• Post category:Design

Better Design Always Means Better Product

Not every small business can afford to keep an in-house designer on staff as part of their marketing department, and in some cases, outsourcing work to a professional designer nearly breaks the budget, too. So what is a cash-strapped small business supposed to do?

Here’s another scenario — you DO have a designer on staff or available via freelance services, but they’ve got specific areas that they specialize in, and their skills just don’t seem to fit the project you need to get done. In any of these cases, when it’s print work on the other side of getting your project done and out into the world, you need to find an excellent printer with the ability to step in and assist you with all of your design needs. After all, what’s more important than professional looking marketing collateral, whether we’re talking about a wide-format sign in front of your Portland business, business cards for your sales reps, or marketing brochures to tout your latest product or service?

Professional design can make the difference between a good piece and a great piece. That is why we make our in-house designers available to all our clients. This creative team is ready and willing to tackle any graphic design need that you may have, whether it is a simple tweak to your project or developing full concepts based on your ideas.

East Side Printing Co. Design Service FAQs

What type of files can I send to East Side Printing Co.?

We recommend saving as a .PDF. You may also send the file in the following types: jpg, jpeg, tif, tiff, eps.
We prefer that you send .PDF with embedded or outlined fonts. PDFs are easier to handle and will likely speed up your turn-around. Remember to add crop marks and flatten your files before uploading.

What color mode should my files be submitted in?

You should always start and finish your designs in CMYK color mode. If you send an RGB file, there is a chance that a color shift may occur and you may not be satisfied with your job.

How should I set up my bleed and crop marks?

Bleed must extend past the cut-line and will be trimmed from the product during the final cutting phase. When the image is required to extend all the way to the edge, bleed is needed to preserve the finished look and the quality of the final product. The bleed for standard products is 0.125” on all sides. Please keep all text at least 0.125” inside the cut-line.

What is overprint, and how can it ruin my file?

Primarily used to intentionally overlap inks for a number of reasons, overprint can cause unexpected results. We suggest that you turn all overprint objects off before submitting your files.

How can I make sure my blues do not come out purple?

When using a blue in your design, always make sure to leave at least a 30% difference in your Cyan and Magenta values. Blue is close to purple in the CMYK spectrum. Remember, use a low amount of magenta whenever using high amounts of cyan to avoid purple.