| Welcome to our help center. |
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| What type of files can I send to Seda’s Printing, Inc.? |
We prefer that you send .PDF and .EPS files with outlined fonts. These files are easier to handle and will likely speed up your turnaround. Remember to add crop marks and flatten your files before uploading.
You may also send files in the following types: jpg, jpeg, psd, tif, tiff, ai, and png. |
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| Which applications do we support? |
| Adobe Photoshop , Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, Quark Xpress. |
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| I do not have a professional layout program. Can you still print my project? |
| We will help troubleshoot your file for orders placed by phone/email. A conversion fee may apply. |
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| How should I set up my bleed and crop marks? |
BLEED: Must extend further than the trim line (at least .0625”).
CROP MARKS: Must place them after the bleed line.
SAFETY AREA: Please keep all text and anything you do not want cut at least .125" away from the trim line.
![SPI [bsc] fileReadySetUp.jpg](images/helpcenter_clip_image002.jpg)
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| How can I avoid transparency issues? |
| To prevent transparency issues, never use shadows, glows, or any other transparency (image or otherwise) on top of a spot color. Always convert your spot color to CMYK and flatten before sending. |
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| What color mode should my files be? |
You should always start and finish your designs in CMYK color mode.
If you send us an RGB file, there is a chance that a color shift may occur and you may not be satisfied with your job. |
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| What is CMYK? |
| CMYK is also called 4-color Process. Colors in CMYK images are composed of varying amounts of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. This is the way a printing press prints color, so it is vital that your image be in this color mode. |
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| What is RGB? |
| RGB is an abbreviation for Red, Green, and Blue. This is a color system commonly used for monitors, digital cameras, televisions, etc. This color system works well for DIGITAL items but not for printing ink on paper. You MUST convert your files from RGB to CMYK prior to uploading your files. You will notice that some colors (especially fluorescents) will convert to a much darker color. It is important you handle the conversion on your end so have a realistic idea of what can print, and choose your colors accordingly. Even better is to begin your new document in CMYK to avoid having to convert later. |
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| What resolution should my file be? |
| They need to have at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). Low-resolution files may be printed as is or will be placed on hold until we receive new files, delaying your turn-around. |
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| Should I send a proof or sample file? |
DO NOT send files that you do not want printed.
When sending artwork, do not send extra files, like proofs or samples, because they might get printed. Only send the files you need printed unless require by our representatives. |
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| What is overprint, and how can it ruin my file? |
| Primarily used to intentionally overlap inks for a number of reasons, overprint can cause unexpected results. We suggest that you turn all overprint objects off before submitting your files. |
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| Can I submit multiple files in one document? |
No. We are now specifically set up to process one side at a time, and this requires that each side of a job must be on a separate file.
Not separating files will cause delays and you might have to send the files again. Remember to separate the pages of your .pdf files as well. |
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| How should I set up a Spot UV job? |
| When creating a Spot UV job, you must include a Spot UV template file along with the regular full color file. The Spot UV template file is used to show where the UV will be placed. |
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| How can I set up a file for silver ink? |
Silver ink files must be sent in a vector format. You must use a vector program like Illustrator or Indesign to call out the object you want in silver ink.
To indicate the silver ink, you must set the object spot color. Any other color will not be accepted as silver. Also, labeling the layer as "silver mask" or "silver" will not qualify your file. |
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| How can I make sure my blues do not come out purple? |
When using a blue in your design, always make sure to leave at least a 30% difference in your Cyan and Magenta values.
Blue is close to purple in the CMYK spectrum. Remember, use a low amount of magenta whenever using high amounts of cyan to avoid purple |
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| How do I export a .pdf correctly? |
When exporting from any program such as Indesign or Illustrator, use these settings to make sure your .PDF files export correctly.
Adobe PDF Preset is set to: Press Quality
Compatibility is set to: Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3)
Compress Text and Line Art is set to: Off
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| How do I get a grayscale image in a CMYK document? |
Grayscale images that are converted to CMYK will have a color shift in the final print. That shift may be green or yellow.
Always check the CMYK values of your grayscale in the final CMYK document. If there are other values other then K in your grayscale image, there is a chance that the color will vary.
To eliminate all values other then K, use your Channel Mixer (adjustment layer) in Photoshop, then click "Monochrome" and adjust accordingly. |
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| What is rich black and how can I get it? |
Rich black is an ink mixture of solid black, 100% K, with additional C (cyan) M (magenta) Y (yellow) ink values. This results in a darker tone than black ink alone. If you print black alone as 100% K, the resulting black may not be as dark as you might like.
We recommend using
: C 50%, M 50%, Y 50%, K 100.
This will give you a deep, dark, rich black. |
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| Why does my business card crack around the edges? |
Cracking of the edges of a business card sometimes occurs when the card contains high values of ink, as in dark colors.
This usually happens on a small amount of cards in the run. To prevent this, use lighter colors or if you must use dark colors, use as little ink as possible. |
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| What is banding? |
Banding can be caused by the program that it is exported from, such as Indesign or Corel. Also, too many gradient steps, for example going from a very light color to a dark color, in a small area will cause banding.
To prevent this, check your digital files before sending. If you use a gradient, make sure it has enough room for a smooth transition. |
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| Why is there cracking on my scoring job? |
When a job is coated with UV then scored and folded the job may begin to crack. During use, the cracks will become bigger and the ink may start to chip off.
Cracking is normal when coated jobs are scored and folded. The only way to prevent this is to order the job without UV or AQ. |
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| Can I submit files via email? |
| No. Unless your order was placed over the phone or it was required by one of our representatives. To avoid confusions DO NOT EMAIL FILES AFTER YOU PLACED AN ORDER TRHOUGH THE WEBSITE. |
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| How do I specify which side will coat of my "UV 1 side" or "AQ 1 side" job? |
| In the case of UV 1 Side jobs or AQ 1 Side jobs, the odd pages in your supplied .pdf proof will always be the coating surfaces. For example in a single-version postcard, page 1 would be coated. In the case of a 3 version business card, pages 1, 3 and 5 would be coated. If you are supplying individual files for the front and back, you may want to name them "Coating" and "NoCoating". Remember, despite how you submit files, you will be held responsible for checking the coating sides of your job in your proof from us. |
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| What if I found a mistake in my artwork before I received a proof, and I want to upload new files? |
| This will incur an additional fee. Please carefully check your files before uploading. Also, please be aware that files coming into our FTP site are time stamped. If you upload files after a proof is sent, you will definitely be charged a re-rip fee. |
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| Am I required to use one of your file templates to submit a file? |
| No. We recommend you use our templates to assist you with bleed and safe areas, however, if you are comfortable meeting our requirements, you are not required to use our templates. |
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| What are print ready files? |
| Print-ready files are files that follow all our guidelines and require almost no intervention to print. |
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| Can I submit files by mailing a CD, DVD or USB? |
| Yes. Please understand we are not responsible for delays or lost files if they are submitted in this manner. |
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| Are there extra charges for file corrections, like adding bleed or fixing safe content? |
| Yes. All of our pricing is based on print-ready files. Please check and correct any issues BEFORE uploading your files. If a prepress technician finds something lacking in the file, they will either contact you with a description of what the issues are that need to be resolved with your file or if they can't get in touch with you they will correct it (you will be responsible for charges/delays incurred). |
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| Do you keep copies of my files? |
| Due to the volume of print we process, we are only able to archive jobs for 30 days from the point they are uploaded. |
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| Can I submit files before placing an order? |
| Only if your order is place by phone/email. |
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| Your printed proof doesn't match my printed proof, why? |
| Our proof is calibrated to an international standard and to our presses. You may not have a calibrated (or calibration possible) output device. |
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| How long will take for my job to be finish? |
Turn around are schedule based on receiving the projects before 10:00am (PST).
Next Day Service: As arranged with our representative over the phone/email.
Rush Service: All jobs in by 10:00am will be ready the third-fourth day by 5:30pm, problem jobs, jobs that require proofs and layout/design we’ll take until clients approval.
Standard Turnaround: Orders placed after 10:00am (PST) will be ready in 5-10 business days besides problem jobs, jobs that require proofs and layout/design take until final client approval. |
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