General FAQs

You have questions and we have answers. Look below or contact us to ask something else.

If you're emailing us large files, it's a good idea to compress them. Our largest email box allows for up to 90MB of information. If your file is larger than that, you can try compressing them. Mac works well with StuffIt, and the PC works well with WinZip. Both have freeware versions available online. If you're using our RiteTransfer system, it does all the compression for you. All you do is drag and drop your files to us. Easy.

• How do I get my files to you?

Placing an order is easy! Download your files to us via our (FTP) site (call us and we can personalize one for you). Email your orders to service@imagepluswi.com. Call to speak to an account representative at 414-727-5200, or use our handy client login system to place & track orders and check inventory levels online.

• What's the difference between spot color and CMYK?

When we print something that is full color, it's actually printing in only 4 colors of ink---Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK).You get the entire color spectrum by using these four colors in different combinations as small dots on paper. Since you're using 4 different ink colors, and four different press plates, this process can be expensive. If you're looking for a more cost-effective process, spot color is the way to go. It has more punch than just black and white. The system we used is called Pantone Matching System (PMS). They have a wide variety of colors that are easily matched for you as a solid ink color. That way, you can do jobs using fewer inks.

• Why does my ink look different on coated and uncoated paper?

Uncoated paper absorbs ink while coated paper keeps the ink on top reflecting more light and making the color(s) seem brighter. Metallic inks offer the biggest contrast. A silver metallic will look like an ordinary gray on uncoated paper. PMS colors also differ depending on the use of coated or uncoated stocks.

• What is bleed?

If you want solid color or a picture or some other graphic to run right up to the edge of your printed piece, you have to add bleed. Extend all your graphics, etc. 1/8" beyond the edges of the document. That gives us just a little bit of play when the final pieces are printed and trimmed.

• What are the differences between all of the page layout programs on the market?

For many years, the industry standard has been Quark XPress. It’s a versatile page layout program that combines word processing tasks with ease of layout of the page, inclusion of graphics and photos, and even creating text on a curve or freeform shape. It’s pretty intuitive and easy to learn, especially if you’re a visually oriented person.

InDesign is also a very good design program, and it does all of these things as well. Plus, it gives you more freedom in the creation of graphics directly in the document you’re doing word processing in. Also, since InDesign is newer, it works more seamlessly with the newest type of workflow used by commercial printers, which is Computer to Plate (CTP). The next question will explain this process further.

PageMaker is a workable page layout program, but is more difficult to use. However, it still gets the job done. It has a few issues when going CTP, but most are fixable. This program is more for the less visually oriented consumer.

Microsoft Word is a word-processing program based primarily on the PC. It’s fine if you want your printed piece to be either CMYK or black and white. It does not support spot color currently.

Publisher is a page-layout program that comes free with Windows operating systems. If you’re just printing files to a home printer, it’s fine. However, if you want a professionally-printed piece, Publisher files encounter many problems in the CTP world. The way it handles color is problematic. If you want a CMYK piece, it will usually do that. But, like Word, it has issues with spot color. Also, depending on the computer that opens the file, there is often text reflow. Your best bet if using Publisher is to either create only a black and white file, or a CMYK one, and create a high-resolution pdf on your own computer using Acrobat Distiller. We can walk you through this if you’d like.

• Years ago, you never had problems with my files, but now you do. Why is that? Or, explain more about CTP.

Years ago, we printed all files to film. The advantage to film is that it can be cut and stripped together. So, if one part of a document was a problem, there were ways to work around it. Now, everything goes CTP. That means that instead of film (that we can physically manipulate), we produce a plate that goes right out to the press. Also, the piece stays in the computer throughout the entire process including imposition on the plate (how the piece will run on the press), so there are more chances for something to go wrong. That means we need all of the fonts, graphics, and images used in any document so we can produce the dynamic PDF that runs through our system. If those things are missing, they will usually end up missing in the PDF. The same goes for fonts. Most people don't like the font Courier (it looks like old typewriter type), but that's what your text will default to if we don't have your fonts. If you have Acrobat Distiller, you can create a high-resolution PDF (2400 dpi preferably) with fonts embedded that we can usually use. We can walk you through that process as well if you're interested.

• What are the differences between eps, tif, jpeg, gif, and wmf files?

The best file formats for professional printing are eps and tif. They're high-quality, high-resolution and not lossy. (Lossy formats degrade and lose pixel information every time you open them. Usually it's not a noticeable thing, but over time it can be a problem. Jpegs are lossy.) Eps and tif formats can also be used with spot colors while jpeg and gif cannot. Plus, jpeg and gif were created mainly for use on the internet, so they usually emphasize size over quality. The smaller the better to come up quickly on the internet. In printing, a 72dpi image will look terrible when compared with a 300-600 dpi print-quality graphic. In other words, what looks good on your screen will not necessarily look good when it prints. Wmf files cause problems when we try to run them through our CTP software. We usually end up having to save them to eps or tif to get them to print correctly.