Digital Artwork Files

 

Preparing Your Art File

File Type

- Create your file with any one of the many standard graphics programs available:
Adobe Illustrator®, Adobe Photoshop®; Adobe InDesign®, Corel Draw®, or Quark Express®, et.al. File types that work best: .eps, .tif, .ai, .indd, .qxd, .psd, .jpg, .cdr, or .pdf. If there is any doubt, please call to confirm if we support the software you are using.

- Indicate desired cuts and folds with printer’s marks placed in the file. Include at least .25” bleed unless otherwise indicated. If you require a custom contour or die cut, include a separate vector layer in your file which indicates the cut.

- Many of our display products have templates available to help with your layout and crops. Check the product's web page. If you do not see a template available online, call 310-607-0200.

- Send CMYK Files. The files are printed in CMYK color profile, not RGB. Please convert to CMYK or let us know what RGB profile is used in the file. Unknown RGB files converted to CMYK during the printing process may have unexpected color shifts. Grayscale is okay.

File Size

- Construct the file at 100 dpi @ 100% size. You can scale the dimensions of your print, but
adjust the resolution accordingly. For example, the file can be created at 300 dpi @ 1/3 final size, or 200 dpi @ 1/2 final size. Too high a resolution, the files will halt production. If the resolution is too low, the results will be pixellated and disappointing.

Test First, Then Send

Confirm that your file can print. If it doesn't print for you, it won't print for us. Always test your file on a postscript printer before sending us your file. There are many potential problems associated with digital output. The Adage Graphics Prepress Guide is a great resource to help you avoid these problems.

Submit Print Order Form

A completed order form and .pdf or .jpg proof are required for every job. You can download an Adage Print Order Form here for Mac or Windows. It is in an interactive .pdf format and can be completed and sent online.

Compress All Files into One File

DO NOT SEND INDIVIDUAL FILES!
Include ALL your files, fonts, .jpg or .pdf proof, and graphics in a single "compressed" file.
We Recommend StuffIt Deluxe 11 for the Mac and Winzip for the PC.
You can download trial versions here:
StuffIt Deluxe for Mac
Winzip for PC

FINALLY, Choose A Transfer Method:

If your file is 5MB or less, send via EMAIL. (Slower than FTP)
If your file is 1GB or less, send via FTP. (Fastest)
If you are sending many large files together, please save them to DVD
and deliver to: Adage Graphics, 411 Coral Circle, El Segundo, CA 90245.