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Custom Printed Napkins

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Sending Artwork
The smart Artwork Guidelines defines the quality criteria that determine the readiness of each of four common artwork formats. The guidelines cover both vector and raster art files, as well as including instructions to avoid common errors related to fonts and linked images.

What is Vector / Raster?
Vector (also called PostScript) & Raster (also Called Bitmap)

Raster art is done in photographic or painting programs, digital cameras and scanners.

Bit-maps are comprised of a matrix of small squares called pixels.

Resolution is the number of pixels in an inch (dpi-dots per inch). The resolution setting will dictate the maximum size at which the artwork can be used. The artwork can't be enlarged past the maximum size allowed by its resolution without loss of quality and visible degradation. This is used mainly for Photographs.

Original Raster Size and how it appears zoomed in 2400%

Vector art is done in a drawing or art program with lines, curves and shapes. Vector art can be enlarged or reduced infinitely without loss of detail or degradation in quality. Vector art is often used for company logos, clip art, technical illustrations, type and/or t-shirt artwork. It can also be used for complex beautiful designs as well.

Original Vector Size - Wireframe of Vector Drawing and how it appears zoomed in 2400%

Graphics from the internet are designed for your monitor at only 72 Pixels per inch (dpi). They are unusable for print reproductions.

Saving a raster based file with the .eps extension does not convert it to vector. This has to be done in a drawing program.

Photographs and bit maps can be turned into spot color by an expert. Using Just two colors does not make it Spot color. It is still four color process or red, green. Blue for monitors. Black and White files are the same unless saved as gray scale.

Scanned art should be scanned at 300 resolution (dpi) or higher to ensure that it will printed or drawn properly.

Vector Format and Files
Vector is the preferred format, done in drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator & Corel Draw.

.ai: Adobe Illustrator native format version 13-CS3 or earlier.
.cdr: Corel Draw native format
.eps: (Encapsulated Post Script) graphics and Industry standard.
.fla: Flash File
.pdf: Portable Document File
.svg: Scalable Vector Graphic
.swf: Flash Movie
.wmf: Windows Meta File

Regardless of the drawing program used to create vector art, most all of them will export to eps.

Note: you will need to send all fonts used in the creation of your design OR convert them all to outlines or curves within your document. This is preferred as fonts can corrupt.

All color used need to be Pantone spot colors, unless it is a four color process job.

Raster Format and Files
Raster art with more than one color is by default four color process or RGB.

.bmp: Bitmap
.jpg: JPEG - Joint Photographers Expert Group
.png: Portable Network Graphic
.psd: Photoshop native document, any version
.pxr: Pixar
.sct: ScitexCT
.tga: Targa
.tif: or .tiff Tagged Image File Format

There are special considerations if supplying artwork in JPEG format. The artwork must meet the resolution requirements listed below, and must also be saved as a high-quality *.jpg. (Usually a 10 or 12 setting in the software).

Vector Artwork Files
Must be saved in the Postscript Format and contain no Postscript errors, stray points or colors assigned inconsistently to the supplier's published requirements. Napkin Source uses Adobe Illustrator and files must be saved and sent as an EPS file.

All type that has been set must be converted to outlines (curves). If future changes to the text will be necessary, the original font file must be supplied with the art file for use on the supplier's specified computer platform (Mac or PC). All design elements in the file must meet the published minimums for line thickness. Failure to do so may compromise the final imprint quality.

If the vector file contains any linked (placed) raster images, these images must meet the minimum requirement for resolution when rendered at 100% actual imprints size and must be submitted with the original vector file.

Raster Artwork Files
All Raster elements and art files must be sized to 100% or larger than the actual imprint size.

All Raster images must meet or exceed the supplier's published minimum resolution (pixels-per-inch) when rendered at the actual imprint size.

All raster elements must be submitted in the proper color space (RGB or CMYK) as published by the supplier.

Page Layout Document
Page layout documents must be prepared to render the artwork and all of its elements at 100% of actual imprint size.

In addition to submitting the page layout documents, all vector and/or raster files that are referenced by the page layout document must also be included.

Include any fonts that were used in the production of the page layout document or use on the supplier's specified computer platform (Mac or PC).

Acrobat (PDF) Files
PDF files created from vector files must retain the editing capabilities of the program that was used to create them (e.g. Illustrator or Photoshop).

PDF files that contain raster elements must meet the minimum requirements for raster art files as outlined by the supplier.

PDF files that contain vector elements must meet the minimum requirements for vector art files as outlined by the supplier.

PDF files created from page layout documents should be submitted together with the source documents, fonts and all supporting files.

Proofs
No matter what the format or transfer method, artwork should NEVER be submitted without either a hard copy proof or the electronic equivalent. Properly prepared PDF files are often suitable as proofs.

Fonts
Any fonts used in the production of art files should be converted to curves (outlines) prior to submission. If future typesetting will be required, the original font files must be included with the artwork file to be used on the supplier's specific computer platform (Mac or PC).

Other Than Above
Only professional software packages may be used to produce artwork. Although programs like Microsoft Word and Publisher are useful tools, they are not capable of producing art files of a quality.