Media and transfer
We are happy to accept our customers
jobs supplied in the form of computer files. We accept
most media formats and recommend the use of USB memory
sticks for supplying files. CDs and DVDs are also
acceptable but please avoid using multi-session and
'open' disks as some of our computers have difficulty
reading them. Floppy disks are best avoided and we
no longer accept 'mac' files on these. Zip disks
are also acceptable, though they are often troublesome.
Standalone hard drives (USB and Firewire 1393) should be
fine but we cannot guarantee compatibility. We currently
have no facility for reading camera-type memory cards.
For jobs that cannot be sent in on a
disk, it is perfectly acceptable for them to be sent as
attachments within emails, however we would
politely request that files totalling over 5Mb in
size are not sent in this way. This is because they
will tend to block our mailbox for long periods of time
during download and may actually be refused by our server.
You should always telephone to let us know you are sending
an email: if it doesn't arrive we will be unaware of the
fact until you tell us.
For larger files we recommend using
this website:
www.yousendit.com.
Simply go to the page, signup with them
(it is free to register) and follow the instructions to
upload your file(s). The limit is 1Gb and it is much
faster to transfer files this way, typically 5 mins for a
30Mb file over a 2Mb broadband connection.
Software (program) formats
We prefer jobs to be supplied in
Adobe PDF format if at all possible. Fonts should
always be embedded and pictures should not be downsampled
- keep resolution 300dpi or greater.
Other supported software packages
include: Microsoft Word / Powerpoint / Excel / Publisher
(PC), Adobe Photoshop (not CS), QuarkXPress 5 (mac only)
and Adobe Illustrator 9.
Note: we would ask that if at all
possible a hard copy proof is supplied with your file(s).
This enables us to compare our version of the job and
check for any problems which could cause your job to print
incorrectly. Many problems can occur which are not obvious
to us but might be disastrous to you, e.g. a substituted
font, text reflow, incorrect rendering, etc., so this is
an important consideration.
Font issues
Fonts are more often than not the cause
of jobs to go wrong. If your software will do it, please
embed all the fonts used in your job, otherwise we advise
supplying copies of the font files from your computer. If
unsure we can advise how to do this.
