Prepress

Digital Prepress Guide

Digital printing is an outstanding opportunity to reshape the way you communicate with your customers. Now you don't have to settle for a generic, watered-down message. You can create multiple, specific, targeted communications that can be geared to each target's tastes and interests. With TCG Solutions digital presses you can conform the message to the audience instead of forcing your audience to conform to the message.

OK, so we've sold you on thinking digital. Now what? What's your role? Don't worry. Our digital printing experts are here to help. This Designer's Guide will help you prepare your digital files so that you can get the most out of this exciting technology. It will also make it so your client services rep doesn't get an earful from our printing technicians.

File Preparation

Before sending your files to us be sure to include instructions that define the job and specify how it is to be printed. Always include a hard copy of your document(s) at actual size. If necessary, please tile your document over several pages. Also include a printout of what files are included on your media. The hard copy helps our printing technicians accurately produce your work.

Software Applications
Always provide your documents in their original application format. We don't care which application you use as long as it's one of these.
QuarkXPress
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Macromedia Freehand
Adobe InDesign

We also will not be drawn into the Mac vs. Windows argument (unless we're bored or provoked). We can work with both systems.

Paper Sizes
Size really does matter after all. The maximum sheet size for our digital presses is 13" x 19". The maximum printable area, including bleed is 12.2” x 17.70”.

Any page size can be created as long as it fits within the maximum printable area. A full bleed can be added to your pages to allow for off-line trimming.

Paper Stocks
Our digital presses use a sheet-fed process on a wide variety of coated and uncoated paper stocks. Just contact your customer service representative for a list of available stocks, or send us your paper spec and we'll let you know if it will give you the best results.

Images
Save your images as CMYK files. Be sure to include all original high-resolution images, logo and other art that were used to create your document. We accept images in TIFF, Binary EPS, or Bitmap formats. Please do not separate the images, change the screen angles, include transfer functions or line screens. File resolutions should be set to at least 300 dpi or higher at 100% of the size it will be used in your document. When sending us logos and other forms of line art, we've found that 600 dpi works well. Remember, a picture paints a thousand words, but no one will be able to read them if you don't send us high-resolution images.

Color
Convert all RGB files to CMYK. It's easy and will save you additional preparation charges. Custom conversion should utilize the "SWOP" (Coated)" option in Photoshop. If you want to use spot colors, just convert them to their process equivalents. When converting RGB to CMYK on a desktop system use the following parameters--90 percent ink limit; 300 percent total ink limit; UCR Separation. If you need some help, just give us a call or shoot us an email and we'll walk you through the process.

Duotones
We love those black-and-white original images reproduced in two colors. Duotones created using spot colors (PMS) must be converted to four-color process for digital printing.

Highlight Dots
Reproduction of all detail highlight dots is process critical and must contain at least six percent cyan and five percent magenta and yellow.

Blends, Vignettes and Flat Tints
No one likes it and we can help you avoid it. Blends should be held to a 10-15 percent value change. Large areas of flat tints can be a challenge on a digital press. Dark colors print best when used in smaller coverage areas. Flat tints should never contain less than a six percent dot. For those of you who love the sophistication of black (and you know who you are), use a rich black. We've found that the best formula for a rich black is 75 percent C, 75 percent M, 75 percent Y and 100 percent K. Here's another tip--add a little noise filter or pattern to a blend or a large area of flat tint to lessen the banding effect.

Page Layout
Design your documents using single pages. Even multi-page documents please.

Fonts
We have a lot of fonts, but we can always use more. Send us yours so your document looks the way you designed it. This includes fonts embedded in EPS files that have been placed into your document. Both screen and printer fonts should be included, plus any Truetype fonts. Drag them all into a folder labeled "fonts" and slap them on a Zip disk, 3.5 Floppy disk, CD ROM, or post it on our FTP site.

Finishing Options
We are a full service printing operation. We offer a wide range of finishing options including collation, stacking, padding, drilling, scoring and folding. We can also handle fulfillment, packaging, warehousing, assembly, distribution and mailing services. Give us a call or visit our distribution solutions section of our site to learn more.

Proofs
For efficiency we pre-flight all incoming art and create a .PDF proof within 48 hours of receiving the client’s art. TCG Solutions also has the ability to proofs with digital printing. Your proof will be printed on the actual paper that your job will be printed on. What better way to see how it will look than on your specified paper? Call your customer service representative for the terms and conditions of our proofing process.