05/30/2022 
Steve Bearden
Since potential customers engage more with printed media than digital media, it’s important for local businesses to know exactly how to interact best with their printing partners. That means when it’s time to finally upload your files onto their website or send them in an email so they can get the printing process started, they must be the right file type. Otherwise, you may not be able to get your project printed at all. While you may think that a professional printing company that performs custom offset printing for small businesses may be able to handle any file type you send their way, there are some exceptions. By knowing ahead of time which files are the best type for your project, you’ll save a significant amount of time and headache when having your new printing project completed.
Choose the Correct File Type
When you create and save your files for offset printing, make sure their file types are optimized for the printing process. Some file types are better suited for printing on a home or office computer, but won’t look nearly as good after offset printing. This is often because they either cannot be color separated – a necessary process for offset printing – or require specific software to open them, like Photoshop.
The most common file types used by graphic designers for photos and artwork include:
- JPEG Files – Typically lower resolution images, but the most popular format for most photos.
- PDF Files – High-resolution files easily opened by virtually every computer or browser.
- BMP Files – Bitmap images.
- PSD Files – Files created in Adobe Photoshop.
- GIF Files – The format used for animated images.
Ultimately, your best bet before you send your files to your custom printing partner is to ask them what file type they prefer. Some printing companies want only PDF files, while others may have no trouble accepting JPEG or Photoshop files.
Use Optimal Color Settings for Offset Printing
The majority of computer screens use the RGB color system to present images to users. Every image that you see is mixed through red, green, and blue – whether you are using your desktop monitor, television, or tablet. But in the printing world, the RGB system simply doesn’t apply.
RGB is pixel-based, which are the tiny elements of your display that create an image lit from behind. In the physical world, light has to shine onto a piece of paper for the image to be seen, so an entirely different color system must be used. That’s why professional printing companies strictly use the CMYK color system: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key.
In whatever graphic design software you choose, such as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, or otherwise, you’ll have the option to change the color settings for the document when you create it. In many cases, simply setting the software to “Print” rather than web or mobile will automatically adjust the color system. However, if you have already created a document using the RGB system, you’ll have to convert it to CMYK – just make sure the colors are still exactly the way you want them when the conversion is complete.
Design with Binding in Mind
Depending on what kind of project you have in mind, you’ll also have a range of binding options to choose from. Whether it’s a self-published custom book, a magazine, pamphlet, brochure, catalog, or calendar, you need to know how it’ll be bound ahead of time. That way, when you send your files to your printing partner, they’ll be able to immediately begin the printing and binding process without any hold-up. Also, make sure that the files you have designed and sent to the printer are appropriate for the paper types you want for your project.
Think your files are ready for the offset printing process? Reach out to Linemark today to get started!
