File Setup Guidelines

  • Mac or PC files accepted.
  • Please save QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, Mircrosoft Office to High Quality PDF format.
  • Photoshop: Flatten layers and save as TIF or JPG. 150 dpi at final size recommended.
  • Illustrator: Flatten layers, convert text to outlines, flatten transparencies and save as EPS or PDF.
  • Please create art using CMYK color. Using RGB may cause a shift in color when printed.
  • Keep in mind when setting up banners to keep any live area (usually text and logos) at least 2″ from the edges. 1″ is the bare minimum. This will ensure that the text and logos will not be sewn into when the banner is hemmed.

PLEASE NOTE: Production time may increase if problems are encountered with files that are not set up correctly.

Printing White

Instructions for setting up a file to be printed on clear and colored surfaces using white ink using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

  1. Open your file in Illustrator and make an invisible box the size of your artboard.
  2. Save your file as a color EPS. This will be the color part.
  3. Keep the same file open and select all objects in the file, besides the invisible box around the artboard, and change the colors to white.
  4. Save this file as a white EPS file.
  5. Open the white EPS file into Photoshop.
  6. Select all the white in the file (select one object with the magic wand, then go to the select menu and then similar).
  7. While all objects in the file are selected, go to channels and select “new spot channel”.
  8. Create a white channel and name it “White” with 100% opacity.
  9. Create a new layer.
  10. Place the color EPS file in the new layer. It should place right on top of the white layer (color objects should line up perfectly on top of the white objects). Then hit enter. It should look like all the white with maybe some slivers of color showing. If you want to see colors, go back to the channels menu and make the white channel invisible. Just be sure to make it visible again before saving.
  11. Save as a CMYK TIF file with layers and spot colors. LZW compression is OK.


Sending Large Files (100MB or less)

While we are in the process of obtaining a permanent file upload system, please try the free service of YouSendIt if you need to send us large files.

Here are instructions on how to sign up and send a file.

  1. Go to the website www.yousendit.com
  2. Click on the Sign Up tab at the top of the screen.
  3. Click on the SIGN UP button for the Lite account (it is free to send up to 100MB).
  4. Fill out the form and hit Submit
  5. It will send you a confirmation e-mail. Go to your e-mail and click on the Activate Now button.
  6. It will now take you to the Login Screen.
  7. Log in with the e-mail and password you provided.
  8. Click on the Start Sending Now link.
  9. Fill out the form (e-mail address you want to send the file to,  subject and message)
  10. Browse for the file on your computer that you want to send.
  11. Then press the SEND IT button.

That’s it. Now the e-mail you are sending the file to will get a link to the file and they can now download it.