1 | Colour

• All Colour images should be colour separated using the correct icc profile.

• The ICC profile of each product can be downloaded from the product page.

• Colour Images should be in the CMYK colour space (NOT RGB, Indexed colour, Lab colour space or Multicolour.

• Mono (Black & White) adverts should be Greyscale and NOT CMYK, RGB or any other colour space.

• Spot Colours and Pantone colours MUST NOT be used anywhere the artwork, you must convert all these colours to Process.
  TIP: If there are any channels, other than C,M,Y or K they will need to be corrected to process before uploading.

2 | Your PDF

• Advertisements must be supplied in PDF/X-1a format.

• Ensure only 1 page is in the PDF (i.e. No multi-page documents).

• The PDF must be made to the exact size of the advert space booked.

• DO NOT include white Space, registration marks, colour wedges or other furniture.

3 | Bleed & Trim (magazines)

If an ad bleeds off the page (for Magazine products), important content such as live text MUST NOT be placed too close to the trim edges. This "danger area" is usually within 5mm of the trim edges but can vary so please check the specification for your product.

4 | Text

• White text set to overprint will NOT appear, (even if it does look correct on screen and prints out on your laser printer).
  TIP: If your graphics application offers an overprint simulation or preview option, use it as it will give a more accurate representation of how your file will print. It will also be beneficial to use softproofing and separations previews if available.

• Beware that extremely thin typefaces and serifs can result in poor print reproduction especially in gravure printed products.

• Images should be prepared at the optimum resolution for the product.
  TIP: The optimum resolution is the effective resolution after any scaling has been performed in the authoring application.

• Transparency effects will be flattened.
  WARNING: Transparency flattening can affect text, so please ensure that files are constructed in such a way that unnecessary flattening doesn't occur.

5 | TAC/Ink Weight

• Excessive TAC (Total Area Coverage/ Maximum Ink Weight) in artwork can cause problems on press so be aware of the TAC limit for the product (see below table).
  TIP: If the correct icc profile is used when separating colours into CMYK, the TAC will not be exceeded but be aware that TAC can subsequently easily be exceeded when transparency effects and overprints are resolved or if colour corrections are performed in the CMYK colour mode after separation.