HOW TO SUPPLY ARTWORK

please phone for advice if this is all too much to read!

What computer are you using?

We can accept files created on any PC’s using the Microsoft windows operation system or from any apple Macintosh computer Our studio uses Apple Macs for graphic design and usually run professional design applications such as quark xpress and adobe PageMaker only on the Mac. If you have originated your work in one of these applications using a pc version of the application we can still open your files and print from them but there are a few known incompatibilities between PC and Mac versions of these packages. We strongly advise that you supply a printed proof copy of any work you give us to output so that any differences which might arise due to these incompatibilities can be corrected. The best way to avoid all problems when transferring files from PC’s to Macs and vice versa is to convert them to portable document format (PDF). For more information, read our guidelines on saving files.

How will the job be printed?

Acuprint operates a range of printing machines. The machine we use depends on the page size, run length and whether or not the work is to be printed in colour. |Please ask us about the machine that we will use especially if it is to be digitally printed of involves colour.

Digital Colour printing is suitable for short print runs but traditional offset-litho is far more economical for longer runs. If the software application you are using is a word processing or a business graphics application it many not be suitable for creating professional high quality output in colour even though it allows you to use colour on screen. Turn to our guidelines on colour to see this explained fully.

Guidelines on applications.

There is a huge range of software applications designed for particular tasks. It is important that the software you are using is the most appropriate one for you purpose. Sometimes, using a program for a task it was never designed for can lead to disastrous results when you have the work professionally printed. These are our guidelines for what to use for different kinds of work:

• Black and white or simple colour documents to be digitally printed
• Full colour documents for offset printing
• Business graphics for digital printing
• Colour illustrations and photographs
• Presentations
• Files which are to be viewed on the internet

If you are not sure whether your document is going to be digitally printed or done on a traditional offset press ask us. Look up the question on how your job will be printed in our guidelines for more information

Current Software Applications

What is the best way to save your work?

You can save your file in three different ways: in an original application’s format such as Microsoft Word or QuarkXpress, in the PostScript format of the portable document format (PDF). Each method has pros and cons, but we recommend that the best method is to use PDF.

Original Application Format is best if you want us to be able to edit or enhance your file before printing.

Postscript Format is ok, but our studio will not be able to view or edit your file before printing.

Portable Document Format (PDF) is the preferred file format to use because it has been specially designed to transfer files form one computer to another whilst accurately retaining all of the formatting information in the original document.

What typefaces are you using?

It is very important that we know what typefaces are used in your files. If you have not been able to embed the typefaces in the file our studio must have exactly the same typefaces otherwise your job will not print correctly.

You can be certain that they will have the standard set of typefaces that are supplied with Windows or Macintosh operating systems and the common applications from Adobe and Microsoft.

If you are using unusual typefaces we may not have them. You may supply the typefaces with the file, but if we do not have them we may have to purchase them and charge you extra. This is because typeface licences are normally not transferable and it is illegal to use them on computers for which they are not licensed.

We recommend that you save files in Postscript or PDF format as these enable you to embed all of the typefaces in your files. Alternatively, some applications give you the option of embedding fonts directly in an original application file format. See out tips on using word processors for more information.

Does your design use colour?

If your design uses colour it is essential that you discuss with us how the job will be printed in order that they can achieve the closest colour match to your design.

Printing processes use a different method of rendering colour than your computer screen. Your screen works like a television and makes colour through a combination of adding red, green and blue light in different amounts. Printing achieves a similar result but uses the complementary colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

It is not always possible to match the colours you see on screen exactly to printed colours. This can be due to many factors such as how your monitor is calibrated, the ambient lighting in which you are viewing it and the printing process itself.

If your job uses full colour photographs we will need to separate the colours into cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). If you are using a professional graphics layout application such as Adobe PageMaker or QuarkXpress the application can convert the colours to CMYK separations. Most business applications such as Microsoft Office cannot do this and therefore our Studio uses special techniques to separate the colours for which you may be charged extra. If the files are to be digitally printed this is not normally a problem, so it is important that you choose the right application for the job or seek advice from our studio.

Detailed information on the suitability of various applications for full colour printing is given in our guidelines on applications.

How will you send the files to us?

We can accept files on disk, CD and email.

Download PDF > >
Disks and CD

We can read files on standard 3 ½” floppy disks or Zip disks in either PC or Macintosh formats. Files can be compressed in sip formats for the PC or as .sit Stuffit archives for Macs. We can also accept other disk formats such a Jaz and SyQuest’s. If you have a CD-Writer, CD-Rom is an ideal medium because of the low cost of the media and we can read from CD-ROMs for Mac or PC.

Email

Most files can be transferred via the Internet as attachments to E-mails. When sending large files via the email you can save time by compressing them. We recommend conversion of files to the PDF format because they are automatically compressed. Otherwise convert to .zip files for the PC or .hqx files using Stuffit on the Macintosh.

If you are sending a file by E-mail you should also telephone us to let us know to expect it and request an acknowledgement by E-mail that we have recieived it ok. You should use the body text of the E-mail to give us full information about the job as advised in our guidelines on information about files.

What else should you give us with the file?

If you are sending a file on disk or by e-mail to Acuprint for printing there is some essential information about the file that we need to know. You should add this to the other details about the size and type of paper, length of run, required delivery date and any other important information that we need to know to print your job. If you are posting the disk to us, sending it by e-mail or by ISDN please telephone us to tell us to expect it. We can then confirm to you that is has been received. Make sure your disk is clearly labelled with you r name and the name of the job. Do not forget to keep your own copy of the file. This is what you should specifically tell us about the contents of the disk or e-mail containing the file. If you are unsure about any of these questions click on the link in any of them to get more information.

What disk format are you using – PC or Mac? Is it a 3 ½ inch floppy disk, a zip or a CD-ROM is none of these check with us beforehand that we can accept your disk. Is there just one file or more? How many are there? What size are they? What applications have you used to create each file? Tell us the version number of the application too. E.g. Word 97 for PC, QuarkXpress 3.3 for Mac. What file formats have you saved your work in? What fonts are you using? Are they PostScript or TrueType fonts? List them all. Have you supplied any fonts? Are they embedded in the file or have you copied them on to the disk. If you have supplied them we will need to make sure we also have the license to legally use the same font. You may be charged extra if we do not. Are there any pictures in separate files? If so how many and in what format have you saved them?

Have you supplied a printed proof copy with the file? We strongly recommend that you do so that we can check our proof copy against yours before we run the job.

You can put this information on a separate text file called ‘read me’ on the disk, or on paper supplied with the disk or in the body of your e-mail message. Ask us for a standard form on which you can write the details.

Do you need to get more help?

Computer technology can help us all to produce better documents with more colour and graphics, more quickly and cost effectively than ever before. But there can be pitfalls. Today’s computers and software applications are very sophisticated and most people are not experts. We do not expect you to be an expert but there are certain things you need to know and do to help us to print your job accurately and efficiently.

We hope that we have covered everything you need to know within these guidelines, but if you need any technical assistance our studio staff is always on hand to answer your questions and give you any help and advice you need. Telephone us, drop in or make an appointment to have a representative visit you.

It is far better, if you can, to discuss the job in detail beforehand with us so that we can give you expert guidance, than to leave it until the last minute when you are right up against that all important deadline.

Our aim is to get it right, first time, on time, and every tim