Let's talk artwork!

Providing the correct artwork for your projects is one of the key elements for insuring success through a clean and clear decoration application on the item of your choice. We need art that has been created in a vector based program. "Vector Graphics", according to dictionary.com is a method of electronically coding graphic images so that they are represented in lines rather than fixed bitmaps, allowing an image as on a computer display screen to be rotated and proportionally scaled. Simply said, it means QUALITY. Very often I receive JPEGs that have been resaved as EPS files. When they look fuzzy on the screen and when you print them out is usually a good indicator you are not working with an original file. The good news is, if you have a professionally created logo, your graphic designer should provide you with that vector based file upon completion or request. It is always a good idea to keep a copy of all of the format versions of your logo on file for reference as well. If your original designer or files are MIA, we can easily clean up your art and recreate it as a vector based file to the tune of $60-80 in most cases. I often tell my clients, this is a good and inexpensive investment for the future whether it be for branded items through me or business cards, stationary, etc.


Here are some other terms that may come in handy as we communicate about your artwork...

• PMS (Pantone Matching System)- this is a printing color method based on a list of specifically mixed colors that are considered to be true and pure- many factories offer a PMS color match for an additional fee, sometimes it's free, but it may not always translate exactly because the final appearance of the color may vary based on the material that you are printing on- if there is any question and time is not of the essence, we can always do a pre-production sample just to be sure the color meets your expectations
  
• CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)- by using these four colors most other colors can be achieved- this is often acceptable for four or full color process printing
• HALFTONES and GRANDIENTS- the first is a series of dots that determine the shade of a color, the second changes the density of color from light to dark by gradually increasing or decreasing the density of the dots- it can sometimes pose problems in the printing process depending on the DPI of the screen but on the upside, it is often a way to turn into a 1 color imprint into a 2 or 3 with variations on the main color
• DPI (dots per inch) is the unit of measurement for the resolution, communicating the density of dots in a print image- the higher the DPI the better resolution- we usually request a minimum of 300 DPI
• FONTS can be converted or corrupted in transmission when transfered from one software platform to another therefore it's important to convert all fonts to outlines/curves before sending your digital files- once you lock it in with outlines, you won't be able to make changes so keep an additional manipulatable file on hand for future changes- we will also work together to make sure that the point size of the font meets the requirements of the material we're working with (side note: embroidered letters always have to be a minimum of 3/16" to be legible)

That is a lot of detailed information I know! In a nutshell:

• Send me 100% vector based art
• Convert all fonts to outlines
• Save the file as a PDF or EPS

Unless we are dealing with a rush order in which we have to forfeit the proof, we also provide a proof- these days it's usually electronic via e-mail but we still have an occasional factory that sends it via fax. This part of the process allows us both to confirm that we are the same page as the factory in terms of logo, layout and colors.

For questions or more specifics that weren't covered here drop me a line!