Prepress Guidelines - FTP Instructions

Electronic Prepress

The Pre-Press and Sales staff work together to discuss the customers' quality concerns and workflow requirements prior to receiving a job, and provide support directly to the customer. Through a process known as pre-flighting, along with other troubleshooting techniques, we are able to address potential problems with any digital file early in the production stages. In addition, we provide each customer with digital proofing to ensure accuracy and content are not compromised. Color matching is also addressed for total customer satisfaction before the printing process engages. Only after the customer is satisfied, will we then release the job with digitally-imaged high-quality plates created for our pressroom.

And, because we can accommodate many file formats with the latest software technology, the customer has the confidence in knowing that their needs will be met in the most productive of circumstances.

ELECTRONIC FORMAT GUIDELINES

ACCEPTABLE FILES:

• PDF files (Macintosh or PC) let your customer service representative know which format. When writing your PDF, embed and include all fonts, photos and graphics.
• QuarkXpress, Adobe Pagemaker (Please include all fonts and images used)

ACCEPTABLE TRANSPORT MEDIA:

• Zip 100, 250 for Mac & PC
• 2GB Iomega Jaz
• CD - Mac or PC Format (please state)
• FTP site:

  ftp://adg.tisd.net

  
  (Your Customer Service Representative will provide you with your unique ID & Password)

IMAGES:

• Save all images as composite EPS or Tiff format.
• Include all images.
• Final resolutions of all line art 600 dpi. Photos 300 dpi. Please do not provide files with extra channels (masking channels).
• All color to be saved as CMYK. Black text is to be 100% black and set to over-print.
• Make sure not to use "Auto" color in Page Maker, convert it to Process black
• Do not compress any graphics LZW, PICT, GIF JPEG, CT etc.
• RGB, index or duotone colors will not separate.  Black and white photos save as grayscale halftones.
• Adjust mid-tones for 20% dot gain.

SCREENS:

• To increase type legibility, ADGRAPHICS recommends background screens that are overprinted with text, not to exceed 20 % ink coverage.  Background gray equal, but not less than 20% black ink.

WORD PROCESSOR:

• Word processor software should never be used as a page-layout.

IMAGES RESOLUTION:

• 100 LPI 1200 DPI (newsprint)
• All graphics and photos to be 100% of actual size of output.

PAGE LAYOUT:

• All page layout documents must be built to the final trim size. If elements on document require bleed, extend them at least ½ inch beyond image area.
• Create document layout in single pages. If preferable, use facing pages in numerical order. Please do not create over-sized pages or paginate in printer spreads.
• Avoid using the style menu in QuarkXpress and PageMaker for creating bold, italics, or special effects like outline type or drop shadows. Instead, select the appropriate font in the menu. Create those special effects by layering text boxes, or by creating them in Photoshop or Illustrator, then importing that as a graphic element into your layout.
• If possible, fonts used in EPS files should be converted to outlines.
• Do not use hairline rules, borders or frames in your document.
• Specify a custom size, .25 or .5 point. Keep these in black. Borders and frames that are in color 1 point should be the smallest.

HARD COPY:

• Include hard copy printout for all jobs including color pages, if possible.
  
• Confirm with your ADGRAPHICS Customer Service Representative the version of software you are using.

• Please contact us as early as possible to send test pages to insure your job is saved correctly, and will print out to our image setter.

IMAGE AREAS:

• Broadsheet STD.
  25" Web: 11.75" x 21.5"
  27.5" Web: 13" x 21.5" Max.

• Tabloid
  25" Web: 10" x 11.75"
  27.5" Web: 10" x 13"
  34" Web: 10"x 16.25"

• Flexi (Book)
  7.5" x 9.5"

• Call for tab sizes if you plan to stitch and trim.

• Each page should have a 3/8" margin on all sides and be centered.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Unless otherwise stated on your estimate, quotes are based on files that conform to these specifications.
• Any system time correcting your files is chargeable. You will be notified in advance with an estimated cost. Should the submitted job not follow these guidelines, a minimum $60 hr charge (see additional charges sheet) could be incurred to bring the work up to these specifications.

CONTACT:

Contact Ernesto Perez, Imaging Manager with any questions.
Phone: 361.578.6411 Extension 213
Email: ernesto@adgrtx.com