Planning
-
Quantity of finished pieces.
-
Artwork that you will be supplying.
-
Size and number of finished pages.
-
Paper stock.
-
Coating options, AQ Coating, UV Coating.
-
Is your project for long term or short term use?
-
Will the final piece be mailed or is it a handout?
-
When does the project need to be delivered?
-
Number of folds, binding method or other finishing steps.
-back to top-
Paper
Plan the paper stock and coating options. Is your project for heavy duty use? Is it to be mailed?
If you are planning an upscale project, consider gloss coated paper if your project consists
mostly of images or matte coated paper if it is text intensive to make pages easier to read.
-back to top-
Document size
Document page size should be set to trim size.
If your order is to be trimmed to 11"x17", your document size should be set to 11"x17".
If it bleeds, extend 0.25" on all sides beyond final dimension.
Convert fonts
Embed fonts if you use Acrobat. Convert to curves if you use Corel Draw.
Create outlines if you use Illustrator, save as EPS. PageMaker, create PDF file for print.
Resolution
-
Images should have 300dpi at 100% of the final size in the layout, saved as EPS or TIFF files.
-
Text should be 300 dpi at the final size in the layout.
-
Bitmap files (logos) should be 600 dpi at final size.
-
Images with higher than recommended dpi are unnecessarily large and will not improve print quality.
-
Do not use images with a resolution less than 300 DPI, these will reproduce poorly.
-back to top-
CMYK mode
If your files are submitted in RGB, we have to convert these to CMYK for print.
Because the color translation between RGB and CMYK is not exact, select the CMYK
color mode from the beginning of your project, to give you a better idea of how colors will look.
Do not convert the mode from RGB to CMYK and back, it may cause colors to shift.
RGB files print fine on home and office printers,
but causes problems for commercial printing (doesn’t translate correctly on the RIP).
Bleeds
To print a page with full bleed, you must extend the bleed area 0.25" all around beyond
the final dimension to allow trimming variation. Do not change the size of the document,
drag the picture box over the edge of the document. 8.5 x 11" Flyer + 1/8" bleed = 8.75 x 11.25".
-back to top-
Name files
To process your project efficiently, please name your files, be as descriptive as possible.
Names should be logic and related to your project. Consider the points listed below.
-
Your name or name of project
-
Quantity
-
Finished size and number of pages
-
Name images and graphics before you import them to the layout
-back to top-
Proofreading
Proofreading is very important. A tiny flaw can ruin everything. Do not assume that what you see
on your monitor or print out is what you will receive. Take a good look at proofs provided by us.
• Eliminate all distractions.
• Proofread everything several times.
• View in neutral light. Be aware of the impact of ambient light when viewing colors.
• Have two or more persons who are unfamiliar with the project go through the points listed below.
-
Are colors, bleeds, folds or perforations O.K.?
-
Are content, character flow and images as desired?
-
Are alignment, spaces, spelling, punctuation and grammar fine?
-
Is address, tel./ fax number, e-mail, URL, ISBN number correct?
-
Are final size, borders, pagination, and front to back orientation O.K.?
-
If the project is to be folded, fold the proof to check if all the elements
-
are positioned correctly and if there are any errors with folding itself.
-back to top-
Solid black
If your layout contains a large solid black area or black text over 48pt,
optimize your file to the following color settings: C:50% / M:0% / Y:0% / K:100%
to prevent it from looking gray. Never use C:100% / M:100% / Y:100% / K:100%.
-back to top-
Color fonts
Avoid color fonts or white fonts on a black background smaller than 12pt.
If you wish, make fonts in one of the CMYK colors (avoid yellow).
Always convert black fonts to black (key). If you set fonts over an image
use an image editing program to lighten your image for legibility.
-back to top-
Scanning
It is very important to keep in mind the resolution needed at final size.
It is impossible to maintain resolution when enlarging an image.
Once the resolution is reduced, it can not be enlarged without losing quality.
Convert images to CMYK before importing them to the layout. Any image scanned above
the recommended resolution will be unnecessarily large and will not improve print quality.
Do not use poor-quality images (website images, low-quality digital photos, clip art, ect.).
-
Activate the de-screening feature of your scanner.
-
Scan images 300 dpi at 100% of final size in the layout, saved as EPS or TIFF (LZW off).
-
Line Art should be scanned at 1200 dpi at final size and saved as TIFF or BMP format.
-
Do not interpolate (manually changing the resolution) files to a larger size.
-
Images from digital cameras appear in JPEG, for best results, convert them to EPS or TIFF.
-
Do not reduce an image less than 30% of its original size. Use an image editing program to
-
scale to recommended resolution.
Resolution and size are inversely proportional to each other. If you enlarge an image,
you lower its resolution. If you reduce an image, you increase its resolution. If you set a 6" x 6" image to your layout that has been enlarged to 12" x 12" (200% enlargement), scan it at 600 dpi.
If not, your image will end up with 150dpi.
-back to top-
Mailing tips
If your order is to be mailed, check postal regulations: www.usps.gov .
when creating your project. Using non-standard materials, weights or
sizes can cost ¢10 more a piece. In the worse case, it may be rejected.
-back to top-
Gutter (book orders)
If you are planning a multi-page project, please leave a gutter (a space between the text and
spine of page) between folded pages. To allow a ¼" margin on each page, the gutter should be ½".
The margin should be at least 3/8" on all sides of the page.
-back to top-
|
