It all starts with a properly prepared file

Properly preparing a computer file for printing can be a daunting task. It takes much more than placing an image on a page, adding text and selecting a style of font. If it was that easy, everyone would be a graphic designer.

For some strange reason, and one that has puzzled the printing and graphics industry, there are lots of people convinced that they possess the skills necessary to design their company's next brochure, catalog, letterhead, etc. It takes more than the right computer software. It requires as much technical knowledge as artistic ability, and a sense of design, to produce quality "printable" graphic files. Unfortunately, most people do not have these skills.

Here is a list of important design and file preparation tips that you should follow carefully before you submit a file to any printer. But before you send any files, contact your printer and find out how they would like the file provided.

NOTE: If you are a web designer, please keep in mind that 72 dpi resolution is only acceptable on the web. Print images require 300 dpi resolution and are normally saved as CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black), as opposed to RGB. Also, Photoshop is primarily an image editing software, and it is NOT a page layout or design application.

Having said that, here is the list of tips to consider when preparing computer files for printing:

File Preparation Tips:

Preparing files for printing requires careful planning and following some key steps. These are some of the most important steps to follow, but don't hesitate to contact Photo Offset and speak to one of our graphic design experts.

Color - Make sure that all RGB images have been converted to CMYK.

Rich Blacks - Large areas of black print best as rich blacks (20%C, 20%M, 20%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 no less than 300 dpi. Typically, images taken from the internet are low resolution (72 dpi) and will not render a quality image.

Illustrations - Check your illustrations to find the fonts used and include them.

Hairline rules - 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 style menu in Quark Xpress or Pagemaker.

Bleeds - Extending any elements beyond page the trimmed page size.

Setup - Each side of each item to be printed should be a separate document page or file.

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 be 8.5x11.

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 - This is real ink on high-quality printing stocks, not toner!

File Types - We print from Macintosh, Windows and PDF files.

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 graphic 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 included 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 - Provide only the files needed to properly output your job. This includes all images, logos and fonts used in the document. Failure to include these elements will delay your job and/or affect the accuracy of the output.

Keep a Copy for Yourself - When you're ready to package up your job, always provide us with copies of your files, never the only one in existence! Murphy's Law applies.

Inappropriate Applications for High-End Output
Not all programs are capable of printing to high-end output devices, due to their limited or non-existent Postscript capabilities. These include: Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Works. If you are uncertain as to whether a certain software/output device combination will work, please call.