If you are supplying us with the artwork for your printed product; Then the below are a number of tips on how you can ensure that the artwork you provide will result in the best quality print possible:
- Check Software Compatibility
Please check the list above to ensure that we can support the software that you are using. If your software is not listed then please give us a call and we will find a solution. - Supply all the correct fonts
Remember to always send us copies of all fonts which are used in your job. Fonts are not always embedded in your file. A copy of the font from your fonts folder will suffice. If possible, some programs give you the ability to convert the fonts to curves, or outlines. This means that you will not have to supply fonts to us. - Include all images
If you are supplying your files in anything but a PDF format, then please include all images you have used within your document. - Ensure colours are nominated either PMS or CMYK
Make sure all colours are nominated PMS or CMYK depending upon the printing process by which your job is to be printed. - Check Image Quality
The one thing to remember with pictures is the higher the quality (dpi - dots per inch or resolution) the better they will print. As a rule of thumb scans or images should be at 300dpi and at 100% of the printed size. Images from websites and other screen sources tend to be of low quality, typically 72 dpi because they are created for screen viewing. These are still printable, although the likely finished print will appear blurred and unprofessional.
What’s wrong with Microsoft Word?
There is nothing wrong with Word for working in an office, processing documents and information. For printing, though, Word is just not the program to use as a typesetting system. Word should not be used in printing for several reasons:
- Word is a word processing program, it was not made for typesetting or desktop publishing.
- Word adjusts itself to your printer and the printer margins, as soon as you transfer a Word document from one computer to another.
- The document reflows, using the new computer’s and printer’s parameters. That’s why line and page breaks change between computers and a document can look completely different on our screens compared to yours.
- Word does not warn us when we don’t have a font that you have used in your document, it just replaces the font and again, a document can look completely different on our screens compared to yours.
- Word does not allow for accurate placement of type and pictures compared to a DTP program like Adobe products can. Any change of type on the page will reflow all the text and often also change the pictures and page breaks.
All that aside, Word is a great program for word processing, it is very versatile and can read and write many different types of text files. It is just not a desktop publishing program.
Tips for Setting up Files in Word
If you would like us to still use your Word documents as Artwork (additional typesetting charges may be applied), you can make your job a lot easier and a lot quicker to design by defining the page as much as possible.
This can be achieved by following some basic rules:
- Supply us with a recent printout so that we know what the document should look like.
- Use hard page breaks.
- Use boxes for pictures and graphics, which allow you to determine size and placement of the graphics.
- Use tabs instead of spaces to align figures in tables.
- Supply us with fonts we may not have, as Word will just substitute a different font.
However, we cannot stress strongly enough that Word should not be used. We generally find that it is much quicker to set the form ourselves in a professional typesetting program. This will save us time and will save you money.
Still unsure? If you have any questions about your artwork then please do not hesitate to call, as we will always find a way of utilising your artwork