Checklist for Digital File submission – Is your file ready to be output?

What is readiness?
An electronic file is considered “ready” when the supplier (Gemaco) can use it for pre-press and printing without the need for modifications that would incur extra charges or cause delays. If you are not familiar with the technical terms, you can download the Glossary or right click on the link to open the file on a separate window.

1. Mechanical Artwork
The traditional standard for acceptable mechanical artwork is “camera-ready black and white” material. Typically, anything of a lesser quality may be subject to extra charges. Mechanical Artwork still has to be scanned and converted to a digital file.

2. Vector Artwork Files
Vector artwork files must be written in the Postscript™ language. Files can contain no Postscript™ errors, stray points or colors assigned to elements in a manner inconsistent with the supplier’s published requirements. The majority of these files are generated from Illustration programs such as Illustrator, Freehand and Corel and saved as an EPS file

Any type set on paths must be converted to Postscript outlines (curves). If additional or future typesetting is anticipated or type left unconverted, the font files must also be supplied for use on the supplier's specified computer platform (operating system).

Any line thickness must NOT exceed the supplier’s minimum (1pt) when the artwork is scaled to the actual imprint size. Files with any placed, parsed or linked elements require certain additional criteria described in the standard for “metafiles.”

The artwork file(s) should be accompanied by a printed proof, or its electronic equivalent, which communicates to the supplier the desired result of the use of the e-artwork file(s).

3. Bitmap Artwork Files
Bitmap files should render images at 100 percent of actual imprint size.

Images that contain halftones, tints, grayscales or are intended for process color separation should have a bitmap resolution (pixels-per-inch) that is a multiple of no less than 150 to 200 percent of the line screen frequency specified by the printing process. See Artwork Guidelines for resolutions of Hotstamp and Process Litho printing.

Images that contain line art or areas of solid color should have a bitmap resolution (pixels-per-inch) of no less than the supplier’s specified minimum.

Unless suppliers specifically request CMYK files, the color space of images submitted for process color separation should remain in the native RGB color space to permit suppliers to apply their own separation setup preferences.

The artwork file(s) should be accompanied by a printed proof, or its electronic equivalent, which communicates to the supplier the desired result of the use of the e-artwork file(s).