ARTWORK FAQ

We accept adobe photoshop, illustrator or indesign cs6 or earlier.

Yes, please contact us at (800) 836-7237 for details.

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 all initial 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.*Please note: Charges may apply for this kind of sample request.

We prefer artwork at 300 dpi or higher in resolution. Depending on your project, we may be able to accept artwork at a lower resolution.

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

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. *Please note: jpeg and tiff files are not vector art.

Occasionally, the customer may have a more updated version of a program than we do.  In these situations, it is sometimes 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 ask our customers to save their artwork in an older version and resend it to us. This can be a delicate situation but is usually a simple process for the custom and is the best solution for the problem.

The decorating style helps set the tone for your brand.  Our knowledgeable staff will work with you to select the right technique to meet your needs. For a full discussion of decoration techniques, please visit our decoration technique comparison chart located in the design consideration tab on our website.

Yes.  We can color match your materials and imprints using the PMS color matching system.  Please understand that color matching 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.  Our experienced staff will help you with this selection.

This applies only to artwork that has more than 1 color.  A color separation shows the different color independently, i.e. different layers for each color. 

The 4 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).  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.

4 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.

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.

Covering over 60% of the available surface with ink.

gold · general rolls s19k · silver · matte: kurz rating 6/7 · metallic (chrome): gen roll 819k lot 8552 · white · kurz v911 · pmf5100 · brown · kurzv968 · black · kurzv912 · gen roll gp900 lot 16609 or w900l lot 94223 · blue · navy,  kurz v917 (forbes blue) · electric blue, kurz v902 · royal blue, general

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 a 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 a 4 color process. Digital is the most economical method for small (under 1000) quantities. Digital quality is not as high as offset printing.  Digitally printed dark solid colors can be troublesome. Sometimes there is a need to change to a super-stick lamination to prevent quality issues.

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 two separate elements are to relate to each other on the finished piece.

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.

If Forbes is required to make extensive changes to the artwork provided by our customer, there will be a charge of $70/hr with a minimum charge of $35.00.