Sending Files to Your ColorSEP (Service Bureau)

When you send a digital file out for film or printing more goes along than just your InDesign or QuarkXPress document. You may need to send fonts and graphics too.

Usually your ColorSEP or printer will ask you to send:

Application

• Be sure your ColorSEP or printer has the same software, same version.
• If you've upgraded before your ColorSEP or printer, you may have to 'save down' your file to the version they use.
• Insure that the shop can handle files from your platform.
• Few ColorSEP or printer accept Microsoft Publisher (.pub) files or files from anything other than the Adobe programs, QuarkXPress, Corel, and etc. Ask first.

Fonts

• Send both screen and printer fonts.
• If you have embedded EPS files that include text not converted to curves, send the fonts for those images as well.
• You could embed all your fonts or convert text to curves to avoid having to send font files.
• Send the same version of the font (that is, if you used TrueType fonts but send the Type 1 version of that typeface you may see errors).

Graphics

• Convert RGB images to CMYK.
• Don't change graphics file names unless you first re-link them in your application file.
• In some instances your ColorSEP or printer may want you to also send original format graphics (Freehand, Illustrator, Photoshop files) in addition to the placed EPS/TIFF images in your page layout application — for troubleshooting purposes. Ask them.

Electronic Transmission

• Some ColorSEP or printers will accept files as email attachments or by FTP or AFP (Appleshare) over the Internet. You find it necessary to compress files into an archive files first to speed the file transfer.