Delivery specifications
What does my print file have to comply with?
- File
- Working drawings
Photo
- File formats PDF-JPG-TIF - Files can be delivered in the formats PDF (certified), JPG and TIF.
- Correct format - Deliver your file in the right format. You can resize your photo to the desired format on our website.
- Minimum resolution 200 dpi - If you use photos, we recommend a resolution of at least 200 dpi. Any lower dpi value may blur the picture. If you nevertheless decide to deliver your file in a resolution below 200 dpi, we shall produce your print file according to maximum feasibility.
Image
- File formats PDF-JPG-TIF - Files can be delivered in the formats PDF (certified), JPG and TIF.
- If you use images, we recommend a resolution of at least 200 dpi. Any lower dpi value may blur the picture. If you nevertheless decide to deliver your file in a resolution below 200 dpi, we shall produce your print file according to maximum feasibility.
- 100% embedded fonts - Fonts have to be embedded for 100%.
- Correct format - Deliver your file in the right format, including cutting marks.
- Minimum text margin of 3 mm from the cutting edge - This will prevent crucial texts and/or images close to the edge from being removed.
- Pay attention to RGB colours! - The use of RGB colours in your design will always result in a colour difference because of the conversion into CMYK. RGB colours are for instance used by internet images and software like Microsoft Office Word.
- Possibly transparencies and overprints will cause problems. The delivery of files with transparencies and/or overprints is entirely at your own risk.
Transparency well flattened - Transparency not well flattened
Prevent overprints:
Text and/or image should not be on overprint. In the case of overprint, the risk exists that the text and/or image concerned in the printing process is poorly visible or not visible at all. White texts or areas and suchlike on overprint will disappear entirely. You can immediately remove overprint in the programmes Indesign and Ilustrator from the menu 'Properties'.
Prevent transparency:
For Adobe Illustrator: Save the Illustrator file as pdf with the following settings: Choose 'Illustrator Default' from the Adobe PDF Preset menu. Choose 'Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3)' from the Compatibility menu. Click 'Advanced' and choose overprinting and transparency flattener under 'Options' for the preset 'High Resolution'. Then click 'Save Adobe PDF'. The file is now flattened.
For Adobe InDesign: Create a profile in the menu 'Edit' > 'Transparency Flattener Presets'. Then choose a high resolution, click 'New' and name your profile. Put the first slider from 100% to 75%. Then select in the bottom box 'Clip Complex Regions' and click OK to confirm. When exporting your file to PDF, select 'Acrobat 4' from the Compatibility menu and then choose the profile that has just been created under 'Advanced'. The file is now flattened.
- Spot colours - Your design should not contain any spot colours. All spot colours should be converted into CMYK values. It is easy in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign to convert all colours into CMYK values.
For Adobe Illustrator:
Select all objects in your design, click 'Edit' > 'Edit Colors' > 'Convert to CMYK'. Now all colours used have been converted to CMYK values.
For Adobe Indesign:
Under the File menu choose ‘Export’ and then save as: Adobe PDF (Print). Go to 'Output' and click 'Ink Manager'. Check 'All Spots To Process' and then click OK. Now you can export the file and all colours have been converted into CMYK values.
- Colour profiles – Flag2Tag works with ISO Coated v2 (ECI) (this is the ISO 12647-2 standard). If you work with a full colour design (CMYK), the final design is converted into PDF. Choose in that case the 'FOGRA39' or 'FOGRA27' profile (for older versions of Adobe Creative Suite). If you use these profiles, your printed matter will most closely represent the selected colours. Attention! The final print can always deviate slightly; this depends on many factors. You can download the profiles here: www.eci.org
- Colour saturation between 20% and 300% - The colour saturation of your design must be a maximum of 300% and a minimum of 20% (otherwise there will be stains on your print or the visibility is reduced). For ‘express deliveries’ the colour saturation may be a maximum of 260% because of the fast drying time of the paper. The colour saturation can be easily calculated by adding all CMYK values.
- Lines - When you make use of lines and strokes, these have to be at least 0.25 pt. Negative lines need to be at least 0.5 pt.
- Conditions of a good PDF file - The best quality PDF file is created by means of programmes such as InDesign, Illustrator or Photoshop. You cannot make printable files with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint). These files may give unexpected results. However, we could examine if we can convert your Office file into a printable file. We charge a minimum price of € 15 per quarter for this. After consultation, we can give you an exact offer. Please contact us about this.
- Check your PDF file for yourself - Check your PDF file before uploading it. To do this, select Separations Preview > Overprint Preview in Adobe Acrobat 6 or Overprint Preview in Adobe Reader 7 (free of charge). Check your PDF file with a printout as well with Overprint Preview enabled.
- Licences - Commercial images or logos often require a licence to use. When you deliver an image, we assume that you have obtained these licences. In the event that we, for any reason whatsoever, are approached by the lawful licence holder, we shall redirect the latter directly to you.
- Frames - If you want to insert frames in your print file, we cannot guarantee that the width shall be equal on all sides. This has to do with a deviation margin of approximately 1-2 mm. Therefore, we recommend to have the print files printed without frames. Below you find an example of a print file without frames ('good!') and one with frames ('not good!').
