Supported Software
July, 2008
Quark XPress 7.3 OSX
Quark XPress Passport 7 PC
Adobe InDesign CS3 OSX
Adobe InDesign CS2 PC
Adobe Illustrator CS3 OSX
Adobe Illustrator CS2 PC
Adobe Photoshop CS3 OSX
Adobe Photoshop CS2 PC
What files should I upload to Marcam Printers?
A PRINT READY PDF and Upload all the files needed (Native Files) to process the job: page layout files, imported images, fonts and other support files.
Use the built in Zip utilities on PC or OSX to compress all the files into a single file for uploading.
1. Place all files to upload into one folder on your desktop. Name the folder in reference to the print project.
2a - OSX - CTRL Click on the folder you just created, Create archive of “your folder name”. The Zip Folder will now appear on your Desktop.
2b - PC. Right Click on the folder you just created, Send to, Compressed Zip Folder. The Zip Folder will now appear on your Desktop.
For instructions on how to send your Zip file via our Web site FTP, contact your Marcam Printers representative or send an e-mail to bdequilla@marcamprinters.com with “Web site FTP instructions” as the subject.
Yes, we prefer print ready PDF files, but it’s important that you prepare them correctly. The guidelines located below this section are for file preparation. These also apply to preparing PDF files.
• When creating PDF files from Creative Suite applications (Indesign, illustrator, photoshop) use the "Press Quality" PDF profile.
• When using quark use "Press - High Quality/High Resolution" or "PDF/X 1a" PDF profiles.
In addition, you should:
• Ensure ONLY CMYK process colours are used unless a specific Pantone inks will be used in print.
• Create PDF files from other non Adobe page layout or graphics programs using a postscript file with Adobe Acrobat Distiller. The method for doing this depends on your program, the version of Distiller you have and the operating system you are running. Contact us at bdequilla@marcamprinters.com for advice for your system.
•Make sure no security is applied to your PDF files; i.e. do not “password protect” them.
•Beware of combining or “merging” many separate PDF files into a single file. The separate PDF files may have different settings relating, for example, to font embedding. All fonts should be embedded. This can result in font anomalies such as missing or substituted characters at print time.
How do I prepare my files?
Prepare your page layout in a program such as Quark XPress or InDesign. Try to minimize typesetting outside of these applications.
Prepare vector art, such as a company logo, in a Draw program like Illustrator. Save these images as EPS files with a tiff colour preview and import them into the page layout.
Prepare your hi-resolution photographic images (scans or digital camera images in CMYK colour) with programs such as Adobe Photoshop. Ensure the "U.S. Sheetfed Uncoated v2" ICC profile is used. Save these images as EPS, TIFF or JPEG files and import them into the page layout.
How should I create my page layout file?
In your page layout program, make the page size equal to the trim size of the final piece. Do not make a bigger page and draw your own “crop marks” or “printer’s marks”.
Use only alphanumeric characters (abc, ABC, 123, etc.) to name your files and folders. Do not use characters such as *, ?, /, , :, ~, @, #, &, etc.
Create all the pages of your project within a single file in your layout program. Do not create a separate file for each page.
In multi-page files, arrange the pages in numerical sequence. Do not create “printer’s spreads”. Do not “gang” or “impose” a number of pages together into one big page.
For multi-page projects such as newsletters, magazines and catalogs, keep in mind that the total number of pages must be divisible by 4. In other words, projects of this type should have 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24,etc. pages, the total number always being a multiple of 4. Therefore, if you end up with 23 pages, you should include a blank page or find additional content to bring the total up to 24. Do not leave it up to the printer to decide where the blank pages should fall. Details such as this often cause unnecessary delays.
Graphic objects or backgrounds that print to the edge of the page should be made to extend 1/8” (0.125”) beyond the edge of the page in the layout. This is called bleed. The overlapping 1/8” will be trimmed off, but if it’s not there in the first place, slight inaccuracies in cutting could leave a thin white border along one or more edges of the page.
Keep all type at least (0.125 inches) away from the edges of the page.
Do not “nest” an EPS file within an EPS file.
For complex drawings, create the complete art in a draw program and save it as a single EPS file.
