Keep These Tips in Mind when Creating Files for
Black and White or Color Digital Printing
DO'S
DO scan color or grayscale photos at 300dpi (100% size) for black and white printing.
For color output, photos should be set as CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow & key - black)
and at 300dpi (100% size).
DO set black and white line art graphics at 600dpi at 100% size. Higher resolutions will
take longer to print without improving quality at all.
DO include all fonts, even Helvetica, Times, Symbol, Palatino and Zapf Dingbats. Also,
if any placed EPS graphics have utilized fonts, don't forget to include those as well.
DO include all support graphics (EPS or TIFF) with your print order. Without those
original graphics, your images may print in low resolution.
DO set up your multi-page layouts as one document - regardless of the number of pages
you have. This will save time in production by eliminating the need to set up page sizes
and printing instructions. It will also cut down the possibility of nonconformity of pages
and print problems.
DON'TS
DON'T crop or rotate imported TIFF files in your layout program. Use your photo
retouching program to bring your picture to proper size and orientation before you
place it in your document.
DON'T enlarge scanned images in your page layout program; it will degrade the quality
of your images.
DON'T compress or embed your graphics. Comprehension may corrupt or distort your
graphics, and cause them to print differently than what you expect. Embedding your
graphics eliminates any possibility to fine-tune or make corrections to your job.
DON'T convert small type or body copy to outlines in an illustration program. Doing so
will make the files unnecessarily large, produce sub-standard looking text and make the
document uneditable. Instead, include the font used in the files.
DON'T create complex paths in Photoshop, Illustrator or other programs. Doing so will make
your job difficult or next to impossible to image correctly. Also, keep your control points on
vector artwork to a minimum.
DON'T use the "NONE" background color in Quark Xpress on picture boxes that have TIFF
pictures placed in them. Doing so may cause jagged edges along the picture in the final
printed job.