ELECTRONIC FILE PREPARATION

The first step is to email me your files so that I can have a film negative made from them. The film is used to expose the photopolymer. Files created in InDesign, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop all will work fine if you pay attention to some simple guidelines.

File format

The bottom line is that PDF files are the easiest for you to create and are the easiest for me to use.

Color

The art should be line art rendered in solid PMS (Uncoated) colors. Do not use grey scale, process, RGB, CMYK, or Indexed colors.

Fonts

If you are working with Adobe Illustrator then all fonts must be converted to outline (Type>Outline). For work created using In Design, all files should be packaged (File>Package) then collect for output and zip the folders.

Email addresses are often designed to be very small and therefore the dots (as in "dot" com) in anything smaller than 12 point type should be made to be two point sizes larger than the rest of the type. Trust me, neither you nor anyone else will notice the size difference, and it will keep them from disappearing in the platemaking process.

Marks/Bleeds

The edge of your sheet should be indicated by a 1 point line or by crop marks at the corners and bleeds need to extend past the edge of the sheet by 1/16 of an inch. On two sided work indicate how the sides back up with one another.

Perforation placement can be indicated by a dotted line and score placement by a solid line in a color that is different from the job's ink colors.