All files must be in PDF format.
No. The great thing about PDF files is that all your carefully compiled page elements are built right into the file. Your PDF is made from your files and your fonts on your system. This completely avoids the problems of missing pictures or incorrect fonts.
No. If you are comfortable generating PDF files for Commercial Pre-Press there are no special requirements. If you are not sure or want to optimize your file size for us, see the “Making PDF files” section on the Best Practices page and download our Settings.
Because email has seemingly random size limitations and unpredictable delays we prefer you to upload files to our FTP site.
You should be able to see your files in our directory, hit the refresh button on your FTP software if necessary. If we are removing the files quickly you will see them move to the /Done directory. This means we have already taken them to use. We are aware that some FTP softwares on the Windows OS do not display the files or directories correctly. The only solution for this would be to try a different FTP program.
Believe it or not computers seem to be capable of messing things up. For that reason it is critical that the person most familiar with the job look at each page after the PDF is made and before it is submitted to us. Our Pre-Press system is completely automated so it is possible for a job to reach the press without anyone (on our end) noticing editorial mistakes.
A Bleed is when a page element (picture, background, etc.) is meant to run right off the page, not stopping at the margin (resulting in no white border). Because the trimming process is not perfect, extra image is required. For optimal results, make sure there is at least a 0.25 inch bleed on each side where a bleed effect is desired. For example if you are printing a 8.25×10.25 book and want bleed on all sides, the (with bleed) size would be 8.75×10.75.
Since printing is done in the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta,Yellow,Black) space, RGB files do not reproduce as expected. Sometimes this is just the result of incorrect Distiller settings. Surprisingly, this is a common problem with files supplied by big name ad agencies who should know better.
Solution: Double check that you are using Distiller settings that do not convert the color space to RGB. Our Distiller settings (see Making PDF Files on Best Practices) are a good choice. (Note: you can not change RGB files to CMYK during the convert to PDF process, it must be done by hand in your layout/photo editing software.)
*If the problem is with a supplied file there is not much that the average user can do except request a corrected file. In some cases we may be able to convert the file with the help of some fairly expensive specialty software (Enfocus, Pitstop, etc). Contact us as soon as you suspect a problem.
During the covert to PDF process a log is generated listing all errors. You can set the Distiller preferences to delete the log on successful jobs so that when you see a log file next to your newly generated PDF you know that some kind of error occurred. The most common errors are font related. For example, if a font could not be embedded that font will not print correctly. Solution: Read the log file and determine if there is reason to believe that the file will not reproduce as intended.
Objects that sit on top of other objects all have an Overprint Mode. Normally that mode is set correctly to OPM1. Occasionally the mode is set to OPM0. This will often cause that object to “disappear”. This happens most often when the object has come from Adobe Illustrator. This error can usually be detected when the file is viewed with Acrobat’s Output Preview.
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