Prepping Your Files

Tips For Success

Southwest Offset Printing is your expert source for information, answers and strategies to help ensure the success of your next printing job. Here you’ll find useful guidelines for preparing files for pre-press, as well as information to help you address and avoid common color and quality issues.

Checklist

Before you send us your files, please take a moment to double-check that your files have been prepared correctly. Download our PDFs for the latest Heatset specifications and OpenWeb specifications.

Artwork

Southwest Offset Printing Company accepts artwork via FTP or InSite web-based remote proofing system. If you supply us with a portable drive, files should be accompanied by a color or black-and-white laser printout.

For Black & White Print Jobs

A maximum of 80% shadow dot and a minimum of 5% highlight dot on all grayscale images. Halftones: 100-175 line screen.

For Color Print Jobs

4-Color web printing rotation: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (CMYK). Standard AA inks are used. The total density of ink must not exceed 240% for coldset or 280% for heatset. 100-175 line screen.

Adobe Export Settings

Presets for exporting files from Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop. Click each one to download.

1) Standard jobs

2) Newspapers or other untrimmed publications

3) Jobs with spot colors