Files, Formats and Finishes How to prep print-ready greeting card artwork and add unique finishes.
www.gca.cards/preparing-files-for-print-introduction
1 - Introductions Who are we and what do we do? Loxleys Print Ltd - Established in 1854 by two brothers, William & Edward Loxley. Located to our current premises in 1921, a former Victorian roller-skating rink. First produced greeting cards back in 1980.
1 - Introductions Who are we and what do we do?
2 - File Preparation Card and envelope sizes Card sizes determined by the envelope. Often (but not always) derived from imperial measurements.
2 - File Preparation Page makeup (trim, bleed, pages, fonts, layers etc) Adobe Creative Suite applications:InDesign Good for: Page makeup, vector artwork, exporting print ready PDFs
Illustrator Good for: Vector artwork, page makeup, exporting print ready PDFs
Photoshop Good for: Image work
Acrobat Good for: Viewing PDFs, editing PDFs.
2 - File Preparation Page makeup (trim, bleed, pages, fonts, layers etc) Setting up a new document. Adding bleed and wraparound.
2 - File Preparation Page makeup (trim, bleed, pages, fonts, layers etc) Use of layers is recommended! Helps with the construction of your design.
Create a template containing all common elements for consistency across a range.
2 - File Preparation Image resolution
2 - File Preparation Image resolution Consider the dimensions of the image. If resizing is required when placed, the effective resolution is affected.
Note the size of the image area on the card
W: 156mm H: 120mm
Make sure your Photoshop image is at least the size required @ 300dpi
Check the effective resolution from the Info panel in InDesign
2 - File Preparation Understanding colour
2 - File Preparation Understanding colour RGB - Emitted light
CMYK - Reflected light
LAB - Colour gamut visible to the human eye RGB and CMYK achievable colours shown within this space
2 - File Preparation Understanding colour Please use the CMYK colour space when creating artwork for print
Select ‘Europe General Purpose 3’ in ‘Colour Settings’. Adobe Bridge will apply this globally.
2 - File Preparation Understanding colour Spot Pantone inks can also be used alongside CMYK inks (for B1 litho print only at Loxleys)
2 - File Preparation Understanding colour Adding printing spot colours InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
2 - File Preparation Understanding colour Separation Preview InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
3 - Finishes Embellishing your design
3 - Finishes Embellishing your design
Overall UV Varnish
Spot UV Varnish
Flat Foil
Fluted Foil
Adds an overall glossy varnished finish to p4 and p1 of the card. For use on coated materials only. Nothing additional required on the artwork (order instruction). Ok for Litho and Digital orders. Adds a glossy varnished finish to selected parts of p4 and p1 of the card. For use on coated materials only. Spot separation required on the artwork. Ok for Litho, but not Digital orders. Usually a shiny metallic finish to selected parts of the card. Foiled areas are flat to the card. Spot separation required on the artwork. Ok for Litho and Digital orders. Usually a shiny metallic finish to selected parts of the card. Foiled areas are raised. Spot separation required on the artwork. Ok for Litho, but not Digital orders.
3 - Finishes Embellishing your design
Emboss
Pushes areas of the card out. Can be single or multi-level. Spot separation required on the artwork. Ok for Litho, but not Digital orders.
Deboss
Pushes areas of the card in. Can only be single level. Spot separation required on the artwork. Ok for Litho, but not Digital orders.
Diecut
Cuts shapes and/or apertures into the card. Spot separation required on the artwork. Ok for Litho, but not Digital orders.
Flitter/Virko
Flitter is small glitter particles applied to areas of the card. Virko the same without the glitter. Spot separation required on the artwork. Ok for Litho and Digital orders.
3 - Finishes How to create finishing artwork
The Golden Rules i) A spot colour
Recommended iv) Finishing artwork ideally should be set to overprint
ii) Named relevantly (after the intended process) v) Vector artwork is preferable for better results iii) Solid (not tinted) vi) If finishing artwork is to be rastered, originate artwork at 1200dpi
3 - Finishes How to create finishing artwork
The ‘Old School’ Bitmap Method Photoshop 1 - Increase resolution to 1200dpi, leaving all other dimensions the same. 2 - Create a New Spot Channel. 3 - Add the image area required to a spot channel. 4 - Select only the spot channel, and convert to Bitmap. 5 - Method of conversion to be 50% Threshold. 6 - Save as a Bitmap TIFF. InDesign 7 - Duplicate the image the bitmap was based on. 8 - Re-link the duplicated image to the bitmap TIFF. 9 - Colour using a spot finishing swatch, named as the finish.
3 - Finishes The do’s and don’t’s!
• Flat foil and fluted foil can be on the same die. Add them as two separate spot colours to the artwork.
• Layers are not spot separations! • Varnish cannot be applied to uncoated boards.
• Likewise multi-level emboss levels e.g. one spot colour for a low level and one spot colour for a higher level. • Diecut artwork must be vector.
• Keep embossed areas away from the spine. • Avoid fine fluted foil and emboss artwork. The greater the surface area, the greater the result.
• Follow the Golden Rules! • Avoid intricate diecut shapes and small apertures.
If in doubt - please ask!
4 - File Supply Print ready artwork checks
4 - File Supply Print ready artwork checks
Trim size correct? Page bleed & wraparound added? Image resolution ok? Colour mode CMYK? Correct layers visible? Separations & spot colours ok? Content ok?
4 - File Supply PDF creation and naming conventions Please name the PDF the same as the SKU/item code. The following screenshots are recommended PDF settings for InDesign and Illustrator.
4 - File Supply PDF creation and naming conventions - InDesign File menu / Export...
Any resolution ‘effectively’ over 300dpi can be scaled back to 300dpi in this section.
4 - File Supply PDF creation and naming conventions - InDesign
Crop marks (a.k.a. tick marks) must be included, as well as bleed at 3mm.
4 - File Supply PDF creation and naming conventions - InDesign
All settings can be saved as a preset, then will appear in the drop down menu at the top.
4 - File Supply PDF creation and naming conventions - Illustrator File menu / Save As...
Any resolution ‘effectively’ over 300dpi can be scaled back to 300dpi in this section.
4 - File Supply PDF creation and naming conventions - Illustrator File menu / Save As...
Crop marks (a.k.a. tick marks) must be included, as well as bleed at 3mm.
4 - File Supply PDF creation and naming conventions - Illustrator File menu / Save As...
All settings can be saved as a preset, then will appear in the drop down menu at the top.
4 - File Supply File transfer Popular methods include....
Loxleys InSite
5 - Next Steps Send us your artwork!