File Preparation Guidelines

Supported Software (Mac/PC)

Adobe Acrobat  Adobe Photoshop CS3   Adobe Illustrator CS3  Adobe InDesign CS3
 Adobe Pagemaker 7.0  QuarkXPress 6.5  CorelDraw X3  Corel PhotoPaint X3
Microsoft Publisher 2003   Microsoft Powerpoint   Microsoft Word
(Powerpoint and Word files cannot be color matched)

Files can be supplied to us:

On Iomega ZIP Drive (100 MB, 250 MB), DVD or CD-ROM
From your desktop (see below)

Setting Up your Files

Photoshop, PhotoPaint, CorelPainter

• We prefer all bitmaps to be in CMYK format with the following exceptions:
  If the image was created in Photoshop, PhotoPaint or similar, scanned in, or from a digital camera and will be printed by itself, then leave it in RGB.

• If your bitmaps are RGB and you don't know how to convert them to CMYK, let us know.

• Images should be saved with the icc color profiles they were created with.

• Save bitmaps in their native format, .EPS or TIFF format.
  JPEG is a lossy compression routine that results in a degrading of image quality and should be avoided. Use TIFF with LZW compression instead.

• All bitmaps (photos, scans, etc.) should be at a minimum resolution of 100-120 dpi at the final output size. 150 dpi is preferred with 200 dpi being the maximum.

• Do not "increase" the resolution in Photoshop by changing the dpi. 
  This is called interpolation and will not improve image quality. If the image was scanned or created at 72 dpi, changing the dpi to 300 does not make it a higher res image.
  
  NOTE: If you use RGB bitmaps in Quark 4.X, save them as Photoshop or Photopaint .eps files. Quark will automatically convert RGB .tif, .jpg to CMYK (usually badly) when they are placed into your document.

Acrobat, Corel Draw, Illustrator, InDesign, Pagemaker, Publisher, Quark

• Please link all bitmaps and include them when you send your files.

• Save all bitmap images in CMYK format. (see above)

• Do not mix RGB and CMYK items within your document, choose one or the other, preferably CMYK.

• Please save all fonts as outlines or send the appropriate fonts with your files.
  For PC Truetype fonts include the .TTF file.
  For PC Adobe Type 1 fonts include the .PFM and .PFB files.
  For Mac Truetype fonts include the suitcase file.
  For Mac Adobe Type 1 fonts include the suitcase and printer files.

• Create multi-panel graphics on one page, not separate pages. We will take care of tiling them.

• If you are creating multiple pages that are the same size in CorelDraw, Indesign, Pagemaker, Publisher or Quark, please create them in one document with multiple pages as opposed to separate documents for each page.

• Please make sure that your graphics are created to size or scaled proportionately to the size of the final graphic. Creating them at 1/4 Or 1/2 Size is Acceptable as long as the proportions are correct. We cannot scale a 8.5" X 11" Into a 24" X 36". It would scale to 24" X 31".

• Preflight all documents:

• Use "Package" for InDesign Documents

• Use the "Save for Service Provider" plugin for Pagemaker

• Use "Collect for Output" for Quark

• Use "Prepare for Service Provider" for CorelDraw

* If you are sending us Acrobat Files, please call us beforehand so that we can tell you the correct settings.

Color Management

Color is device dependent. Different devices will print the same digital file differently. We can best allow for these differences under the following rules

• Please save all bitmap graphics with the icc profile of the color space they were created in.

• Files with no profiles will have our default profile applied at the time of printing. This may or may not greatly affect color.
   

• If you have to make color corrections to images in Photoshop, you should make them on an adjustment layer. Then send us the native Photoshop file.
   

• Leave Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors as PMS designations and do not convert to CMYK. We also recommended that you use a current Pantone book.

• For more on Color Management, see our Color Management page.

Send Us Files Conveniently from Your Computer

• We recommended that you compress multiple files into one using a program such as Stuffit (Mac) or Zip (PC).
   

• Use EZSend to Upload Your Files here.
   

• You may email us files that are less than 3 MB in size at orders@btdgraphics.com.

Final Checklist

• When sending files for printing, please include:
  Contact information
  Shipping information including phone numbers
  Final graphic size
  Material (is it a banner, mounted piece, etc.?),
  Number of copies, and, very important, the
  Due date.
   

• Include a printed hardcopy (preferably in color) of your final document. If sending files electronically, send along a PDF (unless we are printing from a PDF) or a JPEG (.jpg) proof.
   

• Check your files after you have copied them to your disk, to make sure there are no errors in your files.
   

• Make sure all linked files and fonts are included.
   

• For files on disk, please include a printed directory of your files. Avoid sending us files that are not needed for the job so we can easily determine what to print.
   

If there is anything you do not understand on the Checklist, please give us a call at 847-882-0369 or email us at orders@btdgraphics.com

If everything looks good, send us your files.

BT&D Visual Graphics, 2358 Hassell Road, Suite J, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
(847)882-0369 Ph, (847) 882-6536 Fx, info@btdgraphics.com