Stationery & Brochure File Formats & Print Impositions

While your logo design files are created in order to be imported into other applications and artwork, our Stationery Design Packages and Brochure Design Packages feature artwork that already includes your logo and is set up in a format that's ready to go straight to print. These are called print impositions and are created according to the type of design featured on your letterhead, business card and envelope as well as the type of reproduction required.

Here's a brief run down of how we set up print impositions for all our stationery design packages.




Bleed vs. Non-Bleed Printing

When any artwork is placed on a printed piece, and the artwork is located on the absolute edge of the paper, it is said to 'bleed', referring to the artwork 'bleeding' off the edges of the page. In order to get images, colour fields or artwork to place to 'bleed', we have to print the artwork on paper that is slightly larger than the desired size and then trim it back. This can add cost to a printing job. In terms of stationery design, this can be important as many desktop printers cannot print 'bleeds' but rather need to place a margin (sometimes as large as 1/2" around the artwork). If the artwork on your letterhead is within the sheet size (8 1/2 x 11) then your work can be printed on a 'size as' sheet without trimming and the use of a larger sheet. This is the most economical method of letterhead reproduction. This concept also applies to your Brochure Design.






Professional print and editing formats. These are unlimited resolution files that can used in a wide range of applications. These are also your logo 'source files' - the format from which any designer can create other types of formats when using a Vector based version of your logo is not appropriate. Vector based images can be edited, but may require professional Vector drawing software (ie: Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw).

Uses: Print, spot colour reproduction, colour changes, editing (artwork only), scaling (enlargement) and format conversion.

File names: Vector based formats have the file extension '.eps'.

Yourstationery/brochure.eps - (Encapsulated Postscript) files are the required professional print files of any stationery or brochure design package. This is a editable (artwork only) and scalable version of your new stationery or brochure. This file format has any PMS (Pantone) spot colours or CMYK (four colour process) values embedded so this is the file that your print shop will require. This file contains the text of your stationery or brochure in outline font format for maximum print compatibility, but the text is NOT editable.

EPS files shipped.
Print ready .EPS: PMS (Pantone) spot colour and/or CMYK - Traditional print and/or editing.

Yourstationery/brochure.ai - (Adobe Illustrator) This is a editable and scalable version of your new stationery which also contains editable text (applicable fonts need to be installed on your computer). We consider this to be a professional 'working' file - one that requires a little knowledge and/or software to access.

Uses: Print, spot colour reproduction, colour changes, editing (text requires font installation), scaling (enlargement) and format conversion.

Yourstationery/brochure.pdf - (Adobe PDF Format) This is a Portable Document Format that is abel to be opened by any computer that has the Adobe Reader installed (most machines have this by default). This file can be printed, has some (limited) editing capabilities and can be downloaded without any issues from your web site. It's small file size makes a .PDF perfect for distribution of your brochure and/or stationery via e-mail. Generally speaking, anyone with a computer can access this file.

Uses: Print, and distribution.

Gang Run (printing)

When printing items (that have the same parameters such as colour, tonality, stock requirements) they can be printed on the press at the same time, on the same sheet. The individual items can then be cut out as required. While economical, this also leads to some colour issues (some items on the gang run may be heavy on a certain colour, contaminating the colour of the item directly after it on the press). It is also how discount printing houses can offer such low pricing on business cards, etc. In the cases of these discount printers (most of the printers that you'll find online), they use four colour process to print ALL their material, thus negating most of the careful colour matching that your designer will have done if using 'spot colours' and/or the Pantone Matching System.