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Art Guidelines

To avoid delays and Art Services fees, please submit art that falls within our Art Guidelines.

 

ART SERVICES:

 

ART SERVICES FEES: $20.00 (v)

Adjustments under 15 minutes to bring art within our art guidelines or per your request will incur a charge of $20.00 (v) applied automatically to your bill.  Includes art revisions other than entire artwork enlarged or reduced, PMS# requested on PO applied, simple line thickening, and text symbols enlarged (®, ™, ?, ©, etc.).

Services may include:

  -Typesetting (requested on PO). Typesetting more than 10 words or typesetting fonts that are not on our Stock Fonts list. Typesetting less than 10 words using fonts from our stock fonts list is free.

  -Reducing or enlarging specific elements within the artwork (necessary to fit our guidelines or requested on PO)

  -Removing or reducing minor small details for a better imprint.

  -Recoloring beyond initial PMS# requested on PO.

  -Simple layout (requested on PO)

 

ART SERVICES FEES: $80.00 (v)

Adjustments over 15 minutes to bring art within our art guidelines or per your request will incur a charge of $80.00 (v), will require pre-approval, and may cause delays. 

Services may include:
  -Removing or reducing excessive small details

  -Redrawing artwork (converting art to vector)

  -Removing or converting effects (drop shadows, gradients, or other effects) to 100% spot color.

 

QUICK TIPS:

  • Verify art meets all Art Guidelines below.
  • Convert all fonts to paths/outlines.
  • Image set-up: Submit art at actual size & position on our provided templates (download available at each item listing).
  • Identify all spot (PMS#) colors including white.  Fill white ink areas with an unused spot color and indicate in art file.
  • Include full bleed if requesting for digital printing.

 

SENDING ART:

EMAIL ART FILES to artwork@tkcups-sorgs.com. If your art is too large to e-mail, send it to us using Dropbox or your choice of file transfer options.

  -EMAIL SUBJECT LINE: PO number and COMPANY name

  -EMAIL BODY: Full name and contact information, PMS#s, image placement and size, and any other special art requests (example: typesetting or clip art).

 

ART GUIDELINES:

ART QUESTIONS?   Please email your art file to artwork@tkcups-sorgs.com and request an art review.   

 

FILE FORMATS:  Vector art files only please. Raster images will print rough and jagged and produce unsatisfactory results, and are accepted for digital imprints only (Digital printed coasters and coffee sleeves)

YES Vector Files: .ai .eps, .pdf 

NO Raster Files: .bmp .jpg .png .psd .tif,

*Please Note: Changing the file name to a vector file extension .ai, .eps, or .pdf will not change the file type or make it into a vector*

 

IMAGE SET-UP

Submit artwork at actual size/position of finished product using our templates that are available for download at www.tkcups-sorgs.com (see individual items). If the imprint size/location is not indicated on the purchase order or artwork file, we will place the art at our standard (straight and center) maximum imprint area.

 

COLOR REGISTRATION ON PETITE LINE NAPKINS: (orders under 10,000 napkins)

1/4” space between colors is required as each color will shift up to 1/8” in any direction at press. Art files submitted with different colors touching or separated less than 1/4” will be returned for an art revision.

 

SMALL DETAILS:

Are undesirable as they may fill in and/or drop off at press.  This tendency varies from item-to-item and will be assessed on a per-imprint and per-item basis. Your art may be revised with art services fees applied, or returned for a revision. Please follow font size, line weight, and other guidelines below.

 

Any artwork submitted with small details, text, shapes, etc. that will be a concern printing will be adjusted (art fees apply) to what we will be able to print. Any overly complicated art (too many small details, text, gradients, shapes, etc.) will be sent back for revised or simplified art, or approval of $64.00 Art Services fee. If artwork can’t be adjusted to what will print well, we WON’T be able to print it.

 

FONT SIZE

All fonts must be 9 pts. or greater as smaller font sizes may fill in while printing.  Serif and script fonts, reverse type, or type on fluted cups must be 10 pts. or greater.  No reverse print on foam cups. Each print job’s fonts are assessed on an individual basis.  Often a slight stroke weight will be added to the font to avoid printing issues. Save all type as outlines.

 

 

OUTLINED TEXT:

Save all type as outlines.  Art with text not saved as outlines will be returned for a revision. Original text may be provided on a separate layer AND moved off of artboard if future changes are expected (for example, a yearly imprint where you will be requesting us to change the date).

 

TEXT SYMBOLS ®, , ?, ©

Minimum .09” (approx. 10 pt). or larger. Reverse symbol imprints should be as large and bold as possible. Marks submitted smaller than .09” will be enlarged to meet our minimum.

 

LINE WEIGHTS

Thin lines under 1 pt. do not print well on our products, and will tend to ?ll in or drop off at press.  We recommend using a 1.5 pt. line weight or greater.  For reverse line work a 2 pt. line weight or greater is recommended.  In order to achieve a quality imprint we will alter line weights received under our minimum requirement if it does not compromise the overall look of the artwork.

 

 

PMS/INK COLORS-Convert all CMYK art to spot colors (PMS #s) and indicate on PO unless you are requesting a CMYK print job. Include white if requesting white ink. If the PMS color is not indicated we will select our closest stock ink color. PMS matching is available for $25.00 (v).

 

STOCK INK COLORS:
There is no extra charge for using inks from our list of stock ink colors.

 

tk cups stock ink colors chart

 

PMS (PANTONE) INK MATCH: $25.00(v) per order.

METALLIC INKS: (charge applies)
Metallic gold 871 through Metallic silver 877 is available. Please contact us for pricing on specialty metallic inks. 




COLOR REGISTRATION ON PETITE LINE NAPKINS (orders under 10,000 napkins)

.25” space between colors is required. Art submitted with different colors touching or separated less than .25” will be returned for an art revision.

 

COLOR INKS ON COLORED PRODUCTS:

PMS color WILL NOT appear as the PMS color requested when printed on our kraft or colored products.   Black ink, metallic silver or gold ink, or foil imprints are recommended on color napkins. Please see our website www.tkcups-sorgs.com for a list of colored inks that will print well on color cups.  We will not be held responsible for unsatisfactory color match if printing color ink on color products.

 

SCREENS/HALFTONES AND GRADIENTS

Will not be accepted as these images are made up of a series of dots rather than a continuous tone and may print dotty, drop off or fill in, and have jagged edges.   Adjust halftones and gradients to 100% spot color.

 

REGISTRATION OF REVERSES WITH 2 OR MORE COLORS

Due to our printing process we are not able to guarantee registration throughout the entire printing run when a reverse out area intersects 2 or more colors. Example of the reverse through 2 or more colors.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS: 

Not accepted except for digitally printed coasters or coffee sleeves. Photographs will print dotty at press.  Any screen value under 10% may drop off and any value over 85% may fill in. 

 

LINKED IMAGES

All images used in a file must be embedded rather than linked.

 

COMPOUND PATHS: Try to avoid compound paths in your art.  Once you create a compound path, all paths act as one line and reduce our ability to manipulate individual elements where needed.

 

CLIPPING MASKS: Remove unnecessary clipping masks.

 


ART DISCLAIMERS:

 

DETAILS:

 

We have enlarged the ®/tm symbols to our minimum .09” in order to help prevent them from filling in or dropping off at press.

 

This imprint contained small text, details, or thin lines that have been slightly adjusted, thickened, or enlarged in order to help prevent them from filling in or dropping off at press. Some could still fill in.

 

Small or distressed details could potentially fill in or drop off at press. We have not adjusted the details and can not be held responsible for unsatisfactory results due to filling in/dropping off.

 

We have adjusted your art to what we are able to print. Policy prohibits us from printing art with small text or details that could/will fill in at press (Even if the customer understands there could/will be fill in). The artwork sent for this order had those concerns.

 

RASTER IMAGES:

 

Your artwork was a low resolution raster image and redrawn as vector. Redrawing is not exact. If this is not desired, please send vector art.

 

FONTS:

 

Some of the fonts within the provided artwork were not saved as outlines and defaulted to a generic font when opened. We have matched the original font as closely as possible but if this is not desired, please send text as outlines.

 

This imprint contained small text that fell below our minimum font size and has been slightly adjusted, thickened, or enlarged in order to help prevent it from filling in or dropping off at press.

 

The text has been typeset as requested. If this is not as desired please indicate specific instructions (font, size, etc.) or resend with text as outlines.

 

CLOSE REGISTRATION ON LOW QUANTITY NAPKIN ORDERS:

 

We have adjusted your artwork. We require that a 1/4” space be added between each ink color, as they will shift up to 1/8” in any direction. Minimum quantity to print the artwork as it was sent starts at 10,000 depending on your item. If this change in the artwork is too dramatic, we suggest changing the artwork to one color or increasing the quantity per the attached art guidelines.

 

Upon review of your artwork, we are unable to print this design as it was sent. We suggest that the artwork for the napkins be changed to one color as shown. In order to print colors touching or within 1/4” of each other, the napkin would have to be run at a quantity of 10,000. Alternately please send revised art per the attached art guidelines.

 

Exact registration is NOT possible & slight shifting between colors WILL take place.

 

INK COLOR:

 

Your art was submitted as CMYK and we have tried to find the closest PMS color match.

 

Ink colors or cup colors may appear differently under different types of lighting (florescent, incandescent, sunlight, etc).

 

We strongly recommend not printing 2 colors in a straight line of text due to colors shifting and appearing off centered. We recommend stacked text (one on top of the other for best print quality).

 

INK COLOR ON COLOR PRODUCTS:

 

This color WILL NOT appear as the color requested when printed on our colored products as it will take on the hue of the product. If printed in this color, we will not be held responsible for unsatisfactory color match.

 

The ink colors may appear slightly different when printed on our colored products.

 

GEOMETRIC DISTORTION: CUPS

 

Due to cup taper some geometric shapes can appear distorted when printed on cup contoured surfaces. The closer to the bottom of the cup, the more the image distorts.

-Circles imprinted on cups may appear to the eye as slightly egg-shaped or oval.

-Squares or rectangles may imprint as slightly trapezoidal.

-Straight lines may appear to arc slightly

 

Copy imprinted near the bottom of the cups may appear to be smeared or to shadow slightly as well. Small details may fill in or be lost completely.

 

NAPKINS:

 

Embossed edges may vary between straight emboss and wavy emboss. This is not a defect.

 

FOIL/DEBOSS:

 

Maximum foil imprint area: 3” x 3”
The edges of foil imprints may appear jagged or coarse. We do not recommend foil when printing artwork with small details because they may fill in or drop off at press. Foil may rub off or flake, particularly when wet. This is particularly true with white foil imprints.

 

SCREENS:

 

Screens were replaced with 100% spot color. Your art contained screens and screens will print dotty. Any screen value under 10% may drop off and any value over 85% may fill in.

 

CUPS:

 

Wrap Imprint: The art will not be a complete wrap, there will be a slight gap.

 

These cups are made of corn resin and imperfections may be visible when cups are in the heat for extended period of time.

 

QR CODES:

 

QR codes need to print at a minimum size of 0.75” to ensure readability by smart phones, however 1” is the recommended size.

 

QR codes need to print in a dark inks against light backgrounds or light inks against dark backgrounds to ensure the scan works correctly.

 

QR codes need to print centered on cup side within least effected contour area. There is a chance that QR codes on cups may not scan properly due to the taper of the cup. We will scan the first few cups printed to see if the QR code scans. One of three results can be expected:
• If everything is fine we will proceed.
• If the QR code does not scan properly then we will contact you right away.
• If the QR code does not scan properly and the order is cancelled you would still be responsible for the set-up charge of $20.00 net per design but no other charges would apply.