File Formats:
We use the very latest Adobe PDF Rip in our Prepress department and our workflow is based on working with files in PDF format. Ideally you should send your files to us in this format. The PDF should be prepared at press quality. Please refer to page 90 to 93 in our full print catalogue for full details on artwork preparation.
Alternatively we can accept files in flattened Tif (Tiff) or Jpg (Jpeg) format. The files should be at the correct size for print. The disadvantage of sending files in this format is that all text and graphics will be Bitmap rather than Vector quality. If the file is sent at 300dpi resolution then in our experience the results are generally considered acceptable.
We are also pleased to accept virtually every other file format there is. We list here the most common formats which we receive. The list is not exhaustive. If your application is not listed please check with us.
- Adobe Creative Suite - all versions Mac, PC
- Adobe Pagemaker - from 5 onwards - Mac, PC
- Corel Draw - from 6 onwards - Mac, PC
- Corel Printhouse all versions - PC
- Macromedia Freehand - from 3 onwards - Mac, PC
- Microsoft Office & Publisher -from 98 onwards - Mac, PC
Bleed & Quiet Area:
Understanding the need for 'Bleed' and a 'Quiet Border' is vital if, as partners, we are going to achieve our joint aim of an excellent finished print job.
We require Bleed to allow for the tolerance of our guillotines (the machine used for cutting your job after printing). Even with our 'State of the Art' equipment there is a margin of error in the operation.
If your image finishes exactly at the edge of your required finished size then these small deviations may produce unsightly white flashes at the edge of your print. By extending your background colour or image beyond the edge of your finished job the consequences of such a deviation are not perceptible.
We recommend that elements intended to go to the very edge of your finished job should extend 3mm beyond the edge.
A ‘Quiet Border’ is the distance you should allow from the edge of your finished page size to text or diagrams etc. The reason for this border is again the tolerance in cutting. If you have a design where the text runs to the very edge then a cutting deviation will actually cut off some of your text! A very small ‘Quiet Border’ can result in a finished job looking very uneven.
We recommend a ‘Quiet Border ‘where there is no text, etc. of at least 5mm around the edges of your job.
