Lithographic Industries

Guidelines for File Formats, Preparation and Submission For your convenience and best results, please refer to the following guidelines when preparing electronic files. Please feel free to call 773-921-7955 or Fax 708-865-0738 or email brandon@lithographic. com anytime with questions, suggestions or advice.

Are You Ready to Print?

Save time, money and increase efficiency and effectiveness by taking a moment to review these guidelines when preparing your print jobs for output. In the paragraphs below we cover preferences and tips for software and file formats, file layout and submitting your file. The following topics are addressed:

Preferred Software and File Formats Checking Your File Layout Submitting Your File Preferred software and file formats

Lithographic supports the most current version of these industry-standard page layout programs; QuarkXPress, PageMaker, InDesign, Illustrator, Freehand, Photoshop, and PDF. There are a few, however, that work better than others and would prefer our customers to utilize Illustrator, Acrobat and Photoshop for file preparation. These applications are the industry standard for graphic reproduction and allow users full creativity in their design concepts. We stay up to date with software upgrades so regardless of the application you choose, you can be sure we support your version.

Acceptable File Formats and Media Lithographic Industries supports the native application files for supported software as well as these file types: .eps, .tiff, Postscript, and .pdf. If you submit PDF files to us they must be compliant. Lithographic Industries accepts most popular types of media. Page 1

Check your file layout Preparing Your Layout Please name your file in a way that readily matches it to the job with your part number and description. (Ex. “1234-5_Widget”) All filenames are not longer than 31 characters (counting the “.ext” on PC platform). Please extend all background images and elements a minimum of 1/8” passed the final trim size in order to provide enough image area for bleed. Keep all internal text and graphics 1/8” away from edges and hangholes. All files should be set up at final size whenever possible. Please keep an original set of your files. Only send copies to Lithographic Industries. Keep backup copies of your job - magnetic media can be unstable!

Dies Information Provide all relevant die information and dimensions such as; trim size, hanghole type and position, internal die cuts, corner radii. Also the die information should be available prior to processing final files.

Using Fonts Provide both your screen and printer fonts. Lithographic Industries prefers Type 1 (Postscript) fonts. Please avoid using TrueType fonts - they are unpredictable in output. Avoid mixing Postscript Type 1 and TrueType fonts within the same document as this can cause output problems on a platesetter. Please choose fonts with native bold and/or italic versions rather than manually stylizing a font. Otherwise we may be required to reset your manual bold, italic, and bold italic styles to correct font design at an additional charge. Never stylize a Multiple Master font. Otherwise, the results will be unpredictable. Please be advised that converting fonts to outlines in drawing applications is helpful but if you do, please supply a copy of the file without outlines and a folder of the complete font set in addition to the file with outlined text in case type alterations need to be made.

Preparing Images General Do’s and Don’t’s: Please avoid embedding images. Save all graphics as either tiff or eps files. File formats such as jpeg and gif will not reproduce as well. Be sure to submit all the files placed in your layout file in case there is a need to edit your artwork. Page 2

Artwork, Photos and Graphics

The resolution of your images should follow the following formula: • For photos, (raster art), make the 300 ppi (pixel per inch). • Line art (bitmap) should be scanned at final image size - 1200 ppi and saved as a tiff file. • Graphics and photos containing clipping paths should be set to a flatness of 3. • Raster-based images placed in a page layout program should not be sized more than 100%. • Scale the artwork in an image program prior to placing it into the page layout program. Resizing the raster images more than 10% of the original scan size greatly reduces image quality. • Please rotate graphics and images in the original graphic application before placing them into a page layout program. Rotation within a page layout program increases processing time and could result in postscript errors. • Crop photos and graphics in the original application before placing them into your document. The platesetter processes the entire image, not just the portion that is visible, resulting in longer output times. • Do not use items in non-Photoshop files that use transparency filters. Transparency effects are for Photoshop use only. Programs like Illustrator and InDesign will allow you to place unflattened Photoshop files in them and apply transparency filters which will print correctly to composite printers but they will not print correctly to high end prepress rips used to image the files. It is understood that Transparency options used in any other program than Photoshop will produce unexpected results and are done at the client’s own risk. • Embed the color profile you used when you save your Photoshop documents. Never use the Photoshop EPS option “PostScript Color Management” because it modifies the PostScript data sent to the output device and modifies the color values.

Naming Colors

When using Pantone or custom spot colors in a graphic program such as Photoshop, Illustrator or Freehand, ensure that all color names are consistent in your page layout file and all linked images as well. NOTE: Colors with different names, no matter how slight the difference, will cause problems on output. Documents should include only the colors that you want printed. Avoid using multiple Blacks for example. Page 3

If your photo is a duotone, please be sure any PMS color used is named exactly the same in your Photoshop file as it is in your page layout program. CMYK - if your job is to be 4 color process, be sure to convert all colors to process before submitting your files. Be sure to convert RGB, CIE-Lab and indexed color files to CMYK for process separation before bringing your document to us.

Trapping Requirements

Most default trapping gives you less than acceptable results. Please do not set individual element or global trapping. Lithographic Industries will handle all the trapping for your files. If you have specific trapping needs, please let us know when you submit your job.

Barcodes

UPC codes should never be smaller than 80%. Barcodes may be truncated (shortened in height) if space requires, but to no shorter than 1/4 inch (of the shortest bars). If the code you have placed in you artwork is not accurate and only to show style and position, please identify the placed code as “For Position Only” (FPO) and submit the correct encodation (numbering) to Lithographic Industries.

Submitting Your File Advance Review

An advance review can often prevent delays or error in final output. If you have a complicated layout, send your files before they are completed. We’ll review them and offer suggestions. Please call us in advance for any complicated use of color.

Clean Up Files and Label Media

Cleaned up files prevent errors in output and will save you time and money in the long run. Prior to submitting your files to Lithographic Industries, please take time to ensure that unnecessary items are removed from your files. This includes: • Items left on the pasteboard • Pages not required for output • Unused colors • Unused styles • Hidden objects Please label your media with your job/item name, your company name and a phone number and contact info discuss any file/artwork related technical issues. If you mail your files to us on disk, please include a list of what files should be on the disk as well as a 100% printout/comp of what the item should look like. Page 4

Sending Files Electronically

Compress Your File: To protect your files from corruption, please compress files using sit, sea, hqx on Mac and zip on Windows. Mac users using Stuffit: We recommend that if you are sending stuffed files that you go one step further and code the archive Bin-Hex because there is less chance of file corruption. Email: You can e-mail files that are 5 mb or smaller to [email protected] just by attaching the files to your message. To send files via FTP: You can upload your files directly to our server using an ftp client or your web browser. Please call us at 773-921-7955 to set up a Secure FTP Directory especially for you with instructions on uploading your files. When you are done uploading your files, please send us an e-mail or call with information needed to complete the job.

Send a Printout

This allows us to see exactly how you expect your final to look. Make note of any Pantone color matching that needs to be. Whenever possible, output proofs at 100% or mark them with the size they were output at. A laser output is best, but you may send any color or b&w output, and you may fax copies if you wish.

Reviewing your Proof

Please review all proof for copy, content and colorbreak. The proof will have the cutting die in position in the artwork. Please review the relationship of the copy and graphics to this die outline. Please confirm that UPC codes are correct for the type of code and encodation (numbers at the bottom of code). Lithographic Industries will verify that the code will be scannable. Pantone Proofs: Our Pantone Proofs are not contract color proofs. They are a simulation of the spot colors/duotones printed as four-color process. How the job will print on the press will vary. Only about a third of the Pantone colors fall within the CMYK color space. Actual color tones, densities, and contrast may vary when the colors print on the press. Pantone colors also vary in dot gain.

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