How to prepare your print ready files?

Generally, you will find the web design uses color as RGB (red, green, blue) and print design uses color as CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black.) Why? It comes down to viewing on a monitor vs viewing a postcard or brochure (paper or cardstock).  Video monitors emit light while paper absorbs light. So when submitting files to your printer, convert your file to CMYK the color will usually look better.

Adding bleed is the steps you take to ensure that the printer cleanly cuts your final work and doesn’t cutoff any text or images or add too large or too small a border around your artwork.

For a more complete discussion view our blog post on How to add bleed to a PDF or artwork.

Plan your artwork and design accordingly when you are requiring folds.

Rasterizing a Photoshop layer converts the vector layer to pixels. Those vector layers create graphics using lines and curves which then retain their clarity when you enlarge them.   Flattening with then divide transparent artwork into vector based areas and rasterized areas.   

Most printers will accept TIFF, EPS, and PDF files.  The most commonly accepted format is a high resolution PDF.  But submitting a vector file has advantages if you are asking your printer to enlarge the file.

Popular vector image formats are AI, SVG and EPS formats. Things to keep in mind with vectors:

• Text should always be in a vector format.
• Line drawings, such as blueprints, should always be in vector format.
• Logos will display the best quality in a vector format.

Any image that isn’t a photograph will work better as a vector.

JPG images are sometimes acceptable.  But you usually need them submitted at  100% quality.   Just keep in mind that every time a JPG is saved it is recompressed, which means the quality can drop quickly if it is saved multiple times.

The standard is 300 DPI  (Dots Per Inch.  300 DPI yields a crisp image which is not muddy or grainy.

To check if your photo is 300 DPI, right-click on the image and then select “Properties.” A window will appear with the image’s details listing the DPI of the photo. Go to the “Details” tab to see the image’s dimensions and resolution.

Keep in mind your final use when selecting paper or card stock. 

• Do you need something sturdier? 
• Do you want to fold your printed piece? 
• Do you plan to write on it or have consumer write on it?
• Are you mailing the printed piece?  Does U.S. Post Office accept this thickness for your mailing?
• Are you stuffing this into an remittance mailing?  Will this change the weight of you remittance and thus increase your postage?

If you would like to have Cloud 8 Design create your postcard call 614-273-0845 or contact us.