To ease turn around time and prevent increased costs, we prefer receiving files in editable vector format. This means art generated in either Illustrator or FreeHand, the two most popular vector graphics programs. We can accept files made with Illustrator version 10 or earlier, or FreeHand version 10 or earlier. In the instance where you have a file in something other than the above format, please provide us with the contact information for the person or company that designed your logo.

If you need us to send a logo or product illustration, we ask that you answer the following questions. Your responses to these essential details, will help us fulfill your request accurately and expeditiously.

1. How will the file be used? (offset, laser or ink jet printing, advertising, Website, screen saver, PowerPoint presentation, other)
2. What will the final dimensions be? (8 ½” x 11”, 4” x 5”, 2” x 2”, other)
3. What resolution is required? (72 dots per inch (dpi), 200 dpi, 300 dpi, etc)
4. What’s the preferred color? (CMYK, RGB, index, grayscale)
5. Which application and format should the file be created? (application: native Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand or Quark – format: JPEG, TIFF, Photoshop EPS, GIF)
6. What’s the desired computer platform? (Macintosh or PC)
7. How do you want the file sent? (e-mail, floppy disk, zip disk, CD or Jaz disk)
8. What shipping method do you prefer? (FedEx or UPS)

The reason that we need essential details when sending files is because we want to prevent any technical difficulties. If, for example, we send a JPEG and the image is distorted, chances are good that there’s nothing wrong with the file, but instead, the JPEG has a condition artists and technicians call color gamut mode -- a visual distortion, which has nothing to do with the JPEG itself. Your browser and most other programs that put pictures on a computer monitor are geared for JPEGS in red-green-blue mode (RGB) only. But JPEGs used for printing employ another color format entirely -- a format commonly known as CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK) based on the four-color process inks used by commercial printers.

If you are having troubles with your fonts, please consider the following: Macintosh fonts won't work on a Windows-based PC. We use a font-collection utility for QuarkXPress called FontXpress. It creates a "suitcase" named after the Quark file, stuffs all of the screen fonts, Postscript fonts, and TrueType fonts inside, and then puts the suitcase in a folder which is also named after the Quark file with the word "Fonts" tacked on at the end. This can be confusing since we all typically look for suitcases having regular font names; but in the end, it's easier for service bureaus to have just one suitcase for the job -- or so they assume at FontXpress. To access the suitcase, load it into your font management utility (e.g., ATM Deluxe, Suitcase) or drop it into your Macintosh System Folder and restart. If that doesn't do the trick … please call us.