GRAPHICS
Digital Media Impressions provides you with all the necessary templates and easy-to-follow instructions for submitting your artwork. To download our templates, click on the list to the right i.e. CD/CD-R, DVD/DVD-R, etc. Our templates are available in the following formats: EPS, PSD, PDF and QXD to be used with Photoshop, Acrobat, Illustrator, InDesign, or QuarkXpress.
If you have any technical questions, send an email to
graphics@digitalmediaimpressions.com or call our offices at (801) 303-6100 and just ask for the graphics department.
Customer Artwork
We preflight all of our customers' artwork files. Artwork is then setup using our in-house templates for film output for either silk screen or offset printing.
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Proofing
We then email a low resolution PDF composite proof to obtain our customer's approval and/or sign-off on their artwork.
NOTE: PDF proofing is provided for checking content such as font usage, spelling, image placement and is not intended to be used for color matching.
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Acceptable File Formats
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Macromedia FreeHand, and QuarkXpress.
NOTE: Please make sure your artwork is designed to Digital Media Impressions specifications. Please include a color hard copy whenever possible with your artwork files. Also include all fonts not outlined and images that are linked. We can print up to 6 colors in either CMYK or PMS. White and Black count as a color.
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Artwork Necessities
Refer to the list below for graphic specifications and tips for setting up your artwork files. This requires basic knowledge of desktop publishing and image manipulation. If this is new for you, we recommend using Digital Media Impression's graphic design department.
- Use and follow Digital Media Impression's templates and specifications.
- Never use a font size smaller than 7 pt on your artwork (silk screening only).
- It is best to create fonts using a vector application like illustrator rather than Photoshop.
Vector fonts print crisper than rasterized fonts.
NOTE: It is always best to outline fonts in the final artwork files you provide to Digital Media Impression. Otherwise you will need to include any fonts that have not been outlined.
- Include any image files (tiffs, eps, etc.) that are linked in your artwork files.
- When using gradient fills they should be no more than 50% apart in percentages. (i.e. 30%-70%,50% to 100%). To eliminate banding problems never use a gradient ranging from 0% to 100%. Everything under 25% will burn out when screens are made for silk screening.
- Always provide or use true 200-300 dpi images. 300 dpi is preferred. This will ensure quality printing.
- Make sure to specific PMS colors if printing spot colors and use only Pantone coated PMS color swatches.
- Save Photoshop images in CMYK not RGB mode.
- There are two areas on the disc that cannot be printed-the center hole and 3 mm from the outer edge of the disc. These areas must be clear of any images or type.
- Trapping addresses possible registration problems that can occur between adjacent colors. If you send us electronic files, we will check and trap all files for best printing results.
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Silk Screening Film Specifications
- Film positive emulsion up.
- Screen angles are Cyan=67.5, Magenta=7.5, Yellow=82.5, and Black=37.5 degrees.
- Output at 2400 dpi (dots per inch) or higher.
- Check for the "stacking ring" dimensions (32-38mm). (See Digital Media Impression's templates for the correct dimensions.)
- The color should be specified on each piece of film along with registration marks.
- Halftones should be between 85 to 100 lpi (lines per inch).
For best results, a "Match Print" (pulled from the film) must be supplied for all 4-color process orders where film is customer supplied. It is highly recommended that all orders, including those with spot colors, be supplied with a color laser proof or a color matching proof.
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What is a White Flood
White ink is printed first on the disc followed by the lightest to the darkest of colors. We recommend a white flood for vibrant color definition and if you do not wish to see the sliver of the disc show through the ink colors. Silk screening ink, depending on the color, can be a bit transparent. If your artwork will not be printed using a white flood, your CD proof, printed on white paper, will appear different than what the image will look like on your CD. Printing your artwork directly onto the disc may cause the lighter tones to disappear, due to the gray value of the silver disc being similar to the value of those tones.
If you have any technical questions, send an email to graphics@digitalmediaimpressions.com, or call our offices at (801) 303-6100 and ask for the graphics department.
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Sending Artwork via FTP or Email
Artwork files may be emailed, but are limited to 5MB, anything large will not be accepted. For larger files post them to our FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site. After posting artwork files, either call or send an email letting your account representative know the name of the files that were posted.
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