Files should be submitted as Press-Ready PDFs (sometimes called “Press-Quality” in certain programs). To ensure your file prints correctly, please be sure to:
1. Convert all fonts to outlines.
2. Save everything in CMYK color space.*
If your file includes graphics, the best way to save them is as a TIF in CMYK color space with LZW compression prior to placing them in your layout. TIF files are the industry standard for graphic reproduction and, unlike JPG, LZW compression does not cause any loss of quality. Please note that PNG, GIF, and WEBP files do not support CMYK color space and are not appropriate for printing.
If you have any questions about file preparation, please contact us at 503-673-0660 or send us a message prior to submitting your file. We’re here to help.
*Please contact us If your project involves the use of Pantone® spot colors.
PDFs have come a long way since they were introduced in 1993. Most people are actually surprised at how well their job matches what they see on their screen. That said, the calibration of your monitor, ambient lighting in your office, and other factors may cause your file to look a little different on the screen than it does in print, particularly if you are using Pantone® spot colors. In most cases, the differences are negligible.
Smaller items, such as business cards, are typically printed with several layouts on a page to avoid wasting paper. This is called “imposition.” Please do not impose your files. Send us a single layout of your file. We will handle imposition and add any necessary crop marks. Likewise, if you are printing a multi-page document (such as a catalog), please send each page as a separate file. Our imposition software will automatically create the proper page spreads for printing.
Use our upload page to submit your files. If you have multiple jobs to submit, please send them separately. File transfers will be faster if you use Stuffit or WinZip to compress your files. The amount of compression varies, but can reduce file size by as much as 50%. Compression in no way harms or alters your files.
A proof is a preliminary version of a printed piece. It provides a close representation of how the piece will appear when printed. Proofs are created to ensure that the client and printer are in complete agreement on the desired outcome before going to press.
When you receive your proof, it is your responsibility to inspect it and either approve it or clearly mark any changes. Please be diligent when reviewing your proof. Once you approve the proof, any errors or omissions are your financial responsibility. We are not responsible for errors discovered after the proof has been approved. Moreover, the proof is our only reference for the color and layout of your project, so it’s very important that it be accurate.
We offer three types of proofs: PDF, Laser, and Sherpa. The choice of proof depends on the complexity of the job, how many pieces are being printed, and whether color is critical.
Portable Document Format (PDF) proofs are fast and affordable. They are the most common type of proof and they work well for most jobs. However, the appearance of a PDF file can vary depending on the calibration of your screen, the settings on your office printer, the lighting conditions under which the file is viewed, and whether your job uses Pantone® spot colors. (Some Pantone® colors do not render accurately in PDF.) This means that there will probably be at least some differences in color between the PDF and the final printed product. The differences are usually minor, but they do occur. If exact color reproduction is critical to your job, we recommend a Sherpa proof.
Laser proofs are created on a color laser printer. We cannot guarantee that these proofs will match colors on the press; they should only be used as an approximation of how your final job will print. Laser proofs are inexpensive and good for print jobs that do not require precise color fidelity.
Sherpa proofs are the highest-quality digital proof available. In addition to excellent color fidelity, Sherpa printers can even be set to simulate coated or uncoated paper stock. Sherpas will give you an excellent idea of how your printed product will look when it rolls off of the press. Not surprisingly, Sherpas are also the most expensive proofs to produce. But, if you require precise color reproduction, or if you are printing great quantities of something, they are your best option.
Absolutely! Pantone® refers to the “Pantone Matching System,” a palette of 1114 colors that are identified by individual numbers. (For example, Pantone 235 is a burgundy red; Pantone 540 is a deep blue.) Pantone inks are mixed prior to a print job, using an exact formula specified by the manufacturer to ensure accurate color reproduction. We will mix any Pantone colors needed to correctly print your order.
Unlike “all-digital” online printers, we offer you a choice of digital or offset printing. Neither method is inherently better than the other, it depends on the nature and complexity of the project, the quantity being printed, and the importance of exact color fidelity. We’ve been doing this for more than 75 years, so we understand that every project is different. When it comes to printing, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to meeting your needs.
Some Pantone spot colors can be reproduced accurately in CMYK; others cannot. If your four-color job specifies the addition of Pantone spot colors, we encourage you to contact us prior to submitting your file. We can tell you if there is a reasonable CMYK equivalent to your Pantone color. Printing in four-color process is almost always less expensive than adding a fifth or sixth spot color. In many cases, we can save you money without sacrificing color fidelity.
RGB refers to the primary colors of light: Red, Green and Blue that are used in monitors, television screens, digital cameras and scanners. CMYK refers to the primary colors of pigment: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. These are the inks used on the press in “full-color printing” (sometimes called “four-color process” printing).
We request that you convert your colors from RGB to CMYK. Most design and layout programs have this capability, and doing it yourself will give you maximum control over the results. Keep in mind that the more color you add in RGB, the closer you get to white. The more color you add in CMYK, the closer you get to black. This is why you might notice a color "shift" when you convert an RGB image to CMYK (the image will usually get slightly darker).
As a general rule, you should specify CMYK color builds that look slightly lighter on your monitor than you want, since the dots of ink tend to “fatten up” on the press, giving you more pigment on paper than you see on your screen. Be especially careful to keep backgrounds light if there is black or dark colored text over it, so that the text remains readable. In most cases, backgrounds should not exceed 15% density.
Image resolution is usually expressed as dots per inch (DPI). For best results, the resolution of your images should be equal to twice the line screen at which they will be printed. Most offset printing is done at 150 lines per inch, which is why 300 dpi (150x2) is considered “optimal” resolution. If you use a lower resolution, or if you “stretch” a small file into a larger size in your layout, your image may print with jagged edges and appear fuzzy.
Keep in mind that images can look great on your monitor but look terrible in print. This is especially true for Web images. Web images are typically saved at 72 dpi, which is less than one-quarter of the resolution needed for distortion-free printing. Moreover, Web browsers (e.g., Chrome, Edge, etc.) help minimize distortion by “smoothing out” images when they are displayed. Those enhancements are not available in printing.
A note on image formats
If you are editing images, it’s a good idea to save them in a “lossless” format (such as tif) rather than a “lossy” format (such as jpg). While jpg works great for the Web, every time you edit a jpg image and resave it, a little bit of the file is discarded to achieve compression. Once that information is lost, there is no way to restore it. If you make multiple edits to a jpg file, the image will eventually degrade. If you save your files in tif, all of the file remains intact, no matter how many times you edit and resave it. If you need to save disk space, use LZW compression. This will reduce the size of a tif file without discarding any data.
Portable Network Graphic (png) is another popular format for displaying graphics on the Web. While png files look good on the screen, the png format does not support CMYK color space and is therefore not appropriate for printing. The same is true for gif files.
If your layout has a large area of solid black, you should specify “rich” black for that area. Standard black (100% K) works great for type and small shapes, but can look washed out when used in larger areas. To compensate, use rich black by creating a color with the following values: 60% Cyan, 40% Magenta, 40% Yellow, and 100% Black. The result will be a much deeper shade of black.
Important: Never use rich black for type!
“Bleed” refers to images or colors that run right to the edge of the paper with no white space. In order to achieve this effect, you should extend the boundaries of the image to no less than 1/8" (.125") beyond the crop marks. The excess will be trimmed off in bindery and the image will extend to the “bleeding” edge of the paper.
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