BOX ARTWORK IS A VERY SPECIALIZED SKILL, UNLESS YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IN CREATING THIS TYPE OF ARTWORK WE SUGGEST YOU USE AN EXPERT, WE CAN REFER YOU TO A REASONABLY PRICED GRAPHICS COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN THIS TYPE OF WORK.

Below are the typical requirements of our various box manufacturers.

1. Normally files can be accepted on either PC (Win98, WinXP or WinNT) or Macintosh Classic or X).

2. The layout and design applications typically supported are the following: Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Acrobat, Macromedia Freehand, QuarkXPress (Mac Version Only)

3. We recommend the Pantone Coated/Uncoated pallets for color selections.

4. Make sure images are placed in CMYK format. If RGB images are placed then the conversion to CMYK will cause color shifting, which could result in undesirable color.

5. Make sure images are not imbedded and the links are supplied.

6. Placed images need to be 300 dpi. If the dpi is any less than 300, then it could affect visual image quality upon printing. Increasing the resolution on an image that does not have the resolution to begin with does not improve image quality.

7. Do not use transparency features in the following applications: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Macromedia Freehand

The transparency function in these design applications are normally used when one makes drop shadows or colors translucently overprinting other elements. When these situations are desired, they need to be achieved in Adobe PhotoShop.

8. To insure the smoothest possible gradient when printing on paper, we suggest the designer build their gradients in PhotoShop. See below for information on PhotoShop Gradations.

9. Make sure to create bleed in the documents. Adobe Illustrator is the only supported application that does not allow bleed to run off the document; therefore, 1/8" must be incorporated inside of the document. All of the other supported applications need to have the bleed running 1/8" off of the document.

10. When using templates, make sure the die line is set as a spot color overprint.

11. If Mac files are furnished make sure all fonts are supplied.

12. If PC files are furnished, the designer needs to convert the fonts to outlines to eliminate font re-flow. Keep in mind the document can not be edited once the fonts are converted. If the designer cannot convert the fonts to outlines, then the PC fonts need to be supplied. If the fonts cannot be supplied, then a detailed list of the typeface and sizes need to be supplied to us.

13. Please send hard copy lasers with the CD or disk for new jobs.

14. When creating a multiple page layout, use master pages for consistency.

15. Build your file in reader's spread. On pages where elements need to cross over, do not make single page spreads. Create your document as facing or butted pages, and then place your element across two pages.

16. If you have any large areas of black on a 4 color process job, build the black in "rich black" which has a mix of C 40, M 30, Y 30, K 100.

17. Delete all unused colors in your pallete. Clean up any unnecessary stuff outside the document (non print area).

File Checking Procedure

1. This step MUST be followed exactly. If you use any other method to create a PDF, the result could be to create a file that views in Acrobat Reader correctly, but does not work in our system. In the printer dialog box of your application, choose the option to print a postscript file. This option can be present in different forms. Look for words like "ps file," "print to ps" or "print to file." After selecting print to file, click on the "print" or "save" button. In the next window you will be asked to name and locate a place for your file to be saved. On a PC it will add the extension .prn: this is correct. On a MAC you will need to add the extension .ps before saving. Save it to your desktop for the ease of finding it.

2. Open Acrobat Distiller.

3. Set your Distiller to be PRESS OPTIMIZED.

4. Drag and drop you PostScript file into the Distiller window.

5. When Distiller is finished, your PDF will be on your desktop. Open and check it for problems.

Possible Problems

White knock out boxes resulting from the use of transparency functions. This is a common occurrence and can be fixed by building objects, such as drop shadows translucently overprinting on top of backgrounds, in Adobe Photoshop. Transparency functions in design application create this phenomenon when the file is flattened in the postscript process. Another problem to spot is when your PDF redraws in the slow form of "box by box." This could be a sign that part of the vector art in the document has been rasterized into sections of continuous tone (C.T) images. If you do not see the discussed problems, most likely your design will work properly.

Building PhotoShop Gradations

To insure gradations are as smooth as possible, in our system, we recommend the following process:

1. Build the gradation in PhotoShop as a 300-dpi grayscale to the largest size you will use it. If you plan on using the same gradation in different areas at different sizes (only smaller), then the same gradient can be used by shrinking it in the page layout or design application.

2. If your gradation fades off to white (zero percent), you will need to do this step (if not go to next step). When the gradation is created, select the white area with the magic tool (adjust the settings on the magic tool until you have selected all of the white area). Now feather the selection 20 pixels. After feathering, invert the selection. After inverting you do not have to make a selection at the beginning of the next step because you are already in an active feathered selection. Go to the next step.

3. Make a selection of the gradation and add noise to the active selection. Your goal is to add enough noise to break up the visual bands without bringing attention to the noise itself. The amount of noise depends on your gradation. Zooming out helps to see how the noise is affecting the whole gradation, and zooming in to 100% shows you how much the noise is standing out. Typically, the amount of noise should be .5 to 1.5. Keep in mind the noise you see will probably be lost when the screening process is applied at the plating stage (because the noise is so minute the printing dots will bot be able to pick them up).

4. Save the file as a TIFF format.

5. If you intend on keeping the gradient as Pantone spot color, you need to stay in PhotoShop and convert the grayscale into a monotone (assigning your spot color); then save it out as an EPS.

6. If you intend on making the gradation a process build, you can now place it in your layout or design application. After placing it, colorize it with a Pantone color in your pallet or a special build that you have created in your pallet.

The reason we recommend this method is because from our experience, design applications fall short in creating smooth transitions in the gray steps. PhotoShop does the best job of making the transitions. Do not build a gradient in Illustrator or Freehand and then rasterize it into PhotoShop because the banding cannot be eliminated in PhotoShop. You can rasterize the gradation for the purpose of using it as a guide to build a new one in PhotoShop.

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