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How the heck do I ...1. Use these General rules for success. File Preparation for OutputGeneral
InDesignSending files: File>Package. PDFs Tricks & workarounds with InDesign. 1. ALWAYS ensure you have the Transparency Flattener set to High Resolution - especially if you have used transparent background images. Otherwise text that overlays the images will be rasterised at too low a resolution when the file is flattened, creating objectionable "jaggies". 2. Setup print styles to ensure consistency when outputting. This will help to eliminate the above problem.
QuarkXpressSending files: File > Collect for output. Tricks & workarounds with QuarkXpress 1. Ensure ALL picture boxes with grayscale or colour images are filled with WHITE, NOT NONE. If NONE is used, it will cause QXP to TRY and apply a deep etch mask, which it does very badly! This does not apply to EPS images (or if v4.04+, TIFF images with clipping paths) and graphics. 2. Watch for QXP applying text trap defaults that will cause text to THICKEN. Usually a text box overlaps an underlying graphic frame. This is a dynamic feature of QXP. The ONLY fix is by selecting the affected text and applying a manual trap . 3. Watch for QXP applying text trap defaults that will cause text to OVERPRINT. Usually a text box overlaps an underlying text box, such as headings with drop shadows. The ONLY fix is by selecting the affected text and applying a manual trap . 4. Try to use TIFFs with clipping paths INSTEAD of EPS's if using version 4.04 or above
PageMakerFile > Save as > files required for remote
printing (Versions 5.0, 6.0) Manually collect all fonts
used. Tips: 1. Pagemaker V6.0 onwards, works better with TIFFs
with clipping paths THAN EPS's with clipping paths!
IllustratorSave files as either EPS or AI with fonts embedded or converted to outlines and all images embedded. Tips: 1. Ensure you have the latest version 8.01 as V8.0 creates
VERY LARGE EPS's with images embedded.
CorelDrawCopy *.cdr files. Only supply fonts NOT INCLUDED
with CorelDraw. Separated PDFs made from CorelDraw print files, will ONLY work
if distilled with Version 3.02 Distiller - Applies to all
versions of CorelDraw! Tips: 1. Try to stay away from applying LENS tools. These will
create HUMUNGOUS! print files. As an example, a client created a
Magazine cover (A4) with Transparencies applied to a text heading
in 120pt. The resultant print file was 2.1gb!!!
Word97-2000These instructions are mandatory for any Word documents that you supply for either film or bromide output. 1. Setup your default printer as a Linotronic 330 (Mono) or
FrontierV7 (Colour - See our driver
installation).
Microsoft PublisherOutputting Separations from Microsoft Publisher The document should create a PDF in the selected destination folder. Each page of the PDF should represent a colour ink for that page. eg a 2 page document with CMYK separations will make an 8 page PDF. Bleeds with Crop Marks and colour names should be visible.
Poster PrintingFile preparation for Poster Printing is somewhat different to that of producing prepress film. The usual method is to work in a reduced size format such as A4 which is then scaled to the final size at output. No matter which method you prefer to use, the final scaled size (print size) needs an image resolution of only 70-80dpi. Any more than this is wasted download time. To give you a idea of these scaling ratios, please use the following as a guide:
The inks and papers/films used in this
process are NOT designed for external use
because of water sensitivity.
Producing Postscript files & PDF'sCheck that your application CAN produce
postscript files. In windows 3.11 or 95/98, you will have to
install a postscript
colour printer connected to
'file'. If you are using postscript fonts, use your font manager
to ensure fonts will be downloaded with the file automatically.
True type fonts will work fine!
What is the FTP method of file transfer?FTP (file transfer protocol) is a method of file transfer directly from the client machine (you) to the server (us). This is far more real time than the email system that firstly packages up the message (enveloping), sends it the your local mail server (either real local for large organisations or to your ISP's mail server for others) where it can wait from hours to days! for these servers to offload the envelope to the destination server where it has to be uploaded to the addressee. To FTP from the client side (yours), you
will need an FTPing application. (We have both PC and MAC Versions on
our site for immediate downloading if required.) These allow you
to use the familiar point & click/drag & drop approach of
moving files from your site to our site DIRECTLY just as if you
were using your own local network. When you have completed an
upload, you will be able to display an To gain access to this site, you will need a userid and a password. You can request this via email but preferably please phone to discuss your access requirements. There is no additional charges for this service from Frontier Technology. Simple Site Rules.1. Always archive files either zip for
PC or MAC can use stuffit. This keeps ALL your files together,
which makes it easier for us to identify.
Scanning tips for film preparationWith todays' ready access to inexpensive desktop scanners, more and more graphic artists are finding it cost effective to supply their own scans for film production. Whilst the scanner salesman will have you enthralled at how 'easy' it is, might we suggest that there are a few basics that MOST new comers (as well as some who are NOT so new) don't appreciate! These ALL constitute a potential separation output problem. RGB versus CMYKMost desktop scanners produce a raw scan
in RGB format - If you only want multimedia or web scans, then
this is the format for you. BUT if the intention is to produce
printed material, via film separations, then you have to convert
to CMYK format. Why convert to CMYK when most professional
software allows you to place or insert RGB? At some point in the
film separation process, a CMYK format HAS to be produced. In
most instances, this conversion is 'table' driven by the
application using various colour correction algorythmns. Even
worst are some applications (eg QuarkXpress) that won't work
correctly with both the EFI conversion and imposition extensions
rendering one of the two useless. DPI and LPI and PPIDPI (dots per inch) and PPI
(pixels per inch) relate to the smallest element in a
scan whilst LPI (lines per inch) is the printers
term for measuring the halftone screen which in almost all cases
is determined by the application process and the print media
(paper, plastic, linen etc). You willl normally have to select a
DPI at the scanning stage to suit the LPI at the printing stage.
This can be calculated by the following formula. DPI=LPI
x 1.5 or 2 at final print size. e.g. DPI = 150lpi x
1.5 = 225dpi @ the final print size. My suggestion for small
images, is to use the factor of 2 whilst for larger sizes
(20mb>) use 1.5 factor. The saving in file size is extensive
whilst the quality tradeoff is negligable. Always enlarge or
reduce your scan at the scanner stage
to suit the final layout. Remember that sizing smaller an image
in an application such as Quark or Pagemaker effectively increases
your DPI whilst conversely enlarging the size of an
image decreases the effective DPI! Tonal RangesUnless you're
absolutely sure of the outcome, I'd suggest NOT using any
automatic tonal range features of your scanning device. The
tendency is to lose too much in the highlights and shadows and
leave the midtones too dark. This correction can be done either
in the twain driver OR Photoshop. It is generally BETTER to make
broad adjustments in the twain device and finer adjustments in
Photoshop. As an illustration, on a Microtek twain interface,
turn auto OFF, set the histogram manually by adjusting the shadow
up to the darkest area and the highlight down to the lightest
area. Then change the midtone from 1.00 to 1.20. Colour
correction should be turned ON. Set the size and dpi (as outlined
above). Scan into Photshop. Image SharpnessA raw scan from a flatbed (or even a
drum!) will look too soft unless some electronic sharpening is
applied. (This does not apply to rescreens!) The amount of
sharpening will depend on both the type of original, and whether
you have enlarged or reduced the image. Enlargement will always
emphasise grain. Colour can be sharpened differently to
grayscales.
If you have scanner 'noise' showing in the shadow end (which is common in trannie scanners) you can increase the threshhold from 0 to 4 or more so the shadows are not sharpened or try converting to LAB COLOUR, select channel 'lightness' and apply sharpening then convert back to CMYK. Scanning Rescreens (preprinted images)On a flatbed scanner, set the dpi to
300, size at 100% - TONAL RANGES AND COLOUR AS ABOVE. Scan into
Photoshop. Apply a guassian blur of
approx 0.3 for fine screens through to 1.0 or more for coarser
screens. This will reduce or eliminate the dots (at the expense
of sharpness). If the image needs to be reduced to final size
then using image size, change the size
and dpi if required. As a rule, DON'T enlarge a
rescreen! Try applying a USM now IF you have
reduced the image at least 80%.
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Remove unused colours from palettes.