How to prepare artwork for your Leaflets.Remember: AUTOPROOFING only accepts one PDF file, no other formats. So if you want to use autoproofing, convert your artwork to a PDF. So that we can get your job printed quickly and correctly, please make sure that you follow these simple steps:-Make sure you use the right template Supply the artwork in the right format (click on any item above to get more information). Also, please read the following useful information:- Do I have to supply my file in CMYK? What size should I use and what's a bleed area? Any tips for people supplying artwork in Microsoft Word format? We hope this is useful information, if you need more help just ask! TemplatesUse the templates to help you lay out your artwork. Remember that they are not there to be printed, so don't include them with the artwork you send us!There's a lot of information contained in the templates:-
A4 Leaflet One FoldSometimes known as a 4 page brochure, or technically as a 4PP A5, this has a fold down the centre. Our template allows for creep over the spine
A4 leaflet 2 parallel foldsThis is a popular one for the leaflet dispensers and is basically one sheet of A4 folded twice to give you a finished size of roughly 210x99mm. Sometimes known as a 6 page 1/3 A4, or (incorrectly) as a 6 page DL leaflet.
A3 leaflet 1 foldSometimes known as a 4 page brochure, or technically as a 4PP A4, this has a fold down the centre. Our template allows for creep over the spine
Supply the artwork in the right formatPDFsPDFs are best, you will get better and more consistent results by supplying PDFs. If you don't have a PDF creator, you can download a free one from called CutePDF from the nice folks at Acro Software Inc. Many of our customers use this and we even use it ourselves on PCs without an Acrobat licence. There are clear instructions on their web site, please follow them! Here is the link to web site for CutePDF:- TIFFs or JPEGThis option is hard work and not recommended except as a last resort. To keep the text clear and crisp, make sure that TIFFs are at 450dpi You will need to supply one file for each page. PublisherYou can create PDF files from Publisher and we prefer to receive your artwork as a PDF. Either download CutePDF (see above), or follow the instructions in this technical note:- InDesignPlease create a PDF and send this to us. Microsoft WordIf you're creating your artwork in Word, you'll be needing a bit of cheering up, so I'll start with a joke. "Silas stopped cutting the hedge as the car drew up beside him and a very lost American visitor enquired, "Could you tell me the way to Crapstone?" Silas wiped his brow. "Zert'nly, zur. If youm take tha first road to tha left… no thaat wudn do… drive on fur bowt four mile then turn left at tha crassroads… no thaat wundn do either." Silas scratched his head thoughtfully. "You know, zur, if I was going to Crapstone I wudn start from yere at all."Word documents are not "stable", what you see on your computer screen is not necessarily what someone else will see on a different computer. This is for a variety of reasons, the fonts installed, different software versions, global settings and so on. For this reason, please create a PDF and send this to us. If you can't do this then send us your word document, but be warned, it may take several attempts to produce a printable file. The first proof is included in the standard price, but you will be charged £5 each for extra proofs if any are necessary. If you don't already have the capability of creating PDFs, just read the section above (PDFs) for some information about a free PDF creation utility. The templates above will probably only be of limited use to you if you are using Word, but here's an important tip about bleeds. If your document has white space (like a margin or border) all round it then you don't need to worry about bleeds at all. If you want a background image, or colour to go all the way to the edge of the sheet, then this is called bleeds and you can't create them in Word. The best thing to do is to keep your text at least 8mm from the edge of your leaflet and ask us to "blow up" your artwork to make a bleed area. Everything ElseIf you have your file in a different format and you cannot create a PDF, then please call the Help Desk for advice on how to proceed, we can help in nearly all cases! What page size should I use?Some sizes for reference:
REMEMBER TO USE THE TEMPLATE:- this will show you the correct size, bleed, trim and safe copy areas as well as fold lines if appropriate. Do I have to supply my file in CMYK?No, if you supply your file in RGB we will convert it to CMYK as part of the proofing process. Bluffer's guideRGB (Red, Green, Blue) are the basic components of the colours emitted by your monitor. All the colours that you can see on your monitor are made up from RGB in different proportions. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and blacK) are the ink pigments used to reflect light back to you from the printed sheet. The full colour images that you see on the printed sheet are actually made up from complex patterns of CMYK. RGB colours must be converted to CMYK so that they can be printed. This conversion is usually hidden from you when you are using a desk top printer. Because RGB has a wider gamut (range of possible colours) compared to CMYK, not all colours can be printed accurately. For this reason, professional designers will usually design their artwork in CMYK and preview it on screen in simulated CMYK. -V1- |
