FAQs - General

On this page we have our general FAQs - with answers!

If you're looking for something a little more specific or, dare we say, technical, you may wish to look at the other FAQ sections:

Reprographics FAQs:

What disc formats do you support?
We support Floppy, CD, 250mb Zip, DVD.

Can you accept electronic transfer?
Yes, by both isdn on 01252 851203 or email to studio@chromatec.co.uk

Can you accept both Mac and PC discs?
We can design and output from both platforms, though the Mac takes the bulk of our work.

What do I need to give you when I supply a job?
You need to supply all font files that you've used, whether Truetype or postscript. If postscript, remember to include both the printer and the screen fonts. You must also supply all images and graphics contained within the documents itself, such as EPS, TIFF (no compression), files for example, that you've scanned into Photoshop or created in Illustrator. We will also need up to date lasers to check the job to once it has been output to plate.

Can you supply us with an imposition?
Yes, just let us know the number of pages and page size and we'll work out the rest.

Can you use negative film as well a positive?
With our advance into quality computer to plate systems we accept, but we would not recommend the use of positive and negative films, as they can cause issues at final output.

Do you use computer-to-plate (ctp) technology?
Yes. We have a Creo Trensetter 3422 system capable of exposing up to B2 plates.

Can you do high-end scans in house?
Yes, we have a flatbed scanner capable of scanning originals from 35mm transparencies up to A4 illustrations.

Can you supply folder templates to us?
Yes, please see our downloads page for more details.

Can you do Cromalins or matchprints?
No, but we can produce high quality Epson Stylus Pro 7800 proofs. As an alternative we can provide you with 'wet proofs' hot off the press.

Can I use files that I've copied from web pages for my artwork for print?
Web graphics tend to be created at low resolution so are largely unsuitable for print work. By all means use them as positional guides, but you may need to recreate the image to achieve a high quality result when printed.

If I'm supplying my own scans or images, what is the ideal resolution?
When submitting Photoshop files we require that the correct format be chosen for final output.
Black & white tiff: 1200dpi @100%
Greyscale tiff or eps 300dpi @100%
Duotone eps 300dpi @100%
CMYK tiff, eps or dcs 300dpi @100%
All other formats may be supplied, but where necessary a charge may be issued for conversions to correct formats. Also, RGB files may look bright and vibrant on screen but do not expect the same result when printing to CMYK as the colour conversion isn't always what you expect. We have the onsite facility to show our customers what to expect when converting to CMYK.

What Mac and PC applications do you support?
This is a list of our most commonly used applications:

What is trapping?
Trapping can be applied to an object that is knocked out of a background colour. It puts a slight bleed on the object allowing it to be printed without a white halo showing between the object and the background. Different applications have different ways of applying and displaying trap settings. There is usually a default setting, which is adequate for most jobs; however, some complex or unusual designs may need their trap settings edited in order to achieve the required result.

How do I apply trapping to my text in Quark Xpress?
You simply highlight the text you want trapped, go to the 'View' menu and select 'Show trap information' from the list. You can then apply whatever trapping value you need using the 'Text' field at the bottom of the trapping palette. Notice the default is .144pts. You can change the default trap by editing the document preferences. If you edit the trapping preferences without having a document open the default becomes global and will apply to all new documents that you create.

If I supply you with a PDF, can you print from it?
We can print from your PDF's, providing they have been distilled properly. We will be happy to check your files and advise if they are print ready. If you've applied any trapping to your files before you create your PDF, please check that you've set the traps correctly because Acrobat versions 5 and 6 can display traps inconsistently.

Can I supply a job to you in Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Publisher?
If you are submitting files for these applications be aware that internally they work on the RGB colour principal and do not separate to either spot colour or CMYK without user intervention. It is advised that you submit your file with adequate time in your schedule for us to edit the files sufficiently for output. It is also advised that if colour clarity is of the utmost importance that wet proofs will be required. For further information please give us a call and we will happily discuss any reservations.

Are there issues with Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand to watch out for?
We accept any Illustrator up to version CS2 or Freehand file . Make sure you design your file with the correct content for file output, i.e. number of colours (CMYK, Spot etc.) and also ensure any linked files are embedded or supplied externally. Since the issue of Illustrator 9 we have only encountered one problem with output: - If you require using Illustrators' transparency effects be aware that the final job may only be reproduced as a CMYK job. For instance, we cannot correctly split multi spot Illustrator files to their individual component colours.

What problems do you have with Adobe Indesign?
We have noticed some discrepancies in colour output from Indesign when creating tint sets from custom colours. If this is necessary create the tint colour as a new custom colour. Also RGB designated colours may look great on screen but do not expect the same result when printing to CMYK as the colour conversion isn't always what you expect.

What can I do to minimize font problems?
Always ensure that you supply us with all the necessary fonts used within your job. This includes fonts that you've used within placed or embedded graphics, such as Illustrator or Freehand eps's. Also, try to avoid using any menu stylizing within your application. For example, when you stylize a font by 'emboldening' it from the Quark toolbar, Quark displays the text as bold whether the font exists or not and when it prints it will appear only as the unstylized base font. Always select the font through the font menu - that way you can only use the fonts that you actually have as opposed to 'virtual' ones.

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