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Presentation and Formatting

Click on the headings below to view the information.

File formats

EPSF and TIFF?

EPSF and TIFF files give the best results:
  • Use TIFF for photos and scans (raster artwork). Make sure you use the correct mode:
    • CMYK for color photos,
    • Grayscale for halftones, and
    • Bitmap for scanned line art.
  • Use EPSF for drawings created in programs like Illustrator, Freehand, and Corel Draw (vector artwork).
    • Be certain to check all your EPS graphics for font and color usage!
  • EPS files can also be used for special effects in raster artwork such as duotones or clipping paths.

Resize before export

Resize complex illustrations in your drawing application -- not the layout program -- to avoid output errors. (Specifically, we've occasionally seen thin diagonal lines extending over the page with some EPS graphics.)

Choosing a file type

Do not use: GIF, CGM, WPG, BMP, WMF, EMF, PICT, OLE, JPEG/JPG, or copy-and-paste from a different program (i.e., Excel). These graphics should be converted into TIFF or EPSF format as appropriate

 

Resolution (raster artwork)

Suggested Resolutions

Continuous-tone images (CMYK, Grayscale) should have an effective resolution equal to twice the desired line ruling. Our standard line screen is 150 lpi so the effective resolution of photos we'll be printing should be 300dpi.

Rasterized (scanned) line art (Bitmap mode) should have as high an effective resolution as possible, up to the imagesetter's limit of 2400dpi. 600dpi is a minimum for quality output; much less and the eye will be able to see the pixels.

Color modes

Suggested Modes

Grayscale, monochrome, and CMYK are best.

Use Grayscale (8-bit) or Monochrome/Bitmap (1-bit) images when you want to color something in your layout program (i.e., apply a spot color)

Do not use RGB or indexed color modes.

Special effects

Rotating and Scaling

Avoid rotating or scaling photos in your layout program. Try to do this in your image editor (i.e., Photoshop). Same for changing the contrast/lightness or flipping.

Special Features

Do not rely on special features of your program such as transparency effects. 1-bit TIFFs are by their nature transparent; other files will need to be saved as EPS with clipping paths.

Screen captures

We have collected some tips for printing screen captures (click here) on a separate page.