SOME FAQ'S & HELPFUL INFO

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Guidelines for Artwork Submission.

Some tips to help each other out.

Our preferred format for file submission is a "Press-Quality" PDF, which is a universal format among most desktop software these days. Please feel free to contact us if you have another file format and we will do our best to accommodate.

Q: What file formats do you guys accept?
A: At this present time, we accept the following file formats:

  • Adobe Acrobat (.pdf, .ps)

  • Adobe InDesign (.indd)

  • Adobe Illustrator (.ai, .eps, .png, .pdf)

  • Adobe Photoshop (.psd, .tif, .jpg, .bmp, .gif, .png)

  • Microsoft Office (.pub, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .bmp, .png)

  • iWork applications (.key, .numbers, .pages)

  • Web applications (.html, .xml)

  • Rich Text or Plain Text (.rtf, .txt)

When submitting your file(s) to us, we kindly ask you to follow these guidelines:
If possible, please provide a hard copy of your project at 100% to scale. If you do not provide a hard copy to size, please indicate the scale provided. With emailed or FTP transmitted files, please provide a PDF with all fonts embedded. This will enable us to output a laser copy to size for reference. In addition, please indicate any spot colors used (PMS numbers) and any special treatments that will be included in your project (i.e. - spot varnishes, foil, emboss, deboss, etc.).
Within current desktop publishing applications, there are automated functions that enable you to gather all images, graphics and fonts that relate to your project. This will help minimize the need for our prepress department to spend any extra time on your files than necessary - thus saving time and money and helping you get your project completed on-time.
If your project has bleeds, we ask for them to be set to 1/8th of an inch all the way around. *Additionally, we ask that spot colors be identified using the Pantone "coated" color library system, regardless if it is actually going onto a coated sheet.

If you use Adobe InDesign for your desktop publishing, execute a "Package" option, to gather all images, fonts, and graphics. If your project has bleeds, we ask for them to be set to 1/8th of an inch all the way around. If you use Adobe Illustrator, please be sure to include all fonts, and any embedded images or placed artwork as to alleviate any issues with files that may need color correcting or changes with the type, copy, etc - otherwise, please remember to "outline" your fonts. Please do not create your document oversize to accommodate for bleeds. We recommend the following:

  • create your document to size to ensure you have the page setup correct.

  • extend the artwork desired 1/8th of an inch beyond the document "edge."

  • designate a "crop" area equal to your page setup to ensure we have the right dimensions and can manipulate if necessary.

If you use Adobe Photoshop, please ensure the following:

  • the resolution is no less than 300 dpi.

  • color space is CMYK, not RGB (if you are creating a MONO-, DUO-, or TRI-TONE, please make sure Pantone color libraries are identified.)

  • color space is Grayscale if photo or image is in black and white.

  • if artwork is to bleed, make document size .25" bigger than actual size to accommodate 1/8th inch bleed all the way around.

If you are submitting PDF files, please ensure the following: (feel free to contact us if you need assistance in any of these areas.)

  • they are "press-quality" and of the highest-resolution (images being 300 dpi minimum, lineart or bitmap images at 600 dpi minimum.)

  • they have a 1/8th of an inch bleed all the way around, including crop marks that are offset outside of the "printed" area ( do not make your document oversize to accommodate ).

  • they utilize CMYK process and/or Pantone color library color spaces and NOT RGB. ( if you are using any Microsoft application like Office or Publisher, this is the default color space and will require additional time to correct the files.)

  • they have ALL FONTS EMBEDDED.

If your project utilizes what is known as a "rich" black (extremely helpful in achieving the best results in process printing for a solid "black" area), we recommend setting up your artwork with the following formula: [ 30C 30M 30Y 100K ].
When creating a booklet or multi-page newsletter, please do not set up your document in printer spreads. Layout your document in single "reader-spread" pages. Our prepress department will paginate your project according to our equipment and paper specifications. If your project will require folding, make sure the panels are adjusted correctly to accommodate for "creep."
Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions regarding preflighting your artwork or submission of your file(s).

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Work

PDF, JPG, EPS, WTH?...

File types / suffixes and general printing terms...

.PDF_ ( Portable Document Format )
the most universal format that has been adopted by the majority of the printing industry because of the flexibility and consistency of creating an electronic document that can be viewed, printed or easily transmitted across platforms.

.PS_ ( PostScript )
a computer language that printers use to define page images. There are different "standards" ( i.e.- levels 1,2,3 ) of which have been developed to further expedite the printing of images, colors and other graphic elements.

.BMP _ ( BitMaP )
format that defines a display space of an image and the color for each pixel or "bit" in that given display space. A bitmap uses a fixed or raster graphics (pixel-based) method of specifying an image, where the image cannot be immediately rescaled by a user without losing definition (resolution).

.EPS _ ( Encapsulated PostScript )
a vector format designed for printing to PostScript printers and imagesetters. It is considered the best choice of graphics format for high resolution printing of illustrations. EPS files are created and edited in illustration programs such as Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW.

.GIF _ ( Graphic Interchange Format )
a file format for storing graphical images up to 256 colors. It uses a lossless compression method which makes for higher quality output. GIF files are the most popular on the web for being used in logos, color images and animations.

.JPG _ ( Joint Photographic Expert Group )
a file format best used for photo images which must be very small files, for example, for web sites or for email. JPG uses lossy compression (lossy meaning "with losses to quality"). Lossy means that some image quality is lost when the JPG data is compressed and saved, and this quality can never be recovered.

.PNG _ ( Portable Network Graphic )
a more powerful alternative to the GIF file format. PNGs are not restricted to the 256 color limitation of GIF files and have better compression. A PNG file can be saved with a transparent background which allows you to place your image on top of another image without an outlining white box.

.TIF _ ( Tagged Image File Format )
an industry standard designed for handling raster or bitmapped images. TIFF files can be saved in a variety of color formats and in various forms of compression. TIFFs use lossless compression to maintain image integrity and clarity and are often used for professional photography.

_CMYK ( colorspace )
stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black.
The standard color model used for "pigment-based" printing. Often referred to as (4)-color printing or process printing, these four primary colors of pigment add to one another to create millions of colors in the visible spectrum. .

_RGB ( colorspace )
stands for Red, Green, Blue.
The standard color model used for "light-based" systems and devices. Red, green, and blue are the primary colors of light used to display images on devices such as televisions, computer monitors, digital cameras, cell phones, etc. .

_SPOT ( colorspace )
An independent ink that is printed with its own custom pigment mix - mostly utilized in printing involving 1-3 colors. Pantone® is the dominant spot color system used among the printing industry in the United States and Europe.

_PIXEL
short for "picture element," referring to the smallest single component in an image. Depending on the context, they can be represented as printed (on a piece of paper) or as an electronic carrier of a digital signal (as in a display device). A pixel is a "dot" that contains color information. The more pixels available in an image or device, the better the resolution and image / display quality.

_RESOLUTION / DPI
the amount of detail an image contains. The higher the resolution/dpi, the more color information exists resulting in a higher quality image. In relation, DPI (or "dots per inch") is a printing term that correlates to the amount of pixels within a square inch. Printers and images with higher DPI produce a clearer and more detailed output.

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Work

Myth versus Fact.

Debugging the truth about print and paper.

The MYTH:
Making paper always destroys forests
The FACT:
Paper production supports sustainable forest management. Claims like “go paperless – save trees” create a false impression that forests are a finite resource, being destroyed. In truth, North American forests are a renewable resource that is continuously replenished using sustainable forest management.

The MYTH:
Paper is bad for the environment
The FACT:
Paper is one of the few truly sustainable products. In North America, paper is recycled more than any other commodity and the benefits include: extending the wood fiber supply; reducing greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding methane emissions (released when paper decomposes in landfills or is incinerated); contributing to carbon sequestration; reducing energy needed for paper production; and saving landfill space.

The MYTH:
Making paper uses a lot of energy and has a high carbon footprint
The FACT:
Much of the energy used is renewable and the carbon footprint is surprisingly low. Wood stores carbon indefinitely, even as a finished product, helping to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions over the long term. Growing trees also releases oxygen into the atmosphere, thereby supporting life on our planet.

The MYTH:
Only recycled paper should be used
The FACT:
Recycled fiber and wood fiber from well-managed forests are both essential to sustain the paper life cycle. Globally, 82% of recovered paper is used in tissue, container boards, and other packaging or board products. Approximately 6% of the recovered paper supply is used in printing and writing grades.

The MYTH:
Electronic communication is more environmentally friendly than print and paper
The FACT:
Not necessarily. Electronic media also has environmental impacts. It is estimated that small network equipment in America’s homes consumed more than $1 billion worth of electricity in 2012, equivalent to the output of three large (500 MW) coal fired power plants. This resulted in 5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions or the annual tailpipe emissions of 1.1 million vehicles. Also, Data centers are one of the largest and fastest growing consumers of electricity in the United States. In 2013, U.S. data centers consumed an estimated 91 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity – enough electricity to power all the households in New York City twice over – and are on-track to reach 140 billion kilowatt-hours by 2020.

The MYTH:
Print and paper is wasteful
The FACT:
Paper is one of the most recycled products in the world. One of the key environmental attributes of paper is that it can be easily recycled and used to make new products. Since tracking paper recovery rates began back in the 1990s, paper recycling has increased dramatically. We’re not only recovering more, but we now know how to get the most environmental and economic benefits from using recycled paper in new products. In addition to the sustainable advantage of being made from a renewable resource, paper and its supporters are leading the way when it comes to implementation of effective recycling and the minimization and eventual elimination of print and paper waste in landfills.

The MYTH:
People want to switch to digital
The FACT:
Many consumers value paper-based communications. Switching to digital is not always welcomed by consumers and many wish to retain the flexibility of paper-based, postal, and electronic communications. As North America becomes more digital every day, it is assumed that digital will replace paper. However, research shows that paper still has a place in today’s society and many people want to be able to choose their preferences, and even prefer print over electronic communications in many instances.

The MYTH:
Packaging is wasteful and unnecessary
The FACT:
Paper based packaging protects goods, reduces waste, and is recyclable. Today, more corrugated packaging is recovered for recycling than any other packaging material according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with supermarkets leading recovery efforts. Most stores recover nearly all of their used corrugated packaging in backroom balers. Bales of corrugated are then sold to generate revenue.

Source: www.twosidesna.org

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