Prepress includes all the needed steps to make your design ready to print. Your documents will have been prepared by your designer in specific computer programs like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Corel Draw. Once we get the files we do the following:

• verify if all files are present and meet the technical specs
• advise you of problems we see
• making minor but critical adjustments to the sizes to allow for bleeds and margins
• adjusting the trapping of colors
• generating art proofs for client approval
• making final files to make plates or films
• checking the quality of the final print

Our staff have many years of experience even predating computer-based prepress. We have used those huge 6 foot high cameras and done lots of manual film stripping. You can be sure that we have the experience to catch most problems and we advise you what the problems and solutions are.

Allow 1 to 3 days for prepress. Your manufacturing turntime starts after final proofs are approved.

Press-ready file specs:

Skilled designers may submit press-ready files and may save on their job setup costs. On the other hand, many designers don't want to submit press-ready files because there is no one to check their work and they would be liable for any mistakes.

For offset printing:

• PDF-X 1/A output from InDesign (or equivalent). Do not send Photoshop PDFs or PDFs made by random programs you may have.
• Flattened CMYK TIF at 300 dpi

Hardcopy color proofs and separated proofs should be supplied.