The following are the most common mistakes made in submitting a disk for your product. These can cause costly delays that may not be expected.
Keyboard Fonts
This happens when you select the Bold and Italic from the Style list instead of selecting the Bold and Italicized font. The imagesetter may not recognize keyboard fonts and type could possibly default.
Bleed
We require 1/8″ bleed (.125″) for any picture or color background that bleeds off the edge of the piece. This means the picture or background must extend past the trim line 1/8″. Copy / Images 3/16″ from trim line: Copy or images that do not bleed should always be at least 3/16″ (.185″) inside the trim line.
Stored Files
When files are imported into your document such as images or scanned artwork, we need the original file you imported. These files should be LINKED TO not STORED IN your document. Even if you store them, we need the original scan or artwork to be able to process your file. In most layout applications, you are normally only viewing a PLACEHOLDER.
4 Color Process (CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)
While most, if not all, programs will allow you to place RGB images, it is required that you convert all RGB images to CMYK format. Since our presses are four-color, it is necessary that they have the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (K) plates intact. Colors in the scanned images or other artwork in the layout must be converted to CMYK process colors to print.
Pantone Matching System (PMS)
What Is Spot or PMS Color?
If a designer needs to match a particular color (a logo color perhaps) in a printed piece or has a limited budget, then spot color is something to consider. Spot colors can also be used alongside process (CMYK) colors for greater flexibility.
To ensure that a printer uses exactly the color that a designer intends, color systems were developed. The most common of the spot color standards is the Pantone Matching System or, PMS as it is more commonly known. All of the modern image-editing, vector-drawing and page-layout programs come with a full library of thousands of Pantone colors as part of the program