What is a Print Ready File? A Guide to Press Ready Artwork

What is press ready artwork?

Print Ready (also called press ready) describes any file that is able to meet the specifications required to be setup for final press work and printing. 

Download a demo setup file

Click here to download our demo file which illustrates the best practices we outline here. 

CarePac’s Art Setup Checklist for Designers

If you’re preparing artwork for CarePac, either digital printing, flexographic, or rotogravure printing, here is a quick recap of the important points to hit if you want to create print ready artwork:

• Outline text: Convert all text to outlines.

• Use Vector art: Create all non-photographic text, graphics, and illustrations using vector graphics.

• Raster images: Should be at least 300DPI (dots per inch). Link or embed these in the file.

• PMS Colors: PMS color are solid pigment colors not a colour mix like CMYK. Refer to Solid Pigment Uncoated Swatch book. PMS colors used with digital printing will not be 100% accurate to the swatch.

• Finishes and Effects: Apply a unique off-pallet color to distinguish these areas in the design. Avoid relying on transparency in your design. Also it is best practice to separate designate clear areas in additional panels, see our finish mapping section below.

• Bleed: Bleed is not required.

• Plate Printing: 10 color stations are available, but we recommend limiting to 8 colours. White ink counts as a color.

• Preferred format: Original Adobe Illustrator (AI) or PDF/X-1a.

• Canva: For Canva artwork, export both PDF and SVG versions. If possible, share edit access to the Canva project.

• Artwork placement: Place all artwork on the same layer as indicated in your dieline. Do not edit the dieline, add color swatches to the color bar, and remove unused color swatches. Avoid placing critical graphics in zipper areas, seal zones, or around hang holes.

Indicating Finishes, Windows, and Metalized Effects

We recommend using a “finish map” which separates these indications from the printed image and the rest of your graphic design. See below for our specific finish mapping recommendations:

• Clear areas: Use an obvious color that contrasts with the design to indicate any clear unprinted area.
• Finish indication: Use a finish map to indicate type and location of bag’s finish.
• Metalized effects: Indicate areas of metalized effects using a separate metalized map. Choose a color for the metalized area. Do not use a gradient color, use a solid color like grey.

Note: Use a distinct color to indicate windows in your design. 

File Types and Formats

The industry standard, correct file type for flexible printing is Adobe Illustrator. Unlike some printers who may be more selective about the file formats, like most printers CarePac supports Photoshop (.ps), Illustrator (.ai), Adobe InDesign (In), and Acrobat (pdf) but CarePac’s design team can also work with Encapsulated PostScript (.eps), Solid Vector Graphics (.svg), or Canva files. Finally, if all you have is a PNG, JPG or ok print images, we have worked with it all and will work with you.

When in doubt, ask. Knowing the correct file format before starting the design can help you avoid time consuming revisions down the line. For example, CarePac’s preferred format is an original Adobe Illustrator file or PDF/X-1a, or PDF and SVG for Canva, but another company may prefer something different. “Print ready” varies slightly from printer to printer, so you’ll always want to check.

Artwork preparation (size, resolution, bleed area)

Now that you know you’re using the appropriate file type, you’ll want to make sure the artwork you’re submitting is the correct size and resolution. All logos should be within the Safe Design Area (typically 1/8″ inside the die line), and that the resolution of the image if it is a raster is at least 300dpi at 100%. Between 300-450dpi is the sweet spot — anything too large or too small will print poorly on the final printed file. Trust us, if at all possible provide a vector copy of important elements like a logo, to avoid seeing individual pixels on the final image, so just follow the above steps!

CarePac does not require that you bleed the file you submit to CarePac. But if you are going to add a bleed to your own artwork, we recommend adding a 3mm – 5mm (.125″ – .25″ ).

CarePac’s dieline design checklist

When designing a dieline, you’ll want to follow this dieline checklist to make sure you’ve covered the basics. As always, our helpful team of designers is here to provide their expertise and help guide you through the process.

Type Setting

• Text Formatting: Outline all text.
• Minimum Font Size: Suggested minimum is around 6 pt. Absolute minimums are 3 pt bold for positive text and 5 pt for reversed text (knockout).
• Typesetting Caution: Avoid using Photoshop for typesetting or Smart Objects.

Plate Printing Specifics

• Max Colors: Keep under 8 colors (including white ink). Up to 10 colors can be accommodated with additional charges.
• Line Screen: 177 line screen based on 300 DPI imagery.
• Under 15% Screen: Eliminate from CMYK mix or convert to 100% spot.
• PMS Colors: Reference PMS Swatch books. Be aware of differences between on-screen colors and printed or film colors.

Barcodes and QR Codes Specifications

• Ideal Size: Between 80% and 120%. Avoid truncating the barcode.
• Format: Barcodes should be in Vector line art.
• Ink for Barcodes: Use Pantone Black, or 100% Black.
• QR Codes: Recommended size is 20mmx20mm. Ensure high contrast (white/black).

Vector vs. raster images

So, what’s better: raster images or vector graphics? In our opinion, vector graphics are preferred since this type of artwork can be scaled to any finished size without sacrificing image quality. Vector images don’t pixelate and it’s native to software like Adobe Illustrator, but it does have its limitations. For example, all photographs will be a rasterized image. Our tip is to reserve raster images just for photographs, and build all logos and other graphics in vector format.

Use the correct colors

To ensure you’re creating print ready artwork for graphic designers, you’ll need to set your file format to CMYK color mode. If using Pantones or spot ink colors, apply them and make swatches. This way, in color separations, if you preview the colors they’ll be assigned correctly. Since all printer files use CMYK color space, your colors will change noticeably if they’re submitted in RGB. Since RGB and CMYK are two different color builds that don’t correspond to each other, it is absolutely essential that your print ready artwork is submitted using CMYK color model.

It is also important to note that the color modes you see on your screen will be different than the color in “real life”. Do not be alarmed- this kind of minor variance is totally normal.

Sending your print ready artwork

There are a few different ways you can send us your print ready marketing materials so we can take your print ready art and turn it into a finished printed product via our proprietary printing process.

• Package your artwork and send the entire project in one packaged file

• Send any raster image originals that are separate from your artwork.

• Convert your text to outlines

We recommend attaching your digital art to the email or uploading the vector file using your printing partner’s preferred system, as embedding them within the email will cause your high resolution image to degrade. Remember to send the appropriate file formats, whether that’s a vector file or raster image.

Print ready artwork: FAQs

Here are some common questions we get from potential customers about artwork types and their print readiness:

What does print ready artwork mean?

Print ready artwork is a file that’s ready to be printed as is. It helps maintain print quality, and should take things like pixel density, bleed area, and the design and print quality listed above in mind.

What are some accepted file types?

CarePac prefers to accept files that are high resolution Illustrator art files (AI, we can also accept Corel Draw and some Canva output but Canva often exports Raster image graphics instead of vectors. Many different file types are accepted by different printers, so it’s important to check with your printer.

What if my graphics aren’t print ready?

If your graphics aren’t print ready or are at an unacceptable quality level, our CareDesign team can work with your graphic designer to get your submission in tip top shape shape for printing. While we prefer to only accept art that match our criteria our team of talented pre-press designers are able to fix a lot, we mean A LOT of problematic art, and have developed processes around most any problem you can imagine. So if you just can’t get your new project over the finish line, submit it anyways, we’re here to help, that’s why we’re called CarePac!

What are the requirements for print ready art files?

The criteria for print ready art files are laid out in this post, there maybe adjustments depending on some technical print parameters but following these guidelines will help ensure that the artwork designed by your team can be turned into the perfect print. Some things to keep in mind include using CYMK, using vector paths for anything other than photographs, and avoid placing critical graphics along seams or seals.

I need to make a change to the file’s dieline, can I edit it?

No, please don’t! Never edit dielines provided to you, if you need a dieline adjustment contact our CareDesign team!

Should I add Crop marks or other indicators of off-canvas cuts, or prints.

While we receive artwork with off canvas information daily, there is no need to include this content in your submission.

Are there any special setup instructions for box bottom bags?

Box Bottom bag setup is generally the same as any other pouch. One key difference to keep in mind is that box bottom bags require two separate print runs – one for the Front, Back, and Bottom, and another for the sides.

Note that alignment between side panel print and front/back may not be 100%.

What are the Line screen specifications by color?

• C: 177
• M: 177
• Y: 177
• K: 254
• Spot Color: 254
• Under 15% Screen: Eliminate from CMYK mix or convert to 100% PMS Spot.

What is the recommended trap size?

Typically the CareDesign team will perform all trapping but a good rule of thumb is 0.3mm. If you want to attempt trapping please see this helpful article and video on our site.

What is the recommended trap size?

Well you smarty pants, yes there is!

• Dot: Diamond

• Min Dot %: 5%

Get started with CarePac today

Our eagled eyed production team is ready to turn your printable file into the final product you’ve always dreamed of. With a high quality finish, the appropriate colour mix and pixel density, and state-of-the-art printing plates, our graphic design team promises to create the best print using industry standard practices. Plus, we’ll do so using your desired print materials. With our handy checklist, preparing artwork and high resolution images for printing has never been easier. You have multiple jobs: leave the designing and printing to us! Contact us today to get started!

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Granola Bar Wrapper Template (Printable)

The perfect packaging for your granola bars depends on great artwork, and great artwork can only be accomplished with high-quality, printable granola bar wrapper templates.

These templates are technically referred to as “dielines”, and allow designers to mockup your design, review its most intricate details, and download your bar mockup PSDs or PDFs directly from your inbox. It really is that simple!

We’ve worked with thousands of designers throughout the years, and we’re confident that we can help you, too. Our easy-to-use templates make it easier than ever before to download PDF versions of your granola bar packaging and put in an order directly from our website. 

Why dielines matter

Dielines are vital in the design process. Think of them like a blueprint for a house — would you build a house without one? Dielines are the blueprint of your design, and ensure that all the physical elements of the final packaging are up to par. This includes the packaging sizing and scale, and the location of all the visual elements, the placement of any folds or creases.

Contrary to popular belief, dielines aren’t used exclusively for boxes or other rigid packaging. They’re used for a wide spectrum of packaging, including beverage bottles, food packaging, and even brochures or business cards. Essentially anything that’s customized can make use of a dieline.

Tips for creating dielines

At the end of the day, a dieline is a collaborative effort between you and your design team. Whether you engage with CarePac and make use of our design team, or work with a team internally, there are a few tips to keep in mind as you dive headfirst into dielines for your granola packaging:

• Dielines must be created as vector art.
• Keep your entire creative team involved and updated, especially early on in the process. 
• Knowing exact specifications is crucial, and can help save you money and time down the line.
• You may want to consider making a hard copy of the dieline before sending the design to print. This can help you catch minor errors before production.

As you can see, dielines are all but an essential part of the granola packaging design process. Have questions? We’re more than happy to help!

Download Your Free Printable Granola Bar Dieline

At CarePac, we love to share our knowledge and passion for design with our customers. Use the button below to download your free printable wrapper granola bar dieline. 

Remember, this is a sample so if you’d like us to help you design a fully customized wrapper for your granola bars, we’re more than happy to help.

Granola bar packaging & dielines: FAQs

Whether you’re new to designing granola bar packaging or simply need a refresher, here are some of the most common questions we get about granola bar wrappers and dielines.

What packaging is used for granola bars?

Usually granola bars are packaged in individual-sized wrappers, which provide a barrier that protects the honey granola or nutty granola bar from the elements. This way, your product stays fresh and your customer stays happy.

Should I use parchment paper for granola?

While parchment paper might be suitable for home use, we recommend against using parchment paper for commercial sales. Simply put, the barrier of the parchment paper is too low compared to other alternatives and the granola will dry out too quickly.

How do you seal granola bars?

Granola bar wrappers are heat sealable because the innermost layer of the material is a heat sealable LLDPE.

What are granola bar wrappers made of?

Laminated Metalized PET is the most common material used for granola bar wrappers. This material is typically between 2-3 mil, and for high-volume production the pre-printed material is supplied in roll stock form and fed into a form fill seal (FFS) machine.

How do you package homemade granola?

If you’re making homemade granola, you don’t have to worry about using commercial-grade packaging the way some of our customers do. As such, you can use glass jars, or for longer term storage, metalized mylar bags.

What are Kind bar wrappers made of?

Kind bar wrappers appear to be made of a thin file metalized Polyethylene terephthalate. If this is the look and style you’re going for, we can certainly help you achieve it.

Create Your Granola Bar Packaging Dielines Today

As you can see, CarePac truly takes the guesswork out of your custom granola bar packaging artwork — and one part of that is through our easy-to-download PDF dielines.

Before you decide on a final pattern, be sure to double check the size of your granola bar wrappers, the coloring, and granola logo placement before submitting. Once you submit, we’ll send the granola bar packaging template to your email for easy download and use.

Have questions? Need help? Reach out to the CarePac experts today. Or check out our FAQs.

Trapping Artwork in Illustrator

 for Prepress File Submission  

If you’re printing a pouch or bag with multiple colors, incorrect registration by the printer can result in gaps between the colors on the final product. Which is why it’s important to use a trap to compensate for potential gaps. Simply put, a trap is a small area of overlap between colors and is used by designers to avoid unsightly gaps between colors. You’ve seen art with traps on many products you’ve purchased, but you’ve probably never really understood what they were.

There are two types of traps, Spread traps and Choke traps. Some complex rules relating to the order of the color cylinders can come into play here, but here is a general rule of thumb for when to apply a spread trap vs a choke trap. 

Spread Traps

A spread trap is where a foreground object extends over the background color. Apply spread traps when a lighter color overlaps a darker color background, and after trapping the lighter color will expand into the darker area. 

Choke Trap

A choke trap is where the background color overprints the foreground object. Apply a choke trap when a darker object falls within a lighter background, and so reduces or squeezes the object. 

Easy Trapping Steps in Adobe Illustrator

Below is a quick and easy method to trap art, using path offsets, and transparency darkening to integrate traps into your art design.

.

Step 1: Make sure your artwork is in CMYK color mode for printing.

Step 2: Select the topmost object you tend to trap.

Step 3: Click Object >Path > Offset Path

Step 4: For a choke trap apply a negative 0.2mm offset. For a spread trap apply a positive 0.2mm offset. 

Step 5: Click OK

Step 6: Make sure you’ve selected your offset path. 

Step 7: Then click Transparency > Darken

There you’re done!

CarePac can help 

As you can see, creating a trap in Adobe Illustrator can be quite complex. Fortunately, our design specialists can take care of the heavy lifting for you. By engaging with CarePac for the design and manufacturing of your bags, we’ll take care of all the steps in between. Contact us today to learn how we can help you design the bag you’ve always dreamed of. 

How to Export Vector Content From Canva

Canva is a popular graphics design program that’s used by a lot of our customers, and Canva is popular for a few good reasons:

User-Friendly Interface

Canva has a simple and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, even for people with no design experience. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create designs quickly.

Versatile Design Capabilities

Canva offers a wide range of design templates, graphics, and fonts that users can choose from to create different types of designs. It also has features that allow users to customize the templates to fit their specific needs.

Collaboration

Canva allows users to collaborate with others by sharing designs and giving feedback. This is especially useful for teams working on projects together.

Cost-Effective

Canva offers a range of pricing plans, including a free plan, which makes it accessible to people with different budgets.

Social Media Integration

Canva is integrated with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, making it easy for users to create designs specifically for those platforms.

It’s important to note that Canva’s vector capabilities are somewhat limited compared to dedicated vector graphics software like Adobe Illustrator. If you need to do more advanced vector work, you may want to consider using a different tool.

What are vector graphics and why do I need it for my pouch art?

Unlike raster graphics like JPG, PNG, or bitmap files, which are made up of pixels, vector graphics are made up of mathematical equations and geometric shapes. This means that vector images can be resized without losing their quality or becoming pixelated.

Because vector images can be easily resized and edited without losing quality, they are particularly useful for projects that require the use of very high-quality graphics are needed, such as pouch printing. The industry standard for vector graphics is adobe illustrator. But some other vector graphics software include CorelDRAW, and Inkscape.

If vectorized art is not used for your pouch design, you will generally experience a lower quality print. Overall, vector art has become an essential part of the design and creative industry, allowing artists and designers to create versatile and scalable images with precision and ease.

How to export Vector Content from Canva

Open the design in Canva.

# 1. Click on the “Share” button at the top right corner of the screen.# 2. Click on the “Download” Button

# 3. Select the PDF for print option. While SVG is a vector option we have found that SVG export is not as reliable as the PDF export option.

# 4. Do not check mark “crop marks and bleed”, “flatten PDF”, or “Include notes” options as they add too many unnecessary objects. If you are on a paid plan select the CMYK color profile. Otherwise leave it on RGB.

# 5. Click the download box and you’re done!

Common issues relate to fonts: There might be font issues, because Canva has their own fonts. Also, the text can be made up of text objects for each character, which can be a pain to edit.

Design Proof Review Checklist

Your design proof, also called a dieline, or Master art proof. Is a to scale schematic of your pouch. The design proof shows you all the elements which are expected to be present on the finished pouch. Reviewing your design file in detail is very important because once you sign it, you’re telling us to make the pouch based on the design. If you later find a mistake, like a spelling mistake, it could be too late to change, or could incur costs to you. In this article we’ll cover some of the most important steps you should take when reviewing your proof. We also offer a complementary design proof review check list which you can download below. 

First things first: Check your Pouch Size

Since your design proof is to-scale, the dimensions listed on the proof will be the finished size of the bag. The biggest mistake customers make is not checking that they size of bag they are ordering will actually fit their product. The best way to confirm sizing is to take whatever bag you’re basing 

What if I don’t have a bag to base sizing from?

The best advice would be to review the samples that we sent you to confirm if any of those work. If you’re not working from a sample we sent, then we suggest going to a big box retailer and purchasing pouches that you think might fit your product, then testing it out. 

Make sure you’re not confusing O.D. size and I.D. size.

O.D. is outside diameter, and refers to the size of the pouch edge to edge with no additional material existing beyond that size. I.D. is inside diameter and refers to the interior usable space. The I.D. will vary depending on the size of your bag seals, position of the zipper or other closure and whether your pouch is a stand up pouch or a flat pouch. This is why it’s critical to have reviewed and confirmed your sizing before proceeding. 

Spelling and Grammar

It might seem obvious, but every day a customer will catch a spelling or grammar mistake that they didn’t notice previously. While these mistakes may not always be the end of the world, they project a unprofessional appearance so, it’s best to have two or three people read over the pouch, preferably people who didn’t write the content. This is because our minds will often fill in words to our own writing without us even noticing. But these mistakes will stand out to a reader who is unfamiliar with the content. 

Material Type & Design

During your proofing you’ll want to confirm the type of material your pouch is made from. The material of your pouch is listed on your sales order which accompanies your proof. One problem that occurs is during the development process, customers often switch between materials as they decide what is best for their pouch.  

Bag Configuration

Now is the time to confirm that the pouch you’re ordering is the proper configuration that you want. The digital design proof will show all the sides of the pouch, so if you don’t see a gusset, then your pouches doesn’t have one. In the diagrams below we’re showing you what some of the most common pouch configuration design schematics look like. 

Gusseted Pouch

Lay Flat Pouch

Box Bottom Pouch

Side Gusseted

Print/Proofing Review

When reviewing the print on your pouch there are several items to specifically take time and double check: Bag Finish, Colors, Barcodes and QR Codes, brand trademark usages, Nutritional and compliance information, and where the folds are. 

Colors

The colors being used on your design will be listed on your design proof. Each design proof includes a color bar which designates each color which is being used in the design. There are some differences between the colors used in digital and those used for plate printing. Also some types of bags like box bottom pouches require multiple sets of color plates. 

Digital Colors

Pouches which will be digitally printed will be created using a White Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black ink combination. This is often referred to as five color process (or many times mistakenly called four color process). 

Pantone Colors

Pantone colors are commonly used by customers to increase overall color fidelity and consistency. Pantone colors applicable to flexible pouches will be from the Formula Guide Solid Coated, or Formula Guide Solid Uncoated.  Pantones from other Formula Guides are typically not compatible with flexible bag printing. 

Printed Pouch Finish

Your pouch finish, and the position of any Spot Finish will be indicated on your design files as a separate set of graphic bag schematics. It’s important to check that the finish indicated is the finish that you wanted us to produce for your brand before you order. 

Barcodes and QR Codes

Now is the perfect time to confirm that your Barcodes are correct, and have been placed on the correct designs. You don’t want to later find out that the your vanilla flavor’s barcode graphic is actually on the chocolate flavor bag. Scan your barcode or read your QR code on your screen to ensure it has the correct information encoded into it. 

Trademarks

Now is also a perfect time to confirm that any trademarks you use on the bag are properly licensed before you put in the order so you don’t get in trouble later. 

Nutritional and Compliance

Nutritional information needs to be accurate, otherwise you’re going to be relabeling the bags later with stickers which is time consuming and easily avoided. Those pesky compliance icons, symbols and consumer warnings should also be given a second look. Typically compliance warnings must be properly formatted and sized. Is your USDA icon the correct size? Is the font on your Surgeon general’s warning the right size? These are important and can be costly mistakes if you don’t double check. 

Bag Features & Touch/Feel

Getting back to the basics, the bag design schematic shows you the pouch that will be made, in a to scale rendering. The schematic also shows you all the features (i.e. zippers, tear notches, hang holes, valves spouts etc) that will be on the finished pouch, in addition to other aspects (matte, soft touch, etc.). If you don’t see a feature on the bag it’s not being made. 

Dieline Review Checklist

We hope this article has given you a nice overview of the dieline review process. We’re including a dieline review checklist which we believe is the most complete check list available and is based on years of experience. Click here to download the design file review check list. 

In this video we walk you through a typical flexible barrier packaging dieline. Topics include: reading the dieline, understanding layers, and how to denote finishes, and clear or unprinted areas. Additionally, basic best practices are included. 

Flexible Packaging Design File Setup

Setting up art files for flexible barrier packaging has it’s own little quirks and peculiarities that set it apart from other print setups. But never fear! The same basic techniques and knowledge base you have used for off-set or paper printing can be transferred to flexibles.  

Types of Dielines

There are two types of dielines you’ll see presented. A “multi-up” dieline or a as-print dieline. At Carepac we prefer using multi-up because it makes actual proofing easier, but many times you may work with a dieline that is as print. 

As-Printed Layout

Multi-Up Dieline

Reading your dielines

1. Zipper location

Yes you can print over the zipper area. Sealing the zipper into the bag does create some wripples / mild distortion so we don’t recommend putting important mission critical items in the zipper area.

2. Outer edge of bag

On our dielines the edge is the edge, no additional bleed needed and nothing exists beyond this point. Over the years several customers have thought that the dimensions indicated are ID, inside diameter, which is false. All the dimensions are O.D. Outside diameter. 

3. Seal Zone

Seal zones are where the material of the front and back of the bag are sealed together. Seal zones are printable space, the only suggestion is to not put something like a barcode in the seal zone as, similar to zippers, seal zones can have a slight bit of distortion. 

4. Gusset Zone

Gusset zones are like seal zones never put a window area in a gusset, as this area will not look good if you put clear window over it. 

Dieline Color Bars

Dielines use various “off canvas” colors to denote physical elements of the bag. These colors should contrast with the artwork, so they are easy to identify. Tese are technically the dielines. Here are some examples of dieline colors, with their corresponding label. 

Pouch designs will include alot of content which is not actually printed on the pouch. This content is there to convey various specifications. For example when designating areas of clear or unprinted area, merely making those areas transparent in the AI file is not a good practice, why? Because white and transparent can be confused, also your AI files are going to be converted to other file formats for printing (for example rip station files) and ensuring that the person making the conversion understands your intensions is key. 

It’s important to designate various items such as: 

• Clear unprinted areas
• Metalized unprinted area
• Matte, Gloss, and Spot UV finish areas. 
• Areas of white ink base and areas without white ink base. 
• Metalized printed areas (different than unprinted metalized areas)

Using Art Boards vs Layers

The decision of using separate art boards or layers is up to you, but typically we suggest layers, even for “off-canvas” layout information such as white ink base areas. This is because you can overlay layers to ensure their locations correctly correspond to the printed areas. 

Setting Up Your Layers

There are some basic best practices to follow when setting up your layers. Firstly, do not mix the dieline and art layers, this can create errors, and just makes for messy files. Second, if you are designating finish locations for spot UV or matte varnish, use a separate layer for those purposes. 

1. Separate Dielines from art

2. All art on one layer

3. Finish designation layer separate from art. 

Outline all text

It’s very common for designers to forget to outline their text. It is important to outline text to ensure that there are no versioning differences between different versions of a font file. If you’ve used a paid font, then we won’t have that font, and if you’ve downloaded a free font from DaFont, Fontspace, fontsquirrel, or any of the numerous font sites, they all will have slightly different versions of the file than what we might have. 

Define Color Swatches

Messy Color swatches, or failing to setup any swatches is something we see almost daily. Adobe’s built in color swatches allows for color separation and is especially helpful when working with spot ink colors, such as Pantone colors. In the picture below the designer has correctly separated and assigned PMS colors to the art work. Spot ink colors are colors created through the combination of specific ink colors instead of CMYK. Spot colors can be more consistent across print runs, and allow for color matching to pantone ink swatch decks. 

Pantone Colors

While talking about Spot colors we should probably address the whole Pantone v. Adobe issues.

Pantone and Adobe have been in a bit of a tussle and pantone colors libraries are no longer a free part of adobe illustrator. This has created some issues as the pantone libraries that are freely available are now out of date. There are a few work arounds that we’ll tell you about. 

The first is of course the official Pantone Plugin. Pantone has released Pantone Connect which is a paid service, part of which is the pantone connect plugin. If you have the Pantone connect plugin then you have access to all the current Pantone colors (as of writing this Pantone Connect is $59/year).

There are a couple of ways to handle things if you don’t pay for the plugin. First lets talk about something most people don’t understand, screen color is not the same as color on paper (or plastic). Here’s the secret, it doesn’t matter if you have the plugin or not, as long as you have the physical pantone book. 

You can use whatever color you want to designate your spot. 

Yes you heard me right, whether you have the plugin or not, it’s really irrelevant for our purposes because, screen colors are not very accurate to being with. As long as you designate the color number correctly in your color section (and assign it a swatch in the Color swatches), then we’ll know what you’re talking about. Since for Pantones to have any real value you should be referencing the printed color decks anyways.  

Don’t Forget Your Links!

One of the most common issues we run into when setting up customer’s art is the missing link. It’s easy to forget those pesky linked files, but without them we can’t take your files to press. So Lets remember to embed the linked files or include the links folder in your export.