Digital File Guidelines
In order to give you the lowest possible prices and to guarantee the quality of your job and meet your deadline, please use this guide to prepare your electronic files before sending them to us. We can not be held responsible for errors in file preparation.
Please contact us with any questions on preparing your files. If your files need work before we output them, we will charge you for that service. We will give you an accurate estimate of the time needed and the costs involved. If you have problems with preparing files for print, having us prepare your files may be the least expensive way to go as we guarantee or work, which is much better than having to pay for re-running the job.
Acceptable
Programs
These
programs will support 1 color - 4 color process separations:In-design, Quark Xpress, Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, Corel Draw and Microsoft Publisher 2000 (this program has limited capabilities).
These programs will work for simple output only:
Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, Excel, Call us for any other
programs, as this list changes often.
File
Preparation Guidelines
Layout:
All bleeds extend at least 1/8 over the crop marks. Spot colors
are called out correctly (call us if you need help). All laser printer
specific settings, such as tiling are disabled.
Fonts:
Do not use the stylize palette to stylize the fonts (bold or italic,
etc.), instead use the correct font. Include both the printer font
and the screen font for all fonts used.
Placed
Images:
Photoshop
/ Corel Draw:
- Small
font sizes will reproduce poorly as they will have jagged lines.
- Save
the file in either EPS or TIFF format.
- All
screened images must have at least twice the resolution of the
screen frequency requested. Example: a full color brochure is
usually printed with 150 line screens. To get a 150 line screen
output, the original image must have at least 300 dpi.
- Bitmapped
images (line art) should be scanned using at least 1200 dpi resolution
to prevent jagged lines.
Illustrator
/ Freehand / Corel:
- Convert
all type to vector curves, paths or outlines (depending on your
program).
- Images
should be CMYK, not RGB if job is 4 color process.
- If
printing in PMS colors, images should be in the correct spot colors.
- Save
the file in either EPS or TIFF format (native .cdr files will
not work).
- Do
not use jpeg or lzw to compress the file, jpegs, and RGB files
will default to grayscale (B/W).
- Do
not use PICT files.
After
you have all of your files prepared go to the FTP page
Supply
with your file
All
elements (imported graphics, photos, fonts, etc.) that were used
to
create the document. Supply both printer and screen fonts for all
fonts used.
Proof:
Whenever possible, please send us a PDF with your files. A printout from your color laser printer or inkjet printer is not an accurate proof of color. It will give you an idea of the color and we can try to match to it, but only a color corrected proof ripped from the same equipment that will output your plates will show you accurate color. |