How do I know what kind of print to order?

Give us a call! We will gladly discuss the benefits of the various types of printing we offer, the benefits and pricing of each and give our recommendation so you don’t have to guess.

Can I get a sample of different printing methods?

Absolutely. Just let us know which printing methods you’re interested in and we’ll gladly send you a sample so you can compare the quality and benefits of each.

How do I set up my digital file?

Refer to File Setup/Submission for specifics on how digital art should be prepared. If you still have questions that aren’t answered there, please feel free to call us with any questions you may have.

How do I submit my artwork?

Artwork can be submitted on physical media such as CD, DVD or common USB devices. For faster delivery, submit it digitally with a file transfer service such as WeTransfer.com or if the file is small enough, through e-mail.

Can I get a small proof to approve color or layout prior to printing?

We offer proofing services for all our printers. Printed proofs for color approval are available for a small fee and we can email a digital proof for layout approval at no charge.

Can you match color?

For a small fee, we can attempt to match any color within the gamut of the printers or even produce a color chart for you to pick from a range of possibilities.

I’m concerned about a certain technical aspect of my digital file. Is there someone that can help me?

Certainly! We are committed to helping you get the results you expect and will gladly work with you to eliminate problems before they happen. Just give us a call and we will make sure you speak to someone who can assist you.

Something on my file needs correcting. Can you do that?

We can certainly fix files and we offer complete retouching or color correction services for additional fees. As for type changes, we may need original, native files if flattened TIFFs or PDFs were submitted as final art or if the fonts have been converted to artwork.

Where can I get pricing? What is typical turnaround time?

Due to the variety of services we offer, turnaround time and pricing can vary depending on complexity and urgency of the need and quantity to be delivered. We strive to make sure your job will always get done before you need it. Give us a call and we will work within your time frame.

When possible, leave all type, logos and backgrounds as vector art.

Vector art does not have a finite resolution like raster images and can be blown up without worry of degrading quality. It has the added benefit of a smaller file size for quick and easy transfer.

For acceptable resolution of raster images, keep image placement and document proportion in mind.

Resolution is a ratio of DOTS per INCH. As print size increases, resolution decreases and after a certain point, may produce unexpected poor quality. To figure out the final print resolution of any image placed in a layout program, take the starting image resolution, divide by the image placement percentage and multiply by the document scale.

For example:

• An image is 300 DPI in Photoshop
• It is placed at 75% in InDesign (or .75)
• The document is 12 x 12 but will need to be printed at 48 x 48 (12/48 = 1/4 scale or .25)

So, 300 DPI divided by .75 multiplied by .25 = 100 DPI.

Do not send unnecessarily large files. They will only slow transfer and production time.

Resolution has diminishing returns above the minimum resolution we recommend for our printers and no benefit beyond the maximum resolution. For instance, an image printed at 200 DPI on our Lightjet will look identical to one printed at 400 DPI and it will be 1/4 of the file size.

Specify critical colors and give Pantone references.

All of our printers are regularly calibrated for pleasing color. However, if certain colors are critical, we can manually attempt to match them. For a small fee, we can print a chart for you to see an overview of the Pantone colors as interpreted by our printers or even a custom chart with a range of similar colors to choose from.

Type can be outlined or converted to art for reliability.

To ensure that there is no shift in type or line breaks, Illustrator and InDesign can easily turn type to outlined artwork. This cannot be undone, however, so be sure to save a copy of the original file in case copy needs to be edited later.

Native files versus ready-to-print files.

Ready-to-print files, such as rasterized TIFFs or hi-resolution PDF’s are very convenient all-inclusive files and have the benefit of reliability. For instance, A TIFF file or vector PDF with outlined fonts will reliably look the same way on our system as yours. However, there may be things we cannot change or check. Native files that require fonts have the possibility of performing differently than expected, but we will be able to access individual components should things need editing. Regardless, native files should always be accompanied by hard copy or a PDF or JPEG for reference. If the file sizes permit, it’s never a bad idea to submit both ready-to-print files as well as native files, just in case.

Saving files as a JPEG can permanently alter your file.

The JPEG file format uses a lossy compression and removes information to compress an image, often permanently putting compression noise around high contrast areas (eg. the edge of type and in solid areas) that cannot be easily removed. The higher the compression of a JPEG, the more the image will suffer. When possible, use a lossless compression to reduce file sizes when submitting. We recommend checking LZW compression when saving TIFF’s as a good solution. It may not be as small as a JPEG would be, but your artwork will remain completely intact.

Black and Rich Black variations will not print the same.

A color that is marked 100% black will not print as deep and dark as one that also contains 50% of cyan, magenta, and yellow with it. This can be used for effect but if you want a truly dark black, use a rich black build (50c, 50m, 50y, 100k for inkjet prints, 0r, 0g, 0b for Lightjet prints).

Keep stitching in mind when designing layouts for banners

Banners that will get edge hem for durability or sewn pockets for hanging will show stitching on the front. To ensure that threads do not go through logos, type or other crucial artwork, use these guidelines:

• For sides that get hemmed, keep items 1.25″ away from the edge
• For sides that get pole pockets, keep items away from the edge a total of 1″ + the size of the pocket.

For instance, a banner that gets a full 3″ horizontal pocket on the top should not have critical artwork within 4″ running across the top.

Keep panel breaks in mind when designing layouts for booths.

Booths that will be split into multiple panels should be submitted altogether as one piece. However, be mindful when designing layouts that it’s best to avoid putting critical text, especially small text, directly on panel breaks.

Gradient blends without banding

Banding can occur in gradient blends when they are spread across large areas or using colors that are very similar. There are sometimes simply not enough colors to create a smooth transition. InDesign and Illustrator can produce acceptable results but sometimes Photoshop’s dithering is best.

To take advantage of this, work with only the gradient at first. Make a new document with the size of gradient you desire to the resolution you need but choose 16 bit mode instead of 8 bit mode. Create your gradient. It will still look like it has banding at this point since Photoshop’s preview is 8 bit.

Go to EDIT>COLOR SETTINGS. Click on MORE OPTIONS to the right if available. Make sure the option “Use Dither (8 bit/channel images)” is checked.

Go to IMAGE>MODE and change the file to 8 bit/Channel. Gradient banding should be much less prominent. If there is still too much banding, this can be further hidden using FILTER>NOISE>ADD NOISE, adjusting amount to preference.