Fonts
The reason for including ALL YOUR FONTS USED IN YOUR AD is simple: many clients send in their ads in a outlined version of the file (as in Adobe Illustrator files) to avoid sending fonts, but if we need to make any changes (a phone number or a product description, etc.), we have to go through the whole process of figuring out what font it is, and probably having to bother the client to send us another file. This adds up in time and DHL bills and things could run a lot smoother if you also include the original non-outlined file whenever possible. No matter how common the font is, such as Helvetica or Palatino, it could be a TrueType version (we prefer Type 1 fonts) or could be an older version. It is standard practice of all service bureaus to require your font suitcases before they even accept a job. Please help us save you money and downtime. As you might already know you must include the printer font and screen font versions for each font.
Photos
The photos we scan are scanned at High Resolution on a Drum Scanner in San Diego, CA. This guarantees the finest color depth information needed for magazine quality printing at 133 line screen.
We require photos at 300 dpi resolution or higher. Photos are always saved in CMYK mode. If you are using a flat bed scanner, scan your photos at millions of colors (24 bit or higher), even then, depending on the specifications of the scanner you are using, you can't be sure of the image quality until we check the color proof. At $150 per proof we do not recommend experimenting. You can scan the photo at low-res (72 or 150 dpi) and have us scan at High-Res and replace the photo for color seps, or try the service bureaus that will now scan your photos at HI-RES on high end scanners and store them on a CD-ROM for you to use. When dealing with colors remember never to trust your monitor. Your monitor works in RGB mode, and we will be printing in CMYK color mode.
Artwork
Make sure you have the right color type defined: spot (created as custom color), process, or Pantone (a unique case of custom color). We strongly suggest defining color names with client name abbreviations or initials, i.e: ACME Red, ACME Bluegreen, ACME Pink. This way we avoid conflicts with colors having the same name but different CMYK values on our magazine layout page. A color "Blue" from one ad file is not necesarily the same "Blue" in another ad file.
Any spot or Pantone color must have the identical name (character for character, space for space) defined in the layout application such as QuarkXpress if you are importing into that program.
If you are using Pantone colors converted to process, make sure that the CMYK conversion values are defined the same in Illustrator as they are in your document layout file.
QuarkXpress Tips
We strongly recommend that you edit your color palette defaults within QuarkXpress and remove Red, Green and Blue. You should remove any colors that are not being used in the document, to speed up processing time.
If you have imported a graphic EPS file that uses Pantone or custom colors, those colors must be defined in QuarkXpress. The color names must be exactly the same as the color names in the imported file (don't forget upper & lower case, spaces, dashes, periods, etc.). If you don't define imported colors in QuarkXpress, you may get inconsistent CMYK conversions.
Importing Files into your Layout File
Please do not nest files. Nesting occurs when a vector graphic file (Illustrator, Freehand, CorelDraw) with placed EPS files is in turn saved as an EPS file and imported into a third file, usually a document layout file (QuarkXpress).
Any Questions?
We ultimately have to check all files used in production of the magazine, but, keeping these considerations in mind, will help us maintain your production costs to a minimum and avoid any delays in converting your files, and as it happens often, having to re-work your files to meet our specifications.
If you have any further questions, please contact our offices.
