Artwork Requirements
SCREEN PRINTED, LASER ENGRAVED OR PAD PRINTED JOBS
Digital artwork can be supplied in MAC or PC-formatted EPS files created in Adobe Illustrator (version CS6 or lower) or a high resolution vector PDF.
- Where possible supply artwork to the imprint area allocated to that particular product
- Ensure that all text/fonts have been created to outlines/curves to avoid font problems
- Supply artwork to the pantone colours to be printed (Solid Coated swatches)
- Logos for laser engraving to be supplied as solid Black (this will be the ‘engrave’)
- We cannot use placed images or jpegs – all artwork must be fully editable vector graphic
- Gradients and percentages of colour cannot be engraved or pad printed
- Where logos have percentages of a colour – a solid PMS colour must be assigned to each percentage
DIGITAL 4 COLOUR PROCESS
Digital artwork to be supplied in MAC or PC-formatted EPS files created in Adobe Illustrator (version CS6 or lower) or a high resolution vector PDF (see glossary below) with bleed.
- Create your artwork to the specific size of the product with one design per file/page of pdf
- Allow at least 3mm bleed all around and keep important elements 3mm inside cut area
- Ensure that all text/fonts have been created to outlines/curves to avoid font problems
- Supply any logos etc. that require colour matching to the relevant pantone colour, using the “Solid Coated” set of swatches
- artwork coloured up to CMYK will not be PMS matched
- When saving pdfs, ensure that pdf settings are of a high resolution and allow for 3mm bleed all around
- Any placed images should be embedded in the eps files and to be high resolution (300dpi)
Glossary of Terms
PMS Colours
Colours are catalogued by a chart called a Pantone® Colour Chart. Each colour has a specific Pantone® or PMS number. A PMS colour is a print colour with a code used by printers to represent ink colours, this is a standard format which is used worldwide. Your logo will be made up of these PMS colours. In order to print your exact colour, we require the exact PMS colour number for the colour/s in your logo.
http://www.pantone-colours.com/
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black – 4 colour process printing systems used to print full colour or half tone photographic images.
4 Colour Process
Offset printing using colours made up of percentages of CMYK dots. Used in printing photographic images on items such as mouse mats and printed material such as brochures and point of sale.
Fonts
The computer equivalent of typefaces or characters.
Converting Font to outlines
“Converting font to outlines” means that you will have to change the font in your file from text to an object in order to maintain that font when it’s printed. If a particular font is not installed on a computer trying to open your file, then the computer will substitute a generic font for your original font, and it completely changes the way the font would appear and print. However, if your font is converted to outlines, then it allows the computer to read it as an image object rather than as just text. So, if you have specific fonts in your art file that you want to use on your items, then you need to convert the fonts to outlines! (We may also suggest that you produce a Vector File)
Vector File
When your artwork or logo is in a vectored format (either .ai or .eps), it allows you to increase or decrease the size of the graphic without compromising the integrity of the original image. The end result is a crisp, clear, and readable image no matter what the final output or size! Vector graphics are sometimes also referred to as “draw graphics”, but they mean the same thing.
When you create an image in Adobe Illustrator (or in Freehand or CorelDraw), you are creating a vector graphic. However, when you create an image in a program like Adobe Photoshop, you are creating a bitmap graphic (which is NOT a vectored format).
EPS File
Encapsulated Postscript File – is the preferred format for most logo printing applications. Logos and fonts must be converted to outlines or vector curves prior to transmission, email or CD. They can also be used to transfer photographic images. Illustrator, Corel Draw & Freehand are common programs that can create EPS files suitable for branding applications.
JPEG File
Joint Photographers Expert Group – a compression format for making graphic files smaller. Supply photographic images as jpeg files (300dpi minimum resolution) but not logos.
Tiff File
Tagged Image File Format – supply photographic images as tiff files, but not logos.
Photoshop Files
Files should be CMYK and saved in eps format. Ensure resolution matches the size of the desired output.
PDF Format
Portable Doc Format – ideal file format for sending/viewing images BUT NOT SUITABLE FOR ARTWORK, unless PDF has been created in Illustrator with outlined fonts and images in a vector format.
Photographic Images
For 4 colour process printing/CMYK. File formats preferred include: EPS, tiff, jpg (with high compression). The original scanned image must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.