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PDF

PDFs can be created from any program capable of printing using software from several vendors (CLICK HERE FOR A LIST)

Adobe products typically have an "Export as PDF" feature.

For products made by Microsoft such as Publisher and Word, you will have to have a program that creates PDFs when you print like Cute PDF

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Quark Xpress

Quark Xpress (4.0 up to 6.5)
Platform: Mac OS
Disk: ZIP, CD, DVD
Send all Quark Xpress documents, images, and fonts. The following is a list of things you need to verify in your document to make sure you submit your files correctly.
If you follow the instructions carefully, you can avoid many of the common problems that may delay the processing of your order.

LINKED IMAGES
Verify the status of all linked images before you submit your files. No image link
status should display "Modified" or "Missing".

COLORS
Fill colors used should be CMYK
Stroke colors used should be CMYK
Gradient colors used should CMYK

MONITOR COLOR VERSUS PRINTED COLOR
The colors displayed on your monitor are in RGB and are often brighter and more saturated than your printed piece. If you are unsure about how to tone your photos we can take a look at them for you if this service is requested

FONTS
Submit all fonts used in layout, logos, images, etc.
Do not apply styles to your fonts (Bold, Italic Etc.) instead use a Bold or Italic version of the font.

COLLECT FOR OUTPUT
Use the "Collect for output" feature in quark to gather all of your images and fonts in order to send them to us.

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Adobe Indesign

InDesign (up to CS)
Platform: Mac OS and Windows XP
Disk: ZIP, CD, DVD
Send all InDesign documents, images, and fonts. The following is a list of things you need to verify in your document to make sure you submit your files correctly.
If you follow the instructions carefully, you can avoid many of the common problems that may delay the processing of your order.

LINKED IMAGES
Verify the status of all linked images before you submit your files. No image link
status should display "Modified" or "Missing".

COLORS
Fill colors used should be CMYK
Stroke colors used should be CMYK
Gradient colors used should CMYK

MONITOR COLOR VERSUS PRINTED COLOR
The colors displayed on your monitor are in RGB and are often brighter and more saturated than your printed piece. If you are unsure about how to tone your photos we can take a look at them for you if this service is requested

FONTS
Submit all fonts used in layout, logos, images, etc.
Do not apply styles to your fonts (Bold, Italic Etc.) instead use a Bold or Italic version of the font.

CONVERTING FONTS TO OUTLINES
When submitting an InDesign Document you may convert the fonts to outlines. All fonts will now be considered vector art and no text corrections can be made by us.

If you do not convert your fonts to outlines, be sure to send all fonts used in your layout.

PACKAGE
1) File > Package
2) Select Copy Fonts, Copy Linked Graphics, Update Linked Graphics, Include Fonts and InDesign Format links from Hidden Layers
3) Name Folder
4) Click OK

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Image files

Adobe Photoshop
Corel Draw
Platform: Mac OS or Windows XP
Disk: Zip, CD, DVD

These files may sent be sent to us as a flatted Tiff, or EPS

Do Not send Jpegs, Picts, Gifs, etc.

DOCUMENT SETUP
Adjust your document to the trim size of your product:
Example Sizes
Postcards = 4" x 6", 6" x 8"
Flyers = 8.5" x 11"
Folded Brochures = 8.5” x 11” (3 Panel)
Posters = 11" x 17"
Magazines = 8.5x11 (Small Quantity no bleeds), 8.375" x 10.875” (Large Quantity w/ bleeds)

TRIM, TYPE SAFETY
Trim Size = The finished size of your piece
Type Safety =1/4" margin from the edge of the page
Bleed = 1/4" margin past the edge of the page
If you intend have an image to completely cover a
front or back side of your document, then you need
to be sure that the image extends (bleeds) at least
1/4" over the edge of the page. Do not end it at page
edge (trim) or white will show on the edges.

COLOR MODE
All images are CMYK or Grayscale

RESOLUTION
300 DPI resolution (or 1,200 DPI for b/w line art)

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Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft Publisher
Platform: Microsoft XP
Disk: ZIP, CD
Send all Publisher documents, images, and fonts. The following is a list of things you need to verify in your document to make sure you submit your files correctly.
If you follow the instructions carefully, you can avoid many of the common problems that delay the processing of your order.

LINKED IMAGES
Verify the status of all linked images before you submit your files. No image link
status should display "Modified" or "Missing".

COLORS
Fill colors used should be CMYK
Stroke colors used should be CMYK
Gradient colors used should CMYK

MONITOR COLOR VERSUS PRINTED COLOR
The colors displayed on your monitor are in RGB and are often brighter and more saturated than your printed piece. If you are unsure about how to tone your photos we can take a look at them for you if this service is requested

FONTS
Submit all fonts used in layout, logos, images, etc.
Do not apply styles to your fonts in Quark (Bold, Italic Etc.) instead use a Bold or Italic version of the font.

SAVING YOUR FILE
Go to the Tools, Commercial Printing Tools, Color Printing

In the next window check Process colors (CMYK)

The next window will show you what inks are in use.

The next step is to get you file ready to put on a disk.

Select File, Pack and Go, Take to a Commercial Printing Service

Select a location to save files (The "My documents" folder, or Desktop are good choices)

The next step is to make sure all three boxes are checked

Press the “Next >” button for this step

The Pack and Go Wizard will now collect and compress all of your files, saving them in file in the location you specified in a previous step

Press “OK” when the window appears notifying you the process has been completed, and a final version will print out.

When you have completed these steps you will have a file named packed01.puz (or similar) with all the fonts that you used and all the graphics linked to the file in it.

Put this file (NOT an alias to it) on a CD and send that to us along with a hard copy of your product.

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Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word
Platform: Microsoft XP, Mac OS
Disk: ZIP, CD
Send all word documents, images, and fonts. The following is a list of things you need to verify in your document to make sure you submit your files correctly.
If you follow the instructions carefully, you can avoid many of the common problems that delay the processing of your order.

IMAGES
Color Mode: All images are CMYK or Grayscale
Format: Tiff or EPS (Do Not send Jpegs, Picts, Gifs, etc.)
Resolution: 300 DPI resolution (or 1,200 DPI for b/w line art)
Images that are in RGB and less than 300 DPI may have color shifts and a blurry appearance.

MONITOR COLOR VERSUS PRINTED COLOR
The colors displayed on your monitor are in RGB and are often brighter and more saturated than your printed piece. If you are unsure about how to tone your photos we can take a look at them for you if this service is requested.

SAVING YOUR FILE
Save As Word Doc (Default)

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Other Programs

Other program not listed in this section may be accepted call to find out.

Programs that you will need to make PDFs from , for us to accept

PrintShop Deluxe

PrintMaster

Cardshop

CreateaCard

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Downloads

Word 8.5 x 11 - 3 panel brochure template

Word 8.5 x 11 - 3 panel brochure template (with mailing panel)

Publisher 8.5 x 11 - 3 panel brochure template

Publisher file prep directions (PDF)

Pagemaker file prep directions (PDF)

Quick Reference Guide to accepted software (PDF)

Adobe Acrobat Distiller 5.0 Settings (Mac OS 9)

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Links

PDF REFERENCE

Planet PDF

Adobe

PDF Creation

Adobe (Mac OS and Windows)

Cute PDF (Windows Operating System Only)

FTP

FTPx (For Windows Machines)

Transmit (For Mac OS)

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Printing Terminology

Accordion fold: Bindery term, two or more parallel folds which open like an accordion.

Against the grain: At right angles to direction of paper grain.

Alteration: Change in copy of specifications after production has begun.

Back up: Printing the second side of a sheet already printed on one side.

Banding: Method of packaging printed pieces of paper using rubber or paper bands.

Bind: To fasten sheets or signatures with wire, thread, glue. or by other means.

Bindery: The finishing department of a print shop or firm specializing in finishing printed products.

Blanket: The thick rubber mat on a printing press that transfers ink from the plate to paper.

Bleed: Printing that goes all of the way to the edge of the sheet after trimming.

Bond paper: Strong durable paper grade used for letterheads and business forms.

Brightness: The brilliance or reflectance of paper.

Burn: Exposing a printing plate to high intensity light

Carbonless: Pressure sensitive writing paper that does not use carbon.

Camera-ready copy: Print ready mechanical art.

Case bind: A type of binding used in making hard cover books using glue.

Coated paper: A clay coated printing paper with a smooth finish.

Collate: A finishing term for gathering paper in a precise order.

Color bar: A quality control term regarding the spots of ink color on the tail of a sheet.

Color correction: Methods of improving color separations.

Color matching system: A system of formulated ink colors used for communicating color.

Color separations: The process of preparing artwork, photographs, transparencies, or computer generated art for printing by separating into the four primary printing colors.

Comb bind: To plastic comb bind by inserting the comb into punched holes.

Continuous-tone: Illustrations, photographs or computer files that contain gradient tones from black to white or light to dark.

Contrast: The tonal change in color from light to dark.

Copy: All furnished material or discs used in the production of a printed product.

Cover paper: A heavy printing paper used to cover books, make presentation folders, etc.

Crop: To cut off parts of a picture or image.

Crop marks: Printed lines showing where to trim a printed sheet.

Crossover: Printing across the gutter or from one page to the facing page of a publication.

Cyan: One of four standard process colors. The blue color.

Densitometer: A quality control devise to measure the density of printing ink.

Density: The degree of color or darkness of an image or photograph.

Die: Metal rule or imaged block used to cut or place an image on paper in the finishing process.

Die cutting: Curing images in or out of paper.

Dot: An element of halftones. Using a loupe you will see that printed pictures are made many dots.

Dot gain or spread: A term used to explain the difference in size between the dot on a plate versus the dot on paper.

Dummy: A rough layout of a printed piece showing position and finished size.

Duotone: A halftone picture made up of two printed colors.

Emboss: Pressing an image into paper so that it will create a raised relief.

Emulsion: Light sensitive coating found on printing plates and film.

Flood: To cover a printed page with ink, varnish, or plastic coating.

Flop: The reverse side of an image.

Foil: A metallic or pigmented coating on plastic sheets or rolls used in foil stamping and foil embossing.

Foil emboss: Foil stamping and embossing a image on paper with a die.

Foil stamping: Using a die to place a metallic or pigmented image on paper.

4-color-process: The process of combining four basic ink colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) to create a printed color picture or colors composed from the basic four colors.

French fold: Two folds at right angles to each other.

Gang: Getting the most out of a printing press by using the maximum sheet size to print multiple images or jobs on the same sheet. A way to save money.

Generation: Stages of reproduction from original copy. A first generation reproduction yields the best quality.

Ghosting: A faint printed image that appears on a printed sheet where it was not intended.

Gloss: A shiny look reflecting light.

Grain: The direction in which the paper fiber lie.

Grippers: The metal fingers on a printing press that hold the paper as it passes through the press.

Hairline: A very thin line or gap about the width of a hair or 1/100 inch.

Halftone: Converting a continuous tone to dots for printing.

Hard copy: The output of a computer printer, or typed text sent for typesetting.

Hickey: Reoccurring unplanned spots that appear in the printed image from dust, lint, dried ink.

Highlight: The lightest areas in a picture or halftone.

Image area: Portion of paper on which ink can appear.

Imposition: Positioning printed pages so they will fold in the proper order.

Impression: Putting an image on paper.

Imprint: Adding copy to a previously printed page.

Indicia: Postal information place on a printed product.

Ink fountain: The reservoir on a printing press that hold the ink.

Keylines: Lines on mechanical art that show position of photographs or illustrations.

Kiss die cut: To cut the top layer of a pressure sensitive sheet and not the backing.

Knock out: To mask out an image.

Laid finish: Simulating the surface of handmade paper.

Laminate: To cover with film, to bond or glue one surface to another.

Line copy: High contrast copy not requiring a halftone.

Lines per inch: The number of rows of dots per inch in a halftone.

Loupe: A magnifying glass used to review a printed image, plate and position film.

Magenta: Process red, one of the basic colors in process color.

Makeready: All the activities required to prepare a press for printing.

Mask: Blocking light from reaching parts of a printing plate.

Matchprint: Trade name for 3M integral color proof.

Matte finish: Dull paper or ink finish.

Mechanical: Camera ready art all contained on one board.

Micrometer: Instrument used to measure the thickness of different papers.

Middle tones: The tones in a photograph that are approximately half as dark as the shadow area.

Moire: Occurs when screen angles are wrong causing odd patterns in photographs.

Offsetting: Using an intermediate surface used to transfer ink. Also, an unpleasant happening when the images of freshly printed sheets transfer images to each other.

Offset paper: Term for uncoated book paper.

Opacity: The amount of show-through on a printed sheet. The more opacity or the thicker the paper the less show-through. (The thicker/heavier the paper the higher the cost.)

Overlay: The transparent cover sheet on artwork often used for instructions.

Overrun or overs: Copies printed in excess of the specified quantity.

Page count: Total number of pages in a book including blanks.

Pattern carbon: Special carbon paper used in business forms that only transfers in certain areas.

Perfect bind: A type of binding that glues the edge of sheets to a cover like a telephone book, Microsoft software manual, or Country Living Magazine.

Perfecting press: A sheet fed printing press that prints both sides of a sheet in one pass.

Pica: Unit of measure in typesetting. One pica = 1/6 inch.

PMS: The abbreviated name of the Pantone Color Matching System.

Point: For paper, a unit of thickness equaling 1/1000 inch. for typesetting, a unit of height equaling 1/72 inch.

PostScript: The computer language most recognized by printing devices.

Press number: A method of numbering manufacturing business forms or tickets.

Pressure-sensitive paper: Paper material with self sticking adhesive covered by a backing sheet.

Process blue: The blue or cyan color in process printing.

Process colors: Cyan (blue), magenta (process red), yellow (process yellow), black (process black).

Ragged left: Type that is justified to the right margin and the line lengths vary on the left.

Ragged right: Type that is justified to the left margin and the line lengths vary on the right.

Register: To position print in the proper position in relation to the edge of the sheet and to other printing on the same sheet.

Register marks: Cross-hair lines or marks on plates, and paper that guide pressmen, and bindery personnel in processing a print order from start to finish.

Saddle stitch: Binding a booklet or magazine with staples in the seam where it folds.

Scanner: Device used to make color separations, halftones, duo tones and tri tones. Also a device used to scan art, pictures or drawings in desktop publishing.

Score: A crease put on paper to help it fold better.

Screen angles: Frequently a desktop publishers nightmare. The angles at which halftone, duo tones, tri tones, and color separation printing films are placed to make them look right.

Self-cover: Using the same paper as the text for the cover.

Shadow: The darkest areas of a photograph.

Show-through: Printing on one side of a sheet that can be seen on the other side of the sheet.

Side guide: The mechanical register unit on a printing press that positions a sheet from the side.

Side stitch: Binding by stapling along one side of a sheet.

Signature: A sheet of printed pages which when folded become a part of a book or publication.

Silhouette halftone: A term used for an outline halftone.

Skid: A pallet used for a pile of cut sheets.

Specifications: A precise description of a print order.

Spine: The binding edge of a book or publication.

Spoilage: Planned paper waste for all printing operations.

Spot varnish: Varnish used to hilight a specific part of the printed sheet.

Stamping: Term for foil stamping.

Step-and-repeat: A procedure for placing the same image on plates in multiple places.
Stet: A proof mark meaning let the original copy stand.

Stock: The material to be printed.

Substance weight: A term of basis weight when referring to bond papers.

Substrate: Any surface on which printing is done.

Text paper: Grades of uncoated paper with textured surfaces.

Tints: A shade of a single color or combined colors.

Transparency: A positive photographic slide on film allowing light to pass through.

Transparent ink: A printing ink that does not conceal the color under it.

Trapping: The ability to print one ink over the other.

Trim marks: Similar to crop or register marks. These marks show where to trim the printed sheet.

Trim size: The final size of one printed image after the last trim is made.

Under-run: Production of fewer copies than ordered. See over run.

Up: Printing two or three up means printing multiple copies of the same image on the same sheet.

UV coating: Liquid laminate bonded and cured with ultraviolet light. Environmentally friendly.

Varnish: A clear liquid applied to printed surfaces for looks and protection. (UV coating looks better.)

Vignette halftone: A halftone whose background gradually fades to white.

Washup: Removing printing ink from a press, washing the rollers and blanket. Certain ink colors require multiple washups to avoid ink and chemical contamination.

Waste: A term for planned spoilage.

Watermark: A specific design created in paper at the time of manufacture that can be seen by holding the paper up to a light.

With the grain: Folding or feeding paper into the press or folder parallel to the grain of the paper.

Work and tumble: Printing one side of a sheet and turning it over from the gripper to the tail to print the second side using the same side guide and plate for the second side.

Work and turn: Printing one side of a sheet and turning it over from left to right using the same side guides and plate for the second side.

Wove paper: A paper having a uniform unlined surface with a smooth finish

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Can You Build It For Me?

We can build any printed piece you can dream up. Many times, by using the latest in Hardware and Software, we are able to create your piece in much less time than you would think.

We need all of the information you would like to have on your piece submitted at one time, this includes all copy and photos. Be sure to check you E-mail address, website, phone number and the spelling of all names on your copy prior to submitting it. Failure to do so will result in additional charges for the changes.

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Sending us your files

You can E-mail us you files or for larger files (over 20mb), you can use our FTP. Our FTP site is the fastest most reliable way to get your files to us.

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