Digital artwork
How to prepare digital artwork?
The most frequent problems with artwork
How to prepare digital artwork?
Download in PDF here.
How to prepare digital artwork?
Technical conditions for preparation and sending of digital artwork
The accuracy of your source materials shall secure the problem-free processing of your order! For this reason we request that, in your own, you abide by the following conditions!
Necessary conditions for printing and for printed materials:
1. Colour images in colour model CMYK (NOT colour RGB model, Lab)
2. Spot colours defined ONLY by the Pantone sample book (Matching system or Metallics)
3. Resolution of colour images and images in grayscale - minimum 300 dpi in actual size!
4. Resolution of black and white images (monochrome) - minimum 800 dpi in actual size!
5. The document must not contain:
o Images in format DCS1 or DCS2 (separated EPS)
o Images in format EPS with postscript colour management
o ICC profiles
6. For all types of printed materials a trim addition of 3 mm to each outer (margin) edge.
7. Imposition for staple (V1) binding in the case of a document of 4 and more pages.
8. Final size indicated by crop marks and placed template
9. Printing of CD/DVD has precise dimensions (3 mm trim addition is not added) precise dimensions of the print can be found in the technical conditions of CD/DVD.
We accept source materials only in the following formats:
- must be created from composite postscript (see point 2) using application Adobe Distiller (i.e. by the process: Source application Postscript Adobe Acrobat Distiller PDF file, see following paragraph D)
- do not create it by saving or export directly from source application (e.g. Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, etc.). PDF files created in this manner has a different internal structure, which is not identical to the requirements of the output equipment (proof, CtP, platesetter). Problems occur most often here with processing fonts and with transparency, so in certain cases PDF files created in this manner cannot be processed whatsoever. In certain cases this can be resolved by re-saving into postscript and back into PDF. Our DTP studio however does not bear responsibility for small text errors which may occur due to re-saving.
- must be compatible with Acrobat 4.0 (PDF version 1.3) , optimised for printing (press optimised)
- do not use OPI comments during creation
Postscript (ps, EPS)
- must be composite (do not set separation!!!) we recommend original print drivers from Adobe company or e.g. driver of our platesetter ScitexDolev4Press (available for PC and MAC at http://www.gzcd.cz, or we shall send by e-mail upon request)
- must not be created e.g. by driver of the Linotronics type, which creates a separated postscript
- must have all used fonts incorporated
Media and data transmission
Data transmission via network (e-mail, FTP):
All data for the MAC platform must be compressed (packed using Stuffit program). We recommend compression also for the PC platform (ZIP, ARJ, RAR etc.) with regard to reducing the size of the transmitted data. We request that you compress both individual large files and entire folder trees into a single file.
Data transmission by e-mail
Send source materials up to max. 5 MB by e-mail to your contact of our customer services department. Enter the order number in the subject of the message, and in the message itself state the name of the customer, description of the order (file xxx = CD print, file yyy = card-top etc.) and the name of the sales representative processes your order.
Data transmission via FTP server
Upon request each customer shall be allocated its proprietary user name and password for access to the FTP server into its dedicated folder for transmission of files. A GZ sales representative shall acquaint you with your name and password. This server can be accessed via any FTP client for Windows or from a window of the command bar of MS DOS in Windows. Copy compressed files into a folder. You have full access rights (write, read, delete, rename) to this folder, following login. Please also attach a text file with basic information about the order (order number, number of transmitted files, total size etc.).
Inform your representative at the sales department of GZ of successful file sending to an FTP server. This representative shall then ensure the receipt of these files at GZ for processing.
Technical data of FTP server:Name of computer/hostname/address: ftp.gzcd.cz
Preparation of data into PDF format
Always create a PDF file from a postscript file using the program Distiller.
Postscript (*.ps)
1. We recommend use of ordinary (equpment independent) Adobe Distiller or PPD of Scitex Dolev 800 or Scitex Dolev4Press printers.
2. Set composite output (do not set separation) with the exception of printing of CD/DVD created with spot colours (do not set separation for printing in CMYK).
3. The postscript file must contain only CMYK colours or spot colours (if the document is to be printed with spot colours).
4. Set the trim addition (bleed margin) and switch on print of crop marks (if not present in the document
already).
5. Incorporate all used fonts upon printing into postscript (not necessary to enter fonts from PPD separately
in addition).
6. Upon use of transparency in document (Adobe InDesign, Illustrator) set high resolution for combination
of transparencies (possible to use preset profile or create similar set resolution of colour/grayscale images at 300 dpi, resolution of combined text and monochrome images 1200 dpi).
PDF (*.pdf)
Set Adobe Distiller for commercial printing purposes possible to use preset profile (Press Optimized / Press Quality). In this case please pay atten tion – all spot colours you want to save in the document, will be automatically converted to CMYK. In case you want to save spot colours, it is necessary to edit colour fold in the setup or use setup we use at GZ
(file/DTP-programy/Press-DTP-(ZIP).zip)
Adobe Acrobat Distiller 6:
setting is accessible by means of the menu Settings > Edit Adobe PDF Settings [Ctrl+E]
Adobe Acrobat Distiller 5:
setting is accessible using the menu Settings > Job Options... [Ctrl+J]
- the setting created can be saved using the command Save As... as a preset profile, which can then be used simply in processing further files.
The most frequent problems with artwork