When sending your artwork to print you need to provide a high resolution file for us to use. The most common formats are PDF and JPEG files. This article provides instructions for exporting these file formats using commonly used design applications.
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Exporting JPEG Files
Please click on the tabs below for instructions.
Exporting a JPEG in Adobe Photoshop
In order to export your artwork as a JPEG from Photoshop:
Select File > Save As...
When the dialogue box opens, in the 'Format' drop down menu select 'JPEG'
Name your file and click 'Save'
Another dialogue window will open where you must select the settings for saving your JPEG. The quality should be set to 'Maximum', with the indicator positioned at the far right of the slider bar indicating 'large file' and the format option should be Baseline ('Standard')
Finally, click the 'OK' button
**Remember** If you are sending us artwork for a stamp, ensure you choose the correct colour mode before exporting your JPEG by clicking the toolbar labelled Image and selecting Mode > RGB Color.
Exporting a JPEG in Adobe Illustrator
When exporting a JPEG in Illustrator you don't need to convert text to outlines as this file format is unable to retain live text. Therefore, in order to save a JPEG, you simply:
Select File > Export... from the tool bar at the top of the screen.
When the dialogue box appears, select "Save as type:"
From the drop down menu that opens, select "JPEG" then click "Save"
A second window will then appear prompting you to choose your JPEG settings. The default Colour Model should be CMYK, if it is not then select this from the drop down menu.
The quality should also be set to Maximum, this can be selected by moving the indicator to the far right of the slider bar or choosing "Maximum" in the drop down list.
All other options should be left as default - ensuring the resolution is set to 300dpi
Finally click the "OK" button.
**Remember**
If you are sending us artwork for a stamp and exporting a JPEG from Illustrator, select RGB from the "Colour Model" drop down.
Exporting PDF Files
Please click on the tabs below for instructions.
Exporting a PDF in Adobe InDesign
This is very similar to exporting a PDF from Illustrator; however, there are a couple of minor differences.
Firstly, convert all text to outlines (See 'How do I Convert Text to Outlines?' for more information).
Select File > Export... and a dialogue box will appear prompting you to choose a file name and a 'Save as type:', ensure this is set to PDF then simply click 'Save'.
The following steps are similar to exporting a PDF in Illustrator:
Ensure you select 'PDF/X-1a:2001’ from the 'Adobe PDF Preset:' drop down,
Export your bleed settings if they are separate from the art board dimensions by selecting 'Marks and Bleeds' from the list on the left of the window and ticking the check box next to 'Use Document Bleed Settings' under the 'Bleed and Slug' heading,
The final step is to click the 'Export' button in the bottom right of the window.
Exporting a PDF in Adobe Photoshop
Just as when exporting a PDF in Illustrator or InDesign, remember to flatten your artwork to ensure there are no live fonts present.
Select File > Save As... from the tool bar in the top left of the software window,
When the dialogue box opens, look under the field where you type in the File Name and ensure that the 'Format:' selected is 'Photoshop PDF',
Click 'Save',
Another window will then open where you can select your PDF settings,
In the 'Adobe PDF Preset:' options select 'PDF/X-1a:2001' from drop down menu,
Click the 'Save PDF' button in the bottom corner.
**For Your Information** Unlike Illustrator and InDesign, you will not need to export any bleed settings separately as all bleed must be incorporated into the overall art board dimensions.
Exporting a PDF in Adobe Illustrator
Ensure you have converted all live text to outlines. Then:
Select File > Save As..., this will open a dialogue box.
Click on the 'Save as type:' field.
When the drop-down menus opens select 'Adobe PDF' and then click the 'Save' button.
When you do this another dialogue box will open that asks you to select your 'Adobe PDF Preset:'
from this drop down list choose 'PDF/X-1a:2001'
then click the 'Save PDF' button in the bottom right corner.
**Remember**
When you set up your art board you will have either included the bleed in the overall height and width dimensions, or added it separately using the bleed fields. If you added the bleed separately, you will need to ensure you export this as part of your PDF.
You can do this within the second dialogue box that appears. After selecting your PDF Preset, select 'Marks and Bleeds' from the list on the left of the window, then tick the box under the 'Bleeds' heading stating 'Use Document Bleed Settings', finally click the 'Save PDF' button.
Exporting a PDF in Microsoft Word, Publisher or PowerPoint
Exporting a PDF from any Microsoft software is usually performed by completing the same set of actions. When saving your file:
Select File > Save As...
When the dialogue box opens, type in a file name and click on 'Save as type:'
From the drop down menu select PDF
Click 'Save'
**Please Note**
Methods may be slightly different depending on your version of Microsoft Office.
