ACCEPTABLE ARTWORK AND FILE FORMATS
Customer Service » Acceptable Artwork and File Formats
Adobe Illustrator CS3 or Earlier (Vector)
Best for spot color logos & text on wearables, mouse pads, and pins. Is best accepted as an .ai or .eps extension with the fonts converted to outlines or included on the disk/ e-mail/ etc. If images are placed in the file, the originals must be included. (note: photoshop images placed in illustrator do not make them automatic spot color images).
Freehand 8.0 and Coreldraw 8.0 (Vector)
Best for spot color logos & text on wearables, mouse pads, and pins. is best accepted with program extensions .FH or .cdr, with fonts converted to curves or included, but the more gradients, the more art time will be involved. If images are placed in the file, the originals must be included.
Quark 4.1
This program is used primarily for output. It works well for combined graphics from multiple files. Is best sent full size with all placed images (Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.) and fonts included (select “file” then “collect for output”).
Photoshop 6.0 (Raster)
Best for Photos, etc. printed with HiRes AccuColor, Four Color Process, Photo Transfers, or Digital Imaging is best accepted as an .eps, .psd, or .tif extension at full size and 300 dpi (min 200 dpi) - any lower will produce jagged edges. If there are halftones in the image, bitmaps are not acceptable. The extensions .jpg and .gif are acceptable but will require massive cleanup 98% of the time. Spot color is best done in “channels.”
Submission Method
It is best to send your artwork via e-mail. If your file exceeds 6 megabytes, please contact customer service at (866) 312-5646 and ask for help in logging into our FTP so you can transfer your artwork files faster and easier. It is best to send your artwork as an .ai, .eps, .psd, .tif, .jpg, .gif, .pwt, .doc, .pdf, .FH, .cdr, .sea, or .zip. Important: fonts sent from an IBM will not work on Mac. We also accept IBM zipped (without the self-extracting program) and Mac stuffed files.
ACCEPTABLE but NOT Recommended Programs and Files:
• .jpeg and .gif- low resolution and is only good for viewing art. Most cases will require art re-creation.
• .txt and .doc- an extension from Microsoft Word that cannot be opened. Not a graphics program.
• PowerPoint and AutoCAD- there is no way to export the file to something we can use.
• PageMaker- is incompatible with most of the software we use internally.
VECTOR ARTWORK VS. RASTER ARTWORK
| This is a vector image designed in Adobe Illustrator and it offers a clean edge at any angle and any size. Corel Draw and Macromedia Freehand offer the same results. This file format is best used for logos, text, etc. It can be resized without loss of resolution. This form of artwork rarely requires any additional artwork charges. |
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This is a 72 DPI rasterized image. Designed in Adobe Photoshop, this image has to be redrawn to be acceptable. Only high resolution images (300 DPI at full size) can be used as is. This image type is made to print with four-color process (photographic images). |