technical tips and FAQ's ...

FAQ's

What kind of printing do you produce?
Do you produce color copies?
What are your prices?
How do I start my project?
The quote I received is more expensive than I expected. How can I lower costs?
What kind of computer platforms and software programs do you support?
What kind of file do you prefer?
I have created a brochure on my computer. Can you use my digital files or will you have to recreate them?
I just pulled the picture in my file off a web page - is that ok?
How do I send you my digital files?
Do I send you my fonts?
I sent you my completed project on disk. Then I was told there were problems with my files.They printed fine on my computer. What's wrong?
Do you deliver?
What type of images will work ok?
Do you need my pictures?
Application Specific Tips

What kind of printing do you produce?
Pro-Type Printing is a full service commercial printer. We participate in all areas of print from the initial concept to the delivery of your completed project.
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Do you produce color copies?
Yes. Depending on the quantity you need, digital copies could be a cheaper alternative to offset printing. For quick turnaround, digital is also a more cost effective solution. Call our customer service representatives to find out the most cost effective way to run your color job.
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What are your prices?
We do not have a standard list of prices because there are so many variables that contribute to the cost of a printed piece. Two one-color letterheads could have two completely different prices due to the type of paper they are using, the resolution needed to print the job or even if the ink bleeds off the page. Please contact us to give us information about your unique project. Our customer service representatives will be happy to give you a quote for your printed project.
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How do I start my project?
The first step to starting a project is to contact our customer service department for a quote. For more complex projects we can set up a meeting to discuss the project specifics. If your project has already been created, please send us a printed or digital sample so that we can give you a more accurate quote. Once the quote is accepted, we will begin working on your job. Any changes made after the quote is signed off (for example, adding another color, changing the quantity, changing the size, adding a page) will result in a new quote.
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The quote I received is more expensive than I expected. How can I lower costs?
There are several ways to lower costs. Sometimes changing the size slightly, the kind of paper used, or changing the ink colors can make a big difference in the price.

There are many ways to minimize the cost of your printed project. We are here to help you with ideas and suggestions to get your project done within your budget.
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What kind of computer platforms and software programs do you support?
We support both the Windows® and Macintosh® operating systems. We support many software programs on both platforms. We are an Adobe® Service Provider, and a Microsoft® Publisher® Service Provider. This gives us access to the knowledge and training to handle all of your digital content quickly and accurately. We use the fastest digital hardware and have the most current software available. We can work with almost any file you give us.
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What kind of file do you prefer?
For digital output, a pdf file is the most reliable and least expensive. However, it can be a good idea to send us your native application file as well just in case changes might be needed. If you cannot create a pdf file, please call us so we can walk you through downloading a FREE and simple program.

If you have experience downloading and installing files, click here and follow the directions to download and install the free pdf online program.
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I created a brochure on my computer. Can you use my digital files-or will you have to recreate them?
Most likely, we will be able to work with your digital file without having to recreate the file from scratch. If it is going on a digital copier - it is less expensive to provide us with a PDF file. However, we have a wide variety of software we support and have both Windows® and Macintosh® workstations. Our graphic designers are also technical experts and well-versed in most software and hardware issues. A document may look correct on your monitor and print out on your desktop printer, however this does not mean that the file is ready to run on a commercial press. Images need to be saved in the correct formats, with high enough resolutions and accurate colors. The job may require trapping. If the job is being folded, the panels spacing may need to be adjusted. We have included a section of this web site dedicated to discussing all the various elements required to create a file ready for printing.
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I just pulled the picture in my file off a web page - is that ok?
Have you noticed how when you print a webpage at home the pictures look fuzzy? That is because they have been made to load quickly on your screen but don't print well. We cannot make these images look any better without an original file. See further details in our Technical Tips area.
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How do I send you my digital files?
We accept files by e-mail or CD. Please send a printout or .pdf file of the final version of your project you would like printed. Be sure to clearly mark your company name, the name of the file you would like printed, and accurate contact information.

If you are sending multiple digital files electronically, please compress them using WinZip® for Windows® files or StuffIt® for Mac® files.

E-Mail: You can send small files to us via e-mail by attaching your files to the message you send to us. Please e-mail all digital files to: info@protypeonline.com
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Do I need to send you my fonts?
If you use only the fonts that came with MS Publisher then no. We have them here too.

But if you use any other fonts from other sources then we do need you to gather up copies of them and archive them together using a program like Winzip® and send them to us with your layout file.

If you don't know how to do this then just carefully go through your document and make a list of the fonts used. Send that list to us in an email along with your order reference number so that we can find good substitutes for your typefaces.

Fonts are located on your computer. The page layout program accesses these fonts from your hard drive, then displays what they look like in the document. It does not save the actual font with the program. If you send us your page layout file and forget to send the fonts, the type will default to another font that is on our system. Corel® and all Microsoft® programs do not tell us that the font is missing and we have no way of knowing. Always send all fonts and all images used in your final documents as well as a printed copy of what the file looks like so we can double-check for accuracy.
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I sent you my completed project on disk. Then I was told there were problems with my files. They printed fine on my printer. What's wrong?
There are several steps to creating files ready for offset printing as opposed to a desktop printer. If a document is missing information or not created accurately, it can cause problems and delays in printing. A document may look correct on your monitor, and may print out correctly on your desktop printer, but that file may not perform properly when printing color separations to produce plates for a press.
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Do you deliver?
Yes. We can deliver or ship your project anywhere you need.
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WHAT TYPE OF IMAGES WILL WORK OK?
If you are scanning the images yourself from photographs it is better to save them in either .tif, or .eps format. These image formats will preserve the color and sharpness of your pictures the best.

File formats like .gif or .jpg compress the picture's color and pixel resolution and this can cause color shifts and blurriness. Since .jpg and .gif are the most predominant image formats on the web, it follows that it's not a good idea to simply lift an image from someone's website and use it in your layout.

You should scan your images using a resolution of 300dpi at the final dimensions you intend to use them so that your colors will look smooth, and hard objects will look sharp. In other words don't scan at 300dpi and then enlarge the picture by 200% in your layout program! This is another reason why you should not use images that are lifted from websites; they are probably only 72dpi in resolution and will look very blurry if printed on a printing press.

If you are using pictures from your digital camera they will work just fine if they are high quality jpgs (set in your camera); the quality of jpg images from digital cameras seems to be much better than jpgs that are used on the web.
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DO YOU NEED MY PICTURES?
For commercial printing (vs digital output), include all images with your document. Some programs allow you to embed images into your page layout program. DO NOT EMBED YOUR IMAGES. If you embed images, we cannot check them for color accuracy, trapping resolution and quality. We need the original images so we can ensure your files print correctly.

Check to see that the image resolution is 300 ppi (pixels per inch) at final size in your layout application when working with photographs and scans. Photographs and scanned images are raster images. Raster images are created with pixels. Each pixel has a level of color and together the pixels create an image. Images need to have enough pixels in order to print clearly. Low resolution images (images that do not have enough pixels) look jagged and muddy and will not yield desireable results.

Check to ensure that the image resolution is 300 ppi at the size it is in the page layout document. Graphics used on the web are 72 ppi. These are NOT suitable for printing. If you take images from your website into PhotoShop® and upsample them to 300 ppi this will just add noise and unwanted artifacts to your image. Your resolution will now be correct, but your image will be degraded and will yield subpar results when printed. Please use the original images scanned at higher resolution and not the ones that have been downsampled to72 ppi for your web content.

There are two kinds of support files, raster and vector.
Below are a list of the most common file formats:

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) This format is for raster images. All photographs and scans (or anything out of PhotoShop®) can be saved in this format.

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) This format is for raster or vector images. All vector images (anything out of Illustrator®, FreeHand®, or CorelDRAW®) should be saved as an EPS file unless working with InDesign and then we recommend you leave Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop files in their native .ai or .psd format. Any raster images that have a clipping path or duotone information should be saved as an EPS file.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) This format is primarily used for storing full color images or transmitting graphics via the Internet. The JPEG format compresses images in order to create a smaller file size (always choose the highest quality available). When an image is saved as a JPEG, then reopened, the image looks the same but is missing information that was thrown out in order to compress the image. This type of compression is called "lossy" compression. TIFF and EPS are a higher quality file format than JPEG.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) This format is primarily used for web media and is used primarily for logos and graphics that are not photographs. Please do not give us these images for printing. This format is limited to 256 colors. Save them as TIFF or EPS images instead.
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APPLICATION FILES
Below are some tips for specific page layout programs.

QuarkXPress®
QuarkXPress® is one of the two programs we recommend to use for page layout. Quark® on the Macintosh® platform does not embed images so all images you see on the screen are placeholders and the actual images are linked.

The "Collect for Output" command located under the File menu collects images but does not collect fonts in version 4, but will collect fonts in version 5 and 6. Please be sure to collect the fonts before giving us your files. To find out what fonts are being used in your Quark® document, look under the "Usage" command in the Utilities menu. This will give you a list of all the fonts and images used and show you where they are located in the document.

Adobe® InDesign®
InDesign® is the Adobe® program we recommend for page layout. InDesign® is the next generation page layout program from Adobe®, and is the intended replacement for PageMaker®.

Please use the "Package" command located under the File menu. This command collects all images and fonts used in your document, including fonts used in your image files, and saves them into a folder.

When working in InDesign®, we recommend that you save your Illustrator® support files in their native .ai format, and your Photoshop® files in their native.psd format. This will give you maximum flexibility in your design process and add to the functionality built into InDesign®

When printing a color proof in InDesign® document with transparency, select Simulate Overprint in the output pane of the print dialog box (Simulate overprint should not be selected for final separations output.)

Corel®
Corel® includes CorelDRAW®, a vector drawing program that can be used as a page layout program.

Corel® does not notify us of missing fonts. If a font is missing, another font on our system will be substituted in place of the missing font. This means we will not know if fonts are missing because it will appear to us that the substituted font was built into the file. Be sure to include all fonts as well as a printed copy of your file so that we can double-check for accuracy.

Microsoft® (Publisher®, Excel®, Word®)
Microsoft® programs do not notify us of missing fonts. If a font is missing, another font on our system will be substituted in place of the missing font. This means we will not know if fonts are missing because it will appear to us that the substituted font was built into the file. Be sure to include all fonts as well as a printed copy of your file so that we can double-check for accuracy.

Please import images instead of "cutting & pasting" images from one document to another. If you "cut & paste" the image you see will be a screen shot and print out at 72 dpi which is too low of resolution.

All Microsoft® programs do not have an accurate color management system. The colors you see on your monitor or color desktop printout will be different than the printed version of that file. Please keep that in mind when building your files. Please call us if you have any questions regarding your Microsoft® files or contact Microsoft® directly for help.

When working in Publisher®, please print color separations on your desktop printer to check that your file is only using the colors intended.
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