Things to know before sending your file to the print shop
Preparing printing specifications may seem like a distraction from actual designing, but if you do it right, you’re likely to find that your printer is your best ally in making your design work and bringing the job in on budget.
As an experienced Brand Designer who used to work in a famous printing company, I can give you some tips to help you submit a better job
to your print shop.
1- Name Your Files Clearly
Unusual characters in a name have been known to cause a printer’s computer to crash. Keep file names under 30 characters and use letters and numbers only.
2- Bleed
All photos and other graphics that extend to the edge of a page must be
set up to overlap the trim margins by an 1/8th inch to avoid white along the edge.
3- Colors
Colors should be CMYK not RGB. For digital printing all colors need to be CMYK and you need to use Spot colors for offset printing. In color palettes, CMYK builds should be defined as “process.” Spot colors should be defined as “spot.”
4- Process vs. Match
Process and match colors may look identical on the screen, but they will separate differently. If you need to convert a match color to process, use a conversion guide or ask your printer for a recommendation.
5- Convert Text to Outlines
Converting text to outlines can eliminate compatibility and missing font issues in production. Be sure to save the original un-outlined version, just in case you need to make changes later. If you have too much text to outline, make sure you provide the exact font in a separate font file.
6- Maintain Image Quality
High-res photographs imported into an Illustrator file should be sized at 100% and at the established resolution, generally 300 or 350 dpi.
7- Labels and sticker
They need to have dieline For custom packaging, supply the printer with a mock-up with dimensional details and the specific paper you plan
to use. The printer will provide a dieline engineered to the weight of the paper and the way it folds.
8- Hairline
If your font is too narrow to print, add 0.25 inch stroke to the outlined font.
9- Transparency
Before using transparency, be sure to notify your printer and discuss the effect you want to achieve.
10- Label Your Layers
If your file has several layers, identify each layer – e.g., “printing
notes,” “text,” “images,”etc. – so it can be found quickly.
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