Guide to Supplying Artwork

This page will explain everything you need to know about supplying artwork files correctly. I will do my best to accomodate any files you send me, but there will be a charge for any time I have to spend on them preparing them for printing.

File Formats Accepted

Press ready PDF - with fonts embedded, for best results high resolution 300dpi.

InDesign - Save as a 'Package' and zip the fonts, images and InDesign file in one file, alternatively output 'Press Ready' PDF from InDesign.



Illustrator – Save as '.ai' or '.eps' files and supply with fonts and any linked images, alternatively output 'Press Ready' PDF from Illustrator.

Photoshop – layers flattened, at least 300 dpi, 'jpeg', 'pdf' or 'tiff'. Remember to include 3mm bleed. Native Photoshop files 'psd' can be supplied but save your un-flattened 'psd' file as a 'pdf' to maintain non-rasterised fonts.

I can do some work with Word, Publisher & Powerpoint but these programmes are not meant for outputting for printing. I may have to use the file as a guide to relay the information in a design programme. This will be chargeable but I will call you to discuss this first.

Correcting Artwork

This includes adding bleed, making small amendments and converting non print ready files to a print ready format. This includes Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher and Micrcosoft Powerpoint. I will call you to discuss any extra cost this may incur.

When supplying native files e.g. InDesign or Quark Express, please ensure all elements, document, images and fonts are in one folder and please compress into one file before sending.

Supplying PDF Artwork

I prefer all artwork to be supplied as high-resolution PDF format with fonts embedded, but I know this isn't always possible. PDFs are now becoming the standard file format for transmitting files for printing, but it is important to prepare your PDF file in the correct way.

Where possible ensure a 'High Quality' or 'press ready' PDF is outputted. Please include a 3mm bleed, crop marks and supply as single pages. Ensure you choose high resolution. Compression settings for colour and greyscale should be downsampled to 300dpi with "auto compression" set on high. Bitmapped (monochrome: i.e. line art) images should be set at 800dpi. Font embedding should be set to "embed all fonts."

Bleed

This is one of the most common problems and important elements in artwork for printing! Please ensure there is 3mm bleed all round. i.e. if you are not using using a layout programme, save the file with 6mm added to each measurement (eg. for A4 usually 210mm x 297mm, save as 216mm x 303mm). Crop marks may be included if you wish. If your artwork is supplied without bleed I may not always be able to add it on for you and you may have to amend and re-supply the artwork.

CMYK not RGB!

Please ensure that all images are CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) files. RGB images may look good on your screen but final output to print is always in CMYK. I can correct PDF files send with RGB element to CMYK but this can alter the colour composition significantly!

Microsoft Office Files

If you are creating a PDF from a MS Publisher or Word file, care must be taken to ensure spot colours are created correctly in your original documents. Do not set to RGB (Red, Green, Blue) colours as they cannot be printed and will have to be converted to CMYK.

Supplying EPS Files

Any other file formats not listed above must be saved as an eps or jpeg. If there are any changes to the job, you may have to amend and
re-submit the artwork as we may be unable to change it. Ensure your files have bleed and crop marks and please confirm the final size of the artwork and supply a hard copy for reference.

Bleed and Crop Marks

Crop marks should be included if artwork does not fill a whole page area (i.e. no bleed). They should be 5mm long, 3mm outside of the page area and coloured in the colour 'registration' (100% of each CMYK) to ensure they appear on each colour separation.

Imposition

Please do not supply imposed pages or "printers pairs" because I have imposition software to impose correctly for our printing processes.

If you are producing a booklet please remember to allow for "creep". I suggest you keep all text and copy at least 5mm away from the trimmed edge.

Fonts

Include all fonts you have used in the file. Whilst I have an extensive font collection, there is no guarantee the version you have used matches mine. This can create problems with line lengths and spacing of the type. Lawton Print Design assumes all fonts supplied are licensed and takes no responsibility for embedded fonts.

Lineart and Images

Colour and greyscale images should be 300dpi, Lineart (bitmapped) should be 800-1200dpi at the final size in the document. Images should be submitted as 'jpeg', 'pdf', 'tiff' or 'eps' .

Tints of colour

Tints may range from 99% down to 1%. From a practical printing viewpoint, anything above 90% or less than 5% will generally not be visible to the naked eye.

Sending Artwork by Email

Please use the contact page to send any relevant information regarding the job. Maximum file size preferred by email is 15mb. Files larger than this should be sent on disk or by using one of the many file sharing sites that are now readily available and allow you to send large files normally free of charge like: WeTransfer.

Sending Artwork on Disk

CD Rom, DVD, and USB memory sticks can be sent or if you are local I will come and collect it. Please include a hard copy of your artwork for reference with any useful instructions. Don't forget to keep a copy of your file, in case I need you to undertake changes or corrections.

High Resolution Digital Proofs

I will always send a PDF proof. If you require a high resolution digital proof these can be supplied for an extra charge. If you need any help with your artwork or have any questions please contact me using the contact page.