TECHNICAL INFORMATION
1. File Formats
We use the very latest Adobe PDF Rip in our Prepress department and our workflow is based on working with files in PDF format. Ideally you should send your files to us in this format. The PDF should be prepared at press quality.
Alternatively we can accept files in flattened Tif (Tiff) or Jpg (Jpeg) format. The files should be at the correct size for print. The disadvantage of sending files in this format is that all text and graphics will be Bitmap rather than Vector quality. If the file is sent at 300dpi resolution then in our experience the results are generally considered acceptable.
We are also pleased to accept virtually every other file format there is. We list here the most common formats which we receive. The list is not exhaustive. If your application is not listed please check with us.
* Adobe Creative Suite - all versions Mac, PC
* Adobe Pagemaker - from 5 onwards - Mac, PC
* Corel Draw - from 6 onwards - Mac, PC
* Corel Printhouse all versions - PC
* Macromedia Freehand - from 3 onwards - Mac, PC
* Microsoft Office & Publisher -from 98 onwards - Mac, PC
* Quark Express - from 3 onwards - Mac, PC
* Serif Page Plus-from 3 onwards - PC
* Xara all versions - PC
Please note: We make a nominal charge of £20.00 + VAT to work with files which are not supplied as PDF, Tif or Jpg.
2. Bleed and 'Quiet Border'
Understanding the need for 'Bleed' and a 'Quiet Border' is vital if, as partners, we are going to achieve our joint aim of an excellent finished print job.
We require Bleed to allow for the tolerance of our guillotines (the machine used for cutting your job after printing). Even with our 'State of the Art' equipment there is a margin of error in the operation.
If your image finishes exactly at the edge of your required finished size then these small deviations may produce unsightly white flashes at the edge of your print. By extending your background colour or image beyond the edge of your finished job the consequences of such a deviation are not perceptible.
We recommend that elements intended to go to the very edge of your finished job should extend 3mm beyond the edge.
A ‘Quiet Border’ is the distance you should allow from the edge of your finished page size to text or diagrams etc. The reason for this border is again the tolerance in cutting. If you have a design where the text runs to the very edge then a cutting deviation will actually cut off some of your text! A very small ‘Quiet Border’ can result in a finished job looking very uneven.
We recommend a ‘Quiet Border ‘where there is no text, etc. of at least 5mm around the edges of your job.
3. Fonts
We carry all the most popular Mac and PC fonts, please confirm at the time of ordering.
Where you have used a rare font outside the 'normal' range we recommend converting the text created with this font into curves. This means that we no longer require the original font when we print your job.
Where you are supplying your work as a PDF it should always be produced with fonts embedded. With a Tif or Jpg, fonts are much less of an issue since these formats effectively embed the fonts required to print.
4. In preparing your artwork remember about
* Bleed 3mm
* Colour scheme: CMYK
* PDF Pre-requisites
o 300dpi resolution image files
o Text needs to be converted to paths
o Transparencies need to be flattened
o 'Overprint' needs to be turned off when originating files