Best practices for preparing your Inkd files

This section reviews a range of concepts:

• The type of files and folds that we currently sell.
• How to best get yourself organized so that we can quickly review your submission.

Acceptable product types, sizes, orientation, folds:

• If you are not using one of our print-ready production templates, please select one of our products to view acceptable dimensions, orientation, folds, and panel sizes.

Job organization

Your job should consist of the following components:

• A project folder (for everything)
• The layout document(s)
• An "Images" or "Links" folder containing all graphics used in the layout
• A "Fonts" folder containing all fonts used in the layout (created in the final stages of your project)
• A preview PDF file (created in the final stages of your project)
• TIP: Keep all of your job files — the working layout file, your image source files, and your fonts — all organized, up-to-date, correctly named and accessible from start to finish.

Suggested filenaming conventions:

• Layout files: "PROJECTTITLE_ITEMTYPE_LAYOUT_SIDE.ext" i.e., "HB_POSTCARD_LAYOUT_FR.indd"
• Image files: "PROJECTTITLE_IMAGESUBJECT.ext" i.e., "HB_GIRLJUMPING.tif"
• Preview PDFs: "PROJECTTITLE_ITEMTYPE_PREVIEW.pdf" i.e., "HB_POSTCARD_PREVIEW.pdf"

When to use a layout program vs. an illustration or photo-editing program for your layout:

• Layout programs, such as QuarkXPress and InDesign, are better for projects with multiple pages and relatively more body text, especially if that body text goes through the whole project.
• Illustration and photo-editing programs, such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, are better for projects that have only 1 or 2 pages, and are dominated by graphics and large type rather than body text.

Layout file

• If you are working in an illustration program (such as Illustrator) or a photo editing program (such as Photoshop), we recommend that you
  • create your document at the full bleed size
  • create a separate file for each side of an item
• If you are working in a layout program (such as QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign) we recommend that you
  • create your document at the trim size and include the specified amount of bleed for your product (.125")
  • use the same file for each side of an item, and label the pages "FRONT" and "BACK" in the document

File resolution:

• Layout file resolution should be 300 dpi at 100% of the final output size.
• Image file resolution should be 300 dpi at 100% of the image's final output size.

CMYK vs. RGB

• Print uses the CMYK color system (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) — not RGB (Red, Green and Blue), which is meant for screen displays.
• Create your document in CMYK mode.
• Keep in mind that many of the bright values produced by your monitor cannot be reproduced in print.
• How to make sure your document is CMYK in Adobe products:
  • InDesign:
    • Go to the Edit Menu and choose "Color Settings"
    • Make sure you are in Working Space: CMYK: "U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2." The RGB value will not affect your design.
      • To change color settings:
        • Go to the Edit Menu and choose "Convert to Profile"
        • Change the Destination Space to CMYK: "U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2" and click OK.
  • Photoshop:
    • Go to the Image Menu and choose “Color Mode”
    • A check mark will appear next to current color mode
    • Select CMYK Color
  • Illustrator:
    • Go to the File Menu and choose “Document Color Mode”
      • A check mark will appear next to current color mode
      • Select CMYK Color

Spot colors

• Spot colors are printing inks of colors that are specially mixed according to a recipe. They are chosen from color matching systems and swatch books. They are generally used as a complement to black or to achieve an exact color that CMYK process colors cannot provide.
• Spot colors are optional. As a designer, some factors to consider in deciding whether or not to use spot colors are:
  • Cost/budget — spot colors added to 4-color job will significantly raise the cost. Carefully choose and define all colors in your files as either CMYK or spot.
  • The practical limits of offset presses keep the possible number of color plates to 6 at most. When spot colors are used, a more typical run is a 2-color (black + spot) or a 5-color (CMYK + spot) job.
  • Inkd buyers will not necessarily print your design on offset presses as spot colors are intended for. This means that if a spot color you choose is essential to a design you create, such as for a logo, you should note that in its description when you upload it. However, realistically, buyers will sometimes opt for color digital printing anyway, which will automatically convert spot colors to CMYK.
• Be sure that spot colors used in your graphics files are named exactly the same as in the layout file.