| Mechanical Artwork |
The traditional standard for acceptable
mechanical artwork that is "camera-ready black and white" material |
| Vector files |
Sometimes called a geometric file, most images
created with tools such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw are in the form of
vector image files. Vector image files are easier to modify than raster image
files. (which can, however, sometimes be reconverted to vector files for further
refinement) Another way to look at it is that every pixel in the image has an X
and a Y axis, this allows easy resizing without loss of quality. |
| Bitmap files |
Images are exactly what their name says they
are: a collection of bits that form an image. The image consists of a matrix of
individual dots (or pixels) that all have their own color (described using bits,
the smallest possible units of information for a computer). Unless these are in
very large sized resolution (600 DPI or better), they are unusable in the
printing process. |
| Page Layout Documents |
The font files and document preferences that
need to be supplied for use on the supplier’s end in case they do not have a
rare or special font that you would like to use. |
| Metafile |
A collection of structures that store a
picture in a device- independent format. Device independence is the one feature
that sets metafiles apart from bitmaps. Unlike a bitmap, a metafile guarantees
device independence. There is a drawback to metafiles, because they are
generally drawn more slowly than bitmaps. Therefore, if an application requires
fast drawing and device independence is not an issue, it should use bitmaps
instead of metafiles. |
| (PDF) files |
Adobe® Portable Document Format preserve the
visually rich content of original files, and are easier to read than HTML
content that appears in a Web browser. Adobe PDF files print cleanly and
quickly, and anyone can share Adobe PDF files, regardless of their platform or
software application. This is good to show the end result you would like, but
usually not good for sending artwork that needs to be printed. |
| TIFF - Not usable |
Tagged Image File Format file: A file format
for exchanging bitmapped images between different applications. This format will
not work to use in the printing process |
| EPS - Accepted |
Encapsulated Postscript file: An alternative
picture file format that allows PostScript data to be stored and edited and is
easy to transfer between Macintosh, Windows machines, and other
systems. |
| AI - Accepted |
Adobe Illustrator File, the very best in
quality to recreate your artwork in the printing process. |
| JPG - Not usable |
Commonly used on the web due to it's excellent
ability to compress the graphic to save webpage load time. This format will not
work to use in the printing process. |
| GIF - Not usable |
Commonly used on the web due to it's ability
to reduce the number of colors an image uses to be viewed to save webpage load
time. This format will not work to use in the printing process. |
| BMP - Not usable |
A low resolution Image format. This format
will not work to use in the printing process. |
| Doc - Not usable |
This format will not
work to use in the printing process. |
| Web Pages- Not Usable |
As a general rule, if it can be viewed on the
web it will most likely be too low of quality for printing. Web graphics are
made to load quickly, thereby cutting the quality of the image. The eye may not
notice on the web, but it will show up in printing.
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