What
is FTP? When should I use it?:
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, and
it is used to transfer files over the Internet direct to a server. While
using FTP will not speed up the time it takes to transfer your file to
us, it will allow you to send larger files that your ISP will not allow.
Using FTP is just like copying your file from one computer to another.
If you plan on sending a lot of graphic files over the Internet, use an
FTP program. However, if you do use it, you have to let us know that you
submitted a file to the FTP site - most FTP servers do not automatically
send the owner a notification every time a new file is uploaded.
Why can't you use a PDF
file that is created for use on the Internet?
While
anyone can create a PDF file that looks good on the Internet, printers
require a much more detailed PDF file in order for it to reproduce correctly
on commercial presses - whether they are digital or conventional. As always,
the most common problem is font substitution - if your file does not have
the fonts embedded, anyone else who views your file might see fonts other
than the ones you intended. Also, while the Internet is fine if you only
want to see 256 different colors, your file may look vastly different when
it is imaged on an offset web press that produces literally several million
different color gradations. Just remember that the image you see on your
screen or coming out of your desktop color printer will not be the same
as one coming off the end of a commercial-grade offset press. To prevent
this from happening use the correct job option settings when creating PDF
files(check with us if you are not sure which settings to use), and be
sure to only use high resolution graphic files when designing print documents.
Why can't you use our
logo from our web site?
Web sites are designed to load fast, and any graphic images on them need
to be just good enough to look fine on a computer screen. Printers need
files that have a much greater resolution than what is common on the web.
While you may be able to print a decent quality image of a web site on
your ink jet, if you try to print that same file on a typical high resolution
offset or digital press, the results will be a poor quality output
I use Quark. Do you still
want a PDF or EPS file?
Adobe InDesign, Quark,
Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop are the most common graphic design
programs in use by the printing industry. If you use any of these programs,
you could send us native application files as long as you include any fonts
and high resolution graphic images - also be sure that your color Management
settings are correct. If you can send us a complete native application
file in one of these common formats, then do so. Otherwise, stick with
a PDF or EPS file.
E-mail Guidelines:
When emailing files to Us, you need
to include certain information in order for us to be able to use your file:
Name and version of the software you used to create the form. List of the
files you are sending. Indicate the fonts used and include them in your
transmission. Indicate the file format - EPS, PS, PDF, Quark, etc and wheather
it is a Mac or PC file. Mail or fax a hard copy of the document to us when
the order is placed - we prefer the mailed hard copy as fax machines will
distort the image (FAX 413-283-4403). Reference a quote number or job number
if you have it. Use either WinZip , PKUnzip or StuffIt to compress the
files before you send them. While we can handle large files on our email
server, many commercial providers (i.e. Comcast, Verizon, AOL, MSN. etc)
limit the size of the email file you can send.
Graphic Design Guidelines:
Create your job with the zero point at the overall upper left of the form.
Forms should include perf widths, stub widths and line holes in the overall
dimensions of the form. Reference your PO number or our job number with
each file. Your job must be entered before we can process the artwork.
Make sure that you attach the file to the email you are sending. Do not paste your images
into the email message as this will render it useless to us.
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Some of the
more common graphic design programs we support are:
- Adobe InDesign
- Quark
Xpress
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Publisher
- Microsoft Word
Cross platform issues with Mac versus
PC files:
While many file types have no problem going from a PC to a Mac
environment, there are a few things you should know about transferring
files across platforms. File associations will not transfer automatically.
Windows knows which program to open up a file with because of the filename
extensions - .doc, .jpg, .tiff, and so on. Macintosh computers do not use
this extension - they use an internal part of the file known as the resource
fork. Therefore, a Mac user may not know which program to open a PC file
with, and vice versa for a PC user. When you name a file on a Macintosh
that is going to a PC, add the appropriate file extension. However, we
see many more PC created files sent to us that we need to open on our Mac
system. That is why it is imperative that we know what software was used
to create the file - we might not be able to tell what kind of file it
is just by the name. The best way to avoid cross-platform issues is to
use PDF files. PDF files, when correctly created, will give you a consistent
print image regardless of what type of system is being used. They also
are easily recognized by both PC's and Mac's. While PDF files are an ideal
solution for the print industry, there are wrong ways to create them -
see our How to create PDF files page for detailed information.
Microsoft
Publisher users:
Microsoft Publisher has become a very common program for
print designers. While Publisher does have some limitations, it can still
be used to create print ready files. Though Publisher does allow for a "Pack and Go" option just for sending your file to
a printer, you can also create very good quality EPS files that any printer
can readily accept. A few items to remember - you must embed any graphic
images as you create your piece, and you must embed the fonts as well. The
fonts should automatically embed - just be aware that some fonts cannot
be embedded and some font substitutions may occur. Publisher comes with
the MS Publisher Imagesetter printer driver that works very well for creating
EPS files. Use this driver to create your EPS file - for detailed instructions
see our Creating EPS files page.
What is Variable Imaging?
Variable Imaging,
by definition, is the printing of documents in which each one is personalized
for the intended recipient. It can be as simple as just a name and address,
but the real impact comes when other information is added to create a piece
that includes information specific to the recipient.
Levels of Personalization:
Variable Imaging can be divided into four distinct levels of personalization.
The first and most basic level is the use of a name and address on the
printed piece. The second level adds a certain amount of versioning, meaning
each piece has other text or images that vary based on data specific to
the recipient. The third level would include transactional information
or data driven graphics (like a pie chart or graph illustrating data specific
to the recipient). Lastly, the fourth level of Variable Imaging would be
a document that was 100% variable - the layout, graphic images, and text
would all change from piece to piece.
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Common Printing Terminology:
Bleed
- Printing that goes to the edge of the sheet after trimming.
CMYK - Abbreviation
for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These are the four process colors
used to produce full-color images.
Comb bind - To plastic comb bind by
inserting the comb into punched holes.
EPS file - Encapsulated Postscript
file, a standard format for importing and exporting PostScript language
files in all environments. An EPS file can contain any combination of text,
graphics, and images. An EPS file is the same as any other PostScript language
page description, with some restrictions.
FTP - File Transfer Protocol,
a method of transferring files directly from one computer to another via
the Internet. Usually used in place of emailing graphic files to preserve
integrity and insure transfer.
Halftone - Converting a continuous tone
to dots for printing.
Indicia - Postal information place on a printed product.
PDF - Portable Document Format, a universal file format that can preserve
all the fonts, formatting, graphics, and color of any source document,
regardless of the application and platform used to create it. Adobe PDF
files are compact and can be printed across various systems with no change
in image integrity.
Pagination - How the individual pages in a document
are separated into each page.
Perfect bound - When the pages of a book
are held together by a cover glued to the spine and wrapped around to form
the front and back covers - i.e. paperback books.
PMS - The abbreviated
name of the Pantone Color Matching System.
Register - To position print
in the proper position in relation to the edge of the sheet and to other
printing on the same sheet.
Register marks - Cross-hair lines or marks
on film, plates, and paper that guide strippers, platemakers, pressmen,
and bindery personnel in processing a print order from start to finish.
Saddle stitch - Binding a booklet or magazine with staples in the seam
where it folds.
Score - A crease put on paper to help it fold better.
Self
cover - When the cover of a book is of the same stock as the text - implies
that the cover is printed in the same process as the text. A self cover
is included in the number of text pages, and are printed on the same stock
and in the same color.
Spiral bound - Books bound with plastic or wire
coils.
Trapping - The ability to print one ink over the other.
Trim marks
- Similar to crop or register marks. These marks show where to trim the
printed sheet.
Wire O - A bindery trade name for mechanical binding using
double loops of wire through a hole.
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