It is important that you fully understand and follow the file setup guidelines.
If you have any questions on any of these items please feel free to contact us at any point.

File formats:
If you are sending us completed layouts they must be either Photoshop or Illustrator, or a combination of both. We currently accept up to CS3 files - Photoshop 10 and Illustrator 13.

• Save your Illustrator files as ".ai" files. Do not save as ".eps" files as this will just create files that are much larger in file size.
  
  
• When placing images in Illustrator, make sure that the 'link' box is checked, and then make sure you send us the original placed files.
  
  
  
  
• If you are sending us a layout that is a single Photoshop document you can save it as any format you wish. We recommend sending us the layered PSD file if we will need to make any changes or if we will need to make color adjustments to your file.

Scale of files:
Files should be set up at 100%, 50%, 25% or 10% of actual size. Please let us know what scale you have set up your files.

File resolution:
All photo elements (raster files) should be between 75ppi and 100ppi at final output size. Use the following lines for reference:

• If your file is set up at 100% your photos should be between 75ppi and 100ppi.
  
• If your file is set up at 50% your photos should be between 150ppi and 200ppi.
  
• If your file is set up at 25% your photos should be between 300ppi and 400ppi.
  
• If your file is set up at 10% your photos should be between 750ppi and 1000ppi.

Bleed on files:
We do not need any extra bleed on your files. So if you are ordering a graphic that is 16 x 20 inches please do not send a file that is 16.25 x 20.25. There are many different types of products that have different safety areas and non-printing areas. Please ask for the specific measurments for each different product you are ordering.

Typefaces:
Please convert all typefaces to outlines in Illustrator before sending us your artwork. This will ensure that everything prints the way you were intending. If you are sending Photoshop files with text in them you do not need to do anything special.

Color mode:
We accept files as CMYK or RGB files. For any solid colors it is best if you specify a specific Spot Coated PMS color. This will ensure that your final output will best match what you were intending.

Color matching and test prints:
For any graphics where it is extreamly critical that your colors print a very specific way we always recommend getting a test print. This will enable you to see how your colors will look before your final product is produced. We also offer color matching where we can do a visual match to a provided color sample you provide us. There will always be some shift when printing on different output devices, color matching and test prints are the best way to avoid any surprises when you see your graphics for the first time.

Color management:
We recommend that you work in one of the higher-end color spaces in Photoshop and Illustrator, such as Adobe RGB, ColorMatch RGB or US Web Coated SWOP v2.

What if we are using a layout application instead of Photoshop or Illustrator:
If you happen to be using InDesign or QuarkXPress the best thing to do is to call us. There are a few different ways for us to convert the files for our use but it will vary depending on what your specific design looks like. Please contact us to review the best way to send the files.

Stock Photography:
We can order most stock photography that you may need. If you would like to order your own stock photography it is usually safest to order the largest sizes they have available. Not all photographs can be enlarged and still look nice. There are always concerns for image softness / sharpness and concerns with photo grain. Until we see the final images we cannot say if the photos will look good when printed.

• If you would like to see how large a photo can print without going beyond its original resolution you should find out the pixel dimensions of the image. Then you should take each dimension and divide by 75. This will give you the size the image can go in inches. For example if you had an image that was 2500 wide x 1900 pixels tall, you would divide 2500 by 75 and then 1900 by 75 to get a result of 33.33 x 25.33. So that image could print 33.33 inches wide by 25.33 inches tall without resampling the image. Again, this does not necessarily mean that this image will look nice, only that you will not need to resample the image. If you have an image and you are unsure how it will look when printed just send it to us and we can tell you fairly quickly.