Advice for pre-production

IF YOU ARE PREPARING YOUR OWN FILE FOR PRINT.

•  FILE UPLOAD – You can transmit your packaged layout file or hi-res PDF to us via "We Transfer" or other similar online file transfer websites.  

   Please compress your file/folder before sending to us, if possible, by right mouse clicking and choosing “compress.”

•  LAYOUT PROGRAMS – We can accept properly-prepared layout files in InDesign. We do not accept word-processing files (such as Word) or some other files such as Apple Pages to print from. 

   If your publication/book layout is prepared in word processing only, you will need to have someone create a layout file (InDesign) or request that we do the layout for you for an additional charge.

•  WHAT WE NEED YOU TO SEND – We need your final InDesign layout file or a hi-resolution PDF (see below) for printing. Please preflight and "package" your InDesign file before uploading to us, so that we receive all FONTS used in the job and also all image LINKS (see below).

• PREFLIGHT AND “PACKAGING: For InDesign, by selecting “Package”, you can check the job for any problems before sending it to us. This feature will let you know if any fonts or image links are missing or incorrect. Once you have established that all fonts and images are correctly linked, complete the "packaging". InDesign will make a folder that collects all the images and fonts you have used. Please send us this final packaged folder. 
• HOW TO CREATE A HI-RESOLUTION PDF: For InDesign, go to "File" > "Export as PDF" > "Save PDF". Under "options" go to "compression". For all three color options (that is "color images" "grayscale images" and "monochrome images") use the option "Do not downsample". Under “marks and bleeds” make sure "crop marks" and "page information" are checked off. Under "bleeds" make sure the top, bottom, inside and outside are all 0.125".
• SCANS AND DIGITAL IMAGES: If you are using scans or digital images, please be sure they are high resolution. Scans and images should be created and saved at 300 dpi. The image should be imported into your layout file at no greater than 100 percent size (if you import it at 200 percent you are diminishing the net effective resolution to 150 dpi). Save the image as a TIF or JPEG before importing. If the image is intended to print in color, make sure the image is CMYK, not RGB. If the image should print in black-and-white, save the image as grayscale.  We will print from the images that you provide in your layout and the quality is determined by you.  We cannot change your scans; we can’t make them lighter or darker, bigger or smaller once they are in your layout.

•  FONTS – If you are providing us with a hi-resolution PDF to print from, be sure to click “include fonts” before saving the PDF. 

   If you are giving us a “native” layout file (InDesign), you must include a separate folder with all the fonts you have used (as well as a separate folder with all the scans you have used). By “packaging” your file in InDesign, those font and image link folders will be created.

•  COVERS – The cover of your book is printed separately from the text pages. Make sure you provide a separate file for the cover only. Do not include this in the text page layout file. If this book is to be perfect bound, please check with us to find out the width of the spine and then create the appropriate document. EXAMPLE: if your book’s page size is 5.5” x 8.5” and the spine is 1/8 inch, your measurements for the cover will be 11.125” x 8.5” (includes front and back covers plus spine). The front of the cover should appear on the right hand side, the spine in the middle and the back of the cover on the left hand side. Again, please include a separate folder for any fonts and images used on the cover. Reminder: Don’t include the cover as part of your text page file—covers print separately from text.

VERY IMPORTANT EXPLANATION OF BLEED:

BLEEDS – A “bleed” is when ink appears to go right to the end of the paper and “bleeds” off the edge (as with a photo or color background that goes edge to edge). In order to make the image print to the very edge of the page, one must extend the image 1/8 inch beyond the trim. After the publication is printed, the excess 1/8 inch is trimmed and the bleed is achieved.

 In your layout file, you MUST be sure that all images (or color backgrounds) that are intended to come to the edge of the page actually extend 1/8 inch beyond the trim-edge of the layout page. You do this by pulling your image box with image inside the additional 1/8 inch outward. On a left-hand page, you bleed image at top and bottom and to the left. On a right-hand page, you bleed image at top, bottom and to the right.

BOOK LAYOUT SAMPLES

BLEED PAGES: The image below shows a left/right page with bleeds. Note that left-hand page bleeds at top and bottom and also at left. A right-hand page bleed

HOW TO SET UP YOUR COVER LAYOUT: The image below shows how to set up your cover, including bleeds.