Our Print File Checklist

Resolution

Digital and Offset printed work should be a minimum of 300 DPI (dots per inch). Art for letterpress, foil, or embossing should be vector based, or at least 1,200 DPI. Files that are below these specifications will not print well.

Color Mode

There are three color modes possible for a print ready file, make sure yours is built in the appropriate mode.

• CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is the standard color model used in printing full-color documents. Anything printing in full color should be built in CMYK color mode.

• PMS (Pantone Matching System) The Pantone Matching System is an industry standard which is supported and available in all professional desktop publishing software. The system allows Pantone colors to be specified by name/number to ensure you get an exact match. If using spot colors they should be present and correctly specified in the file.

• Black and White If a document is printing in black, the file should be built in black only (not a build of RGB or CMYK).

Size, Crop Marks, Margin, and Bleed

Check that your document is the correct size. Crop marks should be present in the file. If art of any kind bleeds off the page bleed area must be included in the file. Here are the recommended specifications:

Bleed: 1/4"
Safety Margin: 1/4"

File Formats

We prefer Press Quality PDFs exported from InDesign, Photoshop, or Illustrator. We can work with native files from those applications however they may require extra setup to be made press ready resulting in additional fees.

File Adjustments / Design Services

Contact us if you need help with your file. We may be able to help with editing if you are able to supply workable files. After reviewing your needs we will supply a price estimate which you can review and approve before the work will begin. Aside from minor edits we do offer full scale design services, contact us for more details.