If at all possible, save or export your file as a 300dpi PDF to upload. Carefully review your PDF file before uploading, ensuring all of your fonts, graphics and formatting have been captured correctly in the PDF.

We accept most native electronic file formats. We also accept PSD, TIF and EPS image files at 300dpi. Some JPG files are acceptable at 300dpi if saved at maximum quality.

If you are uploading a native (non-PDF) file, please include all the files we need to produce your job: page layout files, imported images, fonts and other support files. This is often referred to as pre-flight and packaging a file.

Use CMYK color to set up your print file. We will convert RGB color to CMYK for printing using standard conversion values which may not yield the colors you are expecting.

If you are using spot colors, your files need to have the same color names in the final output document. For example, Pantone 300C in a placed logo, Pantone 300U in a colored box and Pantone 300CVU as a font color will print as three separate plates (three separate spot colors instead of one.)

Text must be at least 1/8″ inside of the trim line on all sides.

Bleeds allow you to run artwork to the edge of a page. On a press, the artwork is printed on a large sheet of paper and then trimmed down to size. If you do not allow for a 1/8 of an inch bleed, any misalignment while cutting will result with the artwork not running to the edge of the paper. Bleeds ensure you get the results you need (see an example).

Build your files 1/8″ larger than the final trim size. For example, if you have designed a standard 3.5″ x 2″ business card with a red background covering the whole area, you will need to enlarge that red background to 3.75″ x 2.25″. This will make the red background extend 1/8″ on every side of the page.

Why is adding a Bleed necessary?

Small mechanical variations can end up leaving a hairline white edge where there should be no white edge at all, if the image is not extended beyond the final trim size. Extending images 1/8″ beyond the final trim size guarantees that images truly will go all the way to the edge of the
printed paper.

How do I add bleed to my design?

Adobe Photoshop

Open Photoshop and click File > New…
Enter the FULL BLEED dimensions. That is, 1/4″ extra both vertically and horizontally.
Set the Resolution at 300 pixels/inch
Set the Color Mode to CMYK

Adobe Illustrator

Open Illustrator and click File > New…
Enter the TRIM dimensions in the Width and Height boxes (for example, the trim dimension on a standard business card would be 3.5″ x 2″)
Enter 0.125 for the top, bottom, left and right bleed
Set the the Color Mode to CMYK

Adobe InDesign

Open InDesign and click File > New > Document…
Enter the TRIM dimensions under Page Size (for example, a standard business card would have trim dimensions of 3.5″ x 2″)
If you do not see “Bleed and Slug” at the bottom of the window, click the “More Options” button.
Enter 0.125 for the top, bottom, left and right bleed

Bleed must extend past the cut-line and will be trimmed from the product during the final cutting phase. When the image is required to extend all the way to the edge, bleed is needed to preserve the finished look and the quality of the final product.

Please keep all text at least 0.125″ inside the cut-line.
– The bleed for Standard Products is 0.125″.
– The bleed for Booklets and Presentation Folders is 0.25″.

If the design of your page goes all the way to the edge, please continue your artwork 1/8″ over each edge that your design or background bleeds over. Make sure this bleed is exported WITH the file!

If your project is a book or catalog, leave a gutter (a gutter is the space between the text and spine of the page) between folded pages. Book margins should be at least 3/8″ on all edges of a page. A 3/8″ margin on each page will make the gutter 3/4″.

If your files are large (above 30MB), use WinZip on a PC or Stuffit on a Mac to compress all the files into a single file for uploading. If your files are extremely large (250+ MB) please contact us prior to sending.

Outline all fonts when working in Photoshop or Illustrator, embed fonts in other programs and flatten all layers.

Always choose the appropriate font face from your font menu and avoid clicking the bold or italic buttons. Though they may look fine on screen, and even print correctly on a laser printer, if you don’t actually have a bold face available in your font menu it will not always come out bold on your final printed piece.

Yes! If you have any questions call us at 602-955-8130 or click here to email us before uploading.

Create traps if your design includes areas of directly adjacent or overlapping spot colors.