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Graphics Delivery Guidelines

General Notes
This section aims to clarify data delivery requirements. If you prefer to use alternative data formats, please discuss your requirements with your Customer Service Contact at arvato digital services.

» Download General Notes on Graphics Data Delivery (PDF)

Document Parameters

Files
Indicate all files to be processed and delete any non-required files. Booklet documents should be designed in double-sided imposition format only. (printers pair)
We need one PDF per product (e.g. booklet, inlay, DPac, slipcase, folding box).
For example: Booklet PDF must include cover and content pages as printers pair (double-sided imposition). Inlay PDF need to include the verso side (VS) and the recto page (RS).

Document Format
Create your document in single-page format. The exception to this is multipage documents for booklets, which must be created in correct double-sided imposition format.
The format must be created to the trimmed end format of the single sides.

Tolerances/Trimming

  • Colors that do not require their own print form must be marked as process colors
  • Spot colors must be created in Pantone or HKS
  • The screen size for offset printing is 80 lines/cm
  • During undercolor removal (UCR) care must be taken that the overall color total during combined printing does not exceed 330% of data color coverage
  • Solid areas of black in offset printing must be overlaid with 50% cyan background to achieve flawless coverage
  • When picture and line elements are combined the appropriate amount of overfill or under fill must be used to even out registration mark tolerances in the production run (see Trapping)
  • All necessary markings (color indications, color registers) must be entered outside of the page margins, since all markings within the page margins are printed as part of the page

Fonts
Incomplete fonts cause incorrect exposures. Please use only PostScript fonts from the Adobe or Linotype Library, wherever possible. If you use other fonts or fonts that you have modified, please advise. Avoid choosing half-bold or italic font styles by entering "bold" or "italic" in a programme's font style menu. Choose instead the relevant font directly (e.g. Helvetica Bold). Attach a list of all the fonts used, including any fonts used in EPS images. If the requested font is not available, then it is necessary to convert the relevant portion of the text to a character path via a graphics package and reintegrate this again into the document as an image. Please always consult the relevant customer service contact handling the project before beginning this process.No font sizes should fall below a minimum value of at least 5pt. or 1.75 mm for positive printing and at least 7pt. or 2.1 mm in negative printing. No font thicknesses should fall below a minimum value of at least 0.15 mm for positive printing and at least 0.25 mm for negative printing.

Captured Elements

Image Data
The color mode must be CMYK for color images, greyscale for b/w images and bitmap for line elements.

  • 4C images: EPS, DCS or TIFF format, 450 dpi resolution
  • 1C images: EPS- or TIFF format, 450 dpi resolution
  • Bitmap images: TIFF format, 2400 dpi resolution

When exporting images, please avoid saving screen width/line counts, curves and/or screen angles. When using clipped paths, tolerance values are to be set to zero and any default values should be delete.

Imported Graphics and Image Files
All data required for exposure (images, graphics, fonts) must be supplied. Please ensure that graphics files are stored in a folder with the document for exposure and that they are not modified after capture has taken place. Additional time and costs incurred through any repositioning of graphics files by topac will be invoiced according to the time involved.

EPS Graphics
Embed fonts used in EPS graphics (to the extent this is possible) or convert the text into character paths. If the EPS graphic contains captured images, these must also be supplied. You should also avoid combining several EPS files into one. Black elements must be set to Overprint and white elements must correspondingly be set to Omit!

Test Documents/Proofs

We print in accordance with ISO standard 12647-2.
The only proof we accept is an ISO coated v2 calibrated contact proof with CMYK-TIFF UGRA / FOGRA media wedge.
Physical samples are essential to show page sequencing and/or page numbering for unpaginated products and also for any folded products and need to be supplied. If the information required for page sequencing and method of folding is not immediately visible from the data, samples will be provided at a cost. In the initial phase of the process we will analyze data supplied in terms of technical feasibility.

For each initial print run the following test documents must be supplied together with the data:

  • Blueprint or photocopy with "ready for press" flag for one-colored print products
  • Color template with "ready for press" flag for multicolored print products
  • Deviations (corrections) from the test documents should be indicated

Media/Data transfer

  • 800KB disk / 1.44MB, 3 1/2
  • ZIP disk 100MB / 250MB
  • Mac- or ISO 9660-formatted CD/DVD
  • ISDN data transfer: 05241/ 80 97 548 or 05241/ 80 90 058
  • FTP server: we would be happy to set up personal FTP access for you
  • Please contact the person in charge of your project for details
  • E-mail (only for transfer of PDF files under 3 MB)

All media should be labeled with your address so that they can return it to you afterwards.All media should be delivered with a printed table of contents.For security reasons only scanned copies of media should be sent, rather than the originals.Additional information can also be transferred as README files.Every print product in a title should bear an identical alphanumerical code, in order to facilitate compilation.

Specifications/Templates

In order to assist in the creation of your artwork, we have provided our specifications in PDF format and our 1:1 templates in EPS format free of charge in the product database on our website. Please enter the product number used when you supply data.

Liability/Archiving

No liability or responsibility can be assumed for any wrongly executed products, if submitted data does not comply with any of our specifications.
Please only send copies of your data, as client supplied data will automatically be deleted
from our archive system after 6 months.
We will archive any production data for a duration of one year counting from
the last production. After this any client supplied data will also automatically deleted.