Production Specifications

File format Information

Spectra Images supports files created in standard publishing programs such as: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and QuarkXpress on both Macintosh and Windows platforms.

All files should be accompanied by a printed proof, jpg or a pdf if submitted electronically. Note: without a customer supplied color accurate proof, we cannot guarantee accuracy in final reproduction, due to possible text reformatting. PC special character keystrokes can produce different results on the Macintosh. Matchprints or other high-end digital proofs are acceptable for color matching purposes, laser prints are not.

We accept files on CD, DVD or from our website at www.spectraimages.com. Any files over two MB should be sent to our website and not e-mailed directly to the account manager. Please compress your files with Stuffit or Winzip before uploading files to the website to avoid possible file corruption during transmission. Files over 100 MB should be sent on disk only.

File Guidelines

All submitted files should be saved in CMYK and contain all supporting graphics and fonts (both printer and screen fonts) We can not insure color accuracy when a file is converted from RGB to CMYK. Whenever possible, save a final as a high resolution pdf. Any critical colors pertaining to logos, corporate identity or any other specific spot color match, must be called out as either Pantone coated or uncoated colors, and not converted to process colors.

• Adobe Acrobat files: The ONYX software on our RIP currently supports Acrobat files saved in the following format:
  Standard: PDF/X-1a:2003 Compatibility: Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3)
  No compression Transparency Flattener: High Resolution
• Adobe Illustrator: Please include a working native Illustrator file with all fonts used, and supporting embedded images if color manipulation is required. Also include a pdf or eps with fonts outlined for proofing purposes. Note: Illustrator gradients tend to band and in some cases, drop out all together while printing, when ever possible, create gradients in Photoshop. Illustrator files don’t transfer well as e-mail attachments, make sure to compress them before sending.
• Adobe InDesign, create a “package” and in QuarkXpress: perform a “collect for output” to ensure all supporting images and fonts are included. Include a pdf for proofing purposes.
• Adobe Photoshop: Please include both a layered native photoshop image for file manipulation and a flattened tiff or jpg for proofing. Images need to have a resolution of at least 150 ppi for indoor use and 100 ppi for outdoor use for final output. This includes images placed in other programs at the final output size.
• We can not guarantee results on Publisher, Power Point or Word documents and images with resolutions of under 100 ppi.
• Feel free to contact our production department with any questions on setting up files.