MEDIA FORMATS
CD, Email or upload via our ftp site.
Please include only the files needed to create your job. You can stuff or zip your artwork to allow for smaller and safer transmissions.
If you are trying to match a color always mail us a hard sample of the piece your are trying to match.
ACCEPTABLE FILE FORMATS
Preferred file format is a high resolution PDF. Please make sure you embed fonts and you have bleeds included.
- Adobe InDesign (include all fonts & support files, plus a hard copy or PDF to check art.
- Adobe Photoshop (minimum 300 DPI, CMYK format)
- Adobe Illustrator (Fonts converted to outlines, all linked graphics embedded or included, CMYK format)
- EPS (with fonts converted to out lines, all linked graphics imbedded or included, CMYK format)
ADDITIONAL FILE FORMATS
These file formats are not compatible for high quality printing and there will be additional art charges if you submit your file in one of these formats. There will be an additional charge of $75 to convert your file to a format that is compatible for high quality reproduction.
- Microsoft Publisher
- Microsoft Word, Works, Excel, PowerPoint, Word Perfect
- Apple pages
- Film or other similar “Camera Ready” art.
BLEEDS, CUTLINES & SAFETY AREAS
Bleeds: Add an extra 1/8 to each side of your art.
Safety Area: When designing your art keep a safety area of at least 1/8 inch from the trimmed edge of the art. This is important because when cutting your printed piece down the blade can shift and cut into your design. We strongly suggest you do not put a boarder around your art for the same reason. Straightness and evenness are not guaranteed for boarder areas.
(Put mock up of sample that shows, safety line, cut line and bleed.)
COLORS
We print using a sheet-fed 2 & 4 color presses or a high-speed digital press.
Pantone Spot Color: are used for one and two color printing. Four color printed is CMYK, no RGB or Pantone Spot Colors)
To keep your colors consistent it is important to create your designs in CMYK format. Then can be a color shift when artwork is designed as RGB and is converted to CMYK. Computer monitors are RGB so when the file is converted to CMYK and printed it will not match what you saw on your computer monitor. If color is important you can purchase a color proof for $25.
(Note $25 color proof does not apply for multipage catalogs, booklets or manuals- ask your marketing consultant for applicable price for your multipage proof)
Example of RGB Colors (Left) and Example of RGB converted to CMYK (Right)
IMAGE RESOLUTION
Submitted art files, photographs must be 300 dpi. Low-resolution art files will print fussy or appear capsulated.
BLACK
When printing black that is made up of 100% black with 4 color CMYK may appear slightly grey and may show lines when other images are layered underneath the black layer.
The solution is to design your piece using what is called “Rich Black”. The CMYK settings for rick black are: C-40, M-O, Y-0, K-100.
Be sure if you are placing an image with a black background on top of other black areas that the blacks have the same color breakdowns. If different the colors may appear to be the same on your computer monitor but will be very different and obvious when your piece is printed.
MAILING SPECS
(will be coming soon)
