There is no substitute for communications to avoid errors. The following guidelines, if followed, should eliminate 95% of all potential problems which might be encountered. If you have a question which remains unanswered, please e-mail us for a prompt, personal response. It is our mutual goal to get your job delivered on time and to your total satisfaction.

If you are relying on Pelland Advertising to design postcards:

The more refined a "rough layout" that you supply, the more likely we are to accurately interpret your wishes. Of course, a single full-bleed photo leaves fewer questions to be answered than a multiple-photo layout with complex artwork. Desired cropping and sizing information should be clearly marked for each photo, being certain that material is marked in such a manner so that original positioning will be evident in the event that movement occurs. If specific instructions are not submitted, or if the photograph is not proportionate to the reproduction size, Pelland Advertising will use its discretion regarding the most suitable cropping and sizing.

Even a single photo should indicate any special cropping requirements and minor digital enhancements which may be necessary. Minor digital enhancements can often be performed at no charge. If major image reconstruction in Adobe Photoshop is required, Pelland Advertising will provide you with an estimate of charges before proceeding with production, pending your authorization.

In more complex layouts, a simple sketch may be suitable, but a more refined rough layout which includes relative image sizes and placements, font options and color selections would be much more appropriate. If you require specific fonts, please let us know. Pelland Advertising has over 5,000 fonts on file, but this does not necessarily mean that we have the font that you need.

If you have unusually critical needs, colors should be specified by industry standard PMS values or by supplying us with actual color chips for matching. Colors should always be specified using their CMYK values, since there are significant differences in color gamut between CMYK and RGB. Many colors which can be viewed on a computer monitor are impossible to reproduce through the use of conventional four-color process inks. One is based upon additive colors (which, in combination, produce white), whereas the other is based upon subtractive colors (which, in combination, produce black).

There is no additional charge for type and background colors on the front of your postcards. If you have a logo which you would like to include (either on the front or the back of your cards) which requires scanning, please supply us with the artwork for our estimate of charges. Oftentimes, what would appear to be "simple" logos require extensive "cleanup" time prior to being made suitable for reproduction. This is particularly the case when original artwork is not available and we are asked to scan a previously printed piece. (Never a good idea!)

Despite all of these forewarnings, 90% of all orders arrive with reasonable expectations and require no additional production charges.

Until recently, photos have been supplied in the form of original 35mm slides or larger color transparencies, color prints, or color negatives; however, “conventional” photography now means digital photography. Whether film-based or digital, every generation that an image is removed from its original source represents a cumulative loss of quality and should be avoided. In terms of digital photography, this means that an image should not be resized more than once, particularly if any digital enhancements have been applied or if the image has been saved anywhere along the way using JPEG compression.

Photography should always be carefully evaluated before being submitted for printing reproduction. Be self-critical of your work. If you supply us with a photo which is of questionable quality, we will advise you of such before processing your order. In addition, any copyrighted materials will not be printed unless accompanied by a written release from the original owner of the copyright or if the customer supplying such materials agrees to accept full responsibility for any such usage which may or may not infringe upon an existing copyright.

For a complete photography tutorial, click here to view the online version of Peter Pelland’s recent seminar, “Professional Tips for Taking Photos Worth a Thousand Words”, originally presented at the 44th Annual Northeast Conference On Camping.

Most proofs are now supplied for our clients’ review online in PDF format. Nonetheless, a comprehensive set of digital proofs is produced at no additional charge prior to the printing of each job. If time permits, we encourage each client to personally review these final proofs, which will otherwise be carefully reviewed by Pelland Advertising on the client’s behalf. Please understand that, by waiving your review of final color proofs, Pelland Advertising cannot be held responsible for any errors which may have been inadvertently overlooked.

Changes made with proof return or anytime during production which differ from the instructions which were originally submitted with your order may incur additional charges, particularly if a second color proof is required.

If you are supplying Pelland Advertising with digital files:

Until recently, most files were submitted on removable media (such as Zip or Jaz disks) or on CD's. Although many clients still prefer to burn their files to a CD, the most efficient way of sending files is via FTP (file transfer protocol). Since most people are unfamiliar with the FTP process (which requires the use of both FTP software and an FTP server), several free online services have become available which simplify the process. We recommend that our clients use one of these services to send us large files. Two,  in particular, are SendThisFile.com and YouSendIt.com. Keep in mind that e-mail was never intended to transport large files as attachments.

Files should be sent in any of the following formats: TIFF, EPS, or PDF. JPEG should be avoided because there is a loss of resolution when the files are uncompressed. Whichever format is used, be sure to save your files in CMYK mode at a resolution of 300 dpi (or 400 dpi) at the final image size. QuarkXPress for Windows is our standard production software application, therefore you may also submit files in QXP format.

If you are supplying us with files in TIFF, EPS or PDF format, the likelihood of problems is minimized. If using QuarkXPress, be sure to include all fonts and embedded files in your Collect for Output folder. Font files should be included in a separate "fonts" folder. (Do not mix True Type and Postscript fonts. Use either one or the other throughout your work. True Type fonts generally work best with Windows, and Postscript fonts generally work best on the Mac platform.) Photos should not be resized or rotated in your page layout program. All photos should be correctly scaled to 100% of size in Adobe Photoshop (or the image editing program of your choice) prior to being placed into your page layout.

Here are a few additional tips which will help you to avoid some of the more common digital imaging pitfalls:

1) Allow at least 1/8" (but not more than 1/4") of bleed on any side which calls for a bleed image (and be sure to allow sufficient image area in your original photo file!)

2) Delete any items which are on the pasteboard or completely hidden by other objects.

3) Use "Rich Black" (40% C, 30% M, 30% Y, and 100% K.) Large areas of black ink alone can print weak.

4) Do not use LZW compression when saving TIFF files. This will increase the time it takes to output your job and may cause problems.

5) Be sure that all photo boxes in QuarkXPress containing either grayscale or color TIFFs have either a White or 0% Black background.

6) Avoid hairline rules in QuarkXPress. Substitute a .35 point line instead.

7) Remember not to use RGB images for four-color printing. Convert the images to CMYK mode first, then perform any necessary image enhancements.

8) Do not resize, sharpen, rotate or scale an image more than once.