How should I prepare my artwork file?

Submitting artwork is easy.

In order for us to create your custom banner or flag, we need to know how you want it to look. For simple designs, sometimes all we need is a sketch, and we can do the rest. We suggest having some kind of artwork ready when you call for a quote. Or at least keep a sketch pad handy! You can also fax, e-mail or mail your banner ideas to our Manhattan factory.

The fastest way to send us artwork is to email it to us (< 15MB in size) or use one of the popular filesharing services:

• wetransfer.com
• dropbox.com
• hightail.com

Acceptable Programs

If your artwork was created in the following programs, there should be no problem.

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator (save down as CS6)
• Adobe InDesign

Programs like Word, PowerPoint, etc. generally are not usable and will require some time to repurpose.

File Formats

PDF and EPS files are best. But be aware: just saving low-resolution artwork in these formats won't fix anything.

Creating Artwork

Any placed graphics should be included with the file and should be 150dpi or higher 'at size'. So if your artfile is at half size to the actual output size, aim for 300dpi for rasterized elements. Vectorized art is always best since they can be scaled to any size without a loss of detail. If someone else is creating your artwork or logo, always specify that you want a vectorized art file -- the resulting files are generally smaller and more useful.

Color

Files can be created in RGB or CMYK color spaces, but if creating the CMYK color mode please don't convert to CMYK. Specifying spot colors is always an improvement over process colors -- we use 'Pantone Solid Coated' for spot color matching. Specifying the CMYK values is helpful, but not nearly as specific as a Pantone value.

Fonts and Rule Lines

Please convert all text and other elements like rule lines to outlines.
Please don't use stroke outlines as design elements -- if the artwork is scaled up or down they won't scale unless they've been converted to outlines beforehand.

If you have any questions or concerns about sending us your artwork, please contact us, and we'll guide you through the process.