Tips -  Guidelines

Before beginning any project, it is important to understand the difference between various applications and choose the most appropriate application for the project. A page layout application, such as Adobe InDesign or QuarkXpress, is where all of your graphic and text elements are combined to create your final document. Graphic illustration programs, such as Adobe Illustrator, are applications in which "vector" graphics elements are created. These files are most often saved as EPS files and imported into your page layout program and placed in position. Adobe Photoshop is where your photo editing and special image effects are created. These files are also imported into your final page layout. While most graphic illustration programs allow some page layout capabilities, they are not intended for design of complex multi-page documents.

Are all linked graphics files included?
If you are submitting a layout file, rather than a print-ready PDF, we need to have the native files and the EPS file for any graphics you have placed in your document. Also remember to send any TIFF or other bitmap images that are embedded in your EPS files. If there is something wrong, we can open the native files and make corrections without wasting valuable time waiting for a new file. Both Adobe InDesign and QuarkXpress provide a one-click function for collecting all the links and fonts necessary for outputting your file. We strongly recommend taking advantage of these features, as collecting these files manually is usually very difficult and time-consuming and almost always results in omissions.

Are line art, grayscale and 4-color files saved at the appropriate resolution?
Make sure your images have enough DPI (dots per inch) or PPI (pixels per inch) for the size and line screen at which they need to be reproduced. Images downloaded from web pages are rarely of high enough resolution for professional printing. Images should be saved at no more than twice the LPI (lines per inch) of our presses, which ranges from 150 to 200 LPI. If you enlarge them greatly in your page layout program, you may not have enough resolution for them to image without jagged or "stair-stepped" edges, Also, your images should not be saved at low resolution and resampled to higher resolution. Images can become softer and take on a "blurred" look when this method is used. We recommend an "effective" resolution of your placed images of at least 300 dpi for optimum quality reproduction. To calculate the effective resolution of your images, divide the original resolution in dpi by the percentage reduction or enlargement, usually shown in the "transform" or "control" palette of your layout application. For example, if your original image is 150 dpi and you are reducing it to 50% of its original size in your layout, the effective resolution would be 300 dpi (150 ÷ 50% = 300). If you have doubts about whether or not your images are of sufficient quality for professional printing, we recommend requesting high-resolution color inkjet proofs, available for an additional charge, before approving your job for print.

Don't reduce large images to very small percentages.
If you are reducing a very large image in your page layout program and the resulting effective resolution is very high (over 400 dpi), doing so will create a bottleneck in the upload and file prep process. Instead, reduce the image to an appropriate size in and image-editing application such as Adobe Photoshop, before placing it in your layout.

Have you saved your images in the proper format?
Images must be saved as a TIFF, EPS or PSD forma.. When images are saved in JPEG format, quality degrades. Other file formats, such as GIF, BMP or PNG, are not intended high-quality print output. Color images should be converted from RGB to CMYK before sending them to Fowler Printing. Remember that this conversion can noticeably affect the overall color of your images, so it should be performed before placing them in your layout documents.

Use Zip compression for packaging files for upload through our FTP.
Zip compression is now a built-in feature of both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Packaging your files into a single Zip archive greatly simplifies the upload process, as well as resulting in substantial time saving in upload/download time for large collections of files. Other compression schemes are in use, but Zip is the most universally recognized and convenient format.

Are bleeds built into the file?
Any graphic element that extends to the final trim edge of your document needs bleed extended to at least .125" (1/8") beyond the edge of the document. Images created in Photoshop or drawing programs such as Illustrator should have adequate image area to bleed properly off the page.

Send only the files necessary to output your job.
Unrelated files take excess bandwidth and disk space. When we copy your files to our server, we must assume that all of the submitted files are necessary for printing your file. Please take time to remove unnecessary files from the materials you send to us. Using the package/collect for output options in your layout application will allow you to easily avoid extraneous files.

Are the provided inkjet/laser copies/PDF proofs the latest version?
Often, submitted proofs do not represent the final version of your document, which can cause confusion about the project. Additional phone calls and interruptions may be required.

Verify the number of colors that are actually in use with printed separations.
By creating printed separations of your document, you can double check yourself and make it clear to us what color breaks are needed and avoid costly extra charges. These proofs need not be printed at full size, but should have crop marks and registration marks on them to indicate actual print area. It is a good idea to remove any unused colors from your document's color palette, if possible, and make sure all used colors are defined correctly. If the application will not allow you to remove a particular spot color, it is an indication that it is being used by a placed graphic. If you are submitting a print-ready PDF, some versions of Adobe Acrobat allow easy viewing of color separations.

Have you stylized any fonts?
Many desktop publishing applications allow you the option of adding emphasis to type by applying italics, bold, outline or shadow to the characters through the click of a button. This feature was meant to be used for laser or inkjet printers only and typically causes problems on our high-end output equipment. For example, If you "bold" an already bold font to get a "heavy" appearance, it will probably default to either the plain bold font or the a default font, such as Courier, when we output your file. Characteristics such as shadow or outline should to be created by features specially designed to render them properly, as provided in such applications as Adobe InDesign or QuarkXpress.

Have differences in color monitors versus printed colors been considered?
Each hardware element involved in the digital prepress process displays color differently. How you view color on your monitor may inaccurately represent the actual color that is translated into ink on paper. All colors are rended as RGB (Red/Green/Blue) on your computer's monitor, and so are never more than an approximation of the final color. When choosing a spot color, Pick your color from printed manufacturer's swatch books, not from swatches represented on your monitor. Request a color inkjet proof if you would like to see a close approximation of your printed piece before going to press. Our inkjet proofers are calibrated to closely match the output of our offset presses.

Limit your file names to as few characters as possible.
File names can be automatically altered as they are transferred from computer to computer without the user's knowledge. Any file name changes will result in errors when files are reopened. To avoid these errors, limit your file names to a total of 31 characters avoiding punctuation, while maintaining a descriptive name for the file, as opposed to a cryptic number. Most punctuation marks like commas, quotation marks, apostrophes, slashes, asterisks, question marks, exclamation marks, among others, should never be included in a file name. The only punctuation marks which can be safely used are the underscore and period. Always include the appropriate 3- or 4-character file extension at the end of your filename to facilitate file type identification.

Make sure any FPO (For Position Only) images are marked as such on your printed proofs.
If you have an FPO linked into your document, please mark the image as an FPO only If intend to have us scan the high-resolution image for you from a photographic print or original art. Please indicate images on your proofs that will be replaced by the high-res version. If you have a low reolution image and want us to relink to a high-res version you have also provided, please note this request on your inkjet/laser proof.

Do not rename fonts.
When you rename your fonts, font conflicts result when we open your document. The manufacturer of your fonts has given each font a particular name. When you rename fonts, your document may not be able to utilize them.

Are laser/inkjet proofs 100% in size?
If proofs submitted to us are not printed at 100% it could cause confusion about the actual press-printed size. Try to print proofs at 100%. Tile if necessary and assemble into as tight a "comp" as possible. If you have reduced your pages, please indicate the percentage of reduction on the print. Avoid the "Reduce to Fit" option whenever possible. If providing a PDF proof instead, a low-resolution file is adequate. We recommend setting the color and grayscale downsampling resolutions at 150dpi for such proofs.

To send questions about desktop PC: pcprep@fowlerprinting.com

To send questions about desktop MAC :
macprep@fowlerprinting.com