9993 Digital CMYK and Composite Spot Color

Perfectsend™ is a preflighting program designed to check custom artwork for errors in EPS, PDF, TIF and PS (Postscript) files. Itlooks for problems that will prevent your spot or full color order from printing correctly.

Using Perfectsend™ is easy: simply click the browse button on the PerfectSend upload page:

Navigate to the PDF, EPS, TIF or PS file on your computer that you want to upload, and select it. When you are returned to theupload page, click:

and you are finished with the upload process.

If you are printing a full-color (CMYK) file, make sure the following box is checked:

Note: When this box is checked, all colors in your file, including RGB, spot colors, Pantone, etc. will be converted to CMYK. Leavingthe box unchecked preserves spot color information. This option may not be available with all workflows.

Upon completion of the upload process, the program will check for missing fonts, low resolution images, etc. and you will beredirected to the "Job Queue" page. Processing may take from one to several minutes, depending on the size of the file and numberof jobs in the processing queue.

When this check is complete, you will see something like this:

If the file fails the upload process, you will see something like this:

Click the button for a detailed report of the problem. Below is a sample of the most common error, a low resolutionfile:

As mentioned in the hints section that follows, all bitmap/raster images should be saved at a minimum of 300 dpi. Thisensures maximum printing quality on a printing press.

Other common issues are missing fonts, password protected files, and corrupt files. Please fix these issues and re-upload the file.

Other common issues are missing fonts, password protected files, and corrupt files. Please fix these issues and re-upload the file.

Helpful Hints for Uploaded Files:

While Perfectsend accepts PDF, TIF, EPS, & PS (Postscript) formats, we recommend creating PDF files using the X-1a standard. ForPDF info click here.

Regardless of the type of file you upload, please keep these guidelines in mind:

IMAGES: All bitmap/raster images need to be a minimum of 300 dpi.

FONTS: Embed all fonts or convert them to curves.

BLEEDS: If elements bleed off the edge of the finished piece, please include a 1/8” (.125”) bleed around all sides.

SAFE AREA: Important information like names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses should be inside the “safearea,” a margin of area that is 1/8" (.125") from within the trim line.

USE PROPER SPOT COLORS: Don’t use CMYK or RGB colors for spot & Pantone color jobs.

Files must not be password protected.

Templates:

For your convenience we have created a set of templates for our most common products.

Click on the link below for a zip file of templates for your design software:

Adobe Indesign

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

General Production Tips :

Regardless of the type of file you upload, here are some tips to help you succeed:

Bleeds & Safe Area: Add bleed of at least 1/8” (.125"/3.175mm) to files that need to print to the edgeof the paper. Also, make sure that text boxes and non-bleeding graphic elements are at least 1/8" in fromthe final (trimmed) edge.

In the example below, the yellow shaded area is the bleed area. This area (including the bottom of the photograph) will be trimmedoff after printing.

The green dotted lines represents the "safe area"- 1/8" in from the trim edge. Due to the nature of the print production process,slight irregularities may vary the accuracy of the trimmed edge. Therefore, placing all text so that it does not fall in this 1/8" marginguarantees that important design elements will not be trimmed out.

Choose Proper Spot Colors: Do not use CMYK colors for spot color jobs.

Page Sizes: Use a proper page size in page layout programs. In other words, don’t compose a single 3.5” x 2” business card in themiddle of an 8.5” x 11” page- use a 3.5”x 2” page, as in the example below from InDesign:

Images: All images should be at least 300dpi at the final image size. Stretching small images in an image editing program tofill an area on the page will only lower the resolution. A low resolution file will produce a jagged, blurry appearance when printed.

Using Rich Black for Solid Black Areas: If you want to have an area of solid black within your CMYK document, using 100%Black as the fill color does not result in a dark, saturated black, as shown here:

To obtain the best results, use a rich black color, represented by the following CMYK values:

Cyan: 60%Magenta: 30%Yellow: 30%Black(K): 100%

Software: Using a true page layout program like Adobe InDesign® will make creating press-ready files easier and more efficient.

WORKING WITH PDF FILES:

PDF remains the file format of choice for professionals in the graphic arts industry. Today, creating PDF filesis easier than ever before. Businesses that create PDF files for production on a regular basis will want toinvest in Adobe Acrobat (which includes Distiller.) This allows the flexibility of printing from any program(even non-design programs like MS Office) to a virtual printer in your "Printers & Faxes" folder. It also hasmany production features not available in Adobe Reader.Adobe also offers a stripped-down, online version of its Acrobat software for a monthly fee. By signing up online, users can createPDF files by uploading them to the site or printing to a virtual printer on the desktop- and the first five files are free. You mayaccess this feature by choosing File > Create Adobe PDF Online in Adobe Reader.

You may download a free copy of Adobe Reader here:

Creating PDF files with Acrobat/Distiller installed:

When you install Acrobat, a printer named "Adobe PDF" will be installed in your printers menu. Always choose this option whencreating a PDF file, rather than "Save As..." The advantage is that it forces the file to print through Adobe Distiller.

Depending upon your operating system and application, you may see "Options," "Printing Preferences," or something similar in theprint dialog box. Choose it, and select the "PDF/ X-1a:2001" option. The below example is from Adobe InDesign:

This option is available in Acrobat 6 and higher. The X-1a standard creates a compact PDF file that includes fonts, images, and spotcolor definitions. It also processes through the greatest number of platesetters and raster image processors (RIPs). If the X-1aoption is not available, use [Press Quality] but be sure to embed fonts, flatten transparencies, and include high resolution images.

option is not available, use [Press Quality] but be sure to embed fonts, flatten transparencies, and include high resolution images.

DO NOT use [High Quality Print] or [Smallest File Size] in the options menu. These were intended for proofing on an inkjet printerand viewing over the internet, respectively.

Note: Avoid using free PDF making software off the internet. They often produce inferior files that do not adhere to the Adobestandards. With Adobe Acrobat (the full version with Distiller) you can make robust PDF files out of any software- includingprograms like Microsoft Word, Publisher, Corel, PaintShop, etc.

Click the link below for a printable PDF guide on creating PDF X-1a files:

Guide to Creating Production-Ready PDF Files

EPS FILES:

If exporting EPS files out of programs like Illustrator, Photoshop, etc., use the menus below as a guide.

Always embed fonts, choose ASCII data format, and choose [High Resolution] for the transparency flattener (may not be availablein some programs.)