We can only achieve speedy accurate output if your files are set up correctly. Our prices and time promises are usually based on our receiving 'output-ready' files supplied at the promised time, in one packet.

Order Acknowledgement

All orders are acknowledged by email, fax or post within hours of receipt. This will show; your job number, the details of your order as we understand it, estimated final costs and your payment status - you can pay online if you do not have a credit account with us, or you can ring us on 01228 513 513 with your payment; see also Payments. Please check your Acknowledgement carefully, as changes at a later date may incur extra costs.

Proofs

Your PDF files will generally be shown back to you as a 'screen grab' for approval, or checked against your supplied print-out already sent to us. We accept no responsibility for any content or colour accuracy variations from what you have sent us. Please save your PDFs as ‘Press Optimised’ with bleed, cropmarks and fonts embedded and follow the 'imported photos guidelines' below, as faults in PDFs cannot be easily fixed later if you get it wrong. Send just ONE copy of each page; do not impose small jobs several to a sheet.

Other formats

These are accepted if all the related files and fonts are included. Pages must be set up to the correct size with 3mm bleed. Formats accepted are: Quark, InDesign (Mac), JPG, EPS, Postscript, TIFF or PDF. Freehand, Illustrator and Coreldraw files are acceptable ONLY if saved in .EPS format. Bleed and cropmarks must be included. See web pages for current costs.

Photoshop

 Photoshop or similar files should be supplied as 300dpi; Highest quality JPG is acceptable. Bleed and cropmarks must be included. Do not send PSD files unless agreed.

Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint

Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint need to be converted to PDF format - you can download a PDF Maker from Useful Information - or most software now has a built-in PDF Writer.

Books or booklets

 Books or booklets need to be in multiples of 4 pages. Any that have over 4 pages must not be supplied as 'spreads' - always create a PDF containing individual pages.

Imported Photos

Photographic images should be supplied as 300dpi (all as CMYK, TIFF or EPS, unless we are charging to assemble the job for you) and placed into your document at 100%. Any images with clipping paths should be saved as EPS .

Imported Graphics

These should be in .EPS format with fonts converted to vector paths or curves. Please note that Word art is low resolution and does not print sharply.

Exhibition Stands

For exhibition stand designs that cover more than one panel (eg Popup stands) set Quark Xpress / InDesign documents up as ‘spreads’ eg 5 x pages for 3x3 and 6 x pages for 3x4, do not supply as one ‘big’ page. This is unless you can only supply a .TIF or .EPS as these are the exceptions and must be provided as one ‘big’ page WITH cropmarks drawn on clearly for each panel and bleed all round. Avoid characters which cross panel gaps as we cannot guarantee that these will always line up accurately. If text does cross panel gaps try and use tracking and kerning so that the gap runs in between two characters.

Tints & Solids

We recommend you avoid using flat tints of 8% or less, as these can sometimes print poorly. Also try to limit large solid areas of any flat colour: - textured areas or Photoshop effects will always print much better. In fact we suggest being as adventurous as possible for the most dramatic results. For a Rich Black use 100%K with either 40%C (cool) or 40%M (warm).

Colour and Colour Matching

Make sure all colours in your document are specified as CMYK. If you have used RGB colours or images you must convert them to CMYK. Note that Pantone colours cannot be accurately reproduced in the CMYK process, but you can add a request for a Colour Proof or see your Pantone Solid to Process colour swatch)

Fonts

Do not use bold, italic or other type options from the menu bar; use the proper bold or italic fonts. If you have used any ligatures in InDesign please make sure you advise us. These do not always print as expected and some cases do not print at all - an outline box will be printed instead.

Maximum sheet size

Maximum sheet size for litho and digital presses: SRA3 450mm x 320mm. Maximum image size in one piece (on our 60" plotter) : 1600mm x 15 metres approx. depending on material used.

The liability of printed material for VAT is a complicated issue and the best advice for any specific query is likely to come from HMRC themselves - see their web site.

However, this simple list of items (from the HMRC site) that are commonly zero-rated or commonly standard-rated may be a useful starting point.

Print items commonly zero-rated for VAT

• Accounts (fully printed)
• Advertising leaflets
• Agendas (fully printed)
• Almanacs
• Amendments (loose-leaf)
• Annuals
• Antique books
• Antique maps
• Articles of association (complete in booklet form)
• Astronomical charts
• Atlases
• Autograph books (completed)
• Bibliographies
• Bills of quantity (completed)
• Booklets
• Books
• Brochures
• Bulletins
• Catalogues
• Charts (geographical or topographical)
• Circulars
• Colouring books (children’s)
• Comics
• Company accounts and reports
• Crossword books
• Diaries (completed)
• Dictionaries
• Directories (completed)
• Election addresses
• Encyclopaedias
• Football programmes
• Geological maps
• Handbills
• Holiday and tourist guides
• Hydrographical charts
• Hymn books
• Instruction manuals
• Journals
• Leaflets
• Loose leaf books
• Magazines
• Mail order catalogues
• Manuals
• Maps
• Memoranda of association (completed in booklet form)
• Missals
• Monographs
• Music
• Music scores
• Newspapers
• Orders of Service
• Painting books (children’s)
• Pamphlets
• Periodicals
• Picture books
• Poster magazinesli>
• Prayer books
• Price lists (fully printed leaflets or brochures)
• Programmes
• Rag books (children’s)
• Recipe books
• Road maps
• Scrap books (completed)
• Ships’ logs (completed)
• Sports programmes
• Staff journals
• Text books
• Theses
• Timetables (in book or leaflet form)
• Topographical plans
• Tracts
• Trade catalogues
• Trade directories
• Travel brochures

Print items commonly standard-rated for VAT

• Acceptance cards
• Account Books
• Address books
• Albums
• Amendment slips
• Announcement cards
• Appointment cards
• Autograph albums (uncompleted)
• Badges
• Bags, paper
• Ballot papers
• Bankers’ drafts
• Billheads
• Bills of lading
• Bills of quantity (blank)
• Binders
• Bingo cards
• Biorhythm charts
• Blotters
• Book covers
• Book marks
• Book tokens
• Bookmakers’ tickets
• Business cards
• Calendars
• Certificates
• Cheques and cheque books
• Cigarette cards
• Cloakroom tickets
• Colour cards
• Compliment slips
• Copy books
• Correspondence cards
• Coupon books
• Coupons
• Credit cards
• Delivery notes
• Diaries (unused)
• Dividend warrants
• Dressmaking patterns
• Engineers’ plans
• Envelopes
• Exercise books
• Fashion drawings
• Flash cards
• Folders
• Football pool coupons
• Form letters
• Forms
• Framed decorative maps
• Games
• Globes
• Graph paper
• Greetings cards
• Index cards
• Inlay cards for cassette, CD or video
• Insurance cover notes
• Invitation cards
• Invoices
• Labels
• Letter headings
• Letters (handwritten)
• Log books (blank)
• Lottery tickets and cards
• Manuscript paper
• Manuscripts
• Medical records
• Membership cards
• Memo pads
• Memorial cards
• Menu cards
• Microfiche
• Microfilm
• Microform copies
• Music rolls
• Note books, pads and paper
• Order books and forms
• Paper, unprinted
• Parts of books
• Pattern cards
• Photograph albums
• Photographs
• Plans
• Playing cards
• Poll cards
• Pools coupons
• Postcards (whether completed or not)
• Posters
• Price cards and tags
• Printed pictures
• Questionnaires
• Receipt books and forms
• Record books
• Record labels
• Record sleeves
• Registers
• Rent books
• Reply-paid coupons and envelopes
• Reproductions of paintings
• Score cards
• Scrap books (blank)
• Scrolls (hand-written)
• Seals
• Shade cards (unless they contain substantial printed text)
• Share certificates
• Stamp albums (whether completed or not)
• Stationery
• Stationery books
• Stickers
• Swatch books
• Swatch cards
• Sweepstake tickets
• Tags
• Temperature charts
• Tickets
• Time cards and sheets
• Tokens
• Toys
• Transcripts
• Transfers
• Transparencies
• Visiting cards
• Vouchers
• Wall charts
• Waste paper
• Wills
• Winding cards
• Wrapping paper
• Wreath cards