ELECTRONIC FILES (e-Files)

FORMAT NOTES

PDF is the prefered format because it is a frozen document that will look and print the same on any computer (generally - there are always exceptions!).

 

MS PUBLISHER & WORD

  • DO NOT use the wizards to format BOOKLETS, FLYERS, or any style
  • ONLY supply A4 pages - our machines will do the rest. (Pre-formatted documents are actually more difficult to work with, and may slow down your job and/or incur pre-press charges.)
  • ALWAYS include your fonts (We have 4,000 but do not necessarily have yours or your version - there is no such thing as ‘standard Windows fonts’)
  • ALWAYS include a hardcopy sample of what the job should look like

 

MS POWERPOINT

  • PowerPoint is a SCREEN SLIDE SHOW program. It is not designed for printing.

Screen resolution is 96dpi, printing is 300 - 600dpi. Only use PowerPoint for computer presentations, or print out the presentation just as a record and not as a presentation itself.

NOTE: Many universities recommend using PowerPoint to create posters for assignments. This is bad advice. Posters cannot be printed direct from PowerPoint files, and the Export feature is limited, the TIF or JPG it exports is often jaggy and low resolution graphics. (PDFs from PowerPoint do not work: pieces are left out and mangled). Use Word or Publisher and make a PDF.

 

MS EXCEL

  • Excel is a spreadsheet program (formulas calculate numbers)
  • Excel is NOT suitable in ANY WAY for graphics, layout, or word-processing.
  • Print options are very limited.
  • Use a printout only as a hardcopy record of a spreadsheet.

 

PHOTOSHOP (.psd)

We do not accept PhotoShop files - layers can chnage between computers. INSTEAD, export a TIF.

 

TIF / TIFF

‘Tagged Image Format’

Image/Photo format. Strong, solid, small but safe compression.

  • Supply at 300dpi resolution for digital print
  • Supply at 600dpi resolution and CMYK colour for offset print
  • Supply at 150dpi (72 in a pinch) for poster printing (but ONLY if poster is 1:1 size and will not be enlarged)
  • Use LZW compression option
  • Not suitable for lots of text, or fine text, such as supplying business card art

 

JPG / JPEG

‘Joint Photographics Expert Group’

Image/Photo format. Uses extreme high compression, but is ‘lossy’ (throws away info).

  • Throws away info every save
  • Compresses so much fuzzy bits are introduced
  • Best for emailing small files and for web graphics
  • Digital camera files UNTOUCHED are OK to print (they are usually JPGs but are also usually A1 size in the camera and can be printed in A3 or A4 and still hold quality)
  • Supply at 150dpi (72 in a pinch) for poster printing (but ONLY if poster is 1:1 size and will not be enlarged)
  • Not suitable for lots of text, or fine text, such as supplying business card art
  • If you have no choice but to supply JPGs, use zero compression if possible (File will still be compressed, but less)

For more info on POSTERS, see COLOUR POSTERS

 

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