Getting your artwork to us

File saving guidelines

Main Programs
VgL use the following Macintosh design applications
(all current editions):

Adobe (Creative Suite) – Photoshop

Adobe (Creative Suite) – Illustrator

Adobe (Creative Suite) – InDesign

Quark Xpress – Standard and Passport Edition

Freehand MX

If you need to supply us files from another application you must turn all text into outline format, embed any placed images and save the file as an EPS (Encapsulated Post Script).
Please send all picture files and fonts (both screen and printer) used in the artwork. If you cannot supply Macintosh fonts, all text must be made into paths/outlines before sending to us.
We cannot use PC fonts.

Tips
Using 4 colour black will give much better print results than single colour black; suggested values are:
50% C, 50% M, 50% Y, 100% K.
You can work to any scale (10%, 25%, 50% etc.) as long as your file is in the correct proportion to your finished required size. Please let us know the scale of your artwork and the intended final size.
Wherever possible allow extra bleed around your artwork for trimming purposes. Please make clear the trimmed size with the use of crop marks.
Printers work with CMYK images not RGB. If you have RGB files convert them to CMYK to get a better idea of the finished colour output.
If you need to compress graphic files use high quality JPEG compression or LZW compression for TIFF files to avoid excessive image degradation. Alternatively use Zip or Stuffit to compress files.
Please provide us with printed layouts and colour guides wherever possible.

Bitmap/photo maximum size guidelines
Small format (up to A3 size) 300dpi at 100% size
(about 70Mb for an A3 image.)

Medium format (up to 5 M2) 75-100dpi at 100% size
(35-60Mb per M2)

Large format (up to 30 M2) 50dpi at 100% size
(15Mb per M2)

Superlarge format (over 30 M2) 25dpi at 100% size
(4Mb per M2)

The above table is the maximum size for files; for most files you can use much smaller files particularly for low detail images for example clouds, landscapes etc. Also, the greater the viewing distance the smaller the resolution required. Billboards for instance are fine with 25dpi artwork.

If you require any further technical advice please do not hesitate to contact us on 0118 922 1300