File Preparation Tips

In order to help you prepare your files for printing services, here are some basic rules that will help you avoid delays and ease the production process.

Color  Make sure that all RGB images have been converted to CMYK.
Rich Blacks  Large areas of black print best as rich blacks (40%C, 30%M, 28%Y and 100%K).
Line Screen  Set a scan resolution of 300 dpi (150 line screen) for halftone images.
Screen Shots  When printing "screen shots" or Internet images make sure the resolution at the printed size will be adequate.
Illustrations  Take a little time to check all your illustrations to find the fonts used in them.
Hairline rules  If you wish to use a hairline, define it as a .25 point line.
Fonts  Select all your fonts from the font menu. Do not use any font style options on the Macintosh.
Bleeds  Should be at least 1/8". Extending any elements off the page the desired amount can usually do this.
Setup  Each side of each item to be printed should be a separate document page or file. We will do all imposition for the press.
Page Sizes  Set up your jobs at actual page size desired. For instance, if you want an 8.5x11 inch page, the document setup in your application should reflect an 8.5x11 inch page.
Linked Graphics  Always include all linked graphic files used in your job. All applications will need these to refer back to when printing to a high-resolution device.

Additional information:

Inks  Our presses use offset CMYK ink on high-quality printing stocks, not toner!
Sheet Size  Our standard press sheet size is 12" x 18".
Image Area  Maximum image area: 11.75" x 17.75" including bleeds.
File Types  We print from Macintosh, Windows and PDF files.
Film Separations  There are no film separations.
Plates  Plates are directly and simultaneously imaged on the press.
Paper  Our house stocks include 100 lb. Gloss or Matte Coated Text, 80 lb. Gloss Cover, 100 lb. Gloss or Matte Coated Cover, 12 pt. C1S and C2S. Most other stocks.
Always Proof Your Job  It is a good idea to provide us with a laser or inkjet proof of what you expect to be produced. It should be output on a printer with a Postscript RIP.  Postscript is the language of the devices we use to print to and is the standard in the graphics arts industry. If you can't separate the job with the appropriate color breaks, then you have defined your colors incorrectly.
Organize Your Job  When submitting your job, it is best to provide one folder. It should contain the main file plus any other linked graphics. This way upon opening your files most applications will find these necessary files and automatically link to them. Also in this folder should be a folder labeled "fonts" with all necessary fonts for the job.
Typefaces  Always include all typefaces used in your job. This includes screen and printer fonts, as well as any TrueType fonts used. Don't forget to check your imported graphics for any fonts used.
Pertinent Files Only  Only provide us with what we need to properly output your job.
Keep a Copy for Yourself  When you're ready to package up your job, always provide us with copies of your files, not originals.