Artwork Requirements
We can accept material from you in many different formats; from hardcopy to digital files. We can accept both PC and Mac generated artwork.
Preferred digital applications:
Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop CS3 or previous versions.
QuarkXpress 7.5 or previous versions, Adobe Acrobat PDF files.
We can accept files from standard office software such as Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel and PowerPoint (files supplied from these programs might not always be suitable for direct CMYK printing and may require additional studio time to prepare, which may incur an extra charge).
We can advise you on the best way to set your documents for print, or our in-house design team can prepare the design work for you.
Bleed (for Trim/Cutting)
If your artwork needs to be printed to the very edge of the finished size document, any images, color, etc. needs to bleed off the edge of the paper by at least .125"(1/8") - this bleed will be printed and then cut off, this will insure that there are no white edges present on the job.
Resolution
When supplying images, ensure that they are scanned at 300 dpi and are at 100% otherwise quality will be compromised. If images have been downloaded from the Internet, the normal screen resolution is just 72 dpi and therefore, they will not reproduce a high quality result when printed.
Color
All documents need to be set to either CMYK or a specific Pantone spot color.
RGB is not an ideal printing format and may cause undesired effects.
Full color artwork should contain CMYK color only, RGB files should be converted to CMYK. All color proofs will be converted to CMYK and may affect appearance of any artwork supplied to us in RGB format. If a color match is require please ensure that a reference or hard copy is supplied.
Pantone colors made up of CMYK, should be checked on a correct Pantone color chart before printing, due to certain colors being unachievable in the CMYK process.
Fonts
All fonts used should be embedded (High Quality/ X-1a PDF with fonts embedded checked, should ensure this) or converted to outlines (EPS, Illustrator). If fonts are supplied, please ensure that all are included and that any redundant fonts are removed.
Supplying Files
All files can be uploaded using our website's "Submit Job" section. If the files are under 10MB, they can be sent directly to one of our associates. If they are above 250MB they can be supplied on CD/DVD. CDs and discs will not be returned unless specifically requested at the time of order. We do not hold any supplied artwork unless it is requested. Aztec Printing and Design cannot accept responsibility for any printing errors if a proof is supplied or approved.
Maximum Print Area (Digital Press)
Our presses have an image area of 11.75 x 17.75.
Our Poster printer can print up to 58" wide, and any length. If further clarification is required please discuss with your account manager.Job Specific Requirements
How the artwork is supplied can also depend on how the job is being printed.
Fold/Stitch/Trim Booklet
A fold/stitch/trim booklet requires the page count to be divisible by 4. If the page count cannot be divided by 4, please add blank pages in the desired position or give details of where they should be inserted. If being supplied as a PDF please supply as either single pages or as printers pairs spreads.
Read order spreads (as they would appear once the document has been finished) are not suitable and will require additional studio time to prepare. If being supplied in Adobe InDesign or QuarkXpress read order spreads or single pages are both acceptable.
Perfect Bound Booklet
A perfect bound booklet should be supplied as 2 separate files.
File 1
For the cover, the width should equal the front and back covers, plus the thickness of the spine.
If appropriate, the cover file should include the inside front and inside back covers as well as the outside front and back.
File 2
For the inside, text pages should be supplied as single pages. If the interior of the book bleeds, include .125" bleed on all edges. Both of these files can be supplied in Adobe InDesign, QuarkXpress & Adobe Acrobat PDF files.
Wiro Bound Booklet
A Wiro Bound booklet can be supplied in Adobe InDesign, QuarkXpress & Adobe Acrobat PDF files however the files will need to be set with a .5" margin on binding edge to ensure that the wire does not punch through any text / images.
Large Format Printing
When using the large format press the best image quality and resolution is required. If an image is being supplied for large format printing it should be as close to the preferred output size as possible and be no lower than 150 dpi. Vector images will be suitable supplied at any size as they do not distort on enlargement.
Variable Data
Please supply all data as an Excel workbook format saved as xls or csv file, fixed field (i.e./ every field within each record is in a fixed & common position) with each field in a separate cell.
Examples of possible fields are:
Salutation,
Contact,
Company Name,
Address1,
Address2,
City,
State,
Zip
Title, Surname, Company Name, Salutation, Zip Code, City and State should all be in a fixed and common position within each logical record. Details of a default salutation should be supplied for records where there isn't a valid title. Adhering to the set guidelines / specifications will ensure that your project will incur minimal problems.
