2017 RETAIL AND DIRECT MAIL DESIGN AND PRINT PRODUCTION GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 2017 RETAIL AND DIRECT MAIL DESIGN AND PRINT PRODUCTION GUIDELINES

2 Table of Contents Introduction/Resources Software Brand colors/sprint logo Layout principles/fonts File naming/image names & LIT numbers File build... 6 Transparency effects...7 Direct Mail Postal Information File packaging/prepress tips Prepress troubleshooting Transfering files to Creative Studio

3 Introduction The design and print production standards detailed in this document provide guidance and direction to our agencies and production partners who create, prepare and post files for printing. Please review and contact us if you have questions. Resources: The Creative Studio manages a link hub called Nucleus that provides easy access to all the websites we manage. Bookmark this site for easy access. nucleus.sprint.com On Nucleus, you will find links to: Elements: Digital Asset Library. Device, accessory and lifestyle images. Zipline: Digital Asset Transfer System. Share your large files with other teams through shared folders or Secur . Creative Studio: The retail creative team s website. Start a project request with our team here. ONE: Need a local marketing request? Find a form to start a request with the appropriate team here. WBS: A summary of current Advertising materials. Archiving: All customer-facing retail and direct mail projects, national or local, must have a clean final PDF file, or digital (.mov/.mp4) submitted to the Creative Studio for archiving purposes. 1

4 Software Most of our design partners use Adobe Creative Suite. Please review the process for using the following programs to create, design and prepare files for print. InDesign CC (14/15) InDesign is the standard for all print layouts. Import graphics from Photoshop at 100%. When packaging, save an.idml with your.indd file along with a.pdf, document fonts and links. Illustrator CC (14/15) Illustrator is the standard for all vector images. Use for illustrations, logos, die drawings and icons. Please save all files as a native Illustrator file type (.ai). Do not use Illustrator for page layouts. Convert fonts to outlines AND include any fonts used in your Illustrator file as the InDesign package command does not collect fonts from nested graphics. Photoshop CC (14/15) Use Photoshop (.psd) layered format for importing raster images into InDesign. If you save in another format, include the.psd file when collecting for output (packaging) in case changes are needed. Include any fonts used in your Photoshop file as the InDesign package command does not collect fonts from nested graphics. Pixels per inch (ppi) should be approximately twice the print line screen. Note: 300 ppi is acceptable in most cases for 175 line printing. For silk screen, 150 ppi is acceptable. Make sure all RGB images are converted into CMYK in Photoshop. All clipping paths must be done in Photoshop. Delete any unused channels, paths and layers. Images should be at 100% of their import size. 2

5 Brand colors Current brand guidelines Please refer to the brand site for clarification and the latest updates on our evolving Sprint brand at brand.sprint.com. Sprint Yellow PMS 7408C PMS 7404U C0 M25 Y100 K0 Rich Black C30 M20 Y20 K100 Gray C0 M0 Y0 K60 Color uses All floods of black use rich black, all black headlines on pieces larger than yard signs (18" x 24") use rich black, and all black text on fabric pieces use rich black. Otherwise use 100% black. Gray should only be used to indicate a secondary language on bilingual pieces. Sprint logo See the Brand website to download the latest versions of the logo and specifics on usage. Primary stacked Secondary horizontal 4 color horizontal 4 color stacked 2 color stacked Special use fan only 2 color horizontal For specific questions about the Business brand, contact Bernd Ahle at bernd.ahle@sprint.com. 3

6 Layout principles Dealer listings for Retail Dealer listings, when used, always appear across the bottom of the page in a white panel. Legal disclaimer Legal disclaimers always appears at the bottom of the page, below dealer listings, and should be in 7 pt Sprint Sans Regular black type. Direct mail legal type can be 6 pt type. Fonts There are four fonts approved for use in the Brand Guidelines for printed materials. They are: 1. Sprint Sans Regular 2. Sprint Sans Medium 3. Sprint Sans Bold 4. Sprint Sans Black These fonts can be found at brand.sprint.com. Sprint Sans Font licensing: See the complete licensing agreement at Other fonts: If fonts other than Sprint Sans are used in the document layout, make sure to provide the font when the file is packaged. 4

7 File naming Be sure to include the file extension (.indd,.ai, etc.) in the file name. Excluding the file extension may make the file seem corrupt and cause errors when opening. Likewise, the MID/LIT number must appear at the beginning of the file name in order for these jobs to be tracked throughout the printing process. Example: JA indd. The MID/LIT must print on each piece. It is needed in the warehouse for identification and inventory purposes. Check for and delete illegal characters, such as./:*?%\& <> ^, in file and folder names as these cause file errors. Naming: INDESIGN document: MID/LIT-ShortDescript-SIZE.indd. Ex: JY AprilPromo-GS4-22x28.indd PHOTOSHOP document: Description-Size of piece it matches (.psd/.tif). Ex: SamsungGS4-22x28.psd VECTOR ART: Description-color (.ai/.eps). Ex: SamsungGS4-logo-white.ai Image names & LIT numbers Image file names If you alter a photo or graphic outside of InDesign, it must receive a new file name. This will prevent picking up the wrong image for a layout by having the same file name on multiple graphics elements. Missing LIT numbers LIT numbers must appear on DM/collateral/POP in Sprint Sans Regular 7 pt type so the piece can be tracked and ordered at the warehouse. Failure to do so delays the job and may cause (unnecessary) reprinting. Please place LIT numbers in the bottom right corner inside the live area. Multiple LIT numbers in a single document Each LIT should have its own document. Searching for these jobs later becomes a problem if the individual LITs are hidden within a multipage document. 5

8 6 File build This checklist will help you prepare your direct mail, small- and large-format printed pieces for sending to the designated printer. This checklist is not for SMARTworks pieces. Ensure the following: Layout: Document size matches the size listed on the PEF or DM template requirements. InDesign document has been created at 100% the requested size. Delete all unused colors. Convert all spot colors to CMYK. Document has a.25" bleed (fabric 1"/direct mail.125"). MID/LIT: Retail: MID/LIT is correct and matches the PEF. MID/LIT is 7 pt regular type in the bottom right corner. For documents with a front/back, front page is labeled with the MID/LIT followed by an "A" and back page is labeled with MID/LIT followed by a "B." On flyers, place the MID/LIT on the back side only. Direct Mail: Place the MID/LIT on all DM components: envelope, letter, buck slip, SM. Artwork: FOR PIECES UNDER 24" x 36" Ensure placed elements/imagery is created at 300 dpi and placed at 100% its printed size. FOR PIECES OVER 28" x 36" Ensure placed elements/imagery is created at 150 dpi and placed at 100% its printed size. Convert artwork to CMYK. Convert spot colors to CMYK. Floods of black and black headlines are set to rich black. Clipping paths have been created in Photoshop (PS). Drop shadows have been created in PS. Hidden/adjustment layers have been flattened in PS. Extra channels have been deleted from PS. For devices, device and shadow are placed in the same document. Vector Art: Text is converted to outlines and colors ARE NOT set to overprint.

9 Transparency effects Transparency flattening and resolution If your document or artwork contains transparency, it usually needs to undergo a process called flattening in order to be output. Flattening divides transparent artwork into vectorbased areas and rasterized areas. As artwork becomes more complex (mixing images, vectors, type, spot colors, overprinting, etc.), so does the flattening and its results. Line art and text resolution Rasterize all objects, including images, vector artwork, text and gradients, to the specified resolution. Acrobat and InDesign allow a maximum of 9600 pixels per inch (ppi) for line art and 1200 ppi for gradient mesh. Illustrator allows a maximum of 9600 ppi for both line art and gradient mesh. The resolution affects the precision of intersections when flattened. Line art and text resolution should generally be set to 600 or 1200 ppi to provide high-quality rasterization, especially on serif or small point-size type. Gradient and mesh resolution Specifiy the resolution for gradients and Illustrator mesh objects rasterized as a result of flattening, from 72 to 2400 ppi. The resolution affects the precision of intersections when flattened. Gradient and mesh resolution should generally be set between 150 and 300 ppi, because the quality of the gradients, drop shadows and feathers do not improve with higher resolutions, but printing time and file size increase. Spot colors and blending modes Using spot colors with certain blending modes sometimes produces unexpected results. This is because InDesign uses process color equivalents on screen, but uses spot colors in print. In addition, isolated blending in an imported graphic could create knockouts in the active document. If you use blending, check your design periodically using Overprint Preview in the View menu. Overprint Preview gives an approximation of how spot inks that overprint or interact with transparent objects will appear. If the visual effect is not what you want, do any of the following: 7

10 Use a different blending mode or no blending mode. Avoid these blending modes when working with spot colors: difference, exclusion, hue, saturation, color and luminosity. Use a process color where possible. Direct Mail Postal Information Postal Permit Imprint Information Indicia for Standard Class and Presorted First-Class PRESORTED Standard U.S. Postage PAID Sprint ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED Place "ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED".5" below indicia and.5" to the right edge of mail piece. PRESORTED First-Class Mail U.S. Postage PAID Sprint Return address required on all mail pieces: P.O. Box 7944 Overland Park, KS NOTE: If the mail requires specific handling should it be returned by the post office, other P.O. Boxes may be required. The Business Unit owner would be required to supply this information. Address Block Place Holder: First Name Last Name Address 1 Address 2 City State ZIP + 4 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-IMB Barcode 8 Please DirectMailPPT@sprint.com with any questions or concerns.

11 File packaging Use the built-in Package feature in InDesign. Include all links and fonts,.indd,.idml and.pdf. All files should include file extensions. Illustrator files should include fonts used for future editing. Prepress tips Minimize spot colors Typically, print jobs are 4 color (CMYK) but may contain spot colors PMS 7408C/PMS 7404U or additional pantone color(s) and/or varnishes. Make sure that when using a spot color across multiple software, the spot has the same name. Photo resolution and scale Include high-resolution files when sending to the printer. Using low-resolution photos for layout purposes and not including the high-resolution files when sending to the printer will cause delays. Enlarging the size of a photo on import will decrease resolution. Preferred resolution for most jobs is 300 ppi. For large banners and wall graphics that are silk screened, the preferred resolution is 150 ppi. Reducing photos when importing increases resolution. File sizes are larger than needed, which creates difficulty in handling files, especially when uploading or downloading to the WebDAV site. Always include the Photoshop (.psd) layered files to allow the printer to make adjustments when needed for printing purposes. Save images at final size and place in document at 100%. Use the correct software Using the wrong software can create undesirable results. Use InDesign for page layout. Use Illustrator for vector graphics to be imported into InDesign. Use Photoshop for all silhouettes and for raster images. We recommend you use preflight software when submitting files to check for errors and for collection of files. 9

12 Prepress troubleshooting Rich black Large areas of black must use process build 30C, 20M, 20Y, 100K. This will ensure that the ink coverage will make these areas appear to be solid black instead of gray. One hundred percent (100%) black by itself tends to look washed out in large areas due to the transparent nature of printing inks. When doing a vignette of black to another color, you should use rich black for the dark areas to avoid banding. Folds and live area Depending on the type of format, the fold and stock thickness, panels may vary in width. Verify the panel sizes and fold requirements to ensure they will lie flat and not buckle. Placing text or graphics too close or across trim, folds, frame edges or stitching areas can cause undesired results. If you don t know the live area, call or the Creative Studio contacts or contact the print production team for instructions. Missing graphics or fonts Always include fonts, logos, graphics and photos with each job. Be sure to include Photoshop (.psd) files and a low-res PDF file of the final artwork for proofing purposes. If you choose to create a PDF with color and print instructions for the printer, we need a second PDF showing the file exactly as it would appear in the printed piece for archiving. Don t forget the fonts if you are importing.psd or.ai files with fonts in them. Document size Document size should be the trim size. Using a file size that is larger than the trim and placing manual trim marks causes additional work for the printer when using their imposition software. If you need a slug or bleed on the page, use the bleed and slug settings in the InDesign document setup. 10

13 Transferring files to Creative Studio Zipline nucleus.sprint.com The Creative Studio uses a file transfer site called Zipline to facilitate large file transfers between vendors and agencies. Zipline helps transfer large files that may be too large to . You may self-register for an account at Within Zipline, you may upload/download files to directories/ folders you have access to, or you may use Secur to send links to large files to anyone with or without a Zipline account. Zipline holds the files securly for pickup. Files don t fill users' boxes. Uploading files to the Zipline file transfer site Before uploading, please make sure all files are compressed as a.zip below the 2GB limit. Make sure that the Zip process has been completed before uploading files. Failure to allow the process to complete can corrupt files. Do not Sprint until the upload is complete. If we start downloading at the same time the file is uploading, the file will be corrupt. Note: This is a file transfer server only. Once files are delivered to the printer, they should be downloaded within 72 hours. All files will be removed within 30 days by the site administrator. File space is limited, so we must keep a clean site. Sprint Creative Studio contacts: Connie Moss, Traffic Manager, Creative Studio Connie.A.Moss@sprint.com Vira VanOrsdal, Digital Designer, Creative Studio Vira.VanOrsdal@sprint.com