Document Setup

Setting up your documents, margins, bleeds and linking graphics

Foundations of page building

Your document size should match the final size of your ad or project's layout. This way, the PDF will automatically be created with the correct size to streamline production.
If you need to revise your ad or project, e.g., regional addresses, you must send a second PDF separately.
For more than one page, send each page as a separate PDF, making note in the Job Ticket the number of pages needed for your job, plus file names for each page
Use only the colors you need in your final layout preparation. For a black/white ad or project, be sure no other colors are present prior to postscripting. For spot color, use just the spot color. For four-color process, all colors should be set to CMYK process.

Prepping images and links

When creating a layout, prepare linking files with the final results in mind.
For black-and-white ad or projects, all Photoshop, Illustrator, and Freehand files must be converted to black/white before the image is placed in the desktop publishing program.
For spot-color ad or projects, all Photoshop, Illustrator, and Freehand files must be converted to that same matching spot color before the image is placed in the desktop publishing program.
For four-color process, all Photoshop, Illustrator, and Freehand files must be converted to CMYK before the image is placed in the desktop publishing program.
Always use your images at 100% of the size placed in the desktop publishing program.
Black/white images should be twice the resolution as the line screen used in the newspaper. Therefore Photoshop images should be 200 dpi.
Color images should be 300 dpi at 100%. Higher resolutions will not increase the quality reproduction when printing on newsprint.