ARTWORK REQUIREMENTS

PDF's
Send a High Quality (Print Quality) PDF file and a zipped folder of the design file with all links (pictures, logos) and fonts for ALL artwork.

Make documents to size. For example, a business card is 2” x 3.5” so that will be your document size. DO NOT gang up individual items (i.e. do not put 8 business cards on a letter size sheet - just send one 2" x 3.5" business card). If you are sending a booklet, do not paginate into spreads. Send pages actual size in sequential order.

If the document bleeds, extend bleed past the page .125” (1/8) of an inch while creating the artwork. Additional steps are required to keep these settings while exporting the PDF in some programs (see below). In order to avoid those steps you can increase the document size by .25” (1/4) inch on both sides (an 8.5" x 11" would be 8.75" x 11.25") and extend bleed to the edge of the document.

Art files can be sent to us in one of three ways: as an email attachment (up to 10 MB), FTP upload, or brought in on a CD or flash drive.

PMS Colors
PMS colors are okay for spot color printing. For process color printing, your colors must all be built in CMYK. Spot colors must be converted to CMYK.

Notes
Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop (not accepted for spot color work) files must have crop and bleed marks provided.
We cannot accept Microsoft Powerpoint, Publisher, or Word documents as artwork.
Please be sure to include all supporting files—including screen and printer fonts and images.
Do not flatten layers.
Images must be to size and at least 300 dpi.

If your document uses spot colors, use PMS colors from the PMS or PMS+ color swatch libraries.
If your documents uses four color process, all colors must be built in CYMK. Do not use RGB colors.

Understanding Bleeds

If any graphics go to the edge of the page, they should be extended 1/8” beyond the page to allow for image or page shifting while cutting the stack. Otherwise white gaps may show on the edges.

Bleed

If a file has artwork that goes to the edge of the page, the art elements should be extended 1/8 inch outside the final cut size.

Clear (No Bleeds)

If the file does not have any elements going to the edge of the page, there should be 1/8 inch clear around the outside of the file.

Create PDF Files From InDesign

File - Adobe PDF Presets - PDF/X-1a:2001
In the Export Adobe PDF window go to the Marks & Bleeds tab and select Crop Marks.

• Set bleed to .125” or more on all sides and save PDF
(When setting up the document make sure that any artwork that comes to the edge of the document extends past the margin into the white space on all sides - changing this setting tells InDesign to make the PDF a quarter inch larger to accomodate the bleed)

Creat PDF Files From Illustrator

Save As - Adobe PDF

In the Save Adobe PDF window go to the Marks & Bleeds tab on the left side and select Trim Marks only. Set bleed to .125” on all sides and save
(When setting up the document make sure that any artwork that comes to the edge of the document extends past the margin into the white space on all sides - changing this setting tells Illustrator to make the PDF a quarter inch larger to accomodate the bleed)

• Zip and send the PDF and the original .ai file with the links and fonts.

Create PDF Files From Photoshop

Save As - TIFF

Because you cannot specify bleeds in Photoshop, make your document size a .25” (1/4) inch larger on each side. For example, an 8.5” x 11” sheet would be 8.75” x 11.25”

Set Mode (Image - Mode) to CMYK, make sure the resolution is 300 dpi (Image - Image Size - Resolution) and flatten the image before saving (Layer - Flatten Image)

• Send us the .tif file only.

Create PDF Files From Quark

File - Export - Layout As PDF - Options - Output Tab
Set Registration as Centered
Set Bleed Type as Symmetric and the amount to .125”

(Also check the Job Options tab and make sure all compression settings are set to none or high-res)

Send us the PDF and a zipped file with the Quark document, all links and fonts.

Create PDF Files From Word, Excel and Publisher

Save as a pdf with crop marks and bleeds (if necessary). We cannot print directly from Work, Excel or Publisher files.

IMPORTANT
DISCLAIMER:

We can offer technical support in setting up files for imaging. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions concerning software applications supported and file formatting.

We make every effort to troubleshoot potential problems, but cannot be held responsible for files we do not create. This includes, but is not limited to content, resolution of raster data or image ability of client files. In addition,we cannot assume any responsibility for poorly created files. We can only troubleshoot "technical" file attributes, not edit or "second guess" the graphic content of client files. Fonts, scans and any other reference files must be included along with the actual file to be imaged.