Artwork Preparation Guidelines
Templates for stock exhibit and display products can be viewed or downloaded from individual product pages.
Print-ready digital files - You've done all the preparation, i.e. sized, cropped, designed, etc. We simply process and print your files. File setup fees will apply.
Be sure to scale your graphic to size, include crop/trim marks, and provide color references. Include all support files, i.e. images, screen and printer fonts. Include color copies. Art charges will apply to files we have to get print-ready.
Software - Mac and PC files for all Adobe Creative Suite products TIP - CorelDraw files must be converted to outlines and exported as Adobe Illustrator files.
Additional accepted formats include PDF and flattened images files at final size.
Digital Images - LEAVE ART FILES IN RGB FORMAT. These must be 100 pixels per inch at the final reproduction size or they will reproduce poorly. TIP - Don't save JPEGS as JPEGS. They will get worse with each generation.
Digital Logos - Provide your logos in "vector" software formats, i.e. Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand or CorelDraw (export as Adobe Illustrator). Includes PMS Color references. TIP - Image files of your logos placed in these softwares will not work. They are still image files and will reproduce poorly when they are enlarged for large format printing.
Text - Put on paper what you want to say, or send us a file in Rich Text Format.
Photography - Original film or digital files are best, but are only as good as the photographer and the camera used to take them. Scan charges will apply to convert film images to digital files.
Stock images - Both traditional and royalty-free licensed images are available on the internet. Buy the largest digital file available.
Setup Fees - A setup fee of $35 per file will be charged to the final invoice unless otherwise specified on a product. This is per file. Should multiple quantities of the same file be ordered, there will only be one setup fee.
Rush charges -Sometimes rush charges cannot be avoided. It depends upon our work load and the status of your artwork. Turnaround times begin from "proof approval" not when you hand us your artwork.
Image quality/resolution -Low resolution and poor quality images don't magically improve when you save them as a larger file. Call us. We have tricks to optimize quality.
Media formats - CD and DVD. How To Send Us Files
Critical Color Matching – Colors vary from your monitor to our printer. If color is critical, supply a color printout and/or PMS color references for color matching.
Note: Flattened files and files with embedded images can only be color corrected for the overall graphic. This sometimes causes “crossover” where one color shifts while correcting for another. We cannot fix crossover without extensive digital editing time and charges.
To avoid crossover in colors, provide files in their native software format with layers and appropriate support files. Don’t “save as” something else.
Proofs - If we create or change your artwork, you'll get a proof by fax or Adobe Acrobat PDF files via e-mail at no extra charge.
One-fourth scale printed color proofs are charged additionally.
Contact us if you have any questions.
|
