General File Preparation Guidelines
- Each job (including multiple paged projects) must be submitted as a single PDF file. Ensure that all pages are the same size.
- It is best to try to avoid using borders in your design. If a border is too close to the trim, the trim may be slightly off-center.
- File must consist of 0.125″ bleed and all important art and text must be within the safety margin.
- Ensure that your PDF is high resolution and that all images are CMYK at 300 DPI.
- Black type should have the following values: C0, M0, Y0, K100.
- Embed or outline all fonts.
- For best colour results, supply a CMYK only files.
PDF or EPS is Recommended
Because there are numerous software packages and file formats that may be used to create artwork, it is neither practical or possible for a printer to support every possible file format. Also, many file formats make it very difficult if not impossible for the printer to produce the same output that the customer sees on their own computer. For this reason, the printing industry has standardized on the PDF file format. A PDF file is a “self contained” document, and usually has everything necessary to print the file, including necessary fonts. For this reason, all print files submitted to Signfab are recommended to be in PDF or EPS (outline all fonts) format.
Borders on Artwork
If your artwork has a border, please make sure it is at least 1/4″ thick on all sides. 1/4″ is the minimum thickness, thicker borders tend to work better. Border thickness is important because if it is too thin, there is a risk that the border will be trimmed off and thickness will look uneven.
UV Coating and Color
Application of UV or other coatings may affect or change the appearance of the printed colors; we cannot guarantee the final color appearance of a coated product.
Color Accuracy
Signfab will reproduce color from submitted print-ready files as closely as possible, but even under the best circumstances, an exact color match is not possible. This is an inherent limitation in the printing process. The term “color match” refers to the color rendering intent specified in the submitted artwork. If the artwork contains colors specified as Pantone spot colors, Signfab will attempt to match the color as closely as possible. However, only a limited number of Pantone colors can be matched perfectly in the CMYK digital printing process.
Your Computer Monitor and Color
The artwork, as it appears on your computer screen, is almost certainly not accurate since every computer screen renders color differently. An on-screen proof cannot match the color or density of a printed piece. Even different programs on the same computer can render color differently. By placing an order with Signfab you agree to this limitation.
For these reasons, we cannot be responsible for color variations between submitted files and the final printed piece. If color is critical, you should request a hard proof, which will represent the output you can expect very closely.
