1. Why should I use the Disc Makers templates? The templates have been designed by our prepress department to ensure that
your project will move quickly and smoothly through our silkscreen department.
Differences of as little as 1/32 of an inch can cause problems. Any file
that is not provided in our templates will incur a $75 out-of-template fee
to cover our labor for adjusting your files. Back to top
2. Do I need a different template for different sized items? No. Although we do allow you to mix and match sizes with your order, this
is contingent on your design staying the same for each sized item. Bear
in mind that your design will appear larger on smaller shirts. Design accordingly. Back to top
3. Can’t I just use the measurements from a T-shirt I own or a template
from another site? No. While a Disc Makers T-Shirt looks the same as every other, the printing
surface has slightly different dimensions, which, however slight they may
be, can cause problems in the printing process. Back to top
4. What programs should I use? We have templates available for all professional-level desktop publishing
software.
Here is a list of file formats we can accept:
• Adobe Illustrator (versions 8 - CS4)
• Adobe InDesign (version 2 - CS4)
• QuarkXPress (versions 3.3 - 8)
• Macromedia FreeHand (versions 7-11/MX)
• CorelDRAW (versions 8-X3)
• TIFF (.tif) (TIFF files must be sent at 100% of print size at no less than 300 ppi)
• Adobe Photoshop (up to version CS4) (.psd)
• Photoshop EPS (.eps) - with 8-bit TIFF preview Back to top
5. Why don’t I see templates for Photoshop? We do not recommend doing your entire layout in Photoshop. Photoshop is
great for manipulating photos and creating special effects, but it is not
suitable for silkscreen printing.
Halftone images are strongly discouraged for silk-screen printing on shirts.
If you use images from Photoshop like logos they should be able to print
as 1-bit (black and white with no gray).
The PDF version of our templates can be opened with Photoshop. Back to top
6. I’ve downloaded the templates. Now what do I do? The Mac templates are contained in a compressed HQX file, and the PC templates
are contained in a compressed ZIP file. In order to open them, you will
need to have a compression utility such as StuffIt Expander, available for
free for both Mac and PC from www.stuffit.com.
Another popular program for Windows is WinZIP, available from www.winzip.com.
Once you’ve opened a template, do not make any changes to the template
itself (e.g., copying and pasting into a new page to save space, changing
or deleting any of the crop marks, changing the page size, etc.). Our templates
are created to maximize our in-house productivity. If you alter the template
pages, we will have to reformat your job to fit into the original templates,
and you will be billed for this work.
For maximum compatibility, our templates are saved back to the oldest version
we support. You should save your documents in the version you’re actually
using. For example, if you are working in Illustrator CS, do not save your
layout file back to Illustrator 8; save it as Illustrator CS. Back to top
7. I’ve downloaded the templates. Why can’t I open them? The templates have been compressed to save download time. You will need
a compression utility such as Stuffit Expander, available for free from www.stuffit.com, to
open the templates. (See I’ve downloaded the templates, now what do
I do? for more information.) Back to top
8. Which template(s) do I use? The templates from our website are organized according to format, and include
illustrations to help you determine which templates you need. Each of our
templates has been assigned a code number (e.g., H100, TS100F), which can
be found the product pages of our website. Back to top
9. What are all these text boxes and lines in the templates? We have placed text boxes, crop and registration marks, and other items
in the templates to help us prepare your job for printing. Do not delete
or move these elements. Guides and overlays are on non-printing layers that
can be turned off or sent to the back if they interfere with your design
work. Consult your application’s help file or manual for information
on adjusting layers. If you alter the template pages, we will have to reformat
your job into the original templates, and you will be billed for this work. Back to top
10. How small can I make my type? Generally, for your printed pieces you can go as small as 14 points for
solid text in a normal weight font. We recommend you use simpler typefaces
such as Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman for small type.
Display faces—the “fancier” fonts with lots of detail,
like Vivaldi or Edwardian Script—are designed to be used at large
sizes, over 28 pt. Back to top
11. What’s the difference between process and spot colors? Process color uses translucent CMYK inks laid on top of one another to fool
your eye into seeing other colors. A spot color ink is a specially-mixed
hue that is not made by combining two or more inks, but rather is a single
ink of a specific color. Spot colors can be brighter or more saturated than
process colors, or have special properties, such as metallic gold or fluorescent
green.
Process colors are used for printing on paper and packaging. Spot colors
are used for silkscreen printing on merch. Back to top
12. Why isn’t my RGB file useable for silkscreen printing? RGB is an additive color format, used for computer monitors and TVs. Silkscreen printing, used for printing on Merch, uses PMS spot
colors, which are specially-mixed inks of a specific color, and are not made of combining ink colors. RGB and CMYK color modes can produce colors that can't be duplicated with PMS spot inks. Preparing files using colors from the Pantone Solid Coated library will help you predict the color of your final print. If you do supply us with RGB or CMYK files, we will choose the PMS spot color that most closely matches your file. Back to top
13. Will the printing on Merch match my CD packaging? Silkscreened merch is printed with a different process than CD packaging.
Booklets, Digipaks, and jackets are printed with process (CMYK) inks, using
a high-quality process called offset lithography. Merch is printed with
spot colors, and are silkscreened. There are a couple of key differences
to keep in mind:
• Halftones are strongly discouraged for printing using silk-screen on shirts
• High-contrast images work best. Subtle changes in tone can be lost in the silkscreening process. Back to top
14. I like how my design looks off of my home printer. Can you match the
color if I send in a sample? No. Printers use a CMYK ink model, unlike silkscreen printing, which uses
spot colors.
We will send you a high-quality proof of your job for you to approve before
it goes to press. That proof will be a reliable indicator of final print
quality. Back to top
15. Why do my EPS files appear so pixellated or jaggy on screen? EPS files have a low-resolution preview file for on-screen viewing. The
high-resolution image is still there, and when you print to a PostScript printer, the computer will throw out the low-resolution preview and use
the high-resolution data. Back to top
16. My files seem really large. Is this okay? Yes, this is normal. If you have WinZip or StuffIt installed on your system,
you can use it to compress, or archive, all your files into one. These programs
can compress your layout files down to as little as 10% of their original
size. They cannot compress images files nearly as well, so don’t expect
a lot of space savings with compressed scans. Back to top
17. Can I send my files in over the Internet? You may email files under 1 MB to your Project Manager or Product Specialist.
If your files are over 1 MB but less than 40 MB, you may use our FTP site,
accessible from any web browser. Click on the File Upload tab at the top
of this screen and follow the instructions. If your files are over 40 MB,
you cannot send them in over the Internet, and will have to send us a disk.
Before you upload any files, compress all of your documents into one stuffed
or zipped archive. This will keep things organized in transit and decrease
your upload time.
We strongly recommend sending a disk even if you are uploading your files
to us. Uploading files does save time, but it’s not a flawless process.
Files can get corrupted during transfer to or from our FTP site, and that
can easily use up whatever time savings you had gained in using the FTP
site in the first place. We recommend sending in a Zip disk or CD-R after
uploading files as insurance. Back to top
18. I’m supposed to send in my fonts. How do I do that? The primary font format for Macintosh is PostScript. The fonts come in two
main parts: a screen font (usually in a suitcase) and a printer font. If
the font has multiple weights (such as plain, bold, italic, and bold italic),
each weight will have a separate printer font.
Make sure you are sending us all parts of a font, as this is one of the
most common mistakes (see The 5 most common problems when sending art on
disk).
While we recommend using PostScript Type 1 fonts on the Mac, we also accept
OpenType, TrueType, and dfont. These will only consist of a single file.
Some TrueType fonts can be troublesome to print, so use the other formats
when possible.
On the Mac OS 9 or earlier, fonts are usually stored in System > Fonts.
In OS X, there are a number of possible locations:
- Home > Library > Fonts
- Library > Fonts
- System > Library > Fonts
- System Folder > Fonts
The primary font format for Window-based computers is TrueType. All of your
installed TrueType fonts are usually located in the /WINDOWS/FONTS folder,
and contain the .ttf file extension. The filenames can be cryptic, but if
you double-click on a font file, you’ll get a preview window so you
know you’re copying the right ones. Please do not copy the entire
Fonts folder; just copy the individual TrueType font files themselves.
If you own any Adobe products for PC, there may be fonts stored in c:/Program
Files/Common Files/Adobe/Fonts. We can accept Postscript Type 1 fonts for Windows, and they consist of two
files: a .pfm file and a .pfb file. You must send in both files in order
for us to be able to use the font. Type 1 fonts do not have a set location
on your hard drive, but Adobe Type Manager usually stores them in a folder
called PSFONTS.
We can also accept OpenType for PC files.
Users of Adobe Multiple Master fonts (Mac or PC):
At this time we can no longer accept Multiple Master fonts, as our current
software cannot utilize these fonts properly. If you are using Illustrator,
FreeHand, InDesign or CorelDRAW you must convert your Multiple Master text
to paths/outlines before submitting your files; if you are using QuarkXPress
you must not use any Multiple Master fonts in your layouts.
If you are supplying your layout in Photoshop we can still accept .psd files
with live text layers using Multiple Master fonts, but we will be unable
to edit or modify these text layers.
If you are using Adobe InDesign as your layout application, we recommend
you make use of the Package option, which will gather your fonts and images
for you. Back to top
19. The 5 most common problems with client-supplied design jobs 1) Failure to include fonts.
By far, this is the most common reason a job gets delayed at the start.
For a complete explanation,
see28. I’m supposed to send in my fonts. How do I do that?
2) Failure to include all linked images.
Before you send in your job, make sure you’re including in all linked
files. Each application has a different way to check this. Illustrator,
for example, uses Links menus, which will list all placed images in the
document.
3) Image resolution is too low or supplied in RGB instead of spot colors.
For a complete explanation, see 21. How should I scan my photos?
20. A final checklist When you’re ready to submit your job to Disc Makers, make sure that
you’re including all of the following items:
• layout file for each merch item
• all the fonts used in the layouts
• up-to-date printouts of every layout file. Black and
white prints are fine, even if your files are in color,
but faxes are not acceptable due to lack of detail.
• a listing of the files on your disk (please also note
the OS, programs and versions you used;
i.e. WindowsXP, Illustrator CS, etc.)
• any special instructions you may have
You should also do a final proofread of all your text and layouts to make
sure everything is accurate and complete.
Organize the files on the disk clearly. Set up separate folders for layout
files, images, fonts, not-for-output files, etc. If you submit a disk with
dozens of unorganized and/or unnecessary files, your project will be delayed. Back to top
21. Special concerns for Illustrator 9, 10 and CS users Save your document in whatever current version you are using. Our Illustrator
templates are saved in version 8, and Illustrator will try to save these
documents in version 8 format by default. You must change this the first
time you save your file(s). New features such as transparency are not supported
in version 8, and saving backwards may cause problems that cannot be fixed. Back to top
22. Should I convert all my type to paths or curves? We recommend against converting type to paths. Once type is converted to
paths, it’s uneditable, which limits our ability to make adjustments
to your files. It also creates a more complex file that may cause Postscript
errors in the printing process. Keeping your type as editable text and sending
in your fonts is the most practical solution. As an exception, we do recommend
converting your text to paths if you have used foreign-language character
sets. Back to top
23. What about trapping? We use powerful automated trapping software, and will trap your files as
part of our standard service. We recommend you do not trap your own work,
and let us handle any necessary trapping. Back to top
