Art
Adobe Illustrator – Prefer file saved as Illustrator CS5 or lower. Make sure all fonts are saved to outlines and the file is saved as an .eps.
What are the acceptable art files?
Corel Draw – Create curves for all images and fonts. Save in Adobe Illustrator (.ai) format.
*Sometimes we can use .pdf files, depending on how the original artwork was created. If the file was created in Illustrator but saved as a .pdf we are able to use it. We can help you determine if it is acceptable or not.
What are the acceptable art files for 4 Color Process?
.jpg or .tiff saved at the correct imprint size and 300 dpi.
**We cannot use a .jpg saved at 2” x 3” and 72 dpi to imprint an item 4" x 6". Please ask your sales rep. what the imprint area of your item is so you can provide the proper file size.
What files are unacceptable?
.jpg .gif .tiff .bmp
.doc (Microsoft Word)
.ppt (Microsoft PowerPoint)
.psd (Adobe Photoshop)
.qxd (Quark Express)
What if I don't have any art?
ads infinitum has a full service graphic design department. For in-house orders, we gladly provide up to 30 minutes of complimentary art creation/re-creation/editing. Services that require beyond that are billed at a discounted rate of $50 per hour.
"For hire" graphic design services, for those not placing a related product order, are billed at an hourly rate of $100 per hour. Subsequent change orders and editing are billed in 15 minute increments.
What is the process for imprinting promotional products?
The process of imprinting promotional products requires specific art files called vector art. Vector art allows us to separate colors, manipulate art, and shrink & blow up your art without it becoming pixilated. This allows for your product to have a clean, legible imprint.
The most commonly used forms of vector art are created in Illustrator or CorelDraw and are saved as an .eps file. All text must be converted to outlines or curves/paths.
Other forms of art files you may have are .jpg, .tiff, .psd, .gif, or .bmp. These are all forms of raster art. We are not able to manipulate, separate colors, or increase the size of rastored art files. Therefore we are not able to use these files to imprint your products.
Raster files can be used for certain types of imprinting. If you are using 4 color process art (full color), like a photograph, on a mug or magnet, we can use a .jpg or .tiff file if it is at the correct imprint size and 300 dpi. Please ask your sales rep. about this option, as it is only allowed on certain items.
What are PMS colors?
PMS colors are used in the promotional products industry as a way to ensure two parties are referring to the exact same color. A color is given a number (PMS 117) that will help determine what other colors and how much of each color is needed to mix together to get the exact shade needed. Large companies and universities often have PMS colors for their logos to ensure that all products are printed with the same colors regardless of who prints them.
PMS Color Chart
What is Raster vs. Vector?
Raster images are created through the process of scanning artwork or "painting" with a photo editing or paint program such as Adobe PhotoShop. A raster image is a collection of dots called pixels. Each pixel is a tiny colored square. When an image is scanned, it is converted to a collection of pixels called a raster image. Scanned graphics and web graphics (JPEG and GIF files) are the most common forms of raster images.
If you take a .jpg at 300 dpi and increase its size in a graphics program, you can visibly see that the has gotten "fuzzy." The only thing that happened is the tiny pixel squares got bigger and created jaggy edges on your image.
In other words, raster images do not scale up very well. The quality of an imprint produced from a raster image is dependent upon the resolution (dpi) of the raster image, the capabilities of the printing technology and whether or not the image has been scaled up.
File Formats
Common raster image formats include BMP, TIFF, JPEG, or GIF.
Vector Images
Vector images are created through the process of drawing with vector illustration programs such as Adobe Illustrator. A vector image is a collection of connected lines and curves that produce objects. When creating a vector image in a vector illustration program, node or drawing points are inserted and lines and curves connect nodes together. This is the same principle as "connect the dots". Each node, line and curve is defined in the drawing by a mathematical description.
Vector images are defined by math, not pixels. They can be scaled up or down without any loss of quality. When an illustration (drawing) program sizes a vector image up or down, it simply multiplies the mathematical description of the object by a scaling factor. For example a 1" square object would need to be multiplied by a factor of 2 in order to double in size. The math is simply recalculated to produce an object twice the size of the original. Because vector images scale up or down without the loss of image quality, they can be output at any resolution that a printer is capable of producing. Unlike raster images, quality is not limited by dots per inch or scanning resolution. This is the main reason vector images are most often required for imprinting on goods.
File Formats
Common vector formats include EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
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