General Specifications

  • Safety Area – A .25 inch border containing no live area (mission critical text and graphics) MUST be allowed for cutting.
  • Size – The size of the printed piece will be the document size listed under Page Setup in the application program.
  • File Setup – Front and Back of document should be setup as two separate pages, do not create both sides in a single file.
  • Resolution – Files should be setup at a minimum of 300dpi resolution.
  • Color Mode – Files must be saved in CMYK format.
  • Solid Black – All solid Black areas should be composed as a combination of C 60%, M 60%, Y 60%, and K 100%.

File Prep

File Sizing:The size of the final piece prior to cutting or folding should be the same as the document size listed under IMAGE SIZE in the application program. For example, a 4″ x 6″ postcard should be set up on a 4″ x 6″ page not 8.5″ x 11″. The resolution should be set at 300 DPI(ppi) minimum. You MUST allow a .25 inch border containing no live area (important text and graphics) for cutting purposes. For business cards, size them at 3.75″ x 2.25″. A 1/8 inch border containing no live area (mission critical text and graphics) MUST be allowed for cutting. Please download the appropriate template from the product section if you have any questions regarding file size and setup.

 

Fonts:All type (fonts) MUST be converted to outlines (paths).

 

Setting Up Your Files In Adobe Photoshop CMYK:All scans should be converted to CMYK and b a minimum of 300 dpi. If you are creating your images in an RGB Colorspace use the following CMYK Setup so that the colors in your files convert correctly to our press specification:

Adobe Photoshop CMYK Settings:SWOP (Coated); Dot Gain: 20%; Seperation Type: GCR; Black Generation: Medium; Black Ink Limit: 100%; Total Ink Limit: 300%; UCA Amount: 0%

 

Setting Up Your Files In Adobe Illustrator:We accept versions older than 8.0. Save all placed (embedded) images as 300 DPI CMYK TIFF files (no LZW). If the files are linked and not embedded you need to send the linked files along with your Adobe Illustrator files.

 

Setting Up Your Files In Freehand or CorelDRAW:We currently DO NOT support native Freehand or CorelDRAW files. All files created in CorelDRAW must be exported as .EPS files or Adobe Illustrator .AI files. Making sure to include all fonts that were used in the creation of the document. The only other option is to rasterize to a bitmapped image (TIFF or JPEG) all final artwork. We cannot offer a 24-48 hour turnaround on CorelDRAW files.

 

 

Setting Up Your Files In Other Applications:The application you are using must be able to export files in the following formats:

  • 1. As a postscript file. (EPS or PDF)
  • 2. As a vector image. (EPS or AI)
  • 3. As a 300 DPI @ a 1:1 size ratio bitmapped image. (TIFF or JPEG)

Document Layout

[haru_banner layout_type=”style_2″ title=”Correctly Submitted Artwork” description=”The outer edge of the artwork is considered a “safety area“ that is utilized for cutting. No important images or text should be placed within this area. Although an 1/8 (.125) of an inch is the minimum, we strongly recommend you use a 1/4 inch (.25). Here is an example of the correct way to submit your files:” link=”url:%23|||” image=”2284″ svg_class=”icon-printer”]
[haru_banner layout_type=”style_2″ banner_position=”right” title=”Incorrectly Submitted Artwork” description=”Keep Your Type In:
This is an example of how the same file can be submitted incorrectly. If you notice, the file was designed with all of the type and important graphics right up to the edge of the canvas. This results in the cutting of logos, fonts, and important graphics. This is an example of how NOT to submit your files:” link=”url:%23|||” image=”2286″ svg_class=”icon-tablet”]

File Formats

[haru_clients clients=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22PSD%22%2C%22logo%22%3A%222267%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22url%3A%2523%7C%7C%7C%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22AI%22%2C%22logo%22%3A%222264%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22INDD%22%2C%22logo%22%3A%222265%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22url%3A%2523%7C%7C%7C%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22JPG%22%2C%22logo%22%3A%222266%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22url%3A%2523%7C%7C%7C%22%7D%5D” hover_style=”style_2″ columns=”4″ rows=”1″ autoplay=”false”]

PLEASE NOTE

Most products you purchase from SHDWCORP.com needs to be cut out of a bigger sheet before we ship it to you. This means that a 4 x 6 Postcard will have to be trimmed down when cut. The end result will be a product which is roughly 3.875 x 5.875 inches. This is true of all of our sizes except Business Cards cards which actually trim true to size at 3.5 x 2 inches. If you are not clear on our cutting process please call a Customer Service representative for further explanation.