Artwork Guidelines
Please provide clean Vector art. All colors must be Pantone matching System (PMS) or spot colors, not CMYK or RGB, we do not print 4 color process. Please include a compostie printout with disks (cd or dvd) and a composite jpeg with emailed files to ensure artwork has not been corrupted. Please take note of the slot or hole placement so that artwork does not interfere.
Vector art is an editable contour line drawing or typeset copy usually created in a professional graphic program such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, or Freehand. The artwork remains crisp and clear when enlarged or reduced. Raster art or bitmaps (jpeg, gif and bmp) become pixelated when enlarged or used for printing. See illustration below:
Our preferred graphic program is Corel DRAW (13) or Illustrator CS3 (13), but Freehand MX and QuarkXPress 4.0 are also accepted. If available, please send files in their native format (gradient fills can be corrupted when exported as .eps or .pdf files). However, .pdf and .eps files are often usable. Uncommon fonts must be converted to curves or outlines, etc.
Please include dealer name, P.O. # or design description in the file name when e-mailing artwork. it will help us locate your art.
Please specify Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors or spot colors, not CMYK or RGB colors. Although not guaranteed, we will try to match PMS colors as closely as possible.
In order to produce a cleaner more readable product (especially on smaller products), the fewer colors, the better. This also keeps your cost down.
When requested background color is unavailable, we will reverse-out, which means printing a product with a particular color up to the embossed border (1/4" from edge of plate). Borders of plates and signs are always embossed whether painted or not. This ensures rigidity and durability.