Here you'll find answers to common questions our clients ask. Start by selecting one of the links below. If you don’t see what you need – call or contact us online.
- What type of products and services do you provide?
- How do I go about getting an estimate from you?
- Tips on how to save your design files
- At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?
- What is a proof and why is it important that I look at it?
- What is the Pantone Matching System?
- Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?
- Is white considered a printing color?
- What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?
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We are a full service shop and offer a wide range of products and services. To see a full listing and description of what we offer go to our Products & Services area in the Customer Service Section of the website.
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To request an estimate you can go to the estimate request form on this website. If you have questions, need advise or would like to speak to someone about your job please call 703.437.1084.
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Tips on how to save your design files
Make them print ready and acceptable for us to print.
COREL DRAW:
Saving your Corel Draw file as an Adobe Illustrator EPS
• Embed all Images
• Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
• Export as Illustrator EPSFREEHAND:
• Embed all Images
• Convert all your text/copy to paths
• Export as Illustrator EPS or PDFPAGEMAKER:
Saving your PageMaker file as an EPS
• Embed all Images
• Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
• Export your file as an EPS using the below settings:
Postscript Level 2
CMYK Mode
TIFF format and
BinaryPUBLISHER:
You will need to have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF. If you don’t please download and use our Adobe Job Ready Program. If you do have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF please follow the steps below.
Under File, Print, select Adobe PDF writer
Under Properties select Press Quality and Save your PDF -
At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?
Resolution should be set to 300 dpi of the reproduction size.
Pictures and graphics pulled from the internet are often low resolution, typically 72 dpi or 96 dpi. Avoid these graphics, as they will appear pixilated and blocky when printed.
Always save photos in CMYK mode, not RGB mode. Images saved in RGB mode may not print properly. If you are unable to save your image in CYMK mode, please contact us.
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What is a proof and why is it important that I look at it?
A proof is a final copy of what we are going to produce on the printed sheet. The proof can be delivered in soft copy or hard copy. A soft copy proof is delivered as a PDF to your computer. A hard copy proof is an ink jet reproduction of what we are going to print. A hard copy proof has the advantages of providing the copy, color and mechanical attributes of the finished product.
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What is the Pantone Matching System?
The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a color reproduction standard developed for the printing industry. The Pantone System uses printed samples identified by numbers that ensure accuracy of printed colors. Customers should possess a Pantone library in-house when selecting printing colors.
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Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?
Monitors use additive color theory and printers use subtractive color theory. The additive color theory use red, green and blue light to transmit the image onto the monitor. The subtractive color theory uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink to subtract color from the printed sheet.
A monitor must be color balanced to match a printed sheet. This is extremely difficult to do and should not be relied upon. The best way to determine the color reproduction is to use the Pantone Matching System and a hard copy proof supplied by the printer. If the print job is demanding of exact color you should budget for a press proof.
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Is white considered a printing color?
Not typically. Because white is the default color of paper, it is simply recognized as the absence of any ink. However, when using colored paper, white ink may be used.
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What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?
PDF (Portable Document Format) is the most common and preferred file format for submitting digital documents. With the installation of a PDF print driver on your computer, virtually any program can generate a PDF file suitable for printing. Both commercial and free PDF print drivers are available online for download from different sources.
