Setup Guidelines

For Web Offset Printing at Marrakech Express

All documents must be built to final trim size as single pages.

Live image area (except for bleeds) must be centered within the document as you intend your page to appear after final trim. Leave at least ¼ inch clearance on all four sides of your page, free of any element that is not intended to bleed.

All bleeds must be extended at least ¼ inch beyond the document’s edge on all four sides. Color images must be specified as CMYK, not RGB.

For 4-color process printing, all color elements must be specified as CMYK values. Pantone color values must be set to separate to CMYK values. You should double-check your color usage to make sure that you have no extra color separations beyond the four process colors. Best results will be achieved if images are rotated, flopped, or skewed in an image manipulation program such as Photoshop, instead of your page layout program.

Blends should not be created in your page layout program. Blends can be created in Adobe Illustrator and then imported to your page. Remember that if your blend needs to be rotated you should apply the rotation in Adobe Illustrator.

All fonts used must be PostScript fonts (usually called “Type 1” fonts) and must be licensed to the client. Fonts used other than PostScript Fonts are used at the client’s own risk and may incur an additional charge. We cannot accept TrueType or Multiple Master fonts for Computer to Plate output.

Fonts should not be stylized in the page layout program; use the font containing the desired attribute. In the event that the desired font is not available a different font must be chosen. All fonts used must be supplied in a separate folder labeled “Fonts.” For Macintosh, the Adobe PostScript Font must be provided. For the IBM platform, “PFBs” must be supplied for every font used.

All fonts used in EPS files must be converted to outlines.

Build double-trucks (crossover spreads) as true spreads in your page layout application. Do not build spreads on a single page that has been made to be as wide as the final spread – pages built this way cannot be split apart for imposition.

Application crop marks, registration, and color identification must be turned on and offset to 24 points (this attribute can be applied in your preferences dialog box).

Trapping

Marrakech Express assumes no responsibility for trapping supplied electronic files unless prior arrangements have been made.

· Desired trapping must be applied in the page layout program.

The typical trap recommendation is .144 pt. However, your publication may require further consideration depending on the product and the press used All black text is to be set to overprint.

· Be careful when setting black to overprint in instances where you have reverse boxes printing in black. You may want to trap these to avoid overlapping areas of other colors and photos.

· Be careful when setting trap on items that are layered over images as the image is considered an “indeterminate” and the desired trapping may not be applied. Correct trapping attributes in these instances can be tested by printing and checking laser separations.

Images

· Color images intended for process printing should be saved as CMYK.

· Black and White images should be saved as Grayscale.

· Desired orientation (rotation, fl op, skew) should be applied in Photoshop or a similar application, not in the page layout application.

· Do not use any form of compression (e.g., JPEG, LZW) on any of your images.

Fonts

· All fonts used must be PostScript Type 1 fonts and must be licensed to the client. Fonts used other than PostScript Type 1 fonts should be tested with us prior to use. We cannot accept TrueType or Multiple Master fonts.

· Fonts should not be stylized in your page layout program. Use the font containing the desired attribute. In the event that that desired font is not available a different font must be chosen.

· All fonts used must be supplied in a separate folder labeled “Fonts.” For Macintosh, the PostScript font file and the screen font file must be provided. For the IBM platform, “PFB’s” and “PFM’s” must be supplied for every font used.

· An additional charge will be incurred for fonts missing and/or fonts not supplied in the font folder.

· All fonts used in EPS files must be converted to outlines.

· If you create your own typefaces, make sure they are named and numbered uniquely to avoid conflicts with industry standard fonts. Custom-designed fonts are to be tested and approved by Marrakech Express in advance.

Creating PostScript Files

IMPORTANT: Generating PostScript files can be extremely time consuming, and additional disk space will be required to store these files until they are transferred to Marrakech Express.. These two variables are related directly to the file sizes of your pages, images, and artwork, and speed of the equipment on which the PostScript is generated. Be sure to do a timing test and space requirement test using several pages before you make a decision to take on this task.

Strict guidelines must be followed to ensure success through all phases of the process. Instructions are usually customized for your particular product and the page layout software used, taking into consideration image formats and the type of output desired.

· Documents should be printed to PostScript following the guidelines provided by us.

Prior to live CTP production, test files should be submitted to Marrakech Express to confirm that files can be interpreted and imaged correctly.

· Fonts MUST BE DOWNLOADED by the page layout program as the PostScript file is created.

· The frequency must be set to the desired line screen (e.g., 100 line, 110 line, 150 line). Call us to confirm the line ruling at which your job will print.

· The resolution is to be set to 1693 dpi.

· Marrakech requires ‘single page PostScript.’ Single page PostScript means that you print out a separate PostScript file for each page in the document. Files created as multiple page runs will not be accepted.

· Crop marks, registration, and color identification must be turned on when creating PostScript files. Set crop and registration marks to offset by 24 points.

· For jobs printing black plus PMS colors, Pantone colors must have desired screen angles set to avoid a “dot to dot” output.

· For process color output, double-check your color palette to make sure that any Pantone colors are converted to CMYK values.

· Name PostScript files so they are easily identified by the name. In instances where page 1 begins in the page 3 position, name the front cover “FC,” back cover “BC,” and the inside front and back cover “IFC” and “IBC.”

· Marrakech Express can get you specific instructions for PostScript output from your page layout program, including which printer drivers and printer descriptions to use. See also http://www.marrak.com/howto.html, and http://www.scenicsoft.com/creatps.html.

Proofing

Marrakech Express uses Fuji Proof for color digital proofs. It has proven to be more than adequate in most instances, though it is not as exact a representation of color as would be the case with a MatchPrint generated from film.

· All files submitted to Marrakech Express whether native or PostScript must be accompanied by a hard copy laser proof.

· Hard copy laser proofs must be an exact representation of the submitted file and are to be full size.

· Hard copy laser proofs are to be printed with crop marks, file name, date and time.

· Hard copy laser proofs are to be marked with a page number that identifies its position in your publication.

· PostScript files are to be downloaded to the desired proofing device not printed directly to the proofing device. This requires a proofing device that uses a software RIP running on a separate computer in front of the output device, or a utility for downloading PostScript files. Pages that are printed directly to an output device do not accurately reflect the data that is in a final PostScript file, nor will they reflect any trapping information of the PostScript file that you intend to submit. You must proof from the same PostScript file that you intend to submit to Marrakech Express!

In the PostScript workflow you download your file to your laser printer and your page will be imaged as separations for pages that contain multiple colors. Outputting separations is the correct way to check your PostScript and should not be a reason for concern.

· Composite lasers may be used only to create a paginated book to confirm your pagination. They cannot be used to confirm content or color unless the job is a single-color job.

· Color Proofs: PostScript files that have been tested and approved by Marrakech’s Computer to Plate department may be accompanied by color proofs generated from your PostScript files.

· Color proofs can be generated by Marrakech Express from your PostScript files printed using our specifications.

Imposition

Imposition can be completed by the Client or Marrakech.. There are a variety of software programs available that will operate on just about any platform. Marrakech uses and recommends ScenicSoft Preps. This imposition software requires that pages be output as PostScript files, then imported into Preps. Your imposition can be proofed by outputting miniature plate proofs on a laser printer. Once you have proven your imposition, you print your plates to PostScript files and are now ready to image plates on the plate setter. This is one of the safest software programs to use in that you proof your single-page PostScript files before the imposition process takes place. PostScript files are “locked” and cannot be altered after they are generated and proofed. Imposition can be done within some applications, such as is the case with DK&A’s Quark Xtension “INposition”. With INposition you impose your native Quark pages and have the ability to import EPS files as well as PostScript page files into the mix before the plate is output. At this writing Quark does not use the Creo PPD to its fullest advantage that would allow the Platesetter to operate automatically. Therefore there may be additional charges dependent on the amount of plates to image.

· The imposition software automatically aligns pages. Thus, it is critical that documents be built to the correct trim size, and that page elements are centered properly on the page. We cannot adjust misaligned or incorrectly sized elements at the imposition stage; these problems must be corrected in the page layout software, and the page re-output and resubmitted.

· Pages requiring any special offsets to correct alignment will be done by matching the crop marks provided by your application program to the final trim size of your product. Pages requiring offsets may incur an additional charge.

· Pages that flush (have a PostScript error) will be resubmitted to the originator of the PostScript . CTP will try to identify the problem with the page to help facilitate the repair.

Media for File Transfer

IMPORTANT: Use Norton Disk Doctor or similar product to check removable media before loading files.

We supports the Macintosh platform media types:

Zip 100MB, 250MB; Jaz 1 GB ; CD-ROM.

We supports the PC platform media types:

Zip, 100 MB, 250MB; Jaz 1 GB; CD-ROM

· DAT is supported, but not recommended.

· Do not include any unnecessary files when submitting your pages.

· Provide a printout of the contents of each disk, and highlight files to be output.

Electronic File Transmission

Trend is able to accept files electronically using the following methods.

Internet FTP. Anonymous ftp is available at ftp.marrak.com. Contact us about setting up a private, password-protected account on our ftp server.

Email. Send files as attachments to print@marrak.com. Use of email to send files is discouraged due to the frequently unreliable nature of Internet mail, and because file encoding protocols can be confusing and unreliable. Ours email gateway will not accept files larger than 2 megabytes.

· All wire transfers must be preceded by a phone call notifying us of the transfer followed by a confirmation call or email when transmission is complete.

· Sending graphics files over the Internet can present special problems related to file formats and file encoding. Be sure you understand these issues before depending on electronic transfers in a deadline situation. See http://www.marrak.com/ftpinfo.html for more information.

File Compression

The requirements for File Compression will change depending on the file transfer options you elect to use.

We support the Macintosh compression and archive utility “Stuffit”, and the PC Zip protocol.

· REMOVABLE MEDIA: Compression is optional for transfers utilizing removable media. Files should NOT be set to “Self Extracting”

· INTERNET: Compression is recommended when transferring files over the Internet. Macintosh files should NOT be set to “Self Extracting”.

File Delivery Requirements:

· Marrakech Express requires that only the files needed to complete the designated task be transferred.

· Native page files should be placed in a folder that is named so as to easily identify the page and its position in your publication. Any images required to complete the page should be placed in a separate folder within the page folder.

· All fonts used must be supplied in a separate folder, residing on the root, labeled “Fonts”.

· Provide a printout of the contents of each disk, and highlight files to be output.

Film Supplied Ads/Pages

· Marrakech Express can arrange to have supplied-film ads or pages digitally or ‘copy-dot’ scanned if necessary.

Notify us well in advance when you have film to be scanned.