FAQ

On average fine art scanning may take anywhere from a full day to two days or more depending on size and our production workflow. The original is needed for comparison on screen and if reproductions are made if some color adjustments are desired.

Document, oversize and film scanning averages 1-2 days and is also dependent on the number of scans and our workflow.

Sometimes we need to alter a digital file to create a more realistic or pleasing image. Color correction may be needed to bring a digital photograph, scan or digital file closer to the hard copy original or final print. Color correction is often needed when monitor and printer profiles aren’t transmitting data as expected. For example, if the green prints too yellow, color correction would be performed to change the file.

All artwork/photographs must be removed from framing prior to scanning. This prevents glare from the glass and distortion from the frame in the scan. If the frame is delicate, we recommend bringing it to a framer for disassembly to ensure it remains in tact. Due to the fragile nature of most artwork, scanning technicians are not permitted to remove frames from your images.

Standard poster and framing sizes are:

Yes, we can scan your prints as PDF, TIF, or JPEG and email them to an address provided. Optionally, we can convert the files to a DWG file, editable in AutoCad.

Include bleeds on all small format items where the image goes to the edge of the document size. This includes business cards, post cards, rack cards, flyers, brochures, etc.

Bleeds are not needed for large format posters or banners.

Use PDF/X-1a (with US Web Coated SWOP) to convert RGB colors to CMYK and preserve spot colors. This allows our RIP to reference a built-in Pantone library for the best color conversion and we will have more control over the output of the spot colors since they have not been converted to CMYK. This preset will also flatten all transparency, reducing prepress problems.

For most printing jobs the industry standard of 300 pixels/inch (ppi) is recommended, especially when the object is in sharp focus. Often most won’t notice a difference if an image is set at 225ppi and you can still get a quality image with less resolution if the picture is of a soft object (sky, water, etc). It is not recommended to skimp on resolution when printing logo files.

Type and hard edges will become visible soft or fuzzy and can easily show digital compression with blocks of colors. For example, scaling a logo taken from a website will not print especially sharp on a flyer or banner.

Beware of creating your files in Photoshop or Illustrator with the document color mode set to RGB. The blacks will look rich on your screen, but the RGB value 0,0,0 converts to a CMYK value of C:74, M:67, Y:66, K:89—not 100% black. Additionally, if print registration (the alignment of dots used to print cyan, magenta, yellow and black) is off it’ll be most apparent in small text.

Raster images is anything made of pixels. All photographs and scans are raster images because their image quality is limited by their resolution.

Resolution refers to the number of pixels (tiny squares) in an image; increased resolution often equates to better image quality. The amount of resolution needed for an image to look good on screen varies from the amount needed to print an image with the same quality.

Resolution is measured in pixels per inch (ppi), dots per inch (dpi) or lines per inch (lpi), although many terms are now used interchangeably. Generally, screen resolution is 72ppi and print resolution 300ppi although this can vary for large format as the image will be viewed from a distance which reduces the necessary amount of pixels needed.

Part of the printed image that goes beyond the edge of the sheet after trimming. Bleed ensures that no unprinted edges occur in the final trimmed document.

PMS stands for Pantone Matching System which is a library of inks used by printers to consistently reproduce thousands of colors. When used on a traditional offset press the inks are premixed like wall paint and applied to paper. The premixed ink can achieve many more unique colors including fluorescent and metallic in a solid even coverage on the page. These factors make it ideal for corporate identity logos and stationery because printing just one or two colors is less costly than full color printing (four color process – 4CP). While Pantone colors are designed for press, many of them can be reproduced in four colors, but instead of solid ink, a dot pattern will be evident close up.

This is shorthand for the number of inks printed on each side of the sheet. 4/0 generally refers to four color process, but it could also indicate four different Pantone (PMS) colors. 5/2 could indicate four color process plus a uv coating (clear protective coat) on one side and two Pantone colors on the second side. The number of inks plus clear coat is determined by the capabilities of the press. The most common abbreviations is for: 4/0 (full color one side, no printing on the second side) 4/1 (full color one side, black printing on the back) 4/4 (full color both sides) 1/0 (black or Pantone one side, no printing second side) 1/1 (black or Pantone both sides, generally the same color)

Full color printing is done with four ink colors; Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow and Black – often referred to as CMYK. The inks can be overprinted in a rosette pattern at varying sizes to produce a wide range of colors. Commonly abbreviated by 4CP or 4/0 for a sheet with four color process printed one side, with the second side blank. 4/4 refers to four color process printing on both sides.

It stands for coating one side and coating two sides. In the case of C1S, the paper stock is glossy on one side and uncoated on the other. This paper stock is preferred for business cards or sell sheets because ink appears brighter on the coated side and the uncoated side is easier to write on.

Paper which has a coating usually of china clay. It can be gloss, silk or matte and is suitable for jobs requiring a fine finish such as color brochures and annual reports. Inks appear brighter on coated sheets because they reflect more light, the same inks will appear duller and darker on an uncoated sheet.