Artwork Guidelines

If you will be providing your own artwork for print, please use the following artwork guidelines to assist you:

Preparing Your File

Bleed
If your artwork extends to any edge of the trimmed piece your artwork has a bleed. For trimming purposes, extend your artwork 0.125" beyond the actual cut size of the piece.

Live Area
Live area is the print area that is deemed "safe" from slight movement during trimming. It is recommended to keep any text or important graphic elements 0.125" in from the trimmed edge on all sides.

Image Resolution
For non-vector artwork, 300 dpi at 100% is recommended.

Full Color (CMYK/Process)
Save document in CMYK color mode. You can make sure artwork contains only CMYK by following these steps:

- Save your file as a PDF, open in Adobe Acrobat, click Advanced > Print Production > Output Preview.

- Only "Process Plates" should show in this window.  If "Spot Plates" also shows up, there are Pantone color(s) in the artwork which need to be converted to CMYK.  We can assist with changing this if you need.

Pantone (PMS/Spot) Color Prints 
Artwork must be created with or converted to Pantone Solid Uncoated colors.  If your artwork contains tints of Pantone color(s), it is recommended there be at least 25% difference between tints of the same Pantone color in order to see a difference in value once printed; the uncoated stock absorbs the ink at a higher rate than conventional coated papers.  Save document in CMYK color mode.

You can make sure artwork contains only Pantone colors by following these steps:

- Save your file as a PDF, open in Adobe Acrobat, click Advanced > Print Production > Output Preview.

- "Spot Plates" should show in this window with your Pantone number(s) listed below.  Make sure there is a "U" after the Pantone number as we print using Pantone Solid Uncoated colors.

- If you uncheck "Spot Plates," your entire artwork should disappear except for any printer's marks.  If any artwork is still visible, it means that those elements are still in CMYK color and need to be converted to Pantones.  We can assist you with changing this if you need.

Ink Coverage/ Floods 
We recommend avoiding full flooded ink coverage on the entire piece.  Since the paper is handmade and uncoated, the ink may not absorb 100% evenly over the entire surface on large ink coverage areas.  A 3" x 3" size flood is acceptable.

Letterpress 
Artwork to be letterpressed must be in vectors.  Please convert text to outlines or paths.  We may be able to convert non-vector artwork- send file to info@greenbananapaper.com to find out.

Text 
Convert all text to outlines or paths.  If you require us to do any text editing, do not convert text to outlines or paths, but instead e-mail the font files used in your artwork.

Crop Marks/ Printer's Marks 
You may submit your artwork with crop marks or other printer's marks, but it is not necessary.  If your piece has bleed, just make sure to include that extra 0.125" area in your artwork.

Saving Your File into Accepted File Formats

Illustrator CS5 or lower:
Save as EPS or PDF (for PDF make sure "Preserve Illustrator editing capabilities" is checked when saving).  If there are any linked images in your artwork, embed them or e-mail them as separate files.

Photoshop CS5 or lower:  
Save as PSD, PDF, or TIFF (for PDF make sure "Preserve Photoshop editing capabilities" is checked when saving).  Image size must be printed size plus 1/8" bleed all around if necessary.

InDesign CS5 or lower: 
Save as packaged InDesign file or as PDF.  When exporting as PDF, select "PDFX-1a" or "High Quality Print" as Adobe PDF Preset.  Under "Marks and Bleeds," check "Crop Marks" and "Use Document Bleed Settings."

Publisher, Word, Powerpoint: 
We do not prefer receiving artwork created in these programs, however if you save as a PDF, we will work with the file but may have certain limitations.

Submitting Your Artwork

After discussing your project with customer service, please e-mail your artwork to info@greenbananapaper.com

Questions

E-mail info@greenbananapaper.com or call (Country Code: +691) 370-6772 for questions regarding artwork guidelines.