Artwork guide

Transcription

Artwork guide

Artwork guide
ServiceFreeCall: 0808 23 44 752 | [email protected] | www.saxoprint.co.uk
Artwork guide
To create printing data – Here’s how!
V 1.2
It’s all here. Now
nothing more can
go wrong.
So tell me, how exactly
do I lay out printing
data correctly?
1
Artwork guide
INHALT OF CONTENTS
TABLE
Laying Out Print Data
3
Overview of the Common Layout Programmes
3
Cutting and Bleed Difference
4
Trim Marks and Printing Tips
4
Multiple Page Files
5
Vector Data and Pixel Images
6
Resolution
6
Positioning Content
7
Shingling
7
Colour Layout and Colour Mode
8
Spot Colours
8
Fonts
9
Orthography and Composition
9
Lines
10
Saving Print-Ready Data
10
Saving JPEG-, PDF- or TIFF-files
10
An Overview of the Most Important File Formats
11
Gate folds
12
Laying Out a Folded Leaflet with Gate Fold
13
Post Cards
13
Perforation
14
Data Transfer
15
Data Check
15
My Checklist
16
Contact Data
17
2
Artwork guide
LAYING OUT PRINT DATA
TIP
To lay out a print-ready file, you will require an appropriate programme. Unfortunately,
Word, Excel, and Powerpoint cannot produce print-ready data.
Tip: Should you not
have one of these programmes at your disposal, here is a tip for the
frugal: the latest version
of the MS Office Publisher and the free programme Scribus allow for all
the necessary adjustments and can therefore
generate print-ready data.
The most common layout and photo editing programmes are Illustrator, InDesign,
Photoshop, CorelDraw, Freehand, PageMaker and QuarkExpress.
OVERVIEW OF THE COMMON LAYOUT PROGRAMMES
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor. As the name suggests, the
programme was developed by the California-based software company Adobe
Systems. Objects that are created in Illustrator are mostly vector graphics
that are defined by their geometric properties, such as radius and centre.
Because of that, they can be exactly calculated and freely scaled.
InDesign is the layout programme that was developed by Adobe to compete with QuarkXPress. Advertising agencies, graphic artists, pre-press
service providers, printers, and publishers in particular use this successor to
PageMaker. Due to its relevant functionality, the programme is suited to the
composition and layout of pamphlets, brochures, catalogues, leaflets, and
posters.
Adobe Photoshop is the picture-editing programme in the Adobe family.
Originally developed to prepare pictures for printing, Adobe Photoshop is
used increasingly often to edit photos for the internet and is constantly being
refined. With the Photoshop Elements versions, Adobe offers the semi-professional user an optimal tool for the design and editing of picture files.
Macromedia FreeHand/Freehand MX is, like Adobe Illustrator, a vector
graphics editor. Despite an ever-growing number of supporters and the
advantages of this programme, such as the diversity of formats and its internet capabilities, Freehand has not been further developed. Since 2005, the
programme has belonged to Adobe, which has begun to offer a “crossgrade”
from Freehand to Adobe Illustrator CS3 to make the switch easier for users.
CorelDRAW is the graphics software designed by the Corel Corporation
particularly for Windows systems. The programme is in direct competition
with Adobe Illustrator and Freehand, both widely used in prepress. The newer versions (X3, X4) include more functions useful in this field (direct PDFoutput, print preview) and can therefore better hold their own in the market.
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Artwork guide
2 mm bleed area
2 mm bleed area
TEXTTEXTTEXT
TEXTTEXTTEXT
TEXTTEXTTEXT
3 mm
3 mm
CUTTING AND BLEED DIFFERENCE
NOTE
Always lay out your documents in the open original format, including the all-around 2mm
bleed difference that prevents important information from being cut out.
Note: Printing and
cutting machines always
require 2mm tolerance on
all edges!
Closed Original or End Format:
We consider the format that you can see and measure when you have your end product in
hand a closed end format. It is also the format you will choose during the ordering process.
Open Original or End Format
When you completely open your final product, you see what we consider an open original
format. For example, when one totally unfolds an A5 folded leaflet that had 4 sides in portrait format, one sees an A4 sheet in horizontal format. This also applies to a DL (105mm ×
210mm) folded leaflet with a 6-side z-fold in portrait format.
You will find the exact measurements for your product in our free template download,
which is on the Help/Download page. There you will also find pre-made files available
that you can modify to suit your needs.
ATTENTION
Attention: If you
have not ordered a data
check, formats that differ
from the information on
your order will automatically be scaled to the
ordered format.
ATTENTION
TRIM MARKS AND PRINTING TIPS
„Crop mark“ (cutting/trim mark, format mark) is a technical printer’s term.
Crop marks are fine lines that are placed on the uncut print sheet in order to mark the end
format of the printed product. They specify the place where the raw sheet is to be cut/separated.
These marks are set by the imposing and layout program of our electronic prepress.
Should you desire to set your own crop marks, and your layout program offers that function, feel free to use it. You should not, however, manually set these marks, because our
processing programme may not recognise them or may interpret them as graphic elements.
If you would like to use printing tips such as bleed difference marks or register marks, please place them outside the bleed difference line.
Attention: The
majority of our products
refer to the closed end
format. Nevertheless, you
must lay out your product
in open format with 2mm
bleed difference on all
edges.
ATTENTION
Attention: Be sure to
place printing tips, such
as bleed difference marks
or register marks, outside
the bleed difference line!
4
Artwork guide
Pre-assembled pages for folded documents
Separated pages for bound documents
MULTIPLE PAGE FILES
ATTENTION
For products that consist of many bound pages, please lay out each page individually
(including facing pages).
Attention: When
creating PDF files, there
are several presettings
to consider! Please take
note of the information
about saving files that is
provided in this guide!
Please transfer these individual pages to us in a multi-page PDF document.
For pages that are only separated by a fold, the adjoining pages must be laid out (preassembled) as one page.
Please do not forget to delete empty or superfluous pages from the file before your final
save.
The assignment of page numbers is based on the file identification. A sorting based on the
page numbers in the file will not be done.
Clear on everything
so far?
It’s truly quite simple!
Let’s see what else
there is!
5
Artwork guide
pixel graphics: When enlarging a picture, the individual
pixels appear (right).
vector graphics: When enlarging a picture, the individual
planes appear (right).
VECTOR DATA AND PIXEL IMAGES
NOTE
Vector data, because of their exact geometric definition, always yield better quality than
pixel graphics and are preferred over pixel graphics for design. For this reason, vector data
are better suited for schematic images. Since one cannot substitute a vector graphic for a
pixel one in every case (for example, with photos), the pixel graphic (with the appropriate
resolution) may of course be used.
Note: A vector graphic consists of simple
shapes, such as lines,
circles, or polygons.
Since only a few parameters must be saved, the
memory requirements
of such files are often
markedly less than those
of pixel files, for which
the information for each
individual pixel must be
saved.
RESOLUTION
We recommend a graphic resolution of at least 300dpi for grey scale and colour graphics
(in the original size) to ensure an optimal printed result.
For posters, a resolution of 200dpi (in the original size) is sufficient, so that the amount of
data is reduced, or can be kept to a minimum.
Line art, for example, text
with a small point size and
symbols should be laid out
with a resolution of 1200dpi
to avoid a “saw tooth“
effect. This occurs because
line art, in contrast to other
images with fluid transitions, shows hard colour
edges and high contrast.
entire image
part to be used
ATTENTION
Attention: Always lay
your graphics out with the
right size and resolution.
Scaling up later or an
increasing resolution will
result in poorer quality.
The higher the resolution,
the greater the amount
of data. To reduce this
amount, we recommend
that you cut your images
down to the size or detail
you would like to use.
6
Artwork guide
2 mm bleed area
TEXTTEXTTEXT
TEXTTEXTTEXT
TEXTTEXTTEXT
3 mm
When placing text and graphics, know that a safe distance
from the edge of the page is 3mm.
schematic display of shingling
POSITIONING CONTENT
All elements, including colour fields, that should extend to the edge of the document should be placed so that they extend
beyond the cut line, so that streaks (white edges still present after cutting) can be avoided.
SHINGLING
ATTENTION
When folding many sheets of paper at once, the most inside pages are pushed out. To
ensure that your brochure has no extra pages after cutting, we cut the edge after the fold
to one single length. During this process, elements placed directly on the edge of the inner
pages may be cut off. To avoid this you should pay attention to a safe distance of 5 mm
while designing your brochures. For brochures from 28 pages on we recommend to increase the safe distance. For images and fonts running through a double page tolerances
may occur while folding and cutting due to technical reasons.
Attention: When positioning images and text
in brochures, pay special
attention to the safety
margins at the edges
(because of shingling)
As the shingling depends on the grammage and the number of pages please create the
shingling in your artwork with the following page-displacement per folded printed sheet:
80gsm and 90gsm
135gsm
170gsm
32 sides
0.64 mm
0.96 mm
1.44 mm
36 sides
0.72 mm
1.08 mm
1.62 mm
40 sides
0.80 mm
1.20 mm
1.82 mm
44 sides
0.88 mm
1.32 mm
1.98 mm
48 sides
0.96 mm
1.44 mm
2.16 mm
52 sides
1.04 mm
1.56 mm
2.34 mm
56 sides
1.12 mm
1.68 mm
2.52 mm
60 sides
1.20 mm
1.80 mm
2.70 mm
64 sides
1.28 mm
1.92 mm
2.88 mm
68 sides
1.36 mm
72 sides
1.44 mm
76 sides
1.52 mm
80 sides
1.60 mm
84 sides
1.68 mm
88 sides
1.76 mm
92 sides
1.84 mm
7
Artwork guide
Red, Green, and Blue: the RGB-colour mode
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key: the CMYK colours
COLOUR LAYOUT AND COLOUR MODE
NOTE
Lay out your documents in grey scale, CMYK or with spot colours (HKS), and not with
RGB!
Note: Printing machines print four colours
in CMYK. RGB is predominantly suited for the
display of colours on a
screen.
Lay out HKS spot colours as such, and please give the colour names correctly in order to
avoid distortion of your desired colours.
For example, the names HKS 20 and HKS 20 K essentially stand for the same colour, but
are treated in printing as two different colours. Before saving, rid the document of all superfluous colours (for example, from your colour or mixing palette), so that only the colours
you truly chose are used in printing.
TIP
Do not lay out pre-separated files! That means you are not to split your files into four different levels (one for each of the colours, cyan, magenta, yellow, and key).
Tip: HKS spot colours
can be converted into
CMYK colours.
SPOT COLOURS
ATTENTION
Spot colours are pre-defined, full tone colours, defined basic tones and colour nuances
whose advantage is that they are mixed separately and can therefore be applied in printing
as individual colours. That means they will always be mixed in exactly the same proportions, which assures that the colours will always remain the same, offering the best possible colour fidelity and reproducibility.
Attention: When
converting HKS to CMYK
may lead to changes in
your colours.
There are various providers of so-called spot colours:
•
•
•
Pantone (Hexachrome)
HKS
RAL
We at saxoprint.co.uk exclusively use HKS.
8
Artwork guide
FALSE
CORRECT
Due to its brightness/lightness, the font does not differentiate itself significantly from the background.
The font size is always to be adjusted for the final product
so that it ensures readability.
FONTS
NOTE
Do not place text, logos and other elements too close to the edge of the page, otherwise
they may be cut off.
Note: There are
standard fonts that are
installed on most PCs.
There are also, however,
typical fonts for a particular programme that
are not installed on every
computer and therefore
cannot be displayed, or
will be converted to a
standard font.
We recommend a distance of ca. 3mm from the edge of the page.
The font size should be at least 6pt to ensure readability.
Please keep in mind that the general reading font size is 12pt. The larger your product, the
larger the optimal font size should be. That means, for example, that 6pt, while a reasonable size on a business card, would be essentially unreadable on a poster or flyer.
Fonts should be converted into curves or embedded in the document in order to avoid problems with the text size. These problems can arise if the printer does not have the font you
used available. You may not use mixed colors (4c) for designing black texts, but
100 % black (K-channel).
ORTHOGRAPHY AND COMPOSITION
Please proofread your document for spelling mistakes before you send it to us!
For multi-page documents, or documents with folds, make sure that the alignment and the sequence of the pages are
clearly recognisable. This is especially important for layouts in which the front and back sides of a page are one over the
other. To assure that we print your data correctly, you can send us a print preview labeled as such (for example, printpreview.jpg) with your print data!
1: front side, 2: back side
1: front side, 2: back side
9
Artwork guide
LINES
ATTENTION
Do not use hairlines. They are too thin to be properly printed. Lines should be at least
0.25mm thick (0.75pt).
Attention: Lines that
are laid out with an insufficient thickness will be
automatically thickened
by our editing program.
Please make sure that no
lines of 0pt thickness are
hiding in your document,
because they may appear
in the final product as a
result of the automatic
thickening.
We recommend that you do not use frames that will be borders for the entire document
(end format), because in the final product, their thickness may vary on account of the normal cutting tolerance.
SAVING PRINT-READY DATA
ATTENTION
Please only use closed, read-only formats such as PDF, JPG, TIFF, EPS, PS (PostScript)
to save your print data.
Attention: Word,
Excel, and PowerPoint
do not create print-ready
data.
Files in PDF-Format are both for you and us the surest way to produce a high-quality printed product, because this format has been especially developed for the exchange of data
between two professional prepress organisations. The free Acrobat Reader programme
is not sufficient for the creation of printable PDF files. For this, the Acrobat Full Version is
available, although it does cost. You can also use the capabilities of your layout programme, as long as you pay attention to a few adjustments that will facilitate the creation of a
perfect PDF file.
When creating a PDF file directly from the layout programme, please use the PDF/XStandard (PDF/X3-Standard or PDF/X1a-Standard). We recommend picking the additional
setting “compatibility 1.3” when saving your artwork files. Like that you can prevent problems with layers or transparencies that may arise during further work on your files in our
workflow.
This especially pertains to programmes that do not support PDF/X- Standards for PDF
creation.
SAVING JPEG-, PDF- OR TIFF-FILES
Save the document by going through:
File save as  Choose account  Choose desired file type  give clear file name  save
Or:
File  export  choose account  Choose desired file type  give clear file name 
export
Depending on the programme, more windows will open with which colour mode, quality,
and resolution can be set (Colour mode: CMYK, resolution: 300dpi, quality: maximal).
Please name your files (Order number, page sequence for individual pages. For example,
order number Brochure pg. 1, order number Brochure pg. 2...)
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Artwork guide
AN OVERVIEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FILE FORMATS
PDF – Portable Document Format
The format’s breakthrough has all of the positive attributes of the Post-Script format, in addition. The format
was developed to make data exchange in the printing industry easier. The breakthrough of the format was
supported by the free availability of a programme that reads this format – the Adobe Acrobat Reader. The file
format has all of the positive attributes of the Post-Script format in addition to new settings that serve to secure the transfer of data. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind when working with PDF files.
The first important point is the difference between PDFs that serve as print submissions and PDF files that
were designed for electronic publications. The former contain all the print-relevant information, and only that.
The latter may also contain data that is not suited for printing, such as videos or hyperlinks. Furthermore, they
are somewhat smaller than print data, in order to ensure a short loading time. You will learn which PDF is right
for your data in the section „File Saving“ in this Printing Data Guide,
EPS – Encapsulated PostScript
Like the PDF file, the EPS file was also developed by Adobe and was especially designed for application
with graphics. Because of that, this format is especially suited for passing on vector and pixel graphics within
graphics programmes. The EPS file contains for the printer a pure PostScript definition in which, for example,
fonts are completely embedded. Beyond that, the file contains a preview that, because it is a closed format, is
read-only.
TIFF – Tagged Image File Format
TIFF is, in addition to PDF and EPS, an important file format for the exchange of information in prepress. The
most significant argument for the use of this format is its support of the CMYK colour model. Furthermore,
TIFF supports grey scales, millions of colours, RGB, LAB colour spaces, and ICC profile embedding. TIFF is
used primarily to pass on graphics in high quality (high resolution). The TIFF format distinguishes itself here
through a lossless, printable compression of files.
JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group
The name is attributed to the group of experts who developed this standard in 1992. The group concentrated
on the various methods of graphics compression. JPEG suggests various compression and coding methods.
It supports CMYK and RGB mode. JPEG is particularly suited to the reduction of data. With lesser compression, the files are still well-suited even to printing. Caution is recommended when using this format. The more
you open or save new, the more quality is lost. Therefore, JPEG files should only be saved once.
PS – PostScript
PostScript is a printing industry standard that is being increasingly displaced by PDF. PS was originally a page
description language, i.e. a programming language. Most layout programmes possess a PostScript export
function. For all intents and purposes, PostScript code can however be generated out of every application
(e.g. word processing programmes) with the help of a PostScript printer driver. The PostScript code can either
be sent to a PostScript-capable output device or be written into a file.
11
Artwork guide
N
6-sided gate fold, 8-sided gate fold
W
ien
su
Sa imrla
ue ub
rl
an
d
line of the fold
ME
line of the fold
8-sided gate fold
GATE FOLDS
For a 6-sided folded leaflet with gate fold, the two outer sides are folded to the middle without overlapping.
For an 8-sided folded leaflet with gate fold, the two outer sides are first folded to the middle without overlapping. An additional break in the middle of the sheet creates the 8-sided gate fold.
For the creation of a folded leaflet with gate fold, all of the basic rules of laying out files apply:
•
•
•
•
•
Lay out your file in the open end format.
Allow for the 2mm bleed difference on all edges on your open template format: (that means 2mm added to the left,
right, top, and bottom of the open template format).
For a 6-side gate fold, the two outer sides must each be laid out 0.5mm narrower than the centre sections.
For an 8-side gate fold, the two outer sides must be 2mm narrower than the inner ones because of the “doubled”
folding.
Place your text 5mm away from the fold edges and page edges.
TIP
6-sided
closed end format
open end format
incl. bleed difference
A6 portrait (105x148 mm)
209x148mm
213x152mm
A6 landscape (148x105 mm)
295x105mm
299x109mm
295x210mm
299x214mm
419x148mm
423x152mm
DL portrait (105x210 mm)
209x210mm
213x214mm
DL landscape (210x105 mm)
419x105mm
423x109mm
419x297mm
423x301mm
8-sided
closed end format
open end format
incl. bleed difference
416x148mm
420x152mm
588x105mm
592x109mm
588x210mm
592x214mm
416x210mm
420x214mm
Tip: Mark the fold
lines with guides, but be
sure to erase them before
your final save to prevent
them from being printed.
NOTE
Note: For a 6-sided
gate fold, the two outer
pages must be laid out
0.5mm narrower than
the inner pages. For an
8-sided gate fold, they
must be 2mm narrower
because of the „double“
fold.
12
Artwork guide
LAYING OUT A FOLDED LEAFLET WITH GATE FOLD
6-sided folded leaflet with gate fold, portrait
Page
6
front
back
Page
1
Page
2
Page
3
Page
4
front
inside
inside
inside
8-sided folded leaflet with gate fold, portrait
Page Page Page Page
7
8
1
2
Page Page Page Page
3
4
5
6
inside
inside
fold
fold
Page
5
back
back
inside
inside
inside
inside
That’s why that fold is
called a window or gate
fold.
Somehow, the left
picture reminds me
of a window!
POST CARDS
Postcards can be laid out in portrait or horizontal format,
though the back page should always be in horizontal
format in order to conform to normal reading habits and
to avoid problems with the post.
Please create both pages separately and pay attention
to the orientation and the correct name. That means you
should lay out the front page so that one can read the text
“normally” (so that the bottom edge is at the bottom of the
image). Please name the front page as obverse and the
back as address page. The accompanying picture here
shows you how front and back pages are arranged by
default by our prepress.
front side
back side
back side
readability of postcards in portrait format
13
Artwork guide
brochure 4-sided:
1cm
- at least 1cm away from the fold
- not on the back
(book-brochure back)
- max. 1 perforation per 4-pager
- perforation parallel to back/ fold
- no perforations if the grammage
is under 135gsm
perforation lines for brochures (4-page)
folder:
1cm
6cm
- at least 1cm away from the fold
- also lying in the fold/ break
- max. 3 perforations
- perforation parallel to fold
- minimum distance between
perforations: 6cm
perforation lines for folded flyers/ folded leaflets
PERFORATION
ATTENTION
Perforation serve to make the separation of parts of your product easier. They are useful
when contact information or other important data ought also to be available separate from
the actual medium or communication (i.e. printed product).
Attention: Be sure
not to lay out guides that
mark the perforation lines
but should not be printed
themselves. We only
require one template on
which it is clear where the
perforations should be
placed.
For the various formats of your printed product, there are a few basic things to keep in
mind regarding perforation (see description).
When saving, be sure there are no guides left that mark the perforation lines but should
not be printed themselves. To position the perforations, we only need one reference template. It is best if you mark the lines and save that picture as a separate file that you have
named accordingly (e.g. ordernumber_perforation template.jpg)
You can place up to 6 perforation lines for your print products. These have to run parallel
to each other. For 1-sided and 2-sided print products up to one perforation can run orthogonal (right-angled), but this one does not have to run completely through the page.
flyer:
1cm
- at least 3cm away from the edge
- the minimum distance between
two should be 1cm
- max. 6 perforations per flyer
- perforations parallel to one another
NOTE
Note: Because of
the corresponding paper
strength, perforations are
only possible on papers
with grammages of more
than 80gsm. Please pay
attention to the requirements you select about
such products.
perforations for flyers
14
Artwork guide
DATA TRANSFER
UPLOAD
Via file-upload: Files can be uploaded through our Upload-Center directly in connection with the order
process.
As email attachment: When sending data by email, please note your specific order number in the subject
line.
DATA CHECK
For your security and ours, we recommend that you use our professional data check, which you can select as an option
when ordering. In a data check, our prepress employees proofread your data according to all important parameters:
•
Are the data closed?
•
Are there layers or transparencies in your artwork files? (Advice: if you create your artwork files in PDF Standard
with compatibility 1.3 you can avoid these)
•
Is the format correct? (If not, we will contact you).
•
Have allowances for bleed been made on all edges (2mm)?
•
Are the texts or logos far enough away from the cut lines? (min. 3mm)
•
Do the graphics have the proper resolution? (min. 300 dpi, 1200 dpi for line art)
•
Is the document laid out in CMYK? With spot colours?
•
If grey scale has been ordered, is the file laid out that way?
•
Is the font embedded?
•
Is the page sequence clear (when pages are delivered individually)?
If we should find any problems or ambiguities, we will contact you to discuss how we ought to proceed.
15
Artwork guide
MY CHECKLIST

Is the document laid out in CMYK? With spot colours?

If grey scale has been ordered, is the file laid out that way?

Is the file laid out in open end format, with the additional 2mm bleed allowance?

Are the elements that must not be cut off placed far enough away from the edge (3mm)?

Does the page number of the document match the page number given in the order? (Have all superfluous pages been
deleted? Are all the pages clearly marked?)

Correct file format? PDF (PDF/X3 or PDF/ X1a), JPG, TIFF, EPS, PS

Are the fonts embedded/ converted into strings or curves?

Do the graphics have a high enough resolution (min. 300 dpi, line art 1200 dpi)?

Are all the lines thick enough? Could any thin lines that would become visible through automatic scaling be hiding in the
file?

Have all guides been erased or shielded?

Is everything written correctly? (Attention: transposed digits)

Is everything legible? (point size, contrast)
Everything checked off?
Should you be at all unsure that everything is in order, just select our professional data check when placing your order!
Then you can send your data to us.
Have fun with your finished, printed product! This from your team at saxoprint.co.uk!
16
Artwork guide
CONTACT DATA
Do you still have questions?
No problem. Simply contact our colleagues at the ServiceCenter or send us your suggestions for the improvement of our
printing data guide.
ServiceFreeCall: 0808 23 44 752
Email: [email protected]
Have fun with our products!
Our flyer is finished.
That really was easy!
Now, off to print.
Our friends will be
impressed!
17

Artwork guide

Transcription

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