PrintTech Printing Guide

HOW TO
6800 Jackson Road • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: 734.996.2345 • www.PrintTechinc.com
Submit Digital Files for Printing
Supported Professional Software Programs
The following programs are preferred:
• Adobe InDesign (preferred application)
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Photoshop (images only - do NOT type
your text in Photoshop, as it will print in dots, not
smooth lines.)
• PDF Files
PDF files must have all fonts embedded, all graphics
high resolution, with crops & bleeds when needed.
A minimum of .125” bleed on all sides, with a crop
mark offset of at least .125”.
We have specific PDF preset settings (based off of
the PDF X-1a standard) we recommend you use, so
please contact your sales representative and ask us
to e-mail them to you. Please note, that if PDF files
are supplied, we may not be able to make changes.
• QuarkXpress
We have the latest versions of all the above programs for both
Mac and Windows systems.
Collect files
Many programs have a “save for service provider” or
“Package” option that will collect fonts & graphics into one
folder.
Be sure to include ALL graphics and fonts that are
used in your document. If you have not converted your
Illustrator fonts to “outlines,” we will also need the fonts,
as well as any linked graphics. Instructions for some of
the supported programs are listed later in this document.
Other Software Programs
Using any of the software programs listed below may
incur extra charges for troubleshooting & file preparation.
We prefer you let us recreate complex documents in a
professional software program to get the best results.
Microsoft Publisher is not a “commercial printerfriendly” program. Spot (PMS) colors do not work in
Publisher, so this is not recommended. Use the “Pack and
Go” feature to collect all images & fonts used.
Microsoft Word is OK for letters and simple documents,
but not for complex multi-color jobs. Also, when the
document is opened on different computers, the text
usually re-flows –– especially when multiple fonts are
used, and not supplied to us. To ensure the document
prints correctly, it is best to create a PDF. Be sure to
embed all fonts in the document.
Microsoft Power Point should work OK with digital
output, if we have the correct fonts. We do not
recommend offset printing, as the files are very low
resolution. It is also difficult to prepare the files at the
correct size.
Microsoft Excel should work OK with digital output, if
we have the correct fonts. We do not recommend offset
printing, as the files are very low resolution. Graphics
created in Excel (charts) should be imported into Adobe
Illustrator & converted to EPS files (correct any RGB
colors).
Getting the files to us:
You may e-mail the files to your sales representative,
or upload your files to us via our website. Please let
your sales representative know you are sending a job. If
possible, please supply a PDF “PROOF” and any special
instructions.
Always zip your files prior to any electronic upload
(Google Drive, FTP, e-mail, Dropbox, or any other
electronic file transfer)
Windows: Select the enclosing folder and right click and
select “Send to”>”Compressed (zipped) folder”
Mac: Select the enclosing folder and right click and select
“Compress”
Either option will create a .zip file which can be safely
and quickly uploaded.
Ink colors
Be sure your file specifies the correct Pantone Colors, if
they are used (or CMYK for full color jobs). If we need to
correct files with additional ink colors specified, you may
incur a fee. Never use RGB colors in your document.
(Hint: use the “delete unused colors” feature in your
document to remove them from the color pallet. It may
also be helpful to view your PDF with the Output Preview
panel active (turns colors on/off within your PDF) if you are
having trouble finding stray colors in your document).
Graphics
The highest quality and best looking designs are always
produced from the best original art that you can provide.
• Vector Graphics (comprised of paths, which are defined
by a start and end point, along with other points,
curves, and angles along the way, which can be used to
create simple drawings or complex diagrams) should be
EPS format, and are resolution independent unless they
contain embedded images.
• Photos or line art scans (comprised of a grid of pixels)
can be JPG or TIF format. Photo resolution reproduces
best at 300 dpi (at final size). Line art should be
scanned at 1100-1200 dpi (at final size).
Comparison of low quality web
graphics and Vector graphics
Low Resolution Graphics (72 dpi.)
A low resolution logo causes pixelization in the
text, and other smooth line areas (The stair-stepped
appearance of a curved or angled line).
Vector Graphics
Adobe Illustrator is the primary software program
that creates this format. This style of image can be
enlarged to any size, and still look great.
Web Graphics
Avoid using graphics & images taken from the internet
because they are usually low resolution (72dpi).
Comparison of Low and High Resolution Photos
Low Resolution Graphics
Photo at 72 dpi.
High Resolution Graphics
BEST QUALITY RESULTS: Photo at 300 dpi.
HOW TO
Package InDesign Files
You can gather the files you’ve used, including fonts
and linked graphics, for easy hand-off. When you
package a file, you create a folder that contains copies
of the InDesign document (or documents in a book
file), any necessary fonts, linked graphics, text files, and
a customized report. This report, which is saved as a
text file, includes a list of all used fonts, links, and inks
required to print the document.
6800 Jackson Road • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: 734.996.2345 • www.PrintTechinc.com
Remember that these are all copies of your fonts,
graphics and InDesign files. The originals are not
being touched.
After you have opened your InDesign file, choose:
File > Package. (If Package does not appear in the
File menu, try choosing a different workspace, such as
Window > Workspace > Advanced.)
An alert icon indicates problem areas.
Select the following:
• Copy Fonts
• Copy Linked Graphics
• Update Graphic Links In Package
In the Package dialog box, do one of the following:
If you’re notified of problems, click Cancel, and use
the Preflight panel to resolve problem areas.
Click the problem area (such as Fonts) and then
correct the problem. When you’re satisfied with the
document, begin the packaging process again.
Click Package to begin packaging.
Click Continue to bypass the printing instructions.
Specify a location in which to save all packaging files.
• Include Fonts And Links From Hidden And NonPrinting Content (Packages the objects located on
hidden layers, hidden conditions, and layers for
which the Print Layer option is turned off. When
this option is not selected, the package includes
only what is visible and printable in the document
when you create the package.)
• Include PDF(Print) - OPTIONAL (Select to
package a PDF) Name of the created pdf file is
same as .indd document.
Click Package to continue packaging.
Finally, you will need to zip the enclosing folder and
upload.
HOW TO
Package Illustrator Files
This feature is available in Adobe Illustrator CS6, CC,
and later.
You can gather the files you’ve used, including fonts
(except Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) and linked
graphics, for easy hand-off. When you package a
file, you create a folder that contains copies of the
Illustrator document, any necessary fonts, linked
graphics, and a package report. This report, which is
saved as a text file, includes the information about the
packaged files.
After you have opened your Illustrator file, choose:
File > Package.
6800 Jackson Road • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: 734.996.2345 • www.PrintTechinc.com
a packaged Illustrator document maintains links
to assets in the original location, and assets are
collected in the package anyway.
• Copy Fonts used in the Documents (Except CJK)
- Copies all necessary font files, not the entire font
family.
• Create Report - OPTIONAL Creates a summary
report to accompany the packaged files. It includes
a summary of spot color objects, all used and
missing fonts, missing links, and details of all
linked and embedded images.
Click Package. The following folder structure is
created, with assets placed in their respective folders.
Note:
A warning displays when you package fonts. We are
an authorized service provider, so you’re permitted to
copy fonts. If you are concerned, you can outline your
fonts, but we can no longer make type changes to your
file after this has been done.
Specify the folder, location, and options:
Click OK on the final window.
• Location - Specify where (on your computer) to
create the packaged folder
• Folder Name
• Copy Links
• Collect Links in a Separate Folder - Creates a Links
folder and places all linked assets in that folder. If
not selected, assets are copied to the same folder
level as the .ai file.
• Relink Linked files to the Document - Changes
links to the package folder location. If not selected,
Finally, you will need to zip the enclosing folder and
upload.
HOW TO
Package QuarkXPress Files
The Collect for Output feature copies an active layout
and its source files, including linked pictures, printer
and screen fonts, and color profiles into a single folder.
Before starting Collect for Output:
To begin, create a new folder on your hard drive as a
destination for the collected files.
In QuarkXPress, open your project, go to Utilities >
Usage and click on the Fonts pane to confirm that
all the fonts are listed. In the Pictures pane check to
ensure that the imported pictures show a Status of OK.
Do a Replace/Update if necessary and click Done.
To do the Collect for Output:
Go to File > Collect for Output.
6800 Jackson Road • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: 734.996.2345 • www.PrintTechinc.com
In the Collect for Output tab, check all the necessary
layout resources you wish to collect and click Save.
Note: QuarkXPress will not allow you to do a Collect
for Output to the same folder as the one where the
original project is located.
Additional Notes for Pictures:
The Embedded Pictures option copies pictures that are
embedded in the layout upon import, such as PICT
files (Mac OS) or BMP and WMF files (Windows).
Including copies of embedded pictures in the collection
will not affect output resolution of the pictures, but
you may find it useful to keep copies of these pictures
with the collected layout items. These pictures will be
placed in the “Pictures” subfolder within the target
folder. If the Missing/Modified Pictures dialog box
displays and you want to include your picture files,
update modified pictures and locate missing pictures.
When you’re finished, click Save.
The Fonts option copies any fonts required for printing
the layout. These fonts will be placed in the “Fonts”
subfolder within the target folder. Make sure you
always select both font boxes.
Finally, you will need to zip the enclosing folder and
upload.
In the Save As field, this is just for the report name,
and will default to whatever your file name is.
In the Where field, navigate to the folder you created
and select it.
HOW TO
Export a PDF from InDesign
You can export a high quality PDF directly from
InDesign.
After you have opened your InDesign file, choose:
File > Export.
6800 Jackson Road • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: 734.996.2345 • www.PrintTechinc.com
The first screen is the general settings window. Here
you can select the pages you want to export. For
printing purposes, please make sure everything is
unchecked.
For the Standard options, you can select a PDF/X-1a
standard, but you can also leave this as “None”.
For the Compatibility option, please select Acrobat 8/9
(PDF 1.7). Going to a lower version may introduce
problems when generating your PDF.
The first window brings up a standard window
prompting for a file name, and location of where you
want to create the PDF.
The file name will default to the same name of the
InDesign file, or to whatever the last exported PDF
was named. At the bottom of the window, make sure
the format is Adobe PDF (Print). Click Save.
Next, click on Compression in the panel on the left.
This window will make any large images smaller,
while maintaining a high quality for print. What this
means is that if you have a large photo placed in your
document, and either reduced the physical size, and/or
cropped the image, than the full data size of the image
is added to your document. By compressing the image
information, you remove the extranious data, which
will produce a smaller PDF, making it easier to upload,
open, or print. Although this is not a critical step,
most people find this helpful. These settings will not
make low resolution images in your document better
or worse.
Next, click on Marks and Bleeds in the panel on the
left.
HOW TO
Export a PDF from InDesign
This window controls the marks (crop, bleed), how far
away from the trim edge the marks will be, and what
bleeds will show up in the PDF.
You only really need crop marks for your PDF, with an
offset of at least .125”.
Bleed settings are a little bit tricky. A lot of people
think that if they just turn these on, then the
document will bleed properly. You will first need to
extend all elements which touch the trim edge past
the trim edge by at least .125”. Now your document
will bleed. These settings are just to allow that bleed to
show on your PDF. Please set the bleed settings to at
least .125”.
This window allows you to convert your Swatch colors,
and image colors to a specific ICC color profile. Unless
you are using a color calibrated environment, just set
this to No Color Conversion. If you require our G7
color profile, please ask your sales person.
Next, click on Advanced in the panel on the left.
Next, click on Output in the panel on the left.
Set the Subset option to 0%.
Next, click on Security in the panel on the left.
HOW TO
Export a PDF from InDesign
If you prefer to import our PDF Export settings, please
contact your sales person, and they will be happy to
help.
This window controls the security of the PDF. Please
make sure that no passwords are required to open,
print, or edit the PDF.
Next, click on Summary in the panel on the left.
This will just show you if any errors or warnings exist
with the settings.
Finally click Export.
HOW TO
Save a PDF from Illustrator
6800 Jackson Road • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: 734.996.2345 • www.PrintTechinc.com
You can save your Illustrator files as a high quality
PDF.
For the Standard options, you can select a PDF/X-1a
standard, but you can also leave this as “None”.
After you have opened your Illustrator file, choose:
File > Save As.
For the Compatibility option, please select Acrobat 8
(PDF 1.7). Going to a lower version may introduce
problems when generating your PDF.
Next, click on Compression in the panel on the left.
The first window brings up a standard window
prompting for a file name, and location of where you
want to create the PDF.
The file name will default to the same name of the
Illustrator file. Click Save.
The first screen is the general settings window. Here
you can select the pages you want to export. For
printing purposes, please make sure everything
is unchecked except for the top option (Preserve
Illustrator Editing Capabilities).
This window will make any large images smaller,
while maintaining a high quality for print. What this
means is that if you have a large photo within your
document, and either reduced the physical size, and/or
cropped the image, than the full data size of the image
is added to your document. By compressing the image
information, you remove the extranious data, which
will produce a smaller PDF, making it easier to upload,
open, or print. Although this is not a critical step,
most people find this helpful. These settings will not
make low resolution images in your document better
or worse.
If you have linked your images in the Illustrator file,
it will embed an image within the PDF. If you try
opening the PDF in Illustrator without the linked
image, illustrator will not pull the image from the PDF
data. If you think that edits may need to be made,
please include the linked images with the PDF.
HOW TO
Save a PDF from Illustrator
Next, click on Marks and Bleeds in the panel on the
left.
This window controls the marks (crop, bleed), how far
away from the trim edge the marks will be, and what
bleeds will show up in the PDF.
You only really need crop marks for your PDF, with an
offset of at least .125”.
Next, click on Output in the panel on the left.
This window allows you to convert your Swatch colors,
and image colors to a specific ICC color profile. Unless
you are using a color calibrated environment, just set
this to No Color Conversion. If you require our G7
color profile, please ask your sales person.
Next, click on Advanced in the panel on the left.
Bleed settings are a little bit tricky. A lot of people
think that if they just turn these on, then the
document will bleed properly. You will first need to
extend all elements which touch the trim edge past
the trim edge by at least .125”. Now your document
will bleed. These settings are just to allow that bleed to
show on your PDF. Please set the bleed settings to at
least .125”.
Set the Subset option to 0%.
Next, click on Security in the panel on the left.
HOW TO
Save a PDF from Illustrator
This window controls the security of the PDF. Please
make sure that no passwords are required to open,
print, or edit the PDF.
Next, click on Summary in the panel on the left.
This will just show you if any errors or warnings exist
with the settings.
Finally click Export.
If you prefer to import our PDF Export settings, please
contact your sales person, and they will be happy to
help.
HOW TO
Avoid common mistakes
Bleed
The most common problem we come across is a lack
of bleed. A bleed is extending artwork past the trim
edge (by .125”) to ensure no paper edge shows up after
trimming. As we print, paper can shift, shrink, or curl
depending on printing and environmental conditions.
By extending elements past the trim edge, any variation
in the print run will ultimately look the same, and no
paper will show at the edge
6800 Jackson Road • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: 734.996.2345 • www.PrintTechinc.com
Bleed in Photoshop
Photoshop is a special beast when dealing with bleeds.
There is no extra space to pull a bleed past the trim
edge, so you will need to increase your canvas size
(Photoshop > Image > Canvas Size). You will need to
enlarge it an extra .25” for the width, and .25” for the
height. This will give you an extra .125” around.
In the following example (an InDesign file), the
yellow line represents the trim edge, while the red line
represents the .125” bleed allowance.
This has elements going to the edge, but they are not
bleeding.
For example, if you have a flyer that measures 8.5” x
11”, and it has elements that need to bleed, the canvas
size will need to be 8.75” x 11.25”. You may need to
enlarge elements after enlarging the canvas to get a
proper bleed.
This now has a proper bleed. Some times there isn’t
enough image to extend. In those cases, you will have
to enlarge the image, or replace it.
Online “Free” Fonts
Free fonts may be a problem. Several of the free fonts
available on the internet have licenseing restrictions,
where your source file may look fine, but the PDF
may have not be able to include or display the font
properly. It is always best to avoid free fonts. You may
save money by downlading a free font, but may wind
up paying for extra prepress time to get it to print
correctly.
Missing Fonts
Often when working files (InDesign, Illustrator, etc.)
are supplied, fonts are not always included. Always
include all of the fonts with your source files. See our
handout on packaging files to help prevent this.
HOW TO
Avoid common mistakes
Fonts not embedded in a PDF
When PDF files are sent, sometimes fonts are not
embedded within the PDF. They may look fine
on your monitor, but that is probably due to the
fonts being active on your computer. An easy check
is to open your PDF, and go to: Acrobat > File >
Properties. You can also use (command “D”) in OSX,
or (control “D”) in Windows.
design before sending the file. Any discrepancy will
cause a delay, and may result in extra prepress charges.
Scaling
Often we get a flyer that someone wants enlarged. We
are told to make it “poster sized” (usually 24” x 36”),
but the original file does not scale proportionally. To
determine apply the following formula to determine
the correct enlarged/reduced size:
((size wanted) ÷ (original size)) x 100 = Percent scaled
Then multiply the other dimension by the same
percent to determine the correct final size.
For example, we are given a flyer that is letter size (8.5”
x 11”), and are told to enlarge it to 24” x 36”. Here’s
how to check to see if this scales correctly:
(24” ÷ 8.5”) x 100 = 282.353%
Now to check the height:
11” x 282.353% = 31.059”
Final scaled size = 24” x 31.059”
This will show you ALL of the fonts used in your PDF.
All of the fonts need to either say “(Embedded)”, or
“(Embedded Subset)”. If the file name does not have
one of these listed, the font is not embedded, and may
delay or stop the production process.
Final Size vs. File Size
Believe it or not, many people do not set up their files
for the size they want it printed. Some programs make
this very difficult (Powerpoint most of all). This can
cause an added cost and delay as we will have to rework
the file to get it to the correct size.
Sometimes the files sent does not match the print
request/purchase order/quote the customer sends in.
This is quite confusing as we try to figure out which
size is the correct size. Try to verify the size of your
This is 5” short of the required trim size, and will cause
us to stop the job to determine if this size is acceptable.
Reader spreads
This is an option when creating a PDF in several
programs, and displays as two pages together as they
would appear in a book. Although this is an easy way
to proof your job, our imposition software cannot use
PDF files setup this way.
Please have your designer
turn off the “Reader
spreads” options when
making the final PDF file.
If you have no alternative, we can de-construct the
PDF, and remake a single page PDF, which result in
extra prepress charges. This is one time where a little
check box, can cost a lot of money.
HOW TO
Avoid common mistakes
Panel sizes
8.5” Tall
The common belief is that if you have a tri-fold
brochure, then each panel is the same size. This is
not correct, as the panel that gets folded inside must
be shorter than the front and back panels. Below is a
diagram of a standard letter size tri-fold. If you have
any questions about the size of your folds, please ask
your salesperson.
3.625”
Back
Panel
Front
Panel
3.6875”
3.6875”
11” Wide
3.6875”
Imposed, or Multiple-up files
This issue is probably the most common. Let’s start by
taking about the three main colorspaces:
PMS (Pantone Matching System): These are custom
mixed ink colors, that allow us to match a color every
time it is printed. Think of the paint chips at the
hardware store. If you have that special color mixed,
then go back a month later, you can get the same color.
CMYK (Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Black): These are
the primary colors used for all “full-color” printing.
You find these in an inkjet printer, a color copier, or a
commercial printing press. Although these colors exist
over a wide range of devices, they are manufactured
differently depending on what printing device is used.
Color can vary greatly from printer to printer. This
colorspace contains several thousand colors.
RGB (Red/Green/Blue): These are the primary colors
for the visual spectrum (the primary components for
white light). Every scan, or digital picture, starts off as
RGB. RGB is also the default colorspace for websites,
televisions, and computer monitors. This colorspace
contains millions of colors. We do not print in RGB
colors, and must convert this colorspace.
Inside of brochure
3.6875”
Colors
3.625”
Some programs offer to impose the files when you
make a PDF. This may be helpful for a few copies on
a small office printer, but causes a significant problem
for us. It may seem like it helps us by doing some
work for us, but this can actually take more time, as we
have to often de-construct the file to turn it back into a
single page PDF. When in doubt, just have “One page
per sheet” selected when making your PDF.
It is a problem when multiple colorspaces are used in
the same document. As a rule of thumb, if you are
printing in Pantone colors, then your document should
be created with only Pantone colors. Often we see
CMYK colors intended to print as Pantone colors, or
vice versa. This could generate extra prepress charges
to get the document in the correct colors.
Another problem is that many designers use Pantone
(or RGB) colors with the intent to print as CMYK.
While we can convert the Pantone colors, there may
be a noticeable shift in color. This is due to the
limitations of the CMYK color system, and cannot be
corrected. Adjustments can be made usually, but exact
matching is not a viable option.
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