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The following settings are recommended by National Trade Print for reliability and compatibility with our output workflow.
When preparing PDF files for submission to National Trade Print, you will need to follow the specifications to ensure your job is printed both quickly, problem free and to the highest standard.
The best and most reliable option to produce PDF files is to produce a postscript file and then process it using Acrobat Distiller.
Skip to: Resolution(dpi) | Colour mode | Bleed | Line Thickness | Trim/Crop marks | Fonts | Trapping | Layers | Locking | Forme & Dye Cuts | Transparency | Spot colour | Black | EPS files | TIF files | JPEG files | Illustrator | Photoshop | Quark Xpress | Corel Draw | InDesign | Watermarks | File Identification | Emailing Files | Acceptable Media | Unacceptable Media | PDF Setup Instructions
Things to remember
Resolution (dpi)
- Colour and greyscale raster images (pixel-based/scans) should be no less than 300dpi.
- Monochromatic (bitmaps) should be 1200dpi.
- Vector/linework/curves should be 800dpi minimum (usually set in preferences).
Colour mode
- Colour mode/space/model must be CMYK (NOT RGB).
- Files supplied as RGB may not be detected and will print discoloured and dull.
Bleed
- Business Card Size to be 89mm x 54mm.
- 3mm external bleed - anything that touches a trim edge must be extended 3mm past it.
- 3mm internal bleed or type area - we recommend you keep all important information at least 3mm in from the trim.
Line thickness
- Minimum line thickness: 0.3pt. Anything less or hairline will not hold on the press.
Trim/Crop marks
- Required for vector based files.
- Preferred for raster based files.
Fonts
- Embed or outline all fonts used.
- When converting fonts to outlines, remember that stray points still contain fonts. These stray points are to be deleted.
Trapping
- Do not do anything. All vector elements are auto-trapped in our RIP process and raster files are not affected.
Layers
- Do not use layers.
Locking
- Do not lock or hide anything (all objects/elements/layers should be visible and selectable).
Forme and Dye Cuts
- If you are using a new knife, please supply a separate file for the cut shape (0.3pt) black line) in the exact position as the artwork (use trims).
- We have many standing knives available.
- Do not alter National Trade Prints’ existing knife artwork when supplying your files.
Transparency
- Please avoid using transparency tool, this can cause problems within the RIP.
- If a transparency is applied to artwork please flatten/rasterise image with this effect.
Spot colour
- Set-ups vary for jobs with special colours (e.g. Pantones/PMS/Special colours).
- Supply file in its original/native format - i.e. Program it was created in - with all links, EPS/DCS files attached.
Black
- In vector files, if type is black, avoid using four colour blacks, use 100% black in cmyk colour bar.
- However, in raster files, if type is black, avoid using default four colour black. We have a recommended rich black we use - Cyan 70%, Magenta 40%, Yellow 15% and Black 100%.
- In both vector and raster files if an area other than type is black e.g. reversed black business card, please use our recommended Rich Black.
Sending files in other formats
EPS
- Use EPS files for vector-based files. (i.e. Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand)
- No jpeg encoding.
TIF
- Use tif for raster-based files. (i.e. Photoshop)
- Only use LZW Compression option if emailing files to us and have no compression software. (i.e. Stuffit, WinZip)
JPEG
- Be aware that compression settings will affect quality.
Important notes on file formats
Illustrator
- Flatten all transparency effects. If you don’t, although appearing fine on screen, there will be problems when going to print.
Photoshop
- Please make sure all artwork is flattened before saving the file for final output (tif or jpg).
Quark Xpress
- We prefer to receive pdf files converted from Quark.
- If you need to send Quark files, please make sure you include all fonts used, all linked images and your Quark Xpress document.
Corel Draw
- Convert all fonts to curves.
InDesign
- Convert all fonts to outlines/paths.
- Please note that fonts are very unstable when embedded within a pdf out of InDesign (avoid using direct InDesign pdf setting, use Acrobat Distiller).
- NOTE: Making a pdf directly from InDesign can apply clipping masks to different areas within the job causing many problems at the RIP.
Watermarks
- The values of C, M, Y, K or PMS colours should be no less than 3% in any colour.
File Identification
- Clearly name file to identify the job e.g. NTP Invoice.EPS - not BC, DL, Back, Front.
Sending your file
- Files should be compressed in an ‘Archive’ (SIT or ZIP)
- NOTE: do not use self-extracting archives.
- Final email with attachment must be less than 6Mb.
- Mac or PC format CD or DVD(+/-R-RW) not DVD-Ram
- Zip 250
Acceptable Media
- Mac or PC format CD or DVD(+/-R-RW)
- Zip 100/250
- USB Drive
Unacceptable Media
- DVD-Ram
- Jazz
- Tape
- Floppy
NTP PDF Setup
Using Acrobat Distiller
Setting the Job Options in Acrobat Distiller for Pre Press
The best and most reliable option to produce a PDF files is to produce a postscript file and then process it using Acrobat Distiller.
The Acrobat PDF writer does not yield reliable results for complex artwork as it was designed for onscreen and PDF based use and does not contain enough image data for high quality output.
The following settings are recommended by National Trade Print for reliability and compatibility with our output workflow.
General Tab
- In General options, choose Acrobat 4 to take advantage of advanced pre press options in pdf version 1.3.
- Set the Resolution at 2540dpi
- Click Embed Thumbnails ON, this creates a thumbnail to preview the resultant PDF.
- Click Optimize For Fast Web View ON, this removes repeated background text, line art and images and replaces them with pointers to the first occurrences of those objects.
Compression
- Average downsampling at 300dpi should suffice for 175lpi or less for colour and greyscale images.
- Use Automatic (JPEG) compression and maximum image quality.
- Monochromatic Bitmap Images: Subsampling at 1200dpi for up to 175dpi. This is the minimum setting for retention of higher quality monochrome images.
- Compression: CCITT Group 4. This is a lossless compression.
Fonts
- Font Embedding: All fonts should be embedded in the pdf file to retain the look of the document.
- Subsetting of fonts allows distiller to embed only used characters if not the whole set if a font is used in the file.
- By embedding all fonts and Font Subsets, the original font and font metrics are used at print time.
- Select the Subset Embedded Fonts When Percent Less Than option and specify 100% so that Distiller will embed only the font characters used he document. Distiller also renames the subsetted fonts in the PDF file to prevent an available font with the same name from being used for viewing or printing.
Colour
- Leave Colour Unchanged: On so no colour conversion takes place.
- Preserve Under Colour Removal and Black Generation: OFF This must be set in the creating application and will pass through the PDF unchanged.
- Preserve Halftone Information: Off
Advanced
- Allow PostScript file to override Adobe PDF Settings.
- Convert gradients to smooth shade.
- Preserve Level 2 copypage semantics.
- Preserve Overprint Settings.
- Save Adobe PDF Settings inside PDF file.
- Save original JPEG images in PDF if possible.
- Save Portable Job Ticket inside PDF file.
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- Document Structuring Conventions (DSC): Turn ON
- Process DSC comments.
- Preserve EPS information from DSC.
- Preserve document information from DSC.
- Resize page and centre artwork for EPS files.
