RESOURCES > Tips

green_tipsGreen Tips

  • Print on recycled, unbleached or non-chlorine bleached paper containing a minimum of 30% post consumer waste. Consider the use of tree free paper stock such as sugar cane waste, straw, seaweed, etc.
  • Request soy based inks and avoid the use of metallic or fluorescent inks. Petroleum-based inks leach volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), which cause cancer and birth defects.
  • VMS is committed to producing printed materials with a low impact on the environment. Our network includes California Certified Green Printers who strictly practice environmentally safe printing methods using soy based inks and 100% recycled paper to non toxic solvents.
  • Choose standard paper sizes for your finished piece and it will reduce paper waste from unnecessary trimming.
  • Reduce ink coverage by eliminating full bleeds and large areas of solid ink cover. By eliminating full bleeds it also reduces the amount of paper waste incurred by trimming over-size sheets.

 

tips_iconPrinting Tips

  • PDF’s are easy to send because of their small size but can’t be altered like Illustrator and InDesign files.
  • Rich Black: a good mix is 45 Cyan, 35 Magenta, 20 Yellow, 100 Black.
  • For better printing, use rich black instead of single-color black for any design element whose area exceeds 1/8th inch horizontal, 1/8th inch vertical. Also use rich black instead of single-color black for font sizes larger than 16 points.
  • Before sending your files, make sure all images are at least 300 dpi.
  • Digital printing runs more economically than offset. Some industry experts maintain that the “cross-over point,” where offset becomes less expensive, is at 5,000 impressions.
  • Aqueous coating is a fast-drying water-based protective coating which can be applied on press right after the inks. This clear coating provides a protective surface which guards the printed piece from dirt, smudges, fingerprints, and scratches as well as speeds up the drying time. Aqueous coating improves postcards durability as they go through mail or are inserted in pockets. It may also be applied to brochures, covers, flyers and other visual ads.
  • Adobe Kuler is available online at no charge and allows you to explore, create and share color themes. You can even extract a color palette from a photograph. The colors are listed in their CMYK, RGB and HEX values. http://kuler.adobe.com/
  • You have included 1/8” bleeds if color goes to the border of your canvas. Increase your canvas size so that it is bigger than the actual finished size and include crop marks where to cut it for the actual finished size.
  • Outlines are included in the Illustrator or InDesign file. To convert type to outlines in InDesign, select the characters with the Type tool, then choose Type>Create Outlines.
  • If adding elements to your print like: embossing, spot-gloss varnish, die-cut, etc. include that element on a separate labeled layer.
  • If you are sending a native file for us to adjust before printing be sure to include font files, source files and zip it all together.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Can you folks handle “special” printing processes such as embossing, foil stamp, letterpress, 

engraving and die-cutting?

Yes – We routinely produce custom printed pieces that employ special processes such as these.

 

Can you explain what you mean by “bleed” and how I should prepare my file for that?

If your printed image runs all the way to the edge(s) of the sheet you are printing on this is referred to as bleed. In order to print a piece that bleeds the image that you set up in your file must extend beyond the final trim marks. In other words, the bleed is the area to be trimmed off, resulting in color running all the way to the edge(s) of the sheet’s final trim size. Simply increase the canvas size of your file by 1/8″ on all sides so that it is bigger than the actual finished size. We’ll trim the area that “bleeds” beyond the crop marks to the desired finished size.

 

Can I use images that I’ve pulled from the Internet and incorporate them into my design?

No. Web images are generally low resolution as relates to printing. Images of 72 dpi (the typical resolution for a web image) may look terrific on your screen, but in order to print we need image resolution of 300 dpi or higher.

 

What is the best file format for submitting files for print?

The best prints come from vector art made in programs like Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Photoshop is a terrific program, but PS files are rastor art and will make text look bit-mapped or soft. It’s best to import images that you’ve created or reworked in Photoshop into a vector art program and render all text in that program.

 

Can I send you a PDF to print from?

PDF is actually preferred when printing digitally and can also be used for offset printing if file is saved correctly. Save your PDF file from a vector art program such as Adobe Illustrator or InDesign. Be sure to include bleed if the piece has color that runs to the edge.

 

What is the advantage to digital printing? Why would I consider it?

Digital printing has none of the set up requirements associated with traditional offset printing. Easy set up and fast turnaround makes digital a great choice for short runs of full color print. At a certain point it becomes more cost effective to run your color work on a traditional offset press, but for small volumes digital is a high quality, cost effective alternative.