DIGITAL PRE-PRESS GUIDE
FILE FORMAT - Our printer uses a complete PDF work flow. Postscript files prior to distilling should not contain cutting or registration marks. Please ensure all pages and their elements are flattened and do not contain any transparencies.
INDESIGN PDFs - Please note that when creating PDF files from Indesign. The Export as PDF command should not be used. Pages should be exported as an EPS and converted to a PDF through Acrobat Distiller.
SCREEN RULING - 100 lpi
IMAGE RESOLUTION - The image resolution should be produced at twice the screen ruling, e.g. 100 lpi therefore would be 200 dpi.
DOT GAIN - 30%
IMAGE FILE FORMATS - All colour and greyscale images & vector art images must be supplied in TIFF or EPS format, without compression, transfer or screen functions, alpha channels or other colour profiles associated. Please avoid the use of transparen¬cies in artwork done in Photoshop/Illustrator or In-design as this will fail in the rip. If you must use a transparency, bring the file into Photoshop, flatten it and save as normal. Scaling- Keep your scan within 5% of the intended size and then do the final scaling / cropping / rotating in your image program before placing it in the layout.
COLOR SEPARATIONS - Four colour process jobs must be provided in CMYK (no web, RGB, spot or any other colours other than CMYK will be considered accurate).
TRAPPING - Files must be properly trapped (methods are choking, spreading, knockout and overprint). In order for black to knockout, the use of a custom black comprising of 1% Cyan, 1% magenta, 1% Yellow and 100% black should be used. Coloured text with a black drop shadow should be set to ‘knockout’. Otherwise the black drop shadow may over¬print the coloured text.
Total Saturation - The total saturation for process colour material should be no greater than 235 per cent. Saturation exceeding 300 per cent will not result in darker shadows. It simply causes shadow areas to plug, thus reducing printed shadow detail. Any single colour not intended to print solid should not exceed 90 per cent. We recommend that large areas of black be at least two colour (100 per cent black, 60 per cent cyan) or four colours.
BLEEDS - Allow 10mm all round: If your publication bleeds we ask that the pages without bleed have the same amount of white space. When using In-design please do not use the “bleed area” function when setting up a page. This will cause your documents to have a trim box and will be trimmed in the system BEFORE going to press. It is best to create your document as a full size including the bleed.
FONTS - The RIPS prefer postscript over true type, so if you have the option please use postscript fonts and try to avoid mixing the formats in a document.
NAMING CONVENTION - Please name your files with something that will identify your files to us and include the issue number. Please keep in mind that everyone is placing a Happenings ad, and this will not be unique to you.
