The problem
Customers send RGB logos from websites, phone photos at low resolution and PDFs with no bleed, and someone has to explain each problem politely. At 20 problem files a week and 10 minutes per explanation, that's over 14 hours a month spent writing near-identical emails.
What the AI does
Paste your own technical rules into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini (bleed, safe area, resolution, color mode, fonts, file types) and ask for a plain-English artwork guide for your website and 6 short reply templates for the commonest problems. You check every number against your own equipment and stocks, then use the templates, adding the specific problem with each file.
A worked example
A print shop in Inverness with 3 staff gets about 20 problem files a week. The manager writes an artwork guide page and reply templates in an afternoon with an assistant, and links the guide from every quote.
Before
20 problem files a week at 10 minutes each: 200 minutes a week, about 14.3 hours a month
After
20 files at about 4 minutes each using templates: 80 minutes a week, about 5.7 hours a month
What it's worth
About $343£258€307A$495C$485 a month in time saved: 120 minutes a week, times 4.3, is about 8.6 hours a month, at an assumed $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour. The free plans of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can do this; a paid plan costs up to about $27£20€24A$38C$38 a month for one person if you hit usage limits.
How to set it up
- Write down your real rules: bleed, safe area, minimum resolution, color mode, accepted file types and font handling.
- Ask the assistant for a plain-English artwork guide aimed at a small business owner, and 6 reply templates for the problems you see most.
- Check every number against your own presses and stocks; correct anything generic.
- Publish the guide on your website and link it from quotes and order confirmations.
- Keep the templates where staff can paste them, and update them when something keeps coming up.
What goes wrong
- An assistant may give common industry numbers that don't match your presses, such as a different bleed. Your own figures must replace them.
- Templates can sound cold. Add one line about the customer's actual file each time.
- Don't paste customers' artwork or personal details into an assistant; the guide only needs your rules.
- A guide doesn't replace checking. Keep preflighting files before they go to press.