CD DVD replication, duplication, BluRay,USB Copying

Artwork Specifications - Replicated CD & DVD

Printing options:

• Offset (pad printing)
  
• Silk screen (screenprint)

• Offset (pad printing)
• Silk screen (screenprint)
  

Offset printing offers the highest standard of reproduction. It is only available as 4 color process, and cannot support Pantones (exact colour match).

Screenprint is the most common printing method, and is universally available. Most commercially produced titles use screenprint. For super high-quality work, the resolution is too low (usually around 120 lines-per-inch) to accurately reproduce complex images. For example, the resolution will not be as good as a 600 dpi colour laser print. Silkscreen supports Pantones and is perfectly acceptable for most applications.

Procopy recommends that artwork is prepared by a qualified graphic designer. 

Tips: screenprinting 

• Unless you specify white, the base colour of your CD will be silver. This will give less contrast than a 'visual' printed on paper.
• Inkjet and laser printed paper visuals are higher resolution than screenprints (a different process and medium). Extra proofing options are available if required.
• Graduated tints may 'band' causing an obvious step from dark to light.
• Tints may appear lighter when screen printed. A 20% 'boost' is often required to give the expected result.
• Spot colour tints and photo graphics generally require a white base for best results (silver yields less contrast).
• Some Pantone colours appear translucent on a silver background.
  
• Large areas of solid colour are generally best printed in Spot colour.

General print specifications

1. All graphics and press-ready (aka 'print optimised') PDFs must be at least 300 dpi resolution (Dpi stands for Dots Per Inch). Images supplied at lower resolution will look pixelated and will not display proper colours.
   
2. JPEG files are generally of poor resolution and are not suitable for commercial printing.
   
3. Computer fonts come in two parts: the Screen Font and the Printer Font. One part without the other is useless. Both parts must be supplied with the document except for single-file Truetype Fonts.
4. Procopy checks all design files to ensure they meet our specifications. Ideally files should be provided in 'print-ready' PDF format. We are able to convert selected files originated in other formats.
   
5. A 'print-ready' (aka 'press-optimised') PDF means a resolution of at least 300 dpi, CMYK colour (NOT RGB colour), with no embedded ICC colour profiles.
   
6. If additional (special, or PMS) colours are required, these can be run from a composite PDF, we do NOT require the PDF to be separated into plates. If a multiple page document is being supplied, we require it to be made up in Printers Pairs, not as contiguous pages. Printers Pairs means, for example, a 4-page booklet.
7. Programs such as Quark Xpress provide a toolbar to select Bold or Italic fonts. Clicking the icon only works if the actual bold or italic version of the font is present (even though it appears correct on the screen).
   

Artwork checklist

1. Colour

Must be created and saved as CMYK or Spot Colour, not RGB

2. Resolution

Images must be a minimum of 300dpi

3. Fonts

All fonts must be supplied complete ie: Printer Font AND Screen Font

4. Linked or embedded files
5. Hard Copy Proof
6. All images must be supplied

Acceptable graphic formats are:

PDF - in print optimised format (the preferred format)
EPS
TIF
Ai
BMP (mono linework only)

We may be able to accept other formats, but they will incur a conversion charge.

Quark Xpress and Indesign both have commands to 'collect' all elements of a job and bundle them into one place ready for output or sending. These commands should be used wherever possible for sending to us.

Sending files

Files can be received electronically via email or FTP, or on CD or DVD. We no longer accept ZIP disks or floppy disks.

Preferred applications and file types

We prefer to receive files as a print-optimised PDF. We also accept files in other pro design formats:

• Adobe Indesign
• Quark Xpress
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe Distiller

Freehand files must be supplied with ALL links and fonts updated; ideally, a PDF out of Freehand should be supplied instead.

We cannot accept any documents created in word processing programmes. If you are supplying Illustrator files, make sure you Create Outlines before saving down. Supply all fonts anyway and all link /embedded images.