Cross Blue: File Checklist

File Checklist

Everything you need to know before you send in the final files.

Making Sure the Files are Right.

Making sure your files are done correctly are extremly important - it saves both time and money. While we will always preflight your files to ensure accuracy, it's always best that you have your final files prepared correctly.

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1.	Accepted File Formats We accept up to Adobe CS4, Quark 7, Microsoft Office 2007 files. Both Mac and Windows platform. Although, Hi-Resolution PDF files are the most desirable format if set-up correctly.
2.	Basics for Exporting Hi-Res PDFs a. Include bleeds. b. Include crop marks and registration marks. c. Do not include any color profiles. d. Do not include any compression. e. Ask our staff for instruction.
3.	Black Text Black or grey text should not be created out of more than one color, especially small and thin type. Registration during printing would be extremely difficult if black or grey text was created out of more than one color. - Black or grey TEXT should be created out of only one color Black. (Cyan 0, Magenta 0, Yellow 0, Black 10~100) - Use "Overprint" to print text over colors.
4.	Bleeds Bleed is to extend an image beyond the finished trim size so that the image runs right to the end of the printed sheet after trimming and binding. In short, bleed is an allowance for cutting. It is a standard printing practice, projects that make use of bleed should extend any bleeding background and/or images 1/8" over the final paper trim edge.
5.	Building a Book When building project with more than 2 pages, be sure to add pages in units of four.
6.	Color Mode All images must be in CMYK mode instead of RGB.
7.	File Collection When sending us the native files, be sure to include all "fonts" and "links" used. Do a "Collect for Output" in Quark, or "Package" in InDesign.
8.	Image Resolution All images should be 300dpi for optimal print result.
9.	PMS Color or Spot Colors The best way to ensure spot colors from different applications separate correctly, is to make sure they have the same "Name". "PANTONE 186 C" and "PANTONE 186 CV" are two different colors. Just because they have the same number does not mean they will color separate on the same plate. Capitalization matters as well, "Peach" and "peach" are two different colors. If you have a one spot color project, you might find it easier to simply set everything up as black. Or if you have a two spot color project, set everything up choosing two of the CMYK colors. e.g. Black and Magenta.
10.	Product of Origin Required by US Custom, "Product of Origin" needs to be present on all entry goods. Thus "Printed in China" should be present somewhere on the layout in order to clear custom without delay. The most common location people use are: The back cover, copyright page, or table of content page.
11.	Rich Black Rich Black (CMYK black) should be used for very large solid areas ONLY, not on small, thin text or object. Use C40% M30% Y30% K100%.
12.	Sending us Hi-Res PDFs PDF document has become a standard file format for many customer sending their projects to printers. There are a number of good reasons: 1. It is independent from the hardware, software and operating system (OS) used to create the PDF document. 2. By its nature, PDF is not an editable document format - It cannot easily be changed, revised or manipulated. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about file being accidentally altered by any third party, or text shifts due to conflicting fonts. When sending us the Hi-Res PDF, be sure to ask our staff for the instructions on how to export them.
13.	Setting Up Document Always verify document sizes. Self-covered or saddle stitches book sets up differently from perfect-bound books. Perfect bound books needs to include dimensions for spine.