Art Guidelines

In‐line Flexo Printing Guidelines Supplied artwork formats that work best • Adobe Illustrator or high resolution PDF (600dpi Introduction for the bag buyer and packaging sales or higher) files preferred. person • Original vector art with fonts outlined and high In our experience, most custom printed bag quality images embedded. projects get started with people not trained to get • CD for Mac or CD/DVD for PC. the art ready ‐ the person needing the bag and the • As email attachments to [email protected] packaging salesperson. It is important to have a or submitart@bag‐art.com. Typical maximum email basic understanding of what is needed to get a attachment is 7 to 10 megabytes. We use Stuffit custom printed project off to a good start. compression utility. Files can be uploaded to our Indications of plate costs and lead times we provide online dropbox, are based on receiving correctly prepared B&W or at https://www.hightail.com/u/Tulsack‐Art digital art work. • With digital art please send all fonts and image The following are not “correctly prepared art”: source files and confirming PDF or hard copy • Business cards, letterheads, photocopies, faxes, indicating correct output. etc. • All supplied production materials subject to • B&W or scanned art requiring more than 50% review for quality and suitability in our process. enlargement. Supplied plates and/or dies must be accompanied • Previously printed paper bags or other packages. by film negatives. • Overall designs not positioned on one of our bag templates. Introduction for the graphic artist • Films and/or plates not to our specifications. Most artists and designers have a background in • Multi‐color designs with tight register and offset lithography, not flexography. If there is some trapping requirements not prepared to in‐line flexo flexo experience, it is in narrow web for labels, not specifications. the wide web used for paper packaging. These Art • Designs with halftones (photos) and/or flat Guidelines are intended as a basic “how to” for screens requiring adjustment for in‐line designers and artists working on new flexographic printing. flexographically printed shopping bag projects. • Images saved as Illustrator files The Guidelines should help to get the art done correctly the first time, minimizing prep expenses This is not to say it is impossible to complete a and prep time. If anything is unclear please ask. project with these materials ‐ only that it may cost more and take more time. In‐line flexographic printing & bag making Flexography is a relief printing process using 1 | Page photopolymer plates that are .112 thick. In many Line width and type size respects flexo is like printing with rubber stamps. • Minimum positive printing line width: Two (2) Our printing is done in‐line with the bag making. point Rolls of paper are unwound into the bag machine, • Minimum reverse printing line width: Three (3) printed up to three colors, handles applied, side point folds formed and seam glued, individual bag cut • Minimum positive printing type size: smallest away from web of paper, bottom folded and letter should measure .10" in height pasted, and the finished bag is packaged for • Minimum reverse printing type size: smallest shipment. Click here to view pictures of this letter should measure .12" in height process. These guidelines are subject to review with serif In‐line flexographic printing & bag making type faces, and with designs including areas of Flexography is a relief printing process using broad solid coverage along with small type in the photopolymer plates that are .112 thick. In many same color. In these situations type/line may need respects flexo is like printing with rubber stamps. to be larger and/or bolder. Think big for visual Our printing is done in‐line with the bag making. merchandising. Promote the brand to everyone Rolls of paper are unwound into the bag machine, who sees the bag, not just the person holding it. printed up to three colors, handles applied, side Bags are Walking Billboards. folds formed and seam glued, individual bag cut Register tolerance and trap away from web of paper, bottom folded and Wherever two colors meet, a minimum 4.5 point ‐ pasted, and the finished bag is packaged for 1/16” ‐ is required to trap the colors. Where two shipment. Click here to view pictures of this colors are adjacent and not to touch, there should process. be a minimum 4.5 points of space between them. Design templates, logo positioning and bag proofing As a general rule this register tolerance precludes Unless the design is no more than a spot print, the the use of two overprinting colors to create a third designer should have a template before starting color, whether with solids or screens. If attempted artwork. Each bag size has its own template. Click this would need a third color such as black to here for templates. Orders for spot imprints not on a outline the shape. template must include logo size and positioning Screens and halftones instructions on the P.O., e.g., “Enlarge to 6” wide, • The line screen used in our process ranges position center left to right, 3” up from bottom.” An between 45 and 55. The coarse screen is not art fee will be applied when art is not sent on apparent from typical viewing distance and insures templates. cleanest possible dot reproduction. Due to the All bags are proofed, usually as a hand‐folded color differences between how wide web flexo and offset bag printed with an inkjet printer on the actual litho reproduce screens and halftones, we request paper type. The hand‐folded bag is to be viewed for the opportunity to review the design elements to logo size & positioning only. Colors on the proof are provide specific production art direction as early in an approximation, the ink drawdowns will show the the planning process as possible. true ink colors used on press. The proofs do not • Halftones must have strong contrast, as must show actual screens. When there are screens, a steps between manually selected screen values of conventional dylux blueline will be burned from a the same color. Subtle tone variations will not negative for approval of the screens. Alternative reproduce. Please have the artist contact us before proofs may be furnished when tight register and/or going very far with a design using halftones and complicated trapping of multiple colors are screens. We're happy to supply printed bag samples involved. Bag proof approval is needed before with halftones upon request. production.

2 | Page