File Specs

Art File Types Accepted

We accept a wide variety of MAC and PC graphic design programs such as Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, Quark as long as they are submitted as one of the following formats: PDF, JPG, PSD, TIF, EPS, AI.

We do not accept files for print submitted in the following formats: , MS Word, MS Publisher, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint, Corel Draw or Printshop, unless they have been converted to a separable PDF. If your artwork is one of these formats, we may be able to redesign your files to make them suitable for the printing. Call  for details and associated costs.

Spot Color
Specially mixed inks that come in a variety of colors,. These are defined as  PANTONE spot colors. Spot color is used when you have 3 or less colors or when a specialty color, such as a metallic and fluorescent, is desired.  Spot colors are ordered by numbers in according to the ink mixing formula in a PANTONE® FORMULA GUIDE.

Process Color
Files must be created and submitted in CMYK color mode. File that are created in RGB must be converted to CMYK before printing. The conversion process can result in an undesirable color shift. CMYK, often referred to as  “Full color” or “4 color”, uses Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black to create the palette of colors. Most software programs offer the choice of working in RGB color or CMYK color. When designing a full color piece, keep in mind that there is 100% black and what is known as a rich black. 100% black will appear black. However a rich black, generally composed of 100% black and 50% of the other three colors, will make your black darker and richer. Ultimately your piece will appear more vibrant with a rich black.

Resolution
We recommend using images that are 300 DPI or higher. Using images that are lower will result in reduced print quality. If you elect to use low resolution images, you will be required to sign a waiver. Note: images and logos from website are NOT 300 DPI.

Borders
We strongly recommend that all borders on the edge of your piece are at least 1/4 inch away from your finished size. Although we make every effort to cut your pieces as precise as possible we cannot guarantee perfect cuts every time due to tolerances in the cutting process. As a result borders that are less than 1/4 inch thick will often have an uneven look to them.

Bleeds
A bleed is where your design goes to the edge of your paper without any border around the edges. The color "bleeds" off the edge of the page. All design files must have a 1/8 inch bleed on all four sides. This ensures your design will bleed completely to the edge of the piece without any of the white paper stock showing on the edges. Download one of our  templates to help with your design process.

Safe Zone
All text and important design elements should be a minimum of 1/8 inches from the finished edge of the piece to prevent the possibility of being cut off. We make every effort to cut your pieces as precise as possible we cannot guarantee perfect cuts every time due to tolerances in the cutting process. Download one of our  templates to help with your design process

Flattened Images
Before you send your design file, you must flatten your images and convert text to outlines. We do not accept layered or linked images. This prevents font defaults and other issues.

4/1 Files
If your project is color on one side and black only on the other – you must create the black only side as 100% black only. Your design file cannot have any other colors in it. If another color is present, the design is not considered black but full color.