How to make print ready art!

[AMW Graphics]

A lot of people have asked for this so they can create art work the right way.

How to create print ready art in adobe Photoshop or similar.

You should make the canvas size the same as the actual size you want the file at (for the BEST quality), so for example:
Magnet Sign 12x24 inch full color...
The size you want to make the file is 12 inch's tall x 24 inch's wide.

The ppi (pixels per inch) is important! 360 ppi will give very good prints. this is what should be used for most things.
However there are times when lower ppi is preferred, like:
Wraps 72 ppi min., Large trailer logos 180 ppi min., for specific requirements please contact us.

The color space can be a few things, but adobe RGB 1998 will work best for most things. We will convert it to CMKY with color matching software. this keeps the file sizes smaller and helps keep colors correct or as close as the printing process will allow.
[/B]

We also have software to enlarge things for printing, if the file size is to large for you to email or upload to us you can try to bring the size down 50% (like the example of the magnet sign above, 12x24 would become 6x12 and the file size will be smaller). Keep the ppi as high as possible for high quality printing.

BLEED!
.125 on magnet signs, and yard signs.
ANYTHING being die cut or contour cut should have a small bleed, of .100

File Formats
Uncompressed .TIFF is good for most things (win, no compression).
.PDF is good, and you can mix raster and vector date together as 1 file (save high quality).
.JPG is ok, but the format has been compressed. So we can only enlarge them so far before they will not look good (become jagged). Pictures off the Internet for the most part can NOT be enlarged and still print high quality.
.EPS is good also.

We can also handle most other formats as well, but the ones above are most common.

If you have any questions please contact us through our website www.amwsigns.com, Email sales@amw-graphics.com, or Phone 248-275-5363.

Thanks,
Tony

[pmblair]

Thanks for the helpful information, Tony. I, for one, am glad you posted it. Creating graphics is an art form... a fairly simple one if you have a good amount of creativity, but an art form, nonetheless... some of us didn't have enough information about the printing aspects of graphic work (most of mine has been web-based), so it's a big help.

Thanks!!

[AMW Graphics]

Quote[/b] (pmblair @ Oct. 10 2007,8:35)]Thanks for the helpful information, Tony. *I, for one, am glad you posted it. *Creating graphics is an art form... a fairly simple one if you have a good amount of creativity, but an art form, nonetheless... some of us didn't have enough information about the printing aspects of graphic work (most of mine has been web-based), so it's a big help.

Thanks!!
Thats why i posted it. A lot of people have asked what we need for print ready art work.

You will notice the file sizes will be MUCH larger for print than for the web.
If you have any spacific questions or trouble let me know and i can walk you thru it.

[Steve]

Quote[/b] ]BLEED!
.125 on magnet signs, and yard signs.
ANYTHING being die cut or contour cut should have a small bleed, of .100
When one wants to design something and take into account a bleed, do you have any advice on this?

I mean say for instance it is text, should you simply make the text a little bigger so it can be cut down?

[AMW Graphics]

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ Oct. 10 2007,1:10)]Quote[/b] ]BLEED!
.125 on magnet signs, and yard signs.
ANYTHING being die cut or contour cut should have a small bleed, of .100
When one wants to design something and take into account a bleed, do you have any advice on this?

I mean say for instance it is text, should you simply make the text a little bigger so it can be cut down?
For most things you dont even need a bleed..and if it does we can add it in..no big deal. It is actualy better if we do it.

(sorry it took so long to answer, didnt see it)

[AMW Graphics]

You can also use vectors in your design and add them to raster images in Adobe Illustrator and save as a .PDF.

This will help keep the file size down, also it can be scaled larger without loss of quality.

[AMW Graphics]

All designs can come at 180 ppi at FULL SIZE or 360 ppi at 50%.