Prepress specifications
Prepress checklist
FTP/uploading artwork instructions
Prepress Specifications
When submitting artwork to Interstate Printing & Graphics, please review all of the information on this page, as well as our prepress checklist.
Software
We can accept Macintosh and PC formatted files from the following programs:
Adobe InDesign CS3
Adobe Illustrator CS3
Adobe Photoshop CS3
Adobe Acrobat 8.0
Quark XPress 7.0
Adobe PageMaker
The following software is not intended to create documents for high-end outputs and should be avoided due to lack of integrity and information when submitted in its native form:
Microsoft Publisher*
Microsoft Word*
* Converting these types of documents to a Press Optimized PDF will increase the possibility of maintained integrity. Otherwise, these documents may often incur extra expense to reconstruct in an appropriate application in which information is properly sent to an output device. Please contact Interstate Printing & Graphics for suggested output options for these non-standard programs.
Laser Proofs
It is important to receive hard copy proofs with your artwork. To ensure that we produce the artwork exactly as you see it, a hard copy is a must. This is also one way you can preflight your job.
Graphics & Scans
Please include all linked graphic files in your layout file. This includes all logos, photos, etc. that are placed in your layout.
All color and grayscale graphics should be at least 300 dpi for the best printing outcome. All color graphics should be converted to CMYK before submitted your final artwork.
Fonts
ALL fonts used in your artwork should be collected and submitted with your files. For any help needed in collecting these fonts, please contact Interstate Printing & Graphics.
Color
Please use the following guidelines for color:
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If the job is to be 4 color process, please convert all images to CMYK.
If your job prints with spot colors, please specify which colors are to be spot and which colors are to be 4 color process.
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Choose colors from the Pantone swatch books, rather than color combinations that look good on your monitor. Your monitor is never a good representation of what your project will look like on press.
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Colors from a low-end, non-color managed printer (i.e. most desktop printers) do NOT represent the color that will be printed. To ensure your project's color is correct, please request a high-resolution matchprint proof from Interstate Printing & Graphics.
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If you wish to match color from a previously printed piece, please provide any previously printed materials for matching.
Bleeds
Please build your file and graphic elements with a .125" bleed. For guidance on how to build bleeds, please contact us.
Folds
If you are creating a document which is to be folded, please provide a hard copy/folding sample to show where the document folds.
Pre-Press Checklist
Please use the following checklist when Supplying artwork to Interstate Printing & Graphics:
- Add 1/8" bleed where necessary
- Convert RGB images to CMYK or grayscale
- Make sure all images are at a high resolution of at least 300 dpi
- Include ALL fonts used in your files
- Provide hard copies of your project
- Spot Color: Delete any unused spot colors from page layout color palette
- Spell check document
- Supply original layered Photoshop files for any flattened tiff, jpeg or
Photoshop EPS files.
If you wish to match color from a previously printed piece, please provide any previously printed materials for matching.
FTP/uploading artwork instructions
To upload artwork to our FTP site, please make sure that you have FTP software that will allow you to upload files. You cannot upload files to our FTP via a web brower such as Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc. You must have a separate FTP software program. Some recommendations if you do not have this software are: for Mac users, Fetch and Cyberduck and for PC users, Filezilla.
Please make sure that you compress all files before uploading them to our FTP site. Compression eliminates most file corruption issues. WinZip is a popular PC compression program and StuffIt is a popular Mac compression program.
Our FTP site will not allow file names with any spaces or special characters. Please remove all spaces and special characters such as puncuation from your files names before uploading them. Dashes and underscores in file names is allowed.
Be sure to notify someone at Interstate Printing once your artwork has been uploaded, and contact us know if you need any further assistance. |
