Artwork Guidelines

Simply put ...

We know that many of our clients set files up for print every day. For those clients all we ask is the usual:

Check that you have allowed bleed where required 3mm is normal.
Check all images are in CMYK mode as RGB can give funny colour casts.
Embed fonts in eps and PDF files.

Please remember to send us a print out of your file as things can change from computer to computer, mainly to do with fonts. We want to get it right - first time!
And don't worry about whether you use a PC or Apple Mac - we are completely cross platform.

Setting up your files for print

We specialise in fast turnaround high quality digital print and can only achieve this if your files are set up correctly. Anything that is not standard or completely correct can always be sorted out, but will take extra time meaning that deadlines may be missed. If you are unclear on any of this or have any other queries then please feel free to contact us.
Preferred file formats
CS2 (Creative Studio), InDesign, Quark Xpress, Photoshop, Freehand, Illustrator, Coreldraw, MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher) are all acceptable. Others please ask.

PDF format

We accept Adobe PDF format files. However it is important that you set these up at the right resolution for print quality. The basic setting in Distiller is 'press optimised' however there are other settings to be aware of, plus imported pictures must also be set up carefully as they cannot be 'fixed' easily later in production.

Document Sizes, Imposition and Bleed

It is best not impose your files or use your own crop marks as we have our own automated imposition software, with many templates set up to get the best out of the print process and minimize wastage. We always allow for setup and imposing your documents within the price quoted.
Always use the correct sized page for final print size required. Business cards should be setup as single pages. If your artwork requires 'bleed' (ie if it extends off the edge of your page) you must allow at least 3mm. We also recommend that any text is kept at least 3mm away from the edge of the page. If your document is to be wire 'o' bound make sure 'bleed' is allowed on all four edges. Finally because we collate electronically, documents comprising more than one page should always be supplied in one file.

Imported Photos and graphic files

Photos should always be CMYK, 300dpi placed at the actual size required and saved in .TIF format (always turn LZW compression off), this is unless you have used clipping paths in which case .EPS format is required. Do not use the clipping path facility in Quark Xpress v4+ as it can produce unpredictable results. Always create a true path in Photoshop and save it as a clipping path (with a flatness of about 3) before exporting as .EPS. Remember to limit the amount of points in your 'path' as too many will also cause problems. We can accept .JPG files but these can result in lower quality, as this is a compressed format.

Logos and vector based graphics (Illustrator, Freehand, Coreldraw) should always be saved in .EPS format, preferably as editable versions, and always with a preview when it is an option. We do not advise creating multi-page documents in these programs as extra work is required to impose them for print. Also never embed large photographic images within them as the file sizes and subsequent processing times will be excessive.
We recommend that you do not enlarge photos more than a few percent, or if you have to reduce more than 30%, resize in Photoshop to save time and disk space .

Fonts

Only use legitimate PostScript fonts from respected foundries such as Adobe, Monotype, Bitstream or Letraset. Do not use TrueType unless absolutely unavoidable. Include both printer and screen fonts on your disk.

Colour and Colour Matching

Make sure all colours in your document are specified as CMYK. If you have used spot colours in the design process you must convert them to CMYK before saving unless they are to print as special colours. Keep a particular eye on imported graphics such as Illustrator and Freehand .EPS files. Duotone photos must also be converted to CMYK .TIF. Refer to our tint guide for CMYK colour matching. Please remember that Pantone colours cannot be accurately reproduced in CMYK, so if it is important that you match a Pantone colour then either refer to the Pantone solid to process guide or contact us for further details on getting a special ink made up as a 5th colour using our ink mixing facility.

Colour Proofs

For complete colour accuracy as well as an opportunity for final checking of quality and text we recommend ordering a colour accurate proof, in the case of Indigo Digital print work this can be on your specified stock.

Print & Paper Sizes

HP Indigo - Maximum image size: 308 x 437mm
HP Indigo - Maximum sheet size: 320 x 460mm

KBA Genius - Maximum image size: 350 x 512mm
KBA Genius - Maximum sheet size: 360 x 520mm
Heidelberg GTO - Maximum image size: 350 x 518mm
Heidelberg GTO - Maximum sheet size: 360 x 520mm

Accepted Media

We accept files on DVD or CD in Mac or PC formats. Other disk types please call.
Files up to approx 10Mb can be sent via broadband e-mail to: artwork@cyclicprint.co.uk. Larger files can be uploaded to our FTP site or via Apple iDisk or iChat.


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Artwork Guidelines Simply put ... We know that many of our clients set files up for print every day. For those clients all we ask is the usual: Check that you have allowed bleed where required 3mm is normal. Check all images are in CMYK mode as RGB can give funny colour casts. Embed fonts in eps and PDF files. Please remember to send us a print out of your file as things can change from computer to computer, mainly to do with fonts. We want to get it right - first time! And don't worry about whether you use a PC or Apple Mac - we are completely cross platform. Setting up your files for print We specialise in fast turnaround high quality digital print and can only achieve this if your files are set up correctly. Anything that is not standard or completely correct can always be sorted out, but will take extra time meaning that deadlines may be missed. If you are unclear on any of this or have any other queries then please feel free to contact us. Preferred file formats CS2 (Creative Studio), InDesign, Quark Xpress, Photoshop, Freehand, Illustrator, Coreldraw, MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher) are all acceptable. Others please ask. PDF format We accept Adobe PDF format files. However it is important that you set these up at the right resolution for print quality. The basic setting in Distiller is 'press optimised' however there are other settings to be aware of, plus imported pictures must also be set up carefully as they cannot be 'fixed' easily later in production. Document Sizes, Imposition and Bleed It is best not impose your files or use your own crop marks as we have our own automated imposition software, with many templates set up to get the best out of the print process and minimize wastage. We always allow for setup and imposing your documents within the price quoted. Always use the correct sized page for final print size required. Business cards should be setup as single pages. If your artwork requires 'bleed' (ie if it extends off the edge of your page) you must allow at least 3mm. We also recommend that any text is kept at least 3mm away from the edge of the page. If your document is to be wire 'o' bound make sure 'bleed' is allowed on all four edges. Finally because we collate electronically, documents comprising more than one page should always be supplied in one file. Imported Photos and graphic files Photos should always be CMYK, 300dpi placed at the actual size required and saved in .TIF format (always turn LZW compression off), this is unless you have used clipping paths in which case .EPS format is required. Do not use the clipping path facility in Quark Xpress v4+ as it can produce unpredictable results. Always create a true path in Photoshop and save it as a clipping path (with a flatness of about 3) before exporting as .EPS. Remember to limit the amount of points in your 'path' as too many will also cause problems. We can accept .JPG files but these can result in lower quality, as this is a compressed format. Logos and vector based graphics (Illustrator, Freehand, Coreldraw) should always be saved in .EPS format, preferably as editable versions, and always with a preview when it is an option. We do not advise creating multi-page documents in these programs as extra work is required to impose them for print. Also never embed large photographic images within them as the file sizes and subsequent processing times will be excessive. We recommend that you do not enlarge photos more than a few percent, or if you have to reduce more than 30%, resize in Photoshop to save time and disk space . Fonts Only use legitimate PostScript fonts from respected foundries such as Adobe, Monotype, Bitstream or Letraset. Do not use TrueType unless absolutely unavoidable. Include both printer and screen fonts on your disk. Colour and Colour Matching Make sure all colours in your document are specified as CMYK. If you have used spot colours in the design process you must convert them to CMYK before saving unless they are to print as special colours. Keep a particular eye on imported graphics such as Illustrator and Freehand .EPS files. Duotone photos must also be converted to CMYK .TIF. Refer to our tint guide for CMYK colour matching. Please remember that Pantone colours cannot be accurately reproduced in CMYK, so if it is important that you match a Pantone colour then either refer to the Pantone solid to process guide or contact us for further details on getting a special ink made up as a 5th colour using our ink mixing facility. Colour Proofs For complete colour accuracy as well as an opportunity for final checking of quality and text we recommend ordering a colour accurate proof, in the case of Indigo Digital print work this can be on your specified stock. Print & Paper Sizes HP Indigo - Maximum image size: 308 x 437mm HP Indigo - Maximum sheet size: 320 x 460mm KBA Genius - Maximum image size: 350 x 512mm KBA Genius - Maximum sheet size: 360 x 520mm Heidelberg GTO - Maximum image size: 350 x 518mm Heidelberg GTO - Maximum sheet size: 360 x 520mm Accepted Media We accept files on DVD or CD in Mac or PC formats. Other disk types please call. Files up to approx 10Mb can be sent via broadband e-mail to: artwork@cyclicprint.co.uk. Larger files can be uploaded to our FTP site or via Apple iDisk or iChat.