FILE FORMATS: Master Printing accepts all Photoshop, Quark, Illustrator, InDesign, Microsoft Word & PDF file formats for all printing jobs Mac or PC.

PDF WORK FLOW: PDF files are a common file format. Images must be saved in CMYK & should not be compressed. Before creating a PDF in InDesign or Quark. Make sure all linked images are updated. Do not embed graphics in the file. Correct PDF files ensure successful printing & do not create production problems, see below. Master Printing has upgraded our Rampage Rip in the PrePress department. One of the greatest improvements is how transparencies are handled. Rampage has provided us with the optimal
PDF job option for saving PDF files. Contact PrePress & we will send you a compressed job option file, along with instructions.

RICH BLACKS: You want your blacks to look deep & rich. Set up solid blacks as follows, cyan 60%, magenta 40%, yellow 40%, & black at 100%. However, you don’t want to set up your text in the same manner. Black text should remain 100%, black only.

GRAPHICS & LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS: All bitmap or line art images should be 600 dpi, dots per inch, & sized at 100% in the layout. Grayscale & color images should be set at 300 dpi & sized at 100% in the layout. Color files should be saved as CMYK, cyan, magenta, yellow, black & 300 @ dpi. These are Master Printing’s standards, if your graphics are less than 300 dpi, the finished quality will not be as good as you might expect. Files work best when submitted as single pages. Please no reader spreads.

BLEEDS & BORDERS: Set up files at actual trim size. Make sure all documents that print with bleed, have the necessary 1/8” standard. Avoid designs that have thin borders close to the outer edges. Borders less than 3/16” should be avoided because the slightest shift in trimming will create a visual imbalance. This is especially noticeable on business cards & booklet design.

COLOR PROOFS: Remember, no proof will mimic your final printed product,unless it is a press proof. Our Epson Color Proof will show you a very close representation of your color images.