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In order to print a project for you, we need a print-ready PDF of the project. Setting up a file to print in the correct way is essential for getting the exact printed product you're looking for. A project can look perfect on the screen but if not output in the right way, could change your results drastically. Here at Park Press, we are here with you every step of the way to help make setting up your files as easy as possible. Even after your file is sent to us, we will always triple-check everything before going out to print- but we request that you please try to follow these simple guidelines when sending us a file to smoothen out the process.

Checklist.
Before you send us your file, you should ask yourself these 5 questions:

Below, we will go into more detail about each of these questions. If you are still unsure about things, feel free to contact us with any questions you have- we are always here to help.

1. Are all of my images and color settings in CMYK format?

4 basic colors are used in printing- Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK). These colors are mixed together in any number of ways to achieve the colors used in your project. All of your files and pictures should be in this color space, NOT the alternative, which is RGB. RGB is not what is used for printing, it is actually more geared towards images that will only be viewed on-screen.

So how do you know if your files are in CMYK? There are a number of ways to check. The best way would be to check all of your images you're using before you output your file. Every image has a "color space", and your want your color space to be CMYK. In Photoshop, to check this, you can simply look at the top of the image window, and it will tell you if the file is in CMYK or RGB, as pictured below. To change this in Photoshop go to Image > Mode > CMYK Color.:



Another way to check would be to preflight your entire file after it is exported as a PDF. This can be done by opening your PDF in Adobe Acrobat, and going to Advanced > Print Production > Preflight. Once in the preflight window, you should choose "Sheetfed Offset (CMYK)" under the "Preflight" tab and then click "Analyze". This will give you all the info you need to see if your file is good to print including color and resolution information.




Another thing to note when looking at color is your blacks. The color black or K should be at 100%, with no C M or Y contained within, especially in your text or logos. In images, the darkest black should be as close to 100% black as possible. Otherwise, you won't get as sharp an image as you could.


These are only a fraction of the ways that you can check, but as long as you figure out that your images are in a CMYK color space, that is all that matters. Once again, if you are unsure, we preflight and check all of your files anyway, so even if you miss something, we'll pick it up for you.

2. Is the resolution of my files and pictures set up at 300ppi?

Images on screen are displayed as pixels onscreen (PPI) and printed as tiny dots on paper (DPI). To get a crisp, clean image when printed, you want all of your images to be 300 ppi or more. If you have an image that is completely necessary to use but is not at least 300 ppi, expect a lower quality print.

Once again, there are a number of ways to check this. In Photoshop, you can go into your image and go to Image>Image Size. This window will tell you what your PPI is. Also, in most layout programs such as InDesign, there is an "Info" window you can open that will give you all the spec of each picture you have selected.



After you export as a PDF, you can also preflight it as mentioned before in the last step and see if you have any resolution issues.

3. Do any images and colors go right up to the end of the page, and if so, did I export my file with bleeds ?

If your design has images or colors that go all the way to the corner of the page, these are called "bleeds". If so, these pictures and colors should actually go past or "bleed" over the edge of the design at least 1/8 of an inch, and then be exported with .125 inch bleeds on export. This is to provide some room for when the final printed product is cut so you don't get any ugly whiteness around any of your edges when you want the color to go all the way to the end.






4. Did I export my file correctly so that I have a package containing all fonts, images, links and native files pertaining to the project?

This may not be a necessary step for us to print your project, since we only need a print-ready PDF for that. But if you need us to go into your file and work on it, this is absolutely an essential step. When you lay out a design in any kind of layout program such as InDesign or Quark, you are compiling many different elements all into one file (pictures, fonts, etc). All of these elements that are in use need to be collected and packaged together in order to be worked on on another computer. This is different from a PDF in the sense that a PDF makes a file with all of these elements embedded into the actual file and can not be edited further.

Packaging your native files is always a good idea, since it essentially puts all your eggs in one basket. Usually all you need to do is open the file in whatever program you are laying it out in, and go to File> Package ..or.. File > Collect For Output ...or... File> Output depending on what kind of layout program you are using. You will have to make a destination folder where the program will then organize and place everything you need into.



5. Did I export a print-ready PDF version of my project?

The PDF version of your project is the file that will be printed. This file cannot be edited without taking special steps, so when this file is set up, it should be a completely finished version of your design. Usually, this is all we request when you upload a file to us, but if you need us to go into your file and make edits, refer to step 4.

Exporting your file is as easy as going into your native file, and going to File>Export. There, you will be given a number of options, but all you need to worry about is if you have bleeds or not (refer to step 3) and what version of Acrobat the PDF will be compatable with (Choose Acrobat 5, PDF 1.4 or lower).

CONGRADULATIONS!!!! You're done! You can either upload your PDF in our Upload section, E-Mail it to us at info@parkpressonline.com, or simply put it on disk and bring it into our office by hand. It's that simple. And don't be discouraged if you are unclear on or cannot complete all of these steps youself- we can always help you or simply do it for you.