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Artwork

Artwork Guidelines

Have questions about file submission and setup? Here are some answers. Keep in mind, these are general guidelines, and that requirements may be different from job to job. Plastek Cards can provide you with any assistance you need in setting up and submitting your files. Feel free to give us a call at 1-888-762-2737. The quality of your print depends upon the quality of artwork supplied to us! To ensure quickest order turnaround time, we require all submitted artwork to be in a Vector File or Camera-Ready. Please set up your artwork with the appropriate template. Card and carrier templates can be found here. If artwork is not camera ready and will require minor changes, touch-ups or recreations, please provide the original editable files.

Full Design Camera Ready

Please have your finished artwork in a vectored PDF or Illustrator format, with all text outlined. If you do not have Illustrator we will convert your Photoshop files. Please show all of your options on your artwork and state as FPO (For Position Only). We will remove all FPO barcodes, mag stripes, data, etc. prior to production. Any text or art that is getting extra options such as foil stamping, crystal raised ink, etc. must be in vector format.

Fonts

Please outline all fonts when possible. Do NOT use “applied” type styles in the control or measurements palettes to make the type bold or italic; please always choose the bold or italic versions of the font from the font list in order to prevent unexpected print results. NOTE: Fonts smaller than 5pt are generally considered unreadable without magnification, depending on the font.

Color

Save all color photos and vector images as CMYK if the job is to be 4 color process. Specify which colors are to be spot and which colors are to be 4 color process. Choose colors from the Pantone swatch books, rather than color combinations that look good on your monitor. Colors from a low-end, non-color managed printer do NOT represent the color that will be printed. Please provide any previously printed cards or collateral pieces that we may have to match for color.

Linked Graphic Files

This includes all graphics that were placed from vector programs such as Illustrator and Freehand, as well as any images placed into the vector programs. For example: if you have created a logo in Adobe Illustrator that contains a Photoshop image, you must provide us with both the Illustrator file as well as the Photoshop file. Graphics application programs will not collect the Photoshop file, so you must manually copy it. Please avoid PICT and Windows BMP files. All color and grayscale photos need to be at 300 dpi at their final size. Scan all color and grayscale photos at 300 dpi at the final size that they will be used in your document. All color scans must be saved as CMYK color space. We will not accept RGB color.

Magnetic Stripes and Variable Data

Please show all magnetic stripes and variable data on your artwork in the color magenta, and as a seprate layer. Also, please label these elements as “FPO” (for placement only). We will remove all FPO barcodes, mag stripes, data, etc. prior to production.

File Transfers

Digital files can be sent to Plastek Cards via e-mail or uploaded to a file sharing site, such as www.dropbox.com. Please make sure your artwork is final when presented to us. Turnaround time for artwork approval will normally be the next business day depending on the time the artwork is received.

Artwork Checklist

For your convenience we have an Artwork Checklist for you to download to ensure that your submission meets our requirements. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the checklist.
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Plastek Cards ASI Number: 78307