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SOFTWARE WE SUPPORT Adobe InDesign CS2 Adobe Pagemaker Adobe PDF Files Adobe Illustrator vs. 9 Adobe Photoshop vs. 7 CorelDraw (vs. 7 – vs. 10) Corel PhotoPaint (vs. 7 – vs. 10) Microsoft Publisher (extra charges may apply) Microsoft Word / Excel / Powerpoint (Not Recommended, extra charges will apply) *** Never set-up a document in Print Shop Pro or other home desktop publishing product. They are designed only for home use and are not compatible with our software. They claim export for Publication Houses and may indeed create a PDF, but we have yet to see them create a file that will live up to our quality standards.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR FILES FOR PUBLISHING · MARGINS - Maintain at least a 1/4” margin on all sides unless you want to bleed. · BLEEDS - Bleeds cost extra. (A bleed is where an ink color runs off the edge of the paper.) A full 1/8” should be allowed for bleeds. · LAYOUT - Design your piece to its finished size unless you have bleeds. If you have a 4 x 6 card, set your page layout to 4 x 6. Do not attempt to arrange multiples on a sheet. If your 4 x 6 card has a bleed, set your page layout to 4.25 x 6.25 (1/8” extra all the way around regardless of whether all sides bleed or not) · COLOR - Always use CMYK coloring rather than RGB. Many programs have clipart that is RGB colored and may need special attention. · FONTS - When sending us files, please attach any fonts used in a separate file folder. You cannot attach (as an email attachment) fonts from your c:/windows/fonts directory. Create a fonts folder in your working directory and copy the fonts from your c:/windows/fonts folder to your newly created fonts folder. · MULTI-PAGE DOCUMENTS - You need only set up your document with the proper margins and page numbers (if applicable) and let us do the rest. We will put the appropriate pages together (Example: in a 40 page document, we would put page 40 with page 1, page 39 with page 2, etc.) To avoid extra charges, allow us to prep your files. Avoid using web graphics or photos for your publication. Most of these graphics are set to the minimum 72dpi for quick webpage loading. They will appear very pixilated when published. While they may appear fine on your home inkjet printer (due to built-in smoothing technology in newer inkjets) our platesetter will accentuate the pixilation of the image.
A WORD ABOUT PHOTOS, GRAPHICS, AND RESOLUTION The following minimum resolutions should apply to all graphics included in your publication: Grayscale Photos: 200 dpi Full Color Photos: 300 dpi Black and White Line Art Scans: 1200 dpi *Please note that changing (for example) a 72dpi to a 200dpi inside a photo editing program will NOT improve its quality.
A WORD ABOUT COLOR *Remember that full color photos or graphics should be set to CMYK and NOT to RGB The addition of full color can turn a rather plain printed piece into an eye-catching work of art. That addition, however, can come at a big price. You must weigh the pro’s and con’s and decide for yourself if that extra cost is worth it. Depending upon the quantity, a two color piece may be much more cost effective to produce and achieve the same result. Talk to one of our professionals and we can help you make a decision that is right for your pocketbook.
CREATING PDF’S Many software applications come with built-in PDF creation software. There are several issues to address when using these. The first thing you must realize is that most run-of-the-mill applications assume by that you are going to publish your PDF to the web or for personal distribution. These PDF’s are not meant for print publication. They will, by default, produce a 72 dpi photo resolution even though you have a 300 dpi photo in your publication. Therefore, when creating your PDF, be sure that change your options to “press”, “print” , or other higher quality setting. Always check your PDF when done to make sure that you have the right settings. As a final check, you can zoom in on photos and type to make sure that the PDF is as crystal clear as your original. For a more accurate check, you can look under “document properties/document metadata” and “document properties/fonts” to make sure all is well and that your fonts are all there. This is by no means a fully detailed description of PDF creation. If you are in doubt, it may be simpler to package all your files, fonts, photos, etc. and let our experts do the rest.
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69 Years of Experience Qualifies Us to be Your One Source Supplier for All Your Printing Needs Full Range of File Prep and Typesetting Services High Quality Color or Black & White Reproduction High Speed Color Copying Service Wedding & Social Supplies |
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