File Questions
What file formats do you require? How do I set up my files correctly?
We need a 1-up, press-ready PDF file with crop marks and bleed. Please see the "Preparing PDF Files" section of this web page for information about creating press-ready PDFs.
What are crop marks?
Crop marks are printed or drawn lines indicating where the paper should be cut to produce the correct page size.
Do I have to draw crop marks manually?
No. Any desktop publishing software can create crop marks automatically when you export your file into a PDF. In this case, you have to make sure that the trim size is the same as your document size. For example, if the final trimmed size of your business card is 3.5" x 2" then your document size must be the same.
Do I have to impose my artwork myself?
No. All files are imposed automatically by our workflow. If you submit the imposed file yourself, chances are that we will have to break it apart and re-impose it.
What is bleed?
If any element on your document layout makes contact with the document border you will have to use bleed. The trick is to place the element so that it goes over the border where the document will be cropped after printing.
The term bleed is used for all objects overlapping the border of your document.
Should I convert my files into CMYK?
No. Conversion from RGB to CMYK is done automatically on our workflow.
What resolution should I use for the images in my artwork?
We recommend that all images be saved at 300 dpi.
Preparing PDF Files
Mac OSX
Unzip the settings file and copy it to the following location on your hard drive: Library/Application Support/Adobe PDF/Settings. The preset "Green Printer" will now be available in all of your Adobe CS2 applications.
Windows
Unzip the settings file and copy it to the following location on your hard drive: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Adobe PDF\Extras. The preset "Green Printer" will now be available in all of your Adobe CS2 applications.
You can also create your own PDF setting by matching the settings shown in the following screen shots. After matching all the settings, please save them as a "Green Printer" preset.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
QuarkXpress
Creating PDF files without Acrobat Distiller on Windows
If you don't have Acrobat Distiller and still want to create a high-quality PDF file, you can use the program CutePDF Writter. This is a free program and it can be downloaded here. After downloading and installing the program, all you need to do is go to File/Print and select CutePDF Writter in the Select Printer menu.
Cute PDF also works with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Adobe Pagemaker.