Double check your project requirements

Confirm your project size, bleed and trim. Get this step wrong and expensive print re-runs can happen.

A 1/4″ bleed minimum is always preferred over 1/8″.

Triple-Check Your Spelling

Getting wrapped up in design sometimes makes it easy to miss spelling errors. Typos are the leading cause of expensive print re-runs.

Workflow Tips

Print out a hard copy to review. Eyes are naturally drawn to reflected light, not the projected light of a monitor. It’s easier to catch mistakes on a hard copy.

Read your copy backwards (and out loud) to make sure you don’t skim over any type when you are under a tight deadline.

Provide a Low-Resolution PDF

An accurately named PDF helps the printer check for image errors. When providing art on a CD, include a print-out of the art and a list of included files.

Update the Information in Your Project Slug

Your slug should include:

a list of colours used, including CMYK, Pantone colours and/or specific finishes
the number of colours used on either side of the printed substrate
file name
file dimensions
operator names
company name
date submitted

Share the Responsibility

Get a colleague to review a hard copy of your final files. Two sets of eyes are better than one.

Manage Your Fonts

It’s a good idea to outline your fonts before you send them for production. This eliminates common font issues.

If your typeface changes often and you foresee any last-minute changes (like sale prices on a poster that promotes multiple products), it makes sense to send files with “live,” non-outlined type. If this is the case, please provide proper font files.

PostScript Fonts work best.

Package Your Files

Preflighting software such as FlightCheck can help a lot. To learn more about FlightCheck, watch the product video here.

InDesign contains powerful preflight software that makes packaging your files a breeze. Click here to watch this video and to learn how to prepare your files for print with InDesign.

File Compression

Compress your files before you send them. .sit, .sitx and .zip files are acceptable.

object(stdClass)#223 (25) { ["ID"]=> int(151) ["post_author"]=> string(2) "10" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2011-01-21 18:44:34" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2011-01-21 23:44:34" ["post_content"]=> string(8149) "

Artwork Specifications

We all understand the importance of a truly creative process: Creativity wins clients. But poor production can lose them. Follow these best practices and you can’t go wrong.

Use an Organized File Structure

Using a well-defined file structure and naming convention makes everyone’s job easier. A few simple rules help everyone stay on the same page:

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File names should be less than 32 characters long, with no spaces or special characters. Always include correct file extensions (e.g., .pdf, .ai, .doc, etc.). If you’re using FTP and your file name is too long, the server will automatically truncate the name.

Acceptable File Formats

While most industries battle over standards, prepress departments have their… uh… stuff… together, accepting only standard file formats:

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Adobe Illustrator

Artisan Complete accepts all versions up to CS5

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Adobe InDesign

Artisan Complete accepts all versions up to CS5

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Adobe PDF (X-1, X-3, X-5) For Print Productionr

NOTE: NEW LOCKED PDFS make it impossible for a prepress department to adjust graphic assets to address production problems or colour revisions.

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QuarkXPress

Artisan Complete accepts all versions up to 8.5

File Size Specifications

For Screen production files, please deliver files at 100-150 DPI at full size. For Litho production files, please deliver files at 300 DPI at full size. For Digital production files, please deliver files at 100-150 DPI at full size.

Placed Image Formats

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Layered Adobe Photoshop Documents

Artisan Complete accepts all versions up to CS5

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ALL .eps FILES

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ALL .tif FILES

Acceptable Computer Platforms

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Mac and PC files are welcome. NOTE: Typefaces render differently between platforms—making it a great reason to outline your fonts.

Convert RGB image files to CMYK

Ah the language of colour. RGB on screen. CMYK on press. Use the proper profile when converting from one to the other to ensure accurate colour. Here’s how:

Display conversion options
To display conversion options, choose Edit > Color Settings, and select Advanced Mode (Illustrator and InDesign) or More Options (Photoshop). In Acrobat, select the Color Management category of the Preferences dialog box.
Specify the colour management module
Engine Specifies the Color Management Module (CMM) used to map the gamut of one colour space to the gamut of another. For most users, the default Adobe (ACE) engine fulfills all conversion needs.
Select the right option
To view a description of an engine or intent option, select the option and then position the pointer over the option name. The description appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
Choose a rendering intent
Intent (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) specifies the rendering intent used to translate one colour space to another. Differences between rendering intents are apparent only when you print a document or convert it to a different working space.
Choose “black point compensation”
Black Point Compensation ensures that the shadow detail in the image is preserved by simulating the full dynamic range of the output device. Select this option if you plan to use black point compensation when printing (which is recommended in most situations).
Use dither controls
Use Dither (Photoshop) Controls whether to dither colours when converting 8‑bit-per-channel images between colour spaces. When the “Use Dither” option is selected, Photoshop mixes colours in the destination colour space to simulate a missing colour that existed in the source space. Although dithering helps to reduce the blocky or banded appearance of an image, it may also result in larger file sizes when images are compressed for web use.
Compensate for “scene-rendered profiles” in Photoshop
This compares video contrast when converting from screen to output profiles. This option reflects default color management in After Effects.

Double check your project requirements

Confirm your project size, bleed and trim. Get this step wrong and expensive print re-runs can happen. A 1/4" bleed minimum is always preferred over 1/8".

Triple-Check Your Spelling

Getting wrapped up in design sometimes makes it easy to miss spelling errors. Typos are the leading cause of expensive print re-runs.

Workflow Tips

Print out a hard copy to review. Eyes are naturally drawn to reflected light, not the projected light of a monitor. It’s easier to catch mistakes on a hard copy. Read your copy backwards (and out loud) to make sure you don’t skim over any type when you are under a tight deadline.

Provide a Low-Resolution PDF

An accurately named PDF helps the printer check for image errors. When providing art on a CD, include a print-out of the art and a list of included files.

Update the Information in Your Project Slug

Your slug should include:

a list of colours used, including CMYK, Pantone colours and/or specific finishes
the number of colours used on either side of the printed substrate
file name
file dimensions
operator names
company name
date submitted

Share the Responsibility

Get a colleague to review a hard copy of your final files. Two sets of eyes are better than one.

Manage Your Fonts

It’s a good idea to outline your fonts before you send them for production. This eliminates common font issues. If your typeface changes often and you foresee any last-minute changes (like sale prices on a poster that promotes multiple products), it makes sense to send files with “live,” non-outlined type. If this is the case, please provide proper font files. PostScript Fonts work best.

Package Your Files

Collect your final files, leaving out any concept documents or previous versions of files. QuarkXPress, InDesign, and Illustrator rely on file paths to build a document. Include all placed images and all fonts. Preflighting software such as FlightCheck can help a lot. To learn more about FlightCheck, watch the product video here. InDesign contains powerful preflight software that makes packaging your files a breeze. Click here to watch this video and to learn how to prepare your files for print with InDesign.

File Compression

Compress your files before you send them. .sit, .sitx and .zip files are acceptable." ["post_title"]=> string(39) "Artwork Specifications & Best Practices" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(5) "specs" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2011-10-24 13:53:57" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2011-10-24 17:53:57" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(72) ["guid"]=> string(23) "http://retail4life.net/" ["menu_order"]=> int(9) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "page" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["ancestors"]=> array(1) { [0]=> int(72) } ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" }

Point of Purchase

Display Decor Printing+

Double check your project requirements

Triple-Check Your Spelling

Workflow Tips

Provide a Low-Resolution PDF

Update the Information in Your Project Slug

Share the Responsibility

Manage Your Fonts

Package Your Files

File Compression

Double check your project requirements

Triple-​Check Your Spelling

Workflow Tips

Provide a Low-​Resolution PDF

Update the Information in Your Project Slug

Share the Responsibility

Manage Your Fonts

Package Your Files

File Compression

Triple-Check Your Spelling

Provide a Low-Resolution PDF