PREPRESS SUBMITTING GUIDELINES

SUPPORTED PLATFORMS

PC/Windows and Macintosh are both available.

SUPPORTED SOFTWARE

Our preferred software formats are:
QuarkXPress · PageMaker · Illustrator · Freehand · Photoshop · Corel Draw · Indesign

SUPPORTED MEDIA

Your project support can be on film or on disk, by conventional mail, ISDN, or email.

• 3.5" Floppy (Macintosh or Windows).
• 100 Mb Zip Disk (Macintosh or Windows).
• CD-ROM (Macintosh or Windows).

FILE COMPRESSION

We recommend compressing files when transmitting them electronically to speed up the transmission time and to prevent corruption of your files. We can accept files that use StuffIt or Zip compression (.sit, .sea, .zip). You can request additional information on sending digital files via ISDN, e-mail or via the internet. Decompression can take time and we prefer that you do not compress files being submitted on disk unless it is necessary to fit files onto the desired media.

You can use the following programs to compress your files:

• Macintosh Stuffit or Zip It.
• MS Windows : WinZip

The following is only for users transferring uncompressed Mac Files BinHex and MacBinary File encoding:

What is BinHex?

• Files on the Macintosh are handled differently than on their Windows and UNIX
  counterparts. Macintosh files are composed of two "forks", one containing data and the other containing "resources". In order to preserve the structure of this file type and retain the information that is stored in the "resource" fork (such as file type/creator, icons, preview images, etc.), the file is "encoded" (turned into a single file using text as opposed to binary information).
• If you have downloaded a file from the Internet (like Netscape Navigator for example) you may have noticed the file having a ".hqx" extension. This is the extension used for BinHex encoded files. Normally when downloading such a file your helper application (commonly Stuffit Expander) will automatically decode this file for you before it decompresses it.
• BinHex encoding is not necessary if MacBinary is used when transferring files. If you have downloaded files with a ".bin" extension, you are seeing a MacBinary file.

What about "Raw Data"?

• Sending a file as Raw Data discards the resource fork of the file. With photo formats like tiff and eps this is usually not a concern. However in some cases, like sending an uncompressed PostScript font, it will cause problems. (PostScript font data is stored ENTIRELY in the "resource" fork, when that fork is discarded the uploaded file will contain nothing). To ensure that we receive your files as intended you should get in the habit of sending them compressed. If they are not compressed than you need to use MacBinary or BinHex to ensure data integrity.

Quick summary for Mac users:

1. Use Stuffit 4.5 or higher to compress your file.
2. Use Fetch to upload your file.
3. Use MacBinary II or Bin Hex when transferring an uncompressed file.

DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Document Set-up

• Send all the images and font types together with the layout file.
• Please name your file in a way that will obviously connect it to you (or your company) and the job itself (i.e., Euro brochure).
• Set all document pages to the final trim size to ensure correct size and to allow the page layout application to create accurate crop and registration marks.
• Please supply your file 1-up. If you have a document that will be in spreads, please do not set it up in reader's spreads. Printer's spreads are preferred, but if you are not knowledgeable about setting up spreads, please provide single pages.
• Be sure to provide enough image area for bleed by making sure all images and elements that print to the edge extend a minimum of 1/4" beyond the trim.

Print Proofs

It is imperative that we receive a print proof of your original file in order to avoid different colour interpretations. If you know exactly the output colours, you may also send us postcript or pdf files together with the submission of your original file.

Fonts

Font software has unique identification numbers. Therefore, you will need to provide your screen and outline fonts. Avoid mixing Postscript Type 1 and True Type fonts within the same document as this can cause output problems on an imagesetter.

Font Styles

To avoid spacing problems and other anomalies, we highly recommend choosing fonts with native bold and italic versions rather than manually stylising a normal font. In some cases, our staff will be required to reset your manual bold, italic, and bold italic styles to the appropriate font design resulting in additional processing time. We have found this to be most problematic when translating PC/Windows applications.

Image Formats

We accept de following file formats with a Macintosh preview:

• EPS (All text must be converted to outlines, curves, or paths)
• TIFF (LZW compression off)
• PDF (Saved from Adobe Illustrator only with all text converted to outlines)
• JPEG (highest quality only) "artifacts" may be an issue
• PSD (photoshop)

Be sure to submit all the placement files and the original application files in case there is a need to edit your artwork.

Whenever possible, convert type to outlines in your illustrative program before exporting as an eps file. Type-to-graphic conversion is required if you are sending graphics built with a PC platform.

4-color and greyscale images should be scanned in at their final image size and should be at least 300 ppi (350 ppi for 200 lpi output).

Line art (bitmap) should be scanned at final image size, 1200 ppi, and saved as a .tiff.

Graphics and photos containing clipping paths should not have an excessive amount of control points as this can cause your file to have output problems.

Raster-based images placed in a page layout program should not be sized beyond 100%. Scale the artwork in an image program prior to placing it into the page layout program. Re-sizing raster images more than 10% of the original scan size greatly reduces image quality. If you would like more information regarding resolution and scanning tips, please contact our graphic department.

Rotation or skewing within a page layout program increases processing time and sometimes results in postscript errors. It is best to rotate or skew graphics and images in the original graphic application before exporting them into a page layout program.

Crop photos and graphics in the original application before placing them into your document. The imagesetter processes the entire image, not just the portion that is visible, resulting in longer output times.

COLOUR REQUIREMENTS

Spot Colour

When using Pantone or custom spot colours in a graphics program such as Illustrator or Freehand, note the colour name applied. If you import this colour into a page layout program, such as QuarkXpress or PageMaker, the colour is added to your colour palette. If the name of the colour differs, even by one character, from the same colour created in the page layout program, it will result in an additional printing plate.

To avoid this problem you can:

1. Name the colours the same in both programs, or
2. Do not create the Pantone Matching System (PMS) colour in your page layout program; simply apply the imported graphic colour to elements created directly in the page layout program. Print out your document in separations as well as a composite before sending us your document. This will show you which elements of your document will print on which colour plate, and can alert you to potential printing concerns.

If you are using a Pantone swatch book to choose your color, please realize that PMS swatch books are split between how a PMS color will look on an uncoated paper and a coated paper. Hence the "U" or the "C" after the PMS number. As "U" colors are not always the same as "C" colors, PMS colors are not always the same as CMYK colors. It also holds true to CMYK printed on an uncoated paper versus a coated paper. Many other factors affect how the colors will look on a finished printed piece. These variables are found at the beginning section of the Pantone Process Color System Guide book.

You must realize that the colors on your screen may or may not match those on the printed cards. If you are highly critical of the accuracy of your colors you must refer to a Pantone Process Color System Guide book when applying colors in your programs. From this book, which is a swatch book of 3,000 process color variations, you can find the color you want with its corresponding CMYK percentages. These CMYK percentages must then be entered in to your program and applied to the art. If you have a PMS number in mind that you are trying to match, some programs, like Photoshop, will help to determine the CMYK percentages that will most closely match the PMS number. If you are using a Pantone process color swatch book, please read the front pages' cautions and variables.

CMYK

In order for us to print in "full color" the graphics need to be in CMYK process color at the proper resolution. Be sure to convert RGB, duotone photo files to CMYK for process separation before sending your document to us, or alert us and we will make this change for you before printing. Photo image resolution needs to be at least 300 ppi; 350 ppi for 200 lpi output.

Even though you have the numbers plugged into the program, and the film is output correctly with the proper CMYK percentages, there are many factor which affect the final printed color. Not all RGB or PMS spot colors will covert exactly, because the color spectrum of 4-color process printing (CMYK) is different than that of the RGB and PMS spot colors.

TIPS FOR SUBMITTING ACROBAT PDF FILES

Adobe's PDF (Portable Document Format) is a major technological advance for distributing compact, platform independent information. As the technology continues to mature the PDF format will likely become the standard for content distribution across a variety of media. Because the technology is relatively new, many clients still have a vague understanding of how it works and the implications of an improperly formatted file. Because PDF is a self contained format, everything required to image a job is contained within one compact file. When you use Adobe Distiller to create a PDF all the linked information, (graphics, fonts, etc.) are embedded into the document as Postscript code. The default settings in Distiller are fine for distributing files to be viewed on a computer monitor, but are generally not suitable for sending the additional information required for high resolution output devices like an imagesetter.

As a precaution you should print your PDF file on your proofing equipment before submitting it to MARQUARDT PRINTING LTD. to ensure all the elements are really there. Drop Caps and Manual Bold or Italics frequently will display properly on screen but become corrupted when turned into Postscript code (especially on Postscript Level 2 output devices).

Because a PDF file is self contained and previously linked information is now embedded we can not make electronic corrections to errors in PDF files. This means if we have trapping, imposition, font or graphic problems with your PDF file, they must be repaired with our Camera/Stripping partners. This can quickly become very expensive.

Below is a list of tips to help you avoid additional charges for repairs to PDF files:

1. For multi-page documents make sure your file is set up for Printer Spreads NOT Reader Spreads.
2. If you are exporting a PDF directly from PageMaker, select the "Include Downloadable Fonts" option in the "Export Adobe PDF" dialog box. This will ensure that Distiller has access to the original fonts. Secondly, be sure to deselect the "Overide Distiller Options" in the "Export Adobe PDF" dialog box (this is the default setting). Do NOT Subset Fonts.
3. If you are exporting your file directly from Distiller, change the following settings: (You may want to write your original settings down first if you are already using Distiller to output files for on screen viewing) From the Distiller pull down menu select "Job Options". From the "General" tab, change the default resolution to 1200 dpi.
4. From the "Compression" tab deselect all "Downsample to" and "Automatic Compression" Dialog boxes. Check "Manual Compression" and select "JPEG Low" (Under Monochrome Bitmap select CCITT Group 4).
5. From the "Font Embedding" tab check "Embed All Fonts" and un-check "Subset Fonts below 35%".
6. From the "Advanced" tab uncheck "Convert CMYK Images to RGB" and check "Preserve Overprint Settings" and "Preserve Halftone Screen Information" Finally print your file to a Postscript printer and carefully compare your hard copy with your on screen version of the file. Check for missing or shifted elements and fonts (especially below 8 point) or potential trapping and imposition problems.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE FURTHER CLARIFICATION OR FOR A CONSULTATION
PLEASE CALL 613-569-9991 EXT. 229, WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO
ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS CONCERNING DESKTOP PUBLISHING.