Artwork & File FAQ
We recommend saving as a .PDF. You may also send the file in the following types: jpg, tif, and eps.
We prefer that you send .PDF with embedded or outlined fonts. .PDF's are easier to handle and will likely speed up your turn-around. Remember to add crop marks to show cut before uploading your files.
2. What color mode should my files be? CMYK
3. What resolution should my file be? 300dpi. Anything less will not look as sharp.
Bleed must extend past the cut-line and will be trimmed from the product during the final cutting phase. When the image is required to extend all the way to the edge, bleed is needed to preserve the finished look and the quality of the final product.
Please keep all text at least 0.125" inside the cut-line.
- The bleed for Standard Products is 0.125".
- The bleed for Booklets and Presentation Folders is 0.25".
- For Large Format Products please contact us as they all vary with bleed and no bleed (exact size)
Yes, but if the border is too close to the cutline, it may be cut off-center slightly. Borders even off slightly on trim can make a card appear crooked so we advise against.
6. Can I submit a front and back in the same file? No files must be provide separately (front - one file) and (back - one file) Not separating files will cause delays and you might have to send the files again. Remember to separate the pages of your .pdf files as well.
7. What is rich black and how can I get it? Rich black is an ink mixture of solid black, 100% K, with additional CMY ink values. This results in a darker tone than black ink alone. If you print black alone as 100% K, the resulting black may not be as dark as you might like. We recommend using:
C 60 M 40 Y 40 K 100
This will give you a deep, dark, rich black.
8. How do I set up a Foil job?
Foil must be the same color on both sides. If you choose gold foil and choose foil both sides, then the front and back will have gold foil.
Foil mask files are set up just like our Spot UV mask files. The file must be solid black and white, with no gray and no gradients. Black indicates the areas with foil and white indicates areas without foil. Black areas should be 100K (100% black) with no other colors.
Foil jobs with Spot UV requires separate mask files for the Foil (foil mask) and UV (Spot UV mask). That means as many as 6 files may be required. (1) front artwork, (2) front foil, (3) front spot uv and (4) back artwork, (5) back foil, (6) back spot uv.
- Foil and UV cannot overlap
- Avoid using small, fine lines or small text for foil objects
- For best results, make sure that foil coverage is less than 50% of the artwork area
Please be aware that there may be up to 1/16" shift on the placement of the foil. Keep this in mind if you are trying to align foil with other printed artwork on the card.
With Akuafoil, you can turn a wide range of CMYK colors, into multi-colored foils. Akuafoil uses a special processed foil system that is applied under 4/c process to create an array of foil colors. It's simple, affordable, and makes your prints stand out from the crowd.
For an Akuafoil job, you must include an Akuafoil/mask file along with your CMYK file. The mask file indicates where the foil will be placed. The file process is the same as spot UV—100% K where foil is placed, 0% where the foil is not placed.
10. What are 4D Lenticular Prints and how do I set them up?
4D Prints is a Lenticular product that allows you to have two or three different pictures in one. We take your images and create a swapping effect, each image vanishing and then reappearing from one to another as you move it up and down. There is a backing that can also be printed in normal 4 color process. Total thickness with both plastic 4D viewer and backing is 21pt. Only the front side will have the 4D effect.
Our lenticular sheets are 75 LPI. LPI means Lenticules Per Inch.
We require regular .125" bleed for 4D prints. The total bleed should be .125" added to the cut size. For example, if you are ordering a business card the final size you should upload is 3.625 x 2.125. The files should still be CMYK and 300dpi as normal. There are some other rules you should follow as well when setting up the front of a 4D card
- - Dark solid colored and/or textured backgrounds work well.
- - White and light colored areas are transparent, other views / flips will show through white areas causing a ghosting effect. White and light colored areas only work well if each view has white/light colors in the exact same area.
- - Use bold san sarif fonts.
- - Avoid small, fine and thin type. Fonts get distorted through the lens / plastic surface, so the bolder the better.
- - Text that varies from view to view / file to file should NOT overlap, it should be in different positions on each view.
- - 4D effect works best when the variation from image to image is subtle and simple.
Another thing to keep in mind is how many files will be uploaded. It depends if you pick a two or three image transition.
Two Image Flip:
- 4/0 = Two images for the front only
- 4/4 = Two images for the front, one image for the back
Three Image Flip:
- 4/0 = Three images for the front only
- 4/4 = Three images for the front, one image for the back