Preparing digital files for output can be a complicated affair. Below we offer advice and recommendations on how you should proceed setting up your graphics for maximum efficiency and clarity. General Recommendations We use both Windows and Macintosh computers here at Chattanooga Printing & Engraving though we highly recommend the Macintosh as a graphics platform. Please see below for a list removable medias we can read and a list of applications we support. If your disk media or application is not listed we may have to make special arrangements to complete your order. The most common problem in Digital Imaging is missing files. When preparing for output be sure to include the following: The actual file to be imaged (be sure and include the name of this file when ordering) Any support files that have been placed in the file to be imaged. All font files used in the image file or support files (missing fonts is the single most common production problem). When preparing digital files for output it is almost always a good idea to set them up at 100% of the size, resolution and proportion of the desired final image. If you are unable to work at 100% we ask that you work at half or quarter size (50% or 25%) and double check your proportions and resolution. If your art bleeds off the page please be sure to add an eighth inch bleed to your document.

Currently Supported Software:

In addition to the applications listed above we also accept files in Microsoft Word and Publisher. Please note that these two programs are often problematic when it comes to producing four color process film and may require additional time to work with.

We can read files from the following storage formats:

We can also receive files vie the internet through E-mail. Files sent over the internet should be compressed in either .zip or stuffits .sit formats (we prefer stuffit. Free stuffit utilities can be downloaded from Aladdin.)

When Sending A Digital File Please Check the Following:

Scans

Images - When saving an image as a digital file, save it at twice the resolution you intend to use on the printed piece. For example:

Printed piece needs to be 150 line screen... Save your image at 300 dpi
Printed piece needs to be 200 line screen... Save your image at 400 dpi

Save your images in CMYK Color mode (or inform us if you are using RGB images). We have a color-managed workflow here at CP&E so if you use ICC Color Management let us know and we can incorporate you workflow into ours to produce the highest color fidelity possible. Also if you would like to convert your images to CMYK using the Custom ICC Profile we use you can download it here.

Links

Locating all the files used in a document can sometimes be difficult, especially when it comes down to finding fonts hidden in obscure places on your system. There are several programs on the market that can automate the process for you. Extensis Collect Pro is one. We use Flightcheck, which in addition to collecting files provides invaluable information on the preparedness of you files.

Tiffs & Eps - Be sure to send all files that are linked to the document and make sure all tiffs and eps files are linked and up-to-date in the document.

Text - If you have imported ASCII or other text into your document, there is no need to send the original files since they are not required after importing them.

A note about fonts:

Type fonts come in two major varieties, True Type and Postscript. The True Type format is most common on the Windows platform. The problem with True Type is that it is incompatible with our postscript RIPs. When you have a choice please use Postscript Type 1 Fonts. If you must use a True Type font, include it with your order and we will convert it to a Postscript font. A True Type font is contained in one file which on a Mac looks like this: , postscript fonts on the other hand always have at least two often more files for any single set, this fact can cause some confusion. Each Postscript font will have a printer file (containing the postscript line art) which on a Mac might look like this: or this: and a screen font (containing a bitmap drawing used for rendering the font to screen) which looks like this: . To further complicate matters screen fonts and True Type fonts can be gathered together inside a file called a suitcase which looks like this: . Variations of fonts require separate files, for example, the times family has A Times-plain, Times-Italic, Time-Bold and Times-Bold-Italic. This set will have 4 printer fonts and at least one screen font for each of the 4 variations. Since screen fonts are used for displaying text on screen, fonts often have several screen fonts of different point sizes for each printer font file. Only one screen font per printer font is necessary.

Application specific notes (Problems to watch out for)

QuarkXpress, Adobe Pagemaker and Adobe InDesign:

If you are combining multiple graphics into a single page or multiple page document you should use one of these page layout programs. We prefer QuarkXpress over Pagemaker or InDesign. Illustrator and other drawing programs can do many of the same functions of page layout programs but they tend to get bogged down when large files are placed in them. Avoid using a drawing program for layouts with large graphics. Create your layouts at full size whenever possible. Adding crop marks in the document itself is unnecessary if you have sized your document correctly as crop marks are added when the document is printed.

If you document does not bleed to white add an eighth inch bleed to the document by having your elements hang over the page edge. This bleed will print and the crop marks will indicate the page edge.

Please set up you document in reader spreads. You might think it would help us to set it up in printer spreads but it doesn't. If your document is 2 pages side by side set it up that way and not as one big page. Most programs will allow you to print a 2 page spread in one piece.

Adobe Illustrator:

Output resolution: Illustrator allows access to the output resolution of vector graphics, which is a different feature than the pixel based resolution of raster image files. The output resolution can create problems if set to low, circles appear not as curves but as a series of short connected lines. To avoid these problems make sure the output resolution is set correctly. Adobe says the optimal output resolution is 800 dpi, remember this number is relative to the enlargement factor, for example: if a documents output resolution is set at 800 dpi and the document is enlarged 400% the output resolution at final size will be 200dpi, too small (this is the typical problem). The output resolution should always reflect the enlargement factor. The correct output resolution for this example is 800 dpi X 4 = 3200dpi. You can set the output resolution in the Document Setup window (under the File Menu), however this only sets the output resolution of objects you create after you enter this number. If you need to change the output resolution of existing graphics do this: Select All (or the graphic you wish to change), open the Attributes palette, enter the new output resolution and press return. This may be an issue in other Drawing programs as well, consult your manuals for more information.

Overprinting: You can set objects to overprint in Illustrator by selecting them and checking a box labeled "overprint" in the attributes palette which is useful when you want to achieve a specific effect. With four color process work overprinting is rarely used and can be problematic. Two things you should keep in mind: 1) In our Scitex RIP Black overprints automatically so there is no need to set it manually, 2) A white object that is set to overprint will disappear.

Transparency: Adobe Illustrator 9 supports a wide reaching transparency feature which allows you to set the opacity of almost any object. While this feature looks great we have found it to be difficult to RIP. A more reliable workflow might be to export your illustration to a TIFF file and place that in your final layout. If you do that it may be a good idea to include the native illustrator document with your job in case we have to modify and re-export it.

Macromedia Freehand

Freehand is a popular illustration and layout program and is used by many of our customers. In general Freehand does a good job doing the wide range of tasks under its umbrella. Our main complaint with this program is how it handles high resolution images. When you open a Freehand file with images in it Freehand scans each image file and creates a low rez proxy image for use on screen at that time. If you have a large document with multiple pages and lots of images it can take a long time even with a fast machine just to open the file. Other programs such as Quark Express create a low rez image when you first place the image and then store it in the layout file so that opening the file take much less time. This is why we recomend useing one of the three layout programs to do multiple page documents. If you do want to use Freehand as your page layout program we recomend that you brake down a large document into sections and create separate documents for each section. For example: if your document is 64 pages create two 32 page sections or if you are useing alot of images brake it down into four 16 page sections.

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© 2003 Chattanooga Printing & Engraving, LLC Last updated 5/2003