Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to send along with my job?
How do I get my files to you?
What file formats and software does GCC accept?
How can I get the best results from my Illustrator or Freehand files?
Why does the 'duotone' effect that I create in my layout program print differently than what I see on my screen?
Can I use a screen capture in my printed piece?

What do I need to send along with my job?   top

In the initial phase of the production process, all files are screened for required components by our Flightcheck software. To help ensure that your files contain all of these components, simply follow these guide lines:

1. Include all fonts. This would include all screen and printer fonts used in the primary document(s) as well as any fonts used in support files.
2. Include all support files. This would include original Freehand, Illustrator and Photoshop files for trapping purposes. Provided scans will need a minimum resolution of 266 dpi, when placed in your page layout program at 100%. Clipping paths should be set in your Photoshop files, not in your page layout program. If your job uses any layered Photoshop images, please include the original PSD layered file, as well as the flattened version.
3. Include nested, stored or embedded files (files imported into a drawing program or files used to generate an EPS file from Quark.
4. Provide color or black and white lasers. If your job is particularly complex or if it has many unnumbered pages, a folded comp version of the final piece is requested.
5. If any portion of your job is to bleed, please set the bleed at a minimum of .125".
6. If you customized the Tracking Values in your PageMaker file, you will need to send those along with your file.
7. Photographs, slides and reflective art are all suitable for scanning. Original art that has been mounted or framed may pose some obvious problems. Please consult your sales rep before sending this type of material.

1. We can accept almost all standard media, in both the Macintosh and PC platforms: ZIP disks (both 100 and 200 MB), JAZ disks, CDs or mini-disks.
2. If your file(s) isn't too big, you can e-mail it to us at one of the two addresses listed below. Please compress your file(s) using either WinZip or Stuffit.
3. You can also post your job to the Graphic Communications FTP site. If you do not currently have a folder on your FTP site, contact your sales rep or one of our PreFlight people. We will then supply you with the specifics of accessing this folder.

What file formats and software does GCC accept?   top

We can accept almost every type of graphic file. We may have to convert some formats to fit our workflow. There are some programs that create a smoother workflow, so it you have the option, use QuarkXPress for your page layout, Adobe Illustrator for vector based support files and Adobe Photoshop for photographic images. The only software that we have conditional reservations about are Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Publisher. Please note that if your job or any part of your job is a PDF, this PDF must be created using GCC prescribed settings. Please contact us with any questions in regard to this.

How can I get the best results from my Illustrator or Freehand files?   top

1. If you have placed images in your vector file (especially from other programs), it is always best to send those images to us as well.
2. Gradients and blends can cause some unpredictable results. This can occur when one of the colors in the gradient is a spot and the other is CMYK, or even when two different spot colors are used. The ideal solution for a smooth gradient is to use one spot color set with different values (even 0%) of itself.
3. Stray font path points in an Illustrator file can cause a job to fail preflight and later to fail in the RIP. An easy way to check your file is to view it in the Outline mode, and then on the menu bar, go to Type>Find Font. Click the Find Next button until you have located and deleted all the stray points.
4. Make sure the colors in your support files follow the same naming conventions as those in your page layout program. An example would be if your Quark file used a Pantone 185CV and a support file placed into this Quark file uses a Pantone 185 CVC.
5. If your job is to print as 4-color process, you may want to check your document and support files to see that the PMS colors are set to print as process. While standard PMS spot colors convert to CMYK reasonably well, 'S' colors will show a dramatic color shift when they are converted. In order to achieve the correct color, change the CMYK values until you see a satisfactory match.

Why does the 'duotone' effect that I create in my layout program print differently than what I see on my screen?   top

Even though this effect may look great on your screen or even on your color laser, this means of creating the duotone effect in QuarkXPress does not achieve accurate results. When saved without images (OPI), Quark fails to call out the correct spot color of the background. Therefore, we have to save the file with images and Quark calls out the spot color as CMYK. We highly recommend creating the duotone (or a 4 color fake duotone) effect in Photoshop.

Can I use a screen capture in my printed piece?   top

By their nature, all screen grabs are RGB with a resolution of only 72 dpi. When the colors are converted to CMYK, you may see some shift in the color values. Also, they will probably need to be placed in your layout program at a significantly reduced size, so as to gain as much resolution as possible. Make sure your screen captures are the largest size allowable by your monitor.

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact our Pre Flight Customer Service:
Dale Bogart