarded, the Printing Procurement Department ensures that all contract terms are met. All procurements are entered into a computerized system enabling GPO to track each job every step of the way. The Printing Procurement Department also schedules shipping of the finished product, expedites and traces shipments, processes claims for damaged or lost goods, and investigates questionable charges.
Quality control reviews
If you are dissatisfied with the quality of a job and complain about a contractor’s performance, the GPO will conduct a review and recommend appropriate remedial action (correction, reprint, or discount).
Contract development
GPO can assist you in selecting and setting up the contract type most appropriate to your needs. These options are discussed in the following paragraphs.
Term contracts
Term contracts are the most effective and efficient means of satisfying recurring needs for substantially similar printing. Basically, a term contract provides for the purchase of specific products or classes of products during a specified period of time. For instance, if a Federal agency requires the printing and distribution of a monthly periodical, a term contract will be established providing for an entire year s production of that periodical rather than soliciting bids each month. By placing a print order against the term contract each month, the agency requires the successful contractor to produce and distribute the periodical in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. GPO can also establish term contracts for products such as forms, books and pamphlets, and composition services.
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Guide to
Federal
Publishing
Agency direct-deal/contractor direct-bill contracts
This simplified contracting procedure was devised to meet the short-run duplicating and copying requirements of Federal agencies. Under these contracts, you order directly from the contractor and process the bills for work placed against the contract. GPO imposes a one-time fee for the establishment, placement, and award of the contract and retains contract admin istration responsiIbil ities.
Other contract development services
In addition, the GPO can develop contracts for totally integrated electronic publishing, including data capture, database maintenance, photocomposition with the digitalization of graphics, electronic mail. CD-ROM, printing and binding of multiple publications, and packing and distribution.
Distribution channels
I he products that you publish can reach a much larger audience by taking advantage of the following programs and organizations.
Depository library program
I he Federal Depository Library Program is one of the major means by which the Federal Government fulfills its information dissemination responsibilities to the citizenry. In fiscal year 1991, more than 26 million copies of 56,000 titles in paper, microfiche, floppy disks and CD-ROM discs were distributed to the depository libraries. A recent study indicated that over 167.000 people each week use Government information in depository libraries.
lb assure public access to Government information, GPO administers the distribution of publications to the approximately 1,400 libraries in the Federal Depository Library Program. This program distributes unclassified Government publications of public interest to the 50 regional depository libraries in the program and selected publications to the approximately 1,350 other participating libraries.
By law, Government agencies must make all of their publications available for distribution to this program with the exception of classified or “for official use only" publications, cooperative (self-sustaining by sales) publications, and operational or administrative publications. (For detailed program requirements, see GPO Circular Letter 320 dated June 21,1990, Guidelines for the Provision of Government Publications for Depository Library Distribution, sent to agency printing and publishing officials.)
GPO sales program
The GPO offers more than 15,000 Government titles through the SuDocs Sales Program, including books, magazines and journals, reports, pamphlets, maps, posters, microfiche, magnetic tapes, CD-ROM products, and diskettes. There is no cost to publishing agencies for placing the titles on sa le. GPO sells general interest consumer publications as well as a wide range of business, professional, and technical publications on a cost recovery basis. All of these publications can be ordered by mail or through GPO’s 23 U.S. Government bookstores.
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Guide to
Federal
Publishing
Once a publication has been selected for the GPO Sales Program and is priced and available, SuDocs employs a wide variety of marketing and promotional vehicles to notify the public of its availability, including:
•	New Books, a list of all titles placed on sale in the previous two months;
•	U.S. Government Books, a catalog of new and popular publications;
•	U.S. Government Books for Business Professionals, a catalog containing titles of interest to the business community;
•	Government Periodicals and Subscription Services, a list of periodicals and other subscriptions; and
•	Subject Bibliographies, lists of titles relating to a single subject or field of interest.
SuDocs also uses flyers and sales letters to promote selected publications to specific audiences. The SuDocs Office of Marketing also provides consulting services at no charge to agencies interested in promoting their publications in the Sales Program.
In addition, a wide variety of other Sales Program services are available to agency personnel upon request.
Federal publishers should submit GPO Form 3868, “Notification of Intent to Publish, to SuDocs before submitting the publication to GPO for printing. This form provides SuDocs with sufficient information on the publication’s content and intended audience to evaluate its sales potential. Publishers can also meet with SuDocs personnel in advance of publication to discuss a publication’s sales potential.
The Consumer Information Center (CIC)
The CIC in Pueblo, Colorado, organized under the General Services Administration, helps Federal agencies to develop, promote, and distribute consumer information. The Center publishes the Consumer Information Catalog, which is free to the public and lists hundreds of Federal publications of interest to consumers. The catalog is widely distributed through Congressional offices, Federal facilities, educators, State and local government consumer offices, and private nonprofit organizations.
CIC provides a wide variety of services to help Federal agencies distribute their consumer-oriented publications more effectively. These services include:
•	helping with the design and development of publications;
•	listing your publication in more than 16 million copies of the Catalog annually;
•	sending out news releases, scripts, and special media promotions to make the public more aware of your information;
•	arranging for distribution through Pueblo, Colorado;
•	providing regular reports on the numbers of booklets ordered;
•	pretesting and evaluating public response to your booklets; and
•	coordinating special mailings and promotions.
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CIC handles both GPO sales titles and free publications. It also has a special low-priced, 50-cent publication program through which consumers share in the costs of making the booklet available. CIC can also help you find partners from the private sector to share publication costs for cooperative publishing endeavors.
The National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
NTIS, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a clearinghouse for the dissemination of Federal scientific, technical, and engineering information products and services. NTIS sells its products and services to users on a cost-recovery basis, and there is no charge to Federal agencies for most of its services. A unique aspect of NTIS is its permanent retention of information. Once information is stored at NTIS, it is permanently available to interested parties.
NTIS also maintains a Federal Computer Products Center, which announces and distributes Government-sponsored computer software and data files, and the Center for the Utilization of Federal Technology (CUFT), which licenses Federal inventions to private industry and pays user fees to the originating agency. CUFT also issues catalogs and directories describing Federal laboratory technologies and resources.
NTIS provides a complete, centralized information management system that can store, process, and distribute your agency’s publications, periodicals, computer data files, software, and ongoing research. As part of its standard information management system, NTIS:
•	markets your agency’s products through its network of promotional and announcement media;
•	creates a searchable bibliographic record of your information product, fullv indexed and abstracted;
•	handles all the administrative and accounting details for the sale of your information products as well as all aspects of subscription fulfillment; and
•	stores your information and makes it available for retrieval at any time.
NTIS also provides information services to Federal agencies, including reduction of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) workload, patent licensing and promotion for patented inventions, Federal laboratory technology transfer, leases of bibliographic databases, seminars based on topical studies, mail list services, and translation services.
Availability of additional references
For a listing of books or periodicals, write
U.S. Government Printing Office
Institute for Federal Printing and Publishing
Mail Stop FP
Washington, DC 20401-1002
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1992 0 - 299-820 QL 3
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Acknowledgments
This guide grew out of an idea hy Thomas E. May, Department of the Treasury, and Chairman, Interagency Council on Printing and Publications Services, in concert with John Weiner, Energy Information Administration, and Chairman, Federal Publishers Committee, and Jim Bradley, Congressional Joint Committee on Printing (JCP). They identified the need, conceived the solution, and gained support for the effort. Their contributions continued throughout the entire development process. William A. Hohns, Government Printing Office (GPO), loaned support to the effort and participated actively.
The two chief writers were Kirk Markland, Department of the Treasury, and Deborah J. Curry, National Transportation Safety Board. Others who wrote significant parts of the document include Janies T. Cameron, GPO; Brian D. Costlow, Department of Energy; Thomas P. Bold, Jr., National Technical Information Service; and Mary M. Levy, Consumer Information Center.
Other major contributors include Dorothy B. Nicewarner, Department of the Army; Carol A. Harvey, U.S. Office of Personnel Management;
Marilyn Marbrook, Bureau of Justice Statistics; Liz Gilmore, General Accounting Office; Henry Lowenstern (Retired), Bureau of Labor Statistics; Daniel H. Clurman, and Robert G. Cox, GPO.