Requirements for projects

REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARING DESIGNS FOR PRINT PRODUCTION

1. File Formats

1.1. PDF file version 1.4 with transparencies.

1.2. Layout and graphics files:

a) Adobe InDesign;

b) Adobe Illustrator (AI, EPS);

c) Adobe Photoshop (PSD, PSB, EPS, TIFF – LZW compression allowed);

d) CorelDRAW (CDR), QuarkXPress. Files created in CorelDRAW and QuarkXPress are accepted

for processing as files requiring refinement.

When working in MacOS, assign file extensions that correspond to the file type.

2. Color Space

2.1. Recommended working color space:

a) for CMYK color model – ISO Coated v2 300 (ECI);

b) for RGB color model – sRGB IEC61966-2.1.

2.2. If a color space other than the recommended one is used, it is necessary to embed the used ICC profile into the file or provide information about it in any available way (written, verbal, as a separate ICC or ICM file).

3. General Requirements for Submission of Original Layouts

3.1. Document size (Document Setup, Page Size, Trim box in the printing PDF file) must correspond to the finished trimmed format of the product.

3.2. The layout must be created in the CMYK, Grayscale, or Bitmap color model, except in cases where additional inks are used in printing.

3.3. Elements that go “bleed” must have bleeds of at least 5 mm.

3.4. Plot-important objects (text, folio numbers, important design elements) must be located at least 5 mm from the trim edge of the product (for business cards, at least 3 mm).

3.5. When creating layouts with spiral binding, the distance from the spine to plot-important elements must

be at least 10 mm (recommended distance is 12 mm).

3.6. When creating layouts with glued binding, it is necessary to consider that part of the page goes into the spine, so the distance from the spine to plot-important elements must be at least 15 mm. For images placed on spreads, this effect must be compensated by shifting the illustration 4 mm to the right or left, depending on the page (even, odd). The amount of shift for the first and last spreads, as well as the spine thickness, should be clarified with your manager.

3.7. The use of lines thinner than 0.125 pt (≈0.05 mm) or lines with the Hairline attribute is not allowed.

3.8. Do not color lines and graphic elements thinner than 0.5 pt (≈0.2 mm) and text smaller than 6 pt

in a color consisting of more than one ink.

3.9. Fonts smaller than 4 pt are not allowed. Avoid writing text smaller than 6 pt

“knocked out” (reversed) on solids colored with a color consisting of more than one ink.

3.10. Small elements and text that appears black (gray) must be printed in 100% Black and percentage of it.

3.11. Large black areas and text larger than 24 pt must be printed in composite black.

3.12. The total ink coverage (Total Ink, TIL) must not exceed 300%.

3.13. The reproducible tonal range on coated paper is 3% – 97%.

3.14. When using additional inks, the ink name must correspond to the official Pantone library. Use Pantone C definitions for coated paper and Pantone U for uncoated paper.

3.15. If the layout uses die-cutting, spot varnish, embossing and/or other additional operations, they must be printed in their own spot color and have the Overprint attribute. The spot color name must correspond to the functional purpose of the object (e.g., Varnish, Cut, Emboss, etc.). The spot color for white ink should be named White_HP.

3.16. The cut or die-cut contour must be created only in vector format.

3.17. By default, the Overprint attribute is removed from all layout elements and assigned only to objects printed in 100% Black. Always notify when the Overprint attribute is part of the design and must be preserved.

3.18. Effective resolution (resolution considering scaling) of halftone raster illustrations must be at least 250 dpi and no more than 350 dpi; for line art (Bitmap) – at least 800 dpi. For large-format products, use the following ratio of resolution to layout size:

 

Layout size	Resolution
up to 3 m2 (np. 1,2 x 1,8 m)	150 dpi
3–6 m2 (np. 2 x 3 m)	120 dpi
up to 30 m2 (np. 3 x 6 m)	72 dpi
more than 30 m2	30 dpi
100 m2 and more	20–30 dpi

PDF files larger than 5 meters must be prepared at a scale of 1:10 with the scale indicated in the file name (1k10). In such cases, the resolution must be increased 10 times to compensate.

3.19. All fonts used in the layout must be converted to outlines or provided along with the layout file.

3.20. The original layout must be accompanied by a raster preview. If the finished product is a complex structure, such as a box, a sample of the assembled product must be provided (a scaled model is acceptable). For layouts containing additional spot colors, a raster preview of the additional spot channels is mandatory.

3.21. If the layout contains text and graphic elements created in raster format, we strongly recommend providing them in vector format. Otherwise, line sharpness may be lost and small elements may be distorted.

For certain elements or individual pages of the layout that require high color reproduction accuracy, a color proof must be provided or ordered. Color proofs must meet the requirements described in section 10 "Requirements for Color Proofs".

4. PDF File Requirements

4.1. The PDF file must meet the requirements described in section 3 "General Requirements for Submitting Original Layouts". 4.2. It is not recommended to submit PDF files above version 1.4.

4.3. All pages in the PDF file must have the same orientation (either landscape or portrait) and be the same size.

4.4. The page order in the PDF file must correspond to the final product. Files created with imposed layouts or spreads are not accepted, except for covers of products with perfect binding.

4.5. All images and fonts used in the layout must be embedded in the PDF file.

4.6. The PDF file must include crop marks. Crop marks must have an offset of at least 4 mm from the trim line, or the bleed distance + 1 mm (for example, 5 mm bleed + 1 mm = 6 mm). The presence of other elements such as bleed marks, registration marks, or color bars in the file is not allowed.

4.7. The PDF file must not contain elements created using Adobe Acrobat tools (e.g., comments). 4.8. The PDF file must not contain pages or color plates that will not be used in the printing process.

4.9. When creating a PDF file with raster images, use lossless compression (ZIP).

In certain cases, JPEG compression (maximum quality) may be used.

The optimal way to generate a PDF file is by exporting or saving it directly from the layout preparation software. You can request PDF creation settings from your manager.

5. Requirements for Layout Files

5.1. The layout file must meet the requirements described in section 3 "General Requirements for Submitting Original Layouts".

5.2. The layout file must be accompanied by fonts, linked files (Links), and must be collected using the layout program’s packaging tools (Package, Collect for Output).

5.3. The order and orientation of pages in the layout must correspond to the final product.

5.4. When creating layouts for perfect bound products, the cover should be prepared in a separate file as finished spreads (4-1 and 2-3), taking the spine width into account. You can confirm the spine thickness with your manager.

5.5. When creating layouts for perfect binding, it must be taken into account that part of the page will fall into the spine. Therefore, the distance from the spine to plot-important elements must be at least 15 mm. For images spanning across a spread, this effect should be compensated by shifting the illustration 4 mm to the right or left, depending on the page (even or odd). Please confirm the shift amount for the first and last spreads, as well as spine thickness, with your manager.

5.6. Use only Latin letters in the names of linked files (Links). Do not use Cyrillic or characters from Romance-Germanic language groups (e.g., French, German). It is unacceptable to use files with identical names located in different folders in the layout (this causes all files with the same name to be replaced by one of them).

CorelDRAW and Adobe Photoshop are not considered layout programs for multi-page documents.

6. Requirements for Raster Illustrations

6.1. All raster illustrations must be in the color models CMYK, Grayscale, or Bitmap. When using Duotone and Multichannel color models, you must have a clear understanding of the desired output and must notify us about the presence of such files.

6.2. The effective resolution (resolution taking into account scaling) of halftone raster illustrations must be no less than 250 dpi and no more than 350 dpi; for line art (Bitmap) – no less than 800 dpi.

6.3. The use of file formats intended for web design (e.g., GIF, PNG, BMP) is not allowed for linked raster graphics files.

6.4. When saving in the Photoshop EPS format, the Encoding option should be set to Binary (preferred) or JPEG (maximum quality).

6.5. The clipping path must consist of one or more closed contours saved with the parameter Flatness = 1 device pixel.

6.6. Graphic and halftone images in neutral grays or tones close to them must be prepared with replacement of the triadic color component with black ink. Proper file preparation will reduce the likelihood of color variation in the print run.

7. Requirements for Vector Illustrations

7.1. All vector illustrations must comply with the requirements described in section 3 “General Requirements for Submission of Original Layouts.”

7.2. When working in Adobe Illustrator, use the following settings:

 a) Document Color Mode – CMYK;

 b) Document Raster Effect Setting – CMYK, 300 dpi;

 c) Transparency Flattener Option – Raster / Vector – 100%;

 d) Transparency Flattener Option – Line Art and Text – 2400 dpi;

 e) Transparency Flattener Option – Gradient and Mesh – 300 dpi;

f) Convert All Strokes to Outline – checkbox should be unchecked.

7.3. Preferred formats for vector graphic files: AI or Illustrator EPS.

7.4. AI files starting from version 9.0 should be saved with downversion to Illustrator CC (Legacy) and with the option Create PDF Compatible file enabled.

7.5. Raster elements used in the layout must be embedded or provided together with the layout as linked files (Links).

7.6. In the final vector files, all fonts used in the layout must be converted to outlines or provided together with the layout.

8. Requirements for Fonts

8.1. Bold, Italic, Outline, and other font styles must be created using the font’s own styles, not software effects.

8.2. It is not allowed to use fonts with the same names but different types (e.g., TTF, PS) within the same publication.

9. Requirements for Color Proofs

9.1. You can request the ICC profile of the printing process being simulated from your manager.

9.2. Acceptable color proof prints are those made on professional color inkjet photo printers of the Epson Stylus Pro class, produced in accordance with the ISO 12647-7:2007 standard requirements.

9.3. Paper for digital color proofs must comply with the requirements of ISO 12647-7:2007 (e.g., EFI Gravure Proof Paper 4245 Semimatt, Epson Standard Proofing Paper, EFI Offset Proof Paper 9200 Semimatt).

9.4. The color proof must include the UGRA/FOGRA Media Wedge v2.0a or v3.0a control scale. The elements of the scale must be printed completely, without any alterations, distortions, or scaling. The image and control scale should be printed simulating the corresponding printing process (see item 9.1).

9.5. The color proof must be made from the same original layout file that is submitted to the print shop for mass printing.

9.6. Elements of the color proof must not undergo distortions in linear dimensions or scaling. Presence of trim marks and color labels is optional; registration marks are not required.

9.7. Colorimetric measurements must be performed with a spectrophotometer in the CIE Lab color model.

9.8. Measurements must comply with ISO 13655:2009 standard: Standard illuminant D50, standard observer with 2º viewing angle, measurement geometry 0/45º or 45º/0, without polarization or UV filters, on a white substrate.

9.9. According to the criteria of ISO 12647-7:2007, tolerances for deviations when measuring the control scale on a manufactured digital proof must be as follows:

Criteria	Tolerance
ΔE maximum (for all fields)	≤ 6
ΔE average (for all fields)	≤ 3
ΔE paper imitation	≤ 3
ΔE (C, M, Y, K) under this condition is the fraction ΔH (max) (C,M,Y,K)	≤ 5 ≤ 2,5
ΔH (arithmetic mean) for composite gray fields	≤ 1,5