| Bleed
Extend artwork beyond page edges by 1/8" or more. Watch out for lines and rules, they are often overlooked.
Color Space
The Color Space used in offset printing is CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), therefore RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or Indexed artwork and images are translated to CMYK when processed for offset printing by our prepress staff when possible. Sometimes it is not possible for us to translate your RGB or Indexed artwork and we must allow our RIP (Raster Image Processor) do it for you, with poor results. When RGB is converted in the RIP the result is muted, brownish color.
Fonts - MacOS Specific
PostScript Type1 fonts are preferred over TrueType. Avoid having multiple copies or versions of the same font open at the same time, better yet avoid having multiples on your system altogether. Use the suitcases from the font vendors as supplied, modified suitcases are very problematic. Finally, don't use the font "Impact" that is part of MacOS because some characters dissapear when ripped, do use the Type1 font Impact from Adobe Systems instead.
Font Styles
Applying the styles of Bold and/or Italic to type is NOT recommended unless you are sure there is a supporting font file on your system. Although type styled as Bold or Italic or both may appear on screen as you intend, it may RIP as plain styled text (MacOS) or as a crudely simulated style (Windows). On MacOS the solution is simple, use the actual bold and or italic fonts with plain style.
Page Size
When creating new documents, set the page size to be the same as the actual trimmed page. As an example a 6" x 9" book page should have a matching size in the document, as opposed to random placement of that page on a default document page of 8-1/2" x 11."
Margins
Different printed products will require different margins. Consider the binding method, for example, Perfect Bound books are easier to read if the copy doesn't extend too far into the binding edge. Another consideration would be punching, whether 3-hole or punching for Wir-O binding, copy and type needs to be clear of punched areas.
Single Pages vs. Spreads
It is not necessary to organize pages as "Printer's Spreads." Modern prepress software easily accommodates single pages organized in reader's spreads.
Page Sequence
Keep pages in the same order in your document as they appear in your finished book. Some designers prefer putting the outside back cover (the last page) at the beginning of their file, this practice is acceptable.
Crop Marks
No need to manually draw them.
The Color "Registration"
Do avoid using this color in your artwork. Type in this color will print with a halo of colors around the edges, and solid areas are likely to "offset" when printed.
Trapping
The creation of overlapping color to hide the imperfections of the printing process. We trap all pages after they are ripped using Creo's Full Auto Frames and Presstouch software, and a lot of experience.
Image Compression
Image files encoded using JPEG is not recommened. The offset printing process can reveal JPEG artifacts in your images, especially in light colored areas and highlights. Also be aware that once an image is saved with JPEG encoding the detail that is lost is gone forever, that is why they call it "lossy" compression.
Scanned/Digital Image File Formats
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), and EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) are the only formats we recommend for placement in your page layout. Use EPS when a clipping path or Duotone is needed, use TIFF for all other applications.
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