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Creating print
ready PDF
Table of contents:
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We specialise in printing from artwork supplied. Our
system incorporates numerous internal checks, all designed
to ensure that the finished work we produce not only
meets, but exceeds, your expectations.
We like to think of our relationship with you as a
partnership and, as with any partnership, a great outcome
depends on the input of both partners! Please check
the following guidance which will help to ensure that
your work proceeds quickly and efficiently through to
successful completion.
Providing your Files
We can accept files sent on a wide range of 'hard' media
as well as electronically.
- 'Hard' Media
We can accept the following 'hard' media by post or
in person.
31/2" Floppy Disc - Iomega Zip drives
CDs/DVDs Recordable and Re-recordable
We can also take files from an unsupported drive
if you send us the media and the drive (we will
return them with the completed job).
NB: Due to the high cost of postage and the low
value of media we no longer return media unless
specifically requested. We make a small charge for
carriage.
- Electronic Media
If you would like to send files to us electronically
we recommend that they are compressed first. This
is particularly important for Apple Mac and large
files on any platform.
We have decompressing software to interpret:
PKzip for PC and Stuffit for Apple Mac
Free trial versions of these compression programmes
are available:
visit: www.pkware.com for PKzip
and www.stuffit.com/mac/deluxe for Stuffit
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Sending the files:
There are several ways of sending files:
- Our Upload facility is very popular, particularly
for larger files. It uses an efficient protocol which
means short upload times. To access the page please
go to www.rcs.plc.uk, click the UPLOAD ARTWORK button
and then the Upload through the Website tab.
- You can also send your files via FTP (File Transfer
Protocol) drop box if you would prefer to use that.
To access the FTP page please go to www.rcs.plc.uk,
click the UPLOAD ARTWORK button and then the Upload
via FTP tab. This page details how to send your file
via FTP. The page also has details of website locations
for free FTP software.
- Small files, less than 10MB, can be sent by Email.
Email orders and artwork should be sent to: orders@rcs.plc.uk
- Finally we continue to support the ISDN protocol
which is still a convenient way of sending files,
particularly Apple-Mac files. ISDN (4sight compatible
tel) 01777 711079
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File Formats
- Our workflow is based on PDF format. Ideally you
should send your files to us in this format. The PDF
should be prepared at press quality. Please refer
to page 72- 74 for full details on artwork preparation.
- Alternatively we can accept files as flattened
tif (Tiff) or jpg (Jpeg) format. The disadvantage
of sending files in this format is that all text and
graphics will be Bitmap rather than Vector quality.
If the file is High Resolution (300 dpi size for size)
then in our experience the results are generally acceptable.
- We take a pride in being able to accept virtually
every file format there is. We list here the most
common formats which we receive. The list is not exhaustive.
If your application is not listed please check with
us.
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Client Proof Copy
- A Client Proof Copy is key to our system. It may
be defined as a master, which is correct in all respects,
against which we can check all that we do.
- It is vital that the Client Proof Copy is a perfect
representation (content-wise) of the job to be produced.
We strongly recommend checking it carefully before
sending it to us.
- When a high resolution (Press Quality) PDF, jpg
or tif file is provided as the origination for printing
then this file can also serve as the Client Proof
Copy - CPC.
- With a CPC to refer to when our designers work on
your files they can be confident that the text is
all present, that the fonts are correct, that the
photos have not moved etc.
- Historically a CPC used to be a print out from your
own printer which was checked before it was sent to
us with your disc and order in the post! Later they
were commonly sent by fax with the files being sent
by Email. We are still very happy to work in either
of these ways but in the Digital age there are other
ways of producing your CPC.
- As mentioned on the previous page we are happy to
accept your design in the format of the programme
you used to create it. In this case the CPC needs
to be sent as a separate file.
- You may choose to send it as a low resolution PDF,
jpg or tif along with your High Resolution file.
- Alternatively it is possible to produce one by
simply opening the page you would like us to print
so it fills your screen and performing a 'Screen Grab'
(On a PC press the Print Screen button to the right
of F12, on a Mac press buttons Shift and 4 together).
Paste the clipboard into a Bitmap programme such as
Paint and save the file.
- It may be useful to refer to www.printinfo.co.uk
for further information on producing Screen Grabs.
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Origination File Pre-Requisites
Whichever programme you use there are some common guidelines
which may be helpful in preparing your Artwork.
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Layouts
- Please supply everything 'one up'. It is more successful
if you leave us to sort out the imposition for printing.
e.g. Provide one business card on a 90mm x 50mm or
85mm x 55mm page.
- Booklets should either be in separate files for
each page or number order pages (we will sort out
the printers pairs).
- We are pleased to accept 'ganged up' jobs. This
means that several individual elements are arranged
on a larger sheet. We regard the 'job' as being the
larger sheet size and charge accordingly. The only
additional cost is for the extra cutting to create
the individual elements at the end of the production
process.
- 'Ganging' of jobs can be exceptionally cost effective.
For example:
You may have a requirement for four sets of Business
Cards for four different people at the same time.
Rather than sending an order for four sets of cards
you may choose to order an A5 Card. The cost is then
just the cost of an A5 plus eight cuts.
Please note: You would need to place all your cards
on the A5 and you must ensure that the Front and Back
are correct. Please refer to the diagram below.
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Bleed and 'Quiet Border'
- Understanding the need for 'Bleed' and a 'Quiet
Border' is vital if, as partners, we are going to
achieve our joint aim of an excellent finished print
job.
- We require Bleed to allow for the tolerance of our
Guillotines (the machine used for cutting your job
after printing). Even with our 'state of the art'
equipment there is a margin of error in the operation.
- If your image finishes exactly at the edge of your
required finished size then these small deviations
may produce unsightly white flashes at the edge of
your print. By extending your background colour or
image beyond the edge of your finished job the consequences
of such a deviation are not perceptible.
- We recommend that elements intended to go to the
very edge of your finished job should extend 3mm beyond
the edge.
- A Quiet Border is the distance you should allow
from the edge of your finished page size to text or
diagrams etc. The reason for this border is again
the tolerance in cutting.
- If you have a design where the text runs to the
very edge then a cutting deviation will actually cut
off some of your text! A very small quiet border can
result in a finished job looking very uneven.
- We recommend a quiet border where there is no text
etc of at least 5mm around the edges of your job.
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Fonts
- We carry all the most popular Mac and PC fonts,
please confirm at the time of ordering.
- Where you have used a rare font outside the 'normal'
range we recommend converting the text created with
this font into curves. This means that we no longer
require the original font when we print your job.
- Where you are supplying your work as a PDF, tif
or jpg, fonts become much less of an issue since these
formats generally embed the fonts required to print.
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Colour Matching
- There are a large number of variables which can
affect the colour produced in Full Colour Printing.
Simply looking at the appearance of colours on a monitor,
especially if no monitor calibration has been carried
out, is unlikely to produce predictable printed results.
- In just the same way an un-calibrated desktop printer,
such as a laser or inkjet may well produce very different
colours to those produced on a professional printing
press.
- Rather than leave colour matching to chance and
'keeping your fingers crossed' we strongly recommend
that colours be chosen from Hard Copy Colour Charts.
- We have produced two A1 Colour Swatches (one printed
on Coated material and the other on Uncoated material)
which show over 1000 colours together with their CMYK
values. The advantage of using these charts is that
they are exactly matched to our presses.
- Our Colour Charts are available for £7.50
+ VAT each or £10.00 + VAT for the pair. They
are an invaluable and accurate way of ensuring predictable
colour.
- Alternatively we can supply Pantone® Colour
Swatch books. If you would like information on the
books available, please contact us.
- Please note: Where you have a particular
colour issue, for example a requirement to match to
a specific company colour this MUST be brought to
our attention at order stage.
- If you have a swatch of the colour required please
include a hard copy of that with your order. We cannot
be held responsible if your printed work does not
match your requirements unless those requirements
are brought to our attention before we print.
- We are pleased to check your artwork specifically
to ensure that the highlighted colours have the correct
CMYK values in your origination to print correctly.
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Photographs and Graphics
- Photographs should be scanned size for size at 300dpi
and saved as CMYK images (The only exception to the
CMYK rule is images for Hexachrome printing which
should be sent as RGB).
- If you have not scanned for print before we again
recommend our Hard Copy Colour Charts. As well as
the colour swatches these include an image which is
called Ole no Moire. The same image is available for
download from www.printinfo.co.uk together with calibration
instructions.
- By opening the Ole no Moire image on your screen
and comparing it with the image on the Chart, it is
possible to carry out a fair calibration of your monitor.
Once this has been carried out, when you view a photo
on screen, it will be a close rendition of the press
print.
- We can re-balance photos scanned by you for £6.00
+ VAT per scan. Please send the original photo for
us to match to. We can also retouch photos, cut out
backgrounds, make good blemishes etc. The cost of
these additional services would be fixed prior to
ordering.
- We also offer a scanning service for photos and
transparencies. These can be dropped into the artwork
you supply on disc, or sent back to you for incorporation
in your design. Please contact us to discuss your
particular requirements.
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File Pre-flighting
- Every job sent to us is carefully checked by an
experienced designer and our proof readers prior to
print. We are committed to ensuring that finished
work is the best we can achieve.
- Where we find potential problems with the files
you have provided we work with you to resolve the
problems. It may be that a new file is required or
alternatively we can often correct the issues.
- Please note: there may be a charge for these corrections.
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Guaranteed Proofing
- With artwork being checked carefully by you before
sending it to us, and then us checking it again it
is rare for an error to get through, rare but not
impossible!
- For absolute peace of mind we offer a guaranteed
proof reading service for artwork supplied on disc.
For a charge of 5% of the printing price (minimum
charge £7.50 + VAT) we will check your job for
typographical errors.
- With your agreement we will correct any we find.
In the unlikely event of a job which you have paid
for us to proof read later being found to contain
a typographical error we will reprint it completely
free of charge.
Proofs
- Our normal service does not include proofs. We simply
check your files against your Client Copy Proof provided
and proceed to print. The system is fast and efficient.
However, in some circumstances proofs are desirable
and we are pleased to produce proofs from your Digital
Artwork prior to printing. We produce three different
types of proof.
- Pdf proofs: these are sent digitally via Email.
They are ideal for checking layout and content but
are not colour accurate and so are of little use when
there are issues of colour, such as matching to a
House Colour.
- Laser Proofs: these are sent by post and provide
something tangible to look at. Again these are not
colour accurate and their use is limited to content
and layout proofing.
- Wet proofs: these are an exact match to the job
which will eventually be printed since they are a
small run of the finished job on press. We would always
recommend a small run of print (to be used as a wet
proof) prior to any very large run of print.
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In preparing your artwork remember about
- Bleed 3mm
- Colour scheme: CMYK -- [order RCS's swatch sheets]
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PDF Pre-requisites
- 300dpi resolution image files
- Text needs to be converted into paths
- Transparencies need to be flattened
- 'Overprint' needs to be turned off when originating
files
- Download PDF writing software here
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