Guide to Supplying Artwork
Everything you need to know about supplying artwork files correctly.
File Formats Accepted
- ** PRESS READY PDF (preferred format) ** - Supplied with fonts embedded, for best results high resolution 300dpi
- Adobe InDesign - supplied with supporting fonts and images
- Quark Express – supplied with supporting fonts and images
- Illustrator – fonts converted to outlines
- Freehand – fonts converted to paths
- Photoshop – layers flattened, at least 300 dpi, JPEG or Tiff
- Corel Draw – fonts converted to Curves then export as Illustrator AI
- Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Publisher) - supplied with supporting fonts if non-standard
Supplying Native Files
When supplying native files e.g. Quark Express, please ensure all elements, document, images and fonts are in one folder and please compress using Stuffit or similar to .sit or zip files before sending.
Different Formats
If you wish to submit artwork created using a program not listed above we will try to accomodate you. Please email or call us on 01904 608158 to discuss.
Supplying PDF Artwork
We prefer all artwork to be supplied as high-resolution PDF format.
PDF's have become the standard file format for transmitting files for printing, but it is important to prepare your PDF file in the correct way.
Correct Preparation of PDF Files
When creating a PDF in Acrobat Distiller, there are job options which must be set for commercial printing. These include default resolution, compression settings and font embedding.
Please ensure you choose high resolution. Compression settings for colour and greyscale should be downsampled to 300dpi with "auto compression" set on high. Bitmapped (monochrome: i.e. line art) images should be set at 600dpi.
Font embedding should be set to "embed all fonts."
Bleed
All artwork must have 1.5 mm bleed if you require the image to bleed off the edge of the paper.
One of the most important elements in artwork for printing! Please ensure there is a minimum of 1.5 mm bleed all round the PDF, i.e. save the PDF with 3mm added to each measurement (i.e. for A4 usually 210mm x 297mm, save as 213mm x 300mm).
Crop marks may be included if you wish. If your artwork is supplied without bleed we may not always be able to add it on for you and you may have to amend and re-supply the artwork.
CMYK or RGB?
For most consistant results please ensure that all embedded images are CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black). Although we can accept files with RGB colours these will be converted to CMYK using our standard colour management settings.
Image Resolution
Colour and greyscale images should be 300dpi at the final size in the document submitted for output.
Lineart (bitmapped) should be 600-1200dpi at the final size in the document submitted for output.
Imposition
Please do not supply imposed pages or "printers pairs" because our workflow includes imposition software to impose correctly for our printing processes.
Booklets
Please supply booklets as single pages in reading order. If your job is to be perfect bound and requires a spine then the cover should be supplied as a separate file.
Other file formats
Any other file formats not listed above must be saved as an eps or jpeg. If there are any changes to the job, you may have to amend and re-submit the artwork as we may be unable to change it. Ensure your files have bleed and crop marks and please confirm the final size of the artwork.
PROOFING - PDF / Hard Copy Digital Prints
All our prices include a low-res PDF proof which is downloaded from the order page once your file has been checked and preflighted. We can supply you with hard copy digitally printed proofs for your job free of charge but this may add 1-2 working days onto the turnaround of job.
Artwork Amendments or Re-submission
Our prices include "pre-flight checking" your artwork and submitting a PDF proof for your approval. We will correct any easy to rectify issues that we spot as part of this process - free of charge.
If we need to amend your artwork or you need to re-submit corrected files then we may charge for doing so, which includes an additional PDF proof. More extensive amending or correcting is charged dependent upon the amount of time required to rectify.
Sending Your Files
fileUPLOAD
The preferred method of receiving your print files is using our fileUPLOAD facility which can be linked to through your order. We can accept files up to 300mb in size which is acheived through a simple Adobe Flash interface.
Emailing files
If you wish to email your file(s) please send it to orders@colouroptions.co.uk with any relevant information regarding the job. Maximum file size for email is 20mb. Files larger than this should be sent on disk, uploaded using our fileUPLOAD facility or by using one of the free services such as www.mailbigfile.com or www.yousendit.com.
Do your require further assistance?
If you need any help with sending your artwork please contact us on 01904 608158.