MusicBootCamp.com

Templates

PLEASE READ ALL TEXT (EVEN IF YOU HAVE VAST EXPERIENCE). IT IS VITAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THESE SPECIFICATIONS OR YOUR PROJECT MAY BE DELAYED OR REQUIRE CORRECTIONS AT ADDITIONAL EXPENSE. If you have questions after you read this, please contact us. Our goal is to make this experience as smooth and as inexpensive as possible. Some people don’t take the time to read this page and regret it later. Please read the entire page if you are involved in the artwork or pass the url to the person who is doing the artwork. Thank you.

READ IN FULL!

• Acceptable file formats are CMYK TIFF (no LZW compression) or CMYK EPS files. Template EPS files are compatible with Illustrator 10 or later and can be opened in Photoshop or placed into InDesign or Quark for your workflow, but you must export your final files and supply them in the above two formats.
• Vector EPS files must have all fonts converted to outlines.
• All TIFFs and other bitmapped images must be 300dpi, CMYK, flattend (no layers) when provided (keep safety copies of your original layered PSDs in case changes are required).
• Include bleeds on all sides of artwork for inserts and traycards. DO NOT FORGET TO DO THIS! Keep all text at least 3/16 of an inch away from the cut and fold lines.
• JColor pages must be provided as CMYK TIFF or EPS files or a fee may be charged to convert from RGB to CMYK. DO NOT FORGET TO CHECK YOUR FILES BEFORE SENDING.
• Grayscale files must be provided as grayscale TIFF or EPS files or a fee may be charged to convert from CMYK or RGB to grayscale. DO NOT FORGET TO CHECK YOUR FILES BEFORE SENDING.
• If you are designing your CD face in Photoshop, USE THE SPECIAL PSD TEMPLATE PROVIDED. If designing in other software, use the EPS template instead.

PANTONE INKS: Using Pantone colors correctly requires training and experience. Simply choosing colors from the Pantone swatches in Photoshop is not sufficient. Less experienced designers should stick with full color or grayscale.

WORKING WITH EPS TEMPLATES IN PHOTOSHOP: If you are designing your insert and traycard exclusively in Photoshop and don’t intend to pull your Photoshop images into any other software for layout purposes, then open the EPS template files in Photoshop at 300dpi (you can do this from within Photoshop using File > Open if dragging the EPS to the Photoshop icon does not work). Save that layer and design your artwork on separate layers above. Leave the template guides on the bottom layer so that the dotted lines do not cross over your artwork. They are only there as a reference and should NEVER appear in your final artwork. Remove dotted color placement guides if they remain visible in the artwork, before flattening the file and sending it out. The resulting file should have all the registration marks (circles with cross hairs in them), cut and fold marks still visible surrounding your design, and the file should NOT contain layers.

PHOTOSHOP CD FACE PSD TEMPLATE: Use the Disc4Photoshop.psd file for your disc face template if you are designing in Photoshop. Your final flattened file should NOT have the inner hole or outer cutout removed. These will be removed by the plant. The supplied PSD provides these on the top layer as a guide for placement only, and you should hide the layer before providing your flattened design file, so that the layer does not effect the supplied art.

BARCODES: Just leave a white rectangle on the back (outside face) of the traycard that measures 1.25 inches wide by 0.35 inches tall. The Barcode will be added just before the electronic proofs of your project are emailed back to the you. Please be certain your measurements are correct. Improper spacing for the Barcode can delay your project or incur additional fees to correct the problem if the file is not set up correctly.

ICC COLOR PROFILES: We recommend you use the following color profiles for ColorSync, Photoshop, Illustrator or any program that uses ICC profiles:

• RGB Default: Adobe RGB (1998)
• CMYK Default: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2

You can adjust these settings in your graphic program’s “Color Settings” (all Adobe professional products support color profiles), or you can set the defaults in your ColorSync control panel or program and sync all the graphics apps to follow Color Sync instructions. In this case you set ColorSync (a separate program or control panel) and then go to the graphic program’s “color settings” and select “ColorSync - (profile name)” for RGB and for CMYK. Using proper color profiles will help prevent your artwork from draining its color when converting to CMYK or yielding unpredictable results.

If you are an advanced designer who knows how to import custom CMYK profiles, please contact us and we will send you the ICC profile that is actually used on press whenever possible.

USE CMYK COLOR SELECTORS/TOOLS WHEN CHOOSING COLORS: Finally, do not use RGB color sliders when designing in an RGB color space within Photoshop! Only use CMYK color sliders or selectors. Using RGB color builds means you will have problems when converting to CMYK because many colors in RGB do not exist in CMYK. Here is an example: If you use R=0/G=0/B=100 to create a vivid blue, you’ll end up with something that looks more purple when you convert to CMYK. This is because RGB blue actually has a high magenta ratio when converted to CMYK. BUT if you start with a CMYK color like C=100/M=80/Y=0/K=0, your blue will look the same in RGB and CMYK. Sometimes it’s necessary to design in RGB using CMYK colors in Photoshop because certain Photoshop filters are only accessible in RGB mode. You still have to work with CMYK being your color focus. When you are done working in RGB, you will still need to convert the file to CMYK before you are finished, which is when major color shifts will occur if you have not used CMYK color sliders to choose your colors beforehand.

CLOSING: Artwork that is not to proper specifications may delay the turn time incur an additional expense. Do not supply artwork in RGB format. Do not use clipping paths in your artwork (it causes problems on the rip when generating the printing plates). Do not use any compression when saving TIFF files (no LZW compression). If you have further questions, please contact us. We are always happy to answer questions.

Download Templates
LAST UPDATED JANUARY 15, 2008