Basic Instructions:
Please read this page carefully and talk to your Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) if you have any questions.

1. When setting up your file in a word processing, layout, or graphic program, set your margins or guides to the "live area" size so that you don’t put any vital information too close to the edge of the piece. Photos should either bleed completely off the page (⅛" past the edge) or be at least ¼" from the edge of the piece. When cutting hundreds of postcards at once no one can guarantee a perfect cut. Most of the time the technicians are very precise but there could be up to a ⅛" variation.
2. File uploads can be in several different formats* – PDF**, JPEG, TIFF, EPS*** – and should be a 300 dpi "high resolution" file. These files should be designed in or converted to CMYK whenever possible. Our digital system can print from RGB files with conversion "on-the-fly" but the conversion is not guaranteed to be accurate. Gamut problems in the conversion process should be handled by the designer before uploading to the site. Our system does not correct gamut problems in the conversion process. For more information about gamut, talk to your PMA.
3. Any printed piece with photos or background color that goes to the edge of the piece must "bleed off" the edge. This means that the photo or color has to extend ⅛" over the edge of the piece to ensure a professional cut. Our system is designed so that the image will be enlarged to extend off the edge if no bleed is present. This could result in type or logos being cut off. Please talk to your PMA if you need more information regarding design bleed.
4. Our digital press uses dry CMYK inks very similar to a color copier or color laser printer but achieves the quality of a traditional offset press that uses liquid inks. Because of the process used, there are certain ink combinations and design strategies that will give you better results. Solid areas should not be too large without some type of texture or photos to break up the area. Black type should not be CMYK but K only. Specific CMYK values should be used for 'punch black' and 'knockout black' – ask your PMA for the "HOW TO" Guide for Design and File Preparation.
   

Design for Mailing:
If the piece will be mailed, pay close attention to keep the mail area on the back clear for postal requirements. The mail area should not have a background image or color. Your return address will automatically be placed in the top left corner of the mailing area with info from your profile. Do not place any address to the left of the mail area because the optical reading machines at the post office may read that address in error and send all your cards to that address.

* Microsoft programs are not supported by our system. Additional charges will be incurred for converting Microsoft files to a usable format.

** Adobe Illustrator files must be saved in EPS format with all text converted to outlines. Native AI files are not suported.

*** For PDF files, embed the fonts but do not subset them – be sure to include bleed requirements in your PDF settings. An Acrobat Distiller Options file can be supplied upon request.