Welcome to Abacus Printing Company ~ F.A.Q

What is the preferred format for us to supply files to you?

Ideally you should supply 'Press Ready PDFs' (latest versions of acrobat describe this as 'high quality print'. All fonts should be an embedded subset, colour and greyscale images should be 300ppi, monochrome images should be 1200ppi. You should include 3mm bleed and cut marks on your PDF.

How do I convert Word file to PDF?

1.	Open the word document in Microsoft Word.	5.	Go to 'Adobe PDF' settings.
2.	Go to the File menu and click on Print...	6.	Select page size to the size you need e.g. A4
3.	Select printer name as 'Adobe PDF'	7.	Then set the Adobe PDF Conversion Default Setting to "Press Quality"
4.	Click on 'Properties' button next to the name	8.	Uncheck 'Do not send fonts to Adobe PDF'
	continue next column »	9.	Click on 'OK' then 'OK' again.

Should I supply my PDF in printers spreads, or readers spreads?

Please do not supply your job in spreads form, supply your PDF as single page layout with bleeds all round. We will use imposition software to impose your job.

I want to supply you with some business cards, shall I set them as many as I can on an A4 sheet?

No, It doesn't matter what size your job is, the PDF or quark page should be the exact size of your finished page, plus cut marks. 1 page per sheet. E.G if you're business card is 85x55 your quark document setup would also be 85x55, and your resulting PDF would be slightly bigger than this to allow for the trim marks. Your image will always be centred on the PDF.

What if we cannot supply you with PDFs, but only the original artwork?

We have all the latest DTP software and pride ourselves on our ability to deal with any software issues. However, do feel free to phone us if you have any other issues you wish to discuss.

I have some images that I need to supply you with, how should these be set up?

Images should be CMYK and 300ppi. You will need specialist software to convert RGB images correctly. If you're unsure how to do it, we will be happy to convert them for you. Just remember to tell us that your images are RGB. If your job is going to be printed digitally, you can leave them in the RGB colour space as our digital presses can emulate the RGB colour space.

What if I've supplied you with a PDF, but I need some correction doing to the file?

We can do some limited editing to your PDF file. But, if the corrections mean that text needs to reflow, than you should do these corrections yourself and send us a new PDF file.

What is recycled paper? Should I use recycled as opposed to virgin products?

Recycled paper is paper that contains fibre from waste paper. However, there is no universal standard. The Sustainable Office Forum (TSOF) Checklist states that recycled paper should include as high a proportion of post consumer waste fibre as possible.
(source - The National Association of Paper Merchants)

More information can be found in our Recycled paper page.

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