1. ACCEPTABLE FILE RESOLUTION:
Your images and artwork should be at least 300 dpi. Images that start off as 300 dpi and are reduced will have a higher resolution. Images that are 300 dpi and are enlarged will have a lower resolution. We don’t recommend enlarging images over 30%.
2. COLOR MODE:
Set your Color Profile to CMYK: U.S. Sheetfed Coated v2. The Color Profiles are not saved within the template, they are set up by the user in the Color Settings in Photoshop (or another Adobe application). This setting will remain the standard for every file you open in Adobe, until you change this again.
3. BLEED, CUT LINE & SAFETY:
Bleeds are required in all artwork with an image extending to one of the borders. Add a quarter inch (0.125″) to each side to allow for cutting. For example, for a 4” x 6” postcard with full bleed, the image size should be submitted at 4.25” x 6.25” (red box).
0.125″ (1/8”) on each edge of the card will be trimmed off during the cutting process. This will leave you a
4” x 6” standard post card (black box).
Your type (text) should be 0.125″ (1/8”) inside the cut box on each side. This will guarantee your text to not be cut off from your artwork (blue box).
4. PRINTING BORDERS:
The cutting process for printed materials has a mechanical tolerance of about 0.0625 or 1/16 of an inch. When using a border in your artwork, it is essential that your design use at least 0.25 or 1/4 of an inch of white space from your border to the cut line to maintain a symmetric appearance.