Prepress Services

Our design department uses primarily Apple-based equipment, however, we are able to accomodate some Microsoft-based native files as well. Our prepress room utilizes a 100% PDF-based CMYK workflow, therefore the most widely supported and easiest format for submitting your print project is as a PDF file (Adobe Acrobat). If the design work is not done by us we will need to preflight and verify that our specifications are being met by the PDF file that you are submitting. In order to ensure that your files are created to our specifications it is recommended that you read through this entire page before embarking on any design project.

The most well supported design programs are QuarkXpress, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. We support these programs in their native formats on both Apple- and Microsoft-based equipment up to the latest available version. We can also accomodate some native files from Adobe Pagemaker, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher and Corel Draw, although our support for these programs will be very limited and is not necessarily recommended. If you are using these or any other design programs not specifically listed as those we support, please click here to see our section on providing us with press-ready PDF files.

Listed below are some common specifications to follow when providing native file formats:

1 - Resolution

Globe Printers prints at 133lpi - 175lpi (lines per inch) linescreen, therefore all digital artwork submitted must be at least 300dpi (dots per inch) -more than twice the line screen. Anything less will result in low-quality output; text will appear soft, and/or jagged. A common default resolution when initially setting up a document for some software packages is 72dpi, this resolution is much too low.

Setting up the document the exact file size you will be submitting (Photoshop: if your document bleeds, you must increase your document size by 1/8" on all sides) and ensuring the resolution is at least 300dpi will avoid potential problems. A 72dpi file cannot be changed to 300dpi after it has initially been generated at 72dpi. The resolution will be too low for output. Avoid taking artwork from the internet: internet artwork is almost always 72dpi which is not usable for high quality printed media.

2 - Format

We accept - TIFF, EPS, and PDF (in addition to the native applications previously mentioned). If your application does not export one of these 4 file formats, please consult your software literature for information on saving files in the above formats.

Acceptable file formats:

TIFF is a graphic file format widely accepted for output to printed media. A TIFF file will not suffer the degradation in quality that is inherent with JPEG and GIF files. You can find the "Save as TIFF" option in the "save" dialog box of most graphic software packages.

EPS (Encapsulated Postscript) An EPS file is run through a Postscript engine. An EPS's small file-size is due to its object-based handling of graphics.

A Postscript printer is not necessary to generate an EPS (or .PS) but a there must be a Postscript printer driver (PPD) installed on your computer. For assistance in obtaining a suitable Postscript printer driver contact your printer, software or computer's technical support department.

PDF is a vector-based "page description language" format similar to EPS. A PDF will retain all image data and quality if all PDF settings are entered correctly before the file is generated. Like an EPS, exporting an image as a PDF also requires a suitable Postscript printer driver or PDF-writing capabilities built into the program.

If assistance is needed to generate PDF files, or obtain suitable printer drivers, please contact Adobe Systems technical support.

Unacceptable file formats (please avoid submitting files in any of the following formats):

JPEG - The compressed JPEG file format was developed primarily for on-screen viewing. JPEG photographic images will only be considered for print if saved with the highest-quality (lowest compression) possible. Text that has undergone JPEG compression will quite frequently output soft and/or jagged and unreadable.

GIF - Much like JPEG, GIF files are generally for internet and on-screen viewing and inherently lack the high quality needed for publication. The GIF format is primarily used for non-photographic images containing only a minimal number of colors.

BMP - The BMP format was developed for Windows machines for on-screen viewing only. BMP files are too low in quality.

PICT - PICT file formats are Macintosh operating system based only. These files are not suitable for high quality printed media.

3 - Digital file does not match hardcopy/PDF proof

A hardcopy or PDF proof is required for all digital files. A black and white laser proof or fax copy will be sufficient to proof file content only. Colour proofs are not required, however, the colour quality of the file in print will relate directly to the quality of the proof provided. We will provide a high quality inkjet proof of all full colour files, colour laser and inkjet prints provide general reference only.

An electronically transmitted file can encounter numerous problems. A few examples would be re-flowed text, overflowing text boxes, typefaces displayed with wrong fonts, and graphic elements missing or skewed.

A hard copy proof provides a reference for Globe's prepress and design department to make adjustments if needed. It is imperative that the hard copy proof match your digital file exactly. If you decide to make changes to your file after we have received your digital file, a new digital file with a new hard copy proof must be submitted that reflects those changes.

4 - Fonts

All fonts used in the artwork must be supplied to us as separate files. Please ensure that ALL of the fonts you used are included. Most higher quality design and desktop publishing software will give you the option to "collect" or "prepare for service provider". Such options are highly recommended as they are designed to ensure that all of the fonts and graphics used in the artwork will be supplied to us. Avoid styling text using the buttons on the measurements palette (bold, italic, bold italic). These "menu" fonts will not output accurately. Bold, italic or other specialized fonts must have the true family style typeface of that font supplied (i.e., Garamond Bold, Palatino Italic).

5 - Missing images or graphics

Artwork created in page layout programs such as QuarkXPress and Adobe Illustrator are created in part by linking low resolution placement files (what is viewed on screen) to the actual high resolution file (located on the hard drive). This minimizes the file size when page layouts have numerous or complicated graphics. All graphic and image files must be submitted with the artwork. Adobe Illustrator provides the option of embedding images and or graphics into the artwork which enables the user to send just one file. Note: QuarkXPress and InDesign do not support embedded high resolution images. Most higher quality design and desktop publishing software will give you the option to "collect" or "prepare for service provider". Such options are highly recommended as they are designed to ensure that all of the fonts and graphics used in the artwork will be supplied to us.

6 - Document size and bleed

Artwork should be submitted at the final size of your design project. If you want your design to print all the way to the edge of the sheet you will need to supply the file with what the industry refers to as "bleed". Bleed is simply an extension of the image off of the edge of the paper that will be trimmed off later in the bindery. Print shop trimming machines are designed to be very accurate but are obviously prone to slight variations. "Bleeding" the image into the area of the paper that is cut off and discarded ensures that there will not be a white line on the edge of the final product. In most design software this is achieved by creating a PDF file with crop marks and bleeds which typically will extend your document about half an inch on all four sides. Files created in Adobe Photoshop will need to have the document size set at least 1/8" bigger than the final project size on all four sides. Also avoid putting text too close to the edge of your design as there is a chance that it will get cut off by the trimming machine. A good rule of thumb is to keep any important information (that you don't want cut off) at least 1/8" from the edge of the paper.

If you have any questions or concerns that were not covered by the information on this page, feel free to contact us.