Sending
Graphics to Your Service Bureau
Get
gorgeous graphics
There are dozens of graphics file formats but only two
-- EPS and TIFF are the standards for commercial high
resolution printing. Beyond file type other graphics issues
that can jeopardize your printing project are color, compression,
complexity, and completely missing images.
When
you send your document to your service bureau they often
can and do take the time to fix some of the common problems
listed below. However they also charge you dearly for
their time and expertise and even their fixes aren't
always the best solution. Save time, money, and frustration
with proper preparation and submission of your graphics
for printing.
Avoid
these common problems when sending your graphics.
- Missing
graphics
It's probably easier to do a headcount on the graphics
in your publication than on the fonts used but it
is still possible to miss a few, especially with large,
graphics-intensive documents.
Missing graphics can result in delayed printing or
if you don't proof carefully enough it can be an expensive
error when you find out later that the image is missing
or a low-resolution screen version was printed instead.
Graphics may appear to be missing if you change
filenames after linking. If you find that you need
to change the name of a graphic file, re-link it
in your page layout program before sending the graphics
and application file.
- Font
missing from EPS graphics
If you have embedded EPS files that include text be
sure to send the fonts for those images as well. Generally
it is best to convert the text to curves but sometimes
this can alter the image in unwanted ways. If that's
the case, you must send the font files for that text
along with the graphic.
- EPS
and TIFF vs. other formats
EPS for vector images and TIFF for bitmapped are the
preferred format for high resolution printing. Native
graphics formats from standard programs such as Adobe
Illustrator or Photoshop are also usually welcome.
While other formats might print okay, few service
bureaus are able to troubleshoot those formats when
things do go wrong thus delaying your job.
When Windows users cut-n-paste images from other
applications (such as PowerPoint images or Excel
charts) you end up with a WMF (Windows Metafile)
graphic embedded in the page. Often these WMF files
print with the wrong colors or with changes in line
weights (lines may disappear or may print thicker
than expected). To avoid this, copy these type of
images into a graphics program first and convert
to EPS.
GIF images obtained from the Web are usually too
low resolution for printing and they are in RGB
format which is not designed for PostScript color
printing.
Avoid sending GIF, JPG, WMF, BMP, PICT, and other
formats without first consulting with your service
bureau or print provider.
- RGB
vs. CMYK
RGB images may look great on screen or printed on
your inkjet printer but they usually don't print well
to PostScript output devices. Convert your images
to CMYK. While RGB has its place (on the Web, for
example) it isn't suitable for most PostScript color
printing.
Save
your original RGB file for later use or modifications.
In your graphics application convert a copy of the
RGB graphic to CMYK then place it in your page layout
program. Send the CMYK version of your graphic to
the printer.
- Next>>
|
