How should I send my artwork to Forbes?
You can send us artwork by any of these methods:

• Email of files 9MB or smaller to art at forbesproducts.com. (replace "at" with @).
• Send a disk by mail to Forbes Custom Products, 10 Forbes Street, Dansville NY 14437 (please include a completed Electronic Art Checklist which you can download here

What kind of art files does Forbes accept?
Quark X-Press 6.5 or earlier
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign (CS4 or earlier)
Macromedia Freehand 11.0 or earlier
Corel Draw 12.0 or earlier

Does Forbes have an FTP site? Yes. Please contact us for details.

Does Forbes have MAC’s or PC’s? We have both.

Can Forbes provide me with a template for my artwork? Yes. Some templates are available in the Artwork Tools section of this website here. Please request all other templates from your sales or customer service representative.

Will I see a proof of my artwork before production begins? You may request to see a pdf proof of your artwork at any time before or after production. It is our usual practice to have you approve a pdf proof before any first time order production begins. You may also request a sample of your imprint on the material you have selected, prior to production, to ensure your expectations will be met. Charges may apply to this kind of sample.

What resolution do you require or prefer? We prefer artwork at 600 DPI or higher resolution. Depending on your project, we may be able to accept lower resolution artwork.

What are the recommended limitations on font size and line size in my art? We generally recommend type no smaller than 10 point and rules should be 1 point or larger in width. Reverse type works best at 12 point and bolder. These recommendations are generalities – the limitations for your project may vary depending on your specific artwork, material selection and imprinting method.

What is “vector art” and why does Forbes request it? Vector art allows the individual elements within the design to be manipulated independently. Allows for colors to be separated and separate images to be modified without changing the other design elements. JPG OR TIFF files are not vector art.

Why does Forbes sometimes ask customers to “back save” their artwork? Occasionally, the customer may have a more updated version of a program than we do. In these situations, it is sometimes not possible for us to view and work with the elements as they were designed by the customer. Since upgrades often have to be coordinated with hardware and other program upgrades, we sometimes have to ask the customer to save their artwork in the older version and resend it to us. This can be a delicate situation but is usually a simple process for the customer and the best solution to the problem.

What are the pros and cons of the various imprinting and decoration techniques? For a full discussion of decoration techniques, please visit our Decoration Technique Comparison Chart

Can Forbes color match imprints and materials? Yes. We can color match your materials and imprints using the PMS color matching system. Please understand that color matching anything has its limitations in that some color shade variance is normal. We can provide color proofs for your advance approval. Whether color matching materials is economical for you depends upon your order size and specifications. It may be that finding a close match from a standard color selection is your better choice. We will help you with this selection.

What does “color separation” mean? This applies only to artwork that has more than 1 color. A color separation shows the different colors independently, i.e. different layers for each color.

What is the difference between 4 color process and 4 spot color? Four color process comprises 4 different color layers which, when combined, create realistic photographic images. The 4 color components are “CMYK”. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (K). By varying the dot patterns within each layer, millions of colors can be created. This is the process used by ink jet color printers. 4 color process must always be printed on white substrate.

Four “spot” color means there are different colors, each of which are applied in separate areas. They can be any colors and can be printed on any color substrate. PMS colors must be provided.

What is a screen tint or halftone? Screen tints and halftones require a 65 to 85 line screen. Graduated screen tints below 10% will not print and screen tints above 90% will print solid. Keep tonal range between 20% and 80%. Metallic inks should not be used with halftones or screen tints because the metallic particles are larger than the screen mesh, and will plug up during production. Screen tint/halftone angles should be 22.5 degrees. French calf grain is recommended.

What is considered “heavy coverage” in screenprinting? Covering over 60% of the available surface with ink.

What are your standard stamping foil colors?

What is the difference between digital print and offset (litho) print? Offset or lithographic printing is the process where ink is transferred from the plate to an intermediary “blanket”, and then to the substrate (vinyl or paper) being printed. Offset Is normally 4 color process but can be spot colors as well. It is the most economical method for large quantities, and recommended when print quality is as important or more important than price.

Digital printing is plateless. Ink (generally a powder) is transferred from a charged drum to the substrate directly via a computer driven program. In our business, digital print is always 4 color process. Digital is most economical method for small (less than 1000) quantities. Digital quality is not as high as offset. Digitally printed dark solid colors can be troublesome. Sometimes there is a need to change to a super-stick lamination to prevent quality issues.

Why does Forbes request a pdf or hard copy in addition to an electronic art file? Sometimes there is more than one piece of artwork on an electronic file. The Hard copy confirms what piece of art is to be used. It defines the location and scale of the artwork on the finished piece. The Hard copy shows how 2 separate elements are to relate to each other on the finished piece.

Will Forbes create a logo or other artwork for me? Forbes excels in “production art” rather than “creative art”, meaning we generally work with the artwork provided by our customers. We do not offer logo design services as a standard offering. We can refer you to an excellent creative art service if you are in need of such.

What does Forbes charge for art composition? If Forbes is required to make extensive changes to the artwork provided by our customer, then we charge $70/hr with a minimum charge of $35.