Artwork Requirements

Artwork Requirements For The Best Possible Product

Proper Artwork Requirements ensure the best quality product for your signs, screen printing, logo design, embroidery and promotional products. Learn more about artwork requirements below and be sure to visit our Graphic Design & Logo Design page for more information and examples.

The Graphic Arts Center processes artwork on IBM computers using the Windows operating system. We accept art created in PC and Macintosh computers. Please submit artwork created in these specific applications, which allow cross-platform conversion (please see listing below).

Please specify the authoring platform when submitting art to ensure accuracy. Files that require conversion because they do not meet software requirements are subject to additional charges for production.

We adhere to the standard industry definition of reproducible art and reserves the right to accept or reject art depending upon the job. Vector art is preferred for spot color printing. Supported native file formats are:

Files from other software should be saved in EPS or PDF format and should be converted to curves (paths, outlines).

JPEG and TIFF files can be acceptable only if sent in high resolution. Submitted artwork that requires reworking for production will incur an art charge. Please note that most jobs require some amount of work by the Graphics Deptartment to setup for production.

We typically cannot accept ads created in: Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Word.

Files created using Adobe PageMaker, Quark XPress and FreeHand, must be exported to Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or EPS format and ALL TEXT/FONTS MUST BE CONVERTED TO PATHS/CURVES/OUTLINES.

Resolution for Art of Photographs

All files should be built at 100% output size and sent ready to open. Avoid file compressions such as LZW and JPEG because they cause damage to the original production file.

All scanned images should be no less than 300dpi and in the RGB color space. The ideal resolution for grayscale and monochrome black and white line art is 600dpi.

Scans that do not meet resolution specifications are not guaranteed to output well and submitting agency assumes responsibility.

Please provide color or black and white photographs not less than 5×7 inches and that display good focus and properly composed, if you require scanning.

Art and photos downloaded from the Web must meet the above requirements for optimum output. Photos downloaded from Web pages that have been saved at low resolution (72-100dpi) may not print clearly.

Please do not include halftone images such as those used in magazines and newspapers. Pre-press output for screen printing is widely divergent from traditional angles and screens used for offset printing and lithography. Our standard line screen output is 35lpi which yields an average tonal range between 25% – 75% density.