Resources & Support

In my secret life I've always wanted to be "Dear Abby" . Unfortunately most people don't want to hear my advise, just ask my kids!

But when it comes to printing and The Press, believe it or not I can answer a whole lot of questions.

As the name would suggest, this section is a compilation of answers to the questions our clients commonly ask, or at least should ask, or we wish they would ask!.

1. At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?
2. Do I have to pay you?
3. Is white considered a printing color?
4. Tips on how to save your design files
5. What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?
6. What is the Pantone Matching System?
7. What kind of work does your store do?
8. Why do I need to pay postage before you mail it?
9. Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?
10. You gave me an estimate for mailing but I don't see the amount for postage?

1. At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?

   Resolution should be set to 300 dpi.

   Pictures and graphics pulled from the internet are often low resolution, typically 72 dpi or 96 dpi. Avoid these graphics, as they will appear pixilated and blocky when printed.

   Also note that you should save all photos in CMYK mode, not RGB mode when possible. Images saved in RGB mode may not print properly. If you are unable to save your image in CYMK mode, please let us know.

2. Do I have to pay you?
3. Is white considered a printing color?

   Not typically. Because white is the default color of paper, it is simply recognized as the absence of any ink. However, when using colored paper, white ink may be used if any text or graphic requires it.

4. Tips on how to save your design files

   Make them print ready and acceptable for us to print.

   COREL DRAW:
   Saving your Corel Draw file as an Adobe Illustrator EPS
   • Embed all Images
   • Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
   • Export as Illustrator EPS

   FREEHAND:
   • Embed all Images
   • Convert all your text/copy to paths
   • Export as Illustrator EPS or PDF

   PAGEMAKER:
   Saving your PageMaker file as an EPS
   • Embed all Images
   • Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
   • Export your file as an EPS using the below settings:
   Postscript Level 2
   CMYK Mode
   TIFF format and
   Binary

   PUBLISHER:
   You will need to have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF. If you don’t please download and use our Adobe Job Ready Program. If you do have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF please follow the steps below.
   Under File, Print, select Adobe PDF writer
   Under Properties select Press Quality and Save your PDF

5. What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?

   PDF (Portable Document Format) is the most common and preferred file format for submitting digital documents. With the installation of a PDF print driver on your computer, virtually any program can generate a PDF file suitable for printing. Both commercial and free PDF print drivers are available online for download from different sources.

6. What is the Pantone Matching System?

   The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a color reproduction standard in which colors all across the spectrum are each identified by a unique, independent number. The use of PMS allows us to precisely match colors and maintain color consistency throughout the printing process.

7. What kind of work does your store do?
8. Why do I need to pay postage before you mail it?
9. Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?

   In short, printers and monitors produce colors in different ways.

   Monitors use the RGB (red, green, blue) color model, which usually supports a wider spectrum of colors. Printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model, which can reproduce most—but not all—of the colors in the RGB color model. Depending on the equipment used, CMYK generally matches 85–90% of the colors in the RGB model.

   When a color is selected from the RGB model that is out of the range of the CMYK model, the application chooses what it thinks is the closest color that will match. Programs like Adobe Photoshop will allow you to choose which color will be replaced. Others may not.

10. You gave me an estimate for mailing but I don't see the amount for postage?