For the highest quality results please follow these 'best practices' guidelines and file saving instructions.
NOTE: We are using 4x6 as an example here - adjust accordingly for larger sizes
1. Setting Bleed/Trim/Image areas
The bleed line should be 1/4" larger than your finished size(i.e. a 4 x 6 postcards should have a canvas size of at least 4.5 x 6.5).
The trim size should be 4 x 6.
The Image area should be a minimum of 3/16" from the trim line (or 7/16" from the bleed line).
2. Follow Postal Regulations
The United States Post Office requires a 5/8" strip along the bottom of the back side of any postcard to allow for printing the barcode.
In addition, they require a 3.5" blank space on the right side of the back for address imprinting. This area can be screened at no more than 5%
note: The U.S. Post Office will not mail any designs containing pornographic or illegal images.
3. Image Resolutions
Good image quality and vibrant color make a big difference in the quality and effectiveness of your printed material. Choose high resolution images for your postcard. Avoid any image downloaded from a website other than those specifically designed to provide you with print quality images.
A minimum of 300 DPI (1200 dpi for a bitmap image) is necessary to ensure that your postcards are as clear as your message!
4. Saving your print file
This step is very important to the success of a beautifully printed piece.
Save as Adobe PDF.
GENERAL setting tab set the compatibility to Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4) and be sure the following are checked: "Embed Page Thumbnails," "Optimize for fast web view," and "Create tagged PDF." No other options on this tab should be checked.
COMPRESSION setting tab set all images to "Not downsample", set image compression to "None" and check "Crop image data to frames", do not check Compress Text and Line Art.
MARKS AND BLEEDS setting tab no marks should be checked. Offset should be set to "0". Check "Use Document Bleed Setting"
OUTPUT setting tab set Color Conversion to "No Color Conversion" and Profile Inclusion Policy to "Include Tagged Source Profiles."
ADVANCED setting tab make sure that Subset fonts is 100% and nothing under OPI or Create JDF is checked.
SECURITY setting tab make sure that no security settings are applied to the file unless you have supplied us with the password to open it.
You may bypass the Summary tab and click on EXPORT.
We recommend that you compress this file (i.e Zip or Stuffit) to reduce the upload time.