Artwork Submission Guidelines
Submitting artwork should be easy and hassle free, here are some tips to keep in mind for submitting your files.
SUPPLYING ARTWORK FOR PRINT
Creative Surfaces, Inc can not accept files created in page layout programs such as Adobe InDesign, Quark XPress, or Microsoft Publisher. If you have any questions about sending in your logo and art files please see the guidelines listed below.
To enable us to deliver printed matter of the highest possible quality and to avoid any incurring additional charges for time spent correcting artwork, we ask that the following guidelines be followed. (Errors may arise and deliveries may be delayed as a result of incorrectly supplied files. We’re more than happy to help by answering queries regarding the supply of artwork by emailing us or calling 605.336.1572 & ask to speak to an artist.)
ACCEPTED FILE FORMATS
We can accept the following file formats:
Adobe Creative Suites CC and earlier:
– Adobe Illustrator CC (.ai, .eps, or .pdf) and earlier versions of Illustrator
– Adobe Photoshop CC (.psd – in layers – with all text converted) and earlier versions of Photoshop
– Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) – must be “Press Ready” at Full Resolution of 300dpi.
UNACCEPTED FILE FORMATS
The following file formats are NOT accepted:
– Adobe InDesign – this is a page layout program, not to be used for creating vector artwork. (fyi… your gradients & shadows will not be retained once we pre-press)
– Quark XPress
– Corel Draw
– Freehand
– Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Paint, or Publisher
(Anything “Microsoft” is not acceptable, as we work on MAC platforms. Microsoft only plays well with PC’s.)
– Word Perfect – this is a text document for writing. No artwork should ever be designed in this.
DOCUMENT SETUP
Artwork should be supplied with at least a 1 inch bleed beyond the edge of the piece. Please ensure all artwork is centered within the document page.
COLOR
We use a high-quality photo processor, therefore it only works with RGB files. Should your file come in as CMYK, it would be converted to RGB and may affect appearance of any artwork created in CMYK format.
When submitting artwork digitally, please provide a color print that we can match. A color copy of the artwork is extremely helpful for matching purposes. For any spot colors used, please provide a Pantone color.
RESOLUTION
We prefer that all artwork be submitted in vector format.
However, if you have a file that is non-vector art– like a JPG or some kind of flattened file –it should be supplied at a minimum of 300 dpi at final output size. Images downloaded from the internet are generally of too low a resolution (72dpi) to be suitable for printing at press quality. For example, if you submit a 12 inch square image that needs to be enlarged to a 36 inch square image, your 72dpi, would reduce to approximately 24dpi. This will result in a very pixelated/grainy/fuzzy look of your image.
If you are submitting artwork for a large scale sign, we do accept artwork at 50% size with a 300dpi resolution.
FONTS
Please do one of two things when supplying:
1.) Convert text to outlines.
2.) Provide the used font, either via zipped font file, or give the name.
Keep in mind that fonts can be expensive. If we are unable to attain the given font, we will do our absolute best to find a most-similar font.
FILES FOR CUT VINYL:
These files MUST be supplied in VECTOR FORMAT.
Adobe Illustrator (.ai), Encapsulated Postscript (.eps), or Portable Document Format (.pdf) files are acceptable as long as they are in outlined form. If we have to re-draw your file, there may be an art charge depending on level of detail of the image.
SENDING ARTWORK
To submit artwork for a job, please:
• Email files smaller than 10MB.
• Send or hand deliver a CD with color proof and Pantone colors.
• For color prints, please send a printed color sample to verify proper color match.
Mail to:
Creative Surfaces, Inc.
Attn: Art Dept
1701 F Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
• Or contact us for instructions on submitting large files via our FTP site.
Please make sure all images are attached. Do not “embed” the files – this causes corruption issues & large file sizes, thus making download times longer. Keep in mind, if you need to compress the files to send, we only have capabilities of opening ZIP files.
Thank you for your cooperation & we look forward to working on your project with you!
AutoCAD Files
We also have the ability to view & work in the following file formats: • DWG • DXF • Rhino • Solidworks