| Why submit vector art, my file worked for brochures? Vector art allows us to trap spot colors to improve registration. Many other products are printed offset and thus the tolerances are much tighter than in screen printing. Often Quark files are converted to a vector program for this reason.
Can I increase the dpi to raise my resolution? No, once the art has had the dpi reduced it is done. The files should be at least 300 dpi.
Do we need white on clear products? Yes! The opacity of the inks will not hold up once the decal is placed on glass or a colored background. White should be used to either back up the art or flood behind the entire decal. Indicate which method to use for the white on your order.
Why do I need spot colors on my 4-color process art? Large areas of coverage and specific PMS matches are not guaranteed in screen printing. Often a spot color is needed to meet our client's expectations. Additionally, the small text or elements created out of process colors will not hold up to the course lpi used.
When I submit spot colors, why do you ask for 4-color process? It really depends on the art. Photographs and art with many shades are often better as four-color process. Art is often submitted with the spot colors identified, but unnamed or multi-blends usually separate themselves into CMYK.
My art looked fine on the laser printout, but very rough on the decal, why? If a low resolution TIFF or a gray scale art is submitted it will look better on laser paper. Laser or ink jet printers recognize shades of gray and will not utilize a halftone dot. If the art is gray scale and no tones are requested, the art loses all the shading in the film process. Thus the image detail drops out and prints very rough. |
