Preparing a PDF for the Printing Press.
PDF is a great way to package your files for print production, but not all PDF files are created equal. Some PDF's have their images compressed for fast downloading, and still others contain information that will be interpreted differently from computer to computer. By following a few simple steps while preparing your PDF, you can ensure that your PDF will come out right.
When you are creating a PDF to send to RP&G, please follow these guidelines for best results.
1. From InDesign and many other design programs, create a PDF by selecting EXPORT from the FILE dropdown menu.
2. From this selection you will be asked to choose a location to save the pdf and then the Export Adobe PDF Dialogue box will open. Many people immediately hit the RETURN Button to finish the PDF process, but this leaves important settings untouched. To prepare the PDF for the printing press, more customization may be required from this menu.
3. From the Adobe PDF Preset drop down menu, select PRESS QUALITY (older editions may say "Best Quality" or "Highest Quality"). This will make appropriate settings changes to optimize the PDF for print.
4. Next, select the sub menu COMPRESSION from the side bar. Check to ensure the bicubic sampling is set to 300 for images above 450.
5. Under the MARKS AND BLEEDS menu, make sure your bleeds are set to at least .125 of an inch. No other printers marks are required (if the PDF matches the size of the final printed piece)
6. Under the OUTPUT submenu is the most important part. If your print job is a SPOT (one, two or three Pantone® # Colors) color, Select NO COLOR CONVERSION.
If your print Job is FULL COLOR, select CONVERT TO DESTINATION. Choose US Sheetfed Coated v2. This optimizes the colors for full color sheetfed output. Just what you need!
7. Finally, you are ready to hit the EXPORT button at the bottom of the menu, confident you have prepared the PDF correctly. Once the file is complete open it and check each page to make sure it looks like your original. No surprises? great! sounds like you are ready to go!
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