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GENERAL ISSUES
- What applications can I
use to create my files?
- How should my files be set
up to be acceptable for printing at Grafikart?
- How do I create files to
send to you in Adobe Pagemaker®? In Adobe Illustrator®?
In Adobe Photoshop®?
- What is a soft proof?
- What is your e-mail address?
SENDING
& RECEIPT OF FILES / TURN-AROUND TIME ISSUES
- By what different methods
can we send you files?
- Is it better to send orders/files
through your ftp site or via e-mail?
- Why didn't you call and tell
me you didn't get my e-mail?
- How long does it take for you
to receive my e-mail?
- Once my file gets to you,
how long does it take before you look at it and contact
me if there is a problem?
- Once my file gets to you,
how long does it take before my order goes into production?
- I get most of the files I
send to you for printing from my customer. Can you
use them?
- Who can I call to find
out if you got my files?
- Is turnaround time the
same if I send you electronic files as if I send the
files in the traditional manner since sending electronic
files would save set-up time?
- Why do I sometimes get
more than one call telling me there is a problem with
my file?
- Why do you charge so
much to fix our files?
- I just sent an e-mail.
Are my files correct?
- What do I do if I notice
that the files I sent to you are wrong?
TYPE,
FONT & STYLE PALETTE ISSUES
- My font doesn't have
a bold version. The only way I can bold it is in the
palette. What should I do?
- Why does it cost more
to do a font substitution than to just re-typeset?
- Why can't we send PC
fonts for you to use to output my file?
- What do you mean by "creating
outlines" on type?
- What fonts do you have
available?
COLOR
ISSUES
- What is the difference
between CMYK and RGB?
RESOLUTION
ISSUES
- I know my scan is at
low resolution. This is how I got it from my customer.
Why can't you use it the way it is provided?
- What dpi do you use for
printing? What is 'ppi'?
- Can you scan a printout
I send you of my file if for some reason you can't
use my file?
MISCELLANEOUS
ISSUES
- Is it advisable to send
black and white camera-ready artwork instead of (or
as well as) electronic files?
- Do I need to fax a proof
of what I want my cards to look like even if I'm e-mailing
it to you?
- What is BinHex?
- What kind of compression
(compacting) software can I use to compress my files
before sending?
- What could be happening
to my file that would make it change from the time
I send it to the time you receive it? What would make
a file corrupt?
Answers to Frequently
Asked Questions
What applications can I
use to create my files? A: We will accept files
created per our guidelines in the following native applications:
QuarkXPress®
* Macintosh - v. 3.32 or earlier
* IBM-PC - v. 3.32 or earlier
Adobe
Pagemaker®
* Macintosh - v. 7.0 or earlier
* IBM-PC
Adobe
Illustrator®
* Macintosh - v. 10 or earlier
* IBM-PC
Adobe
Photoshop®
* Macintosh - v. 6.0 or earlier
* IBM-PC
Adobe
Acrobat®
* Macintosh - v. 5.0 or earlier
* IBM-PC - v. 5.0 or earlier
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How should
my files be set up to be acceptable for printing at Grafikart?
A: The guidelines are available
here on the Grafikart web site as well as in our electronic
ordering guidelines booklet available from Grafikart.
The booklet also contains examples of acceptable and unacceptable
colored scans.
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How do
I create files to send to you in QuarkXPress®?
In Adobe
Pagemaker®? In Adobe
Illustrator®? In Adobe
Photoshop®? In Adobe
Acrobat®?
A: Any questions regarding the creating of files
or how to use any of the software applications or to fix
any problems should be directed to the manufacturer of
the software in question.Back to
Top
What
is a soft proof?
A: It is a layout that appears
on your screen just as it will appear when printed.Back
to Top
What
is your e-mail address?
A: info@grafikart.com
Back to Top
By
what different methods can we send you files?
A: We can accept your electronic orders sent in
their native applications via:
- 3.5” floppy disk (Mac or PC formatted)
- Zip disk (100MB - Mac or PC formatted)
- CD
- e-mail
- FTP (call 805-968-3575
for login / password information)
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Is it better to
send orders/files through your ftp site or via e-mail?
A: Sending through our ftp
site is preferable because email has a file size limit
of 2MB per email. E-mail is acceptable, provided your
account number and complete order information is included.
Our guidelines for creating your artwork need to be followed,
regardless of how the files are sent to us.Back
to Top
Why didn't
you call and tell me you didn't get my e-mail?
A: If you need someone to keep an eye out for a
particular e-mail you want to send, please be sure to
call Grafikart before sending your files so a representative
can be watching for your transmission. Then be sure that
you write that person's name on the subject line along
with your account number so that the file can be routed
quickly to that person once the files comes in to Grafikart.
Also, be sure to include any other information the representative
asks you to supply in the message area of the e-mail.
If no one at Grafikart knows a specific e-mail transmission
is coming, we would not have a reason to call you. We
will not question if your order is in our hold file and
we don't get a replacement file right away. We realize
that sometimes corrections take time. Production time
does not begin until we have correct files.
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How long does it
take for you to receive my e-mail?
A: Once
e-mail files arrive on our Grafikart server, they are
downloaded every hour. After downloading, the files and
e-mail messages are routed to our staff to be sorted into
the work rotation.
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Once my file gets
to you, how long does it take before you look at it and
contact me if there is a problem?
A: Files
are downloaded every hour at Grafikart. Keep in mind that
if you have e-mailed a file, it may not arrive at the
Grafikart server immediately. It may take some time to
get to us because it is traveling on the Internet. Once
your order is received, your order is put into a rotation
to be looked at by our staff. Please keep in mind that
volume of incoming files can affect how quickly your file
is reviewed. Our goal is to completely view incoming orders
within 24 hours of receipt at Grafikart.Back
to Top
Once my
file gets to you, how long does it take before my order
goes into production?
A: Once your file
arrives at Grafikart, our goal is to get your order into
production within 24 hours. However, our staff must look
at all your files and determine if they are sent to our
specifications. Production time does not begin until
your files have been approved.
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Who can I call to
find out if you got my files?
A: A customer service representative can help you
with that. He/She would need to know the following:
- your account number (if you have one),
- the date the file was sent,
- the approximate time the file was sent,
- the method by which it was sent (i.e. e-mail, ftp,
etc.),
- the e-mail address from which it was sent (if files
came that way), and
- what was on the e-mail subject line. If you email
your files to Grafikart (to info@grafikart.com),
this does not mean that your order is immediately
in production. Every file for every order will be
checked thoroughly by our staff to be sure it follows
our guidelines and will work in our system.
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Is turnaround
time the same if I send you electronic files as if I send
the files in the traditional manner since sending electronic
files would save set-up time?
A: Turnaround
time does not change if electronic files are sent. All
electronic files that come in need to be checked by our
staff. Production time does not begin until we have confirmed
that files are set to our specifications.Back
to Top
Why
do I sometimes get more than one call telling me there
is a problem with my file?
A: Our production
schedule begins once we have correct electronic files.
Delays will occur if the files are not set up according
to our guidelines. We realize that you may be handling
files that someone else created. Each time files come
in, as new files or corrected ones, our staff checks all
the elements of each file to be sure everything is correct.
If they are not set up according to our guidelines, another
call is generated and production of your order is delayed.
Sending in artwork in the traditional manner is always
an option if you feel more comfortable using the traditional
ordering process.Back
to Top
Why
do you charge so much to fix our files?
A: Our prices to you are set assuming that all specifications
have been followed according to our guidelines. In cases
where these specifications are not followed, additional
handling and corrections incur additional cost. We have
an internal group of application specialists that handle
order corrections. These corrections (and the additional
cost involved in making them) require us to charge for
this service. Our charges are based on an average hourly
rate, and the average time necessary for routing, correction
and reprocessing of your order. Back
to Top
I
just sent an e-mail. Are my files correct?
A: All files that come in to Grafikart need to go through
our staff. Staff check all orders before they go into
production. There they will be checked to see if our guidelines
are followed and if the file will work in our system.
If the files are correct, the order will continue through
production; if there are problems or concerns with the
files, you will be contacted with the corrections that
are needed. Back
to Top
What
do I do if I notice that the files I sent to you are wrong?
A: Please contact our Customer
Service Department right away and let them know that
there is a problem with the artwork. They will need to
put a flag in our system to catch the order in our shop.
It is very important to be sure to reference your account
number and the extension number the representative tells
you when you send in your new files. Failure to do this
can result in a duplicate order being produced. Back
to Top
My
font doesn't have a bold version. The only way I can bold
it is in the palette. What should I do?
A: There are several options:
- We can reset the type in our closest type match.
- You can make an .eps file and bring the .eps into
either Adobe Illustrator® or Macromedia Freehand®
and "create outlines" or "convert to
paths" on all type.
- If we have the bold version, we can substitute our
bold version of that font into your file (the font
substitution charge would apply).
- You can purchase the bold version of that font.
Back to Top
Why can't we send PC
fonts for you to use to output my file?
A: Grafikart is Macintosh-based
and PC fonts cannot be installed onto a Macintosh.Back
to Top
What
do you mean by "creating outlines" on type?
A: Within three applications (Adobe Illustrator®,
Macromedia Freehand®, and Corel Draw®) there is
a way to make the type into a graphic so that fonts are
not needed. The application actually "draws"
around each letter. In Illustrator®, that feature
is called "create outlines"; in Freehand®,
it's called "convert to path"; and in Corel
Draw®, it's called "text to curves". Back
to Top
What
fonts do you have available?
A: Any font
that is shown in the typestyle section of our catalog.
You may obtain a sample at our store.Back
to Top
What
is the difference between CMYK
and RGB?
A: CMYK is a color model that
makes all colors from combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow,
and black. It is what a press uses to make a color. Different
percentages of these four colors in combination with each
other make different pigments of color to use for printing.
RGB (an acronym for red-green-blue) is a color model in
which a given color is specified by relative amounts of
the three primary colors. CMYK colors are actual pigments
of color whereas RGB colors are actually made up of streams
of light (similar to a light spectrum). Therefore, we
cannot print using colors that are RGB, only CMYK.Back
to Top
I
know my scan is at a low resolution. Why can't you use
it the way it is provided?
A: We can use
it the way it is provided; however, we recommend that
you submit black and white bitmap images scanned at least
at 600 dpi, grayscale images at 300 dpi, and full-color
photos at 300 dpi for the best possible quality. Also,
be sure that you are scanning at the size we are going
to print. Enlarging and/or reducing scans will affect
how they look. If you know the scan is low-resolution
and you want us to use it, please indicate somewhere on
your order blank that you are aware of and will take responsibility
for the relatively low quality and that you want us to
proceed without calling you.Back
to Top
What
dpi do you use for printing?
A: We will
print with whatever dpi is approved on your files. We
recommend that you submit black and white bitmap images
scanned at least at 600 dpi, grayscale images at 300 dpi,
and full-color photos at 300 dpi for the best possible
quality. We output to our digital copier/printers at 600
dpi. If your files were submitted at a different dpi than
what we recommend and that resolution has been approved,
that is what will print.Back
to Top
What
is 'ppi'?
A: It's an acronym for 'pixels
per inch' (same as 'dots per inch').Back
to Top
Can
you scan a printout I send you of my file if for some
reason you can't use my file?
A: We cannot
guarantee the quality of the final printed piece if we
scan preprinted material. Sometimes scanning a printout
works just fine, but we do not recommend it. Back
to Top
Is
it advisable to send black and white camera-ready artwork
instead of (or as well as) electronic files?
A: If you send both electronic files and hard art, we
will check your electronic files first to see if they
are set up correctly and are useable. We'll print your
order using them if they are correct. If your electronic
files are incorrect, and we have received good black and
white artwork/materials, we will use that as an alternative.
Please keep in mind that if we receive pre-screened art
or printed material to scan, we can not guarantee the
quality of the final printed product. If neither the files
or the black and white art sent is acceptable, we will
need to contact you and your order will be delayed. Good
electronic files will always take precedence over hard
art. Back to
Top
Do I
need to fax a proof of what I want my cards to look like
even if I'm e-mailing it to you?
A: This
is your option. It doesn't hurt to have a sample of what
the layout should look like, but it is not necessary to
do this for us. Sometimes, faxing us a sample layout only
delays getting the order into our staff because we need
to match your faxed layout to your order and files. If
you do fax a proof, be sure to indicate that the order
was sent electronically to avoid a duplicate order.Back
to Top
What
is BinHex?
A: BinHex is a method of encoding your files so
that they can be transferred to other computers via the
Internet. It is used to keep files from becoming corrupt.
Back to Top
What kind of
compression (compacting) software can I use to compress
my files before sending?
A: Stuff-It®
or DiskDoubler® for Macintosh and WinZip®
for PC. Back
to Top
What
could be happening to my file that would make it change
from the time I send it to the time you receive it? What
would make a file corrupt?
A: There are different ways a file can become corrupt.
It could be that the file was put on a bad disk; it could
be that the disk passed near something magnetic; it could
be that it was unprotected (not compacted or "BinHexed")
when it was sent through e-mail or to an FTP site. A file
would only become corrupt by an 'outside force' or by
the method by which the file is being transported.
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* Adapted from ww.carlsoncraft.com |
