Photoshop instructions

Blank templates for 4-color business cards are now available for download

• We accept all Adobe Photoshop files from both PC and Mac up to version 12.0 CS5 (some of these instructions may apply only to older versions.)
• Vector based text is available in version 6 and newer, so take advantage of it and set up your file correctly to maintain the vector properties. See your manual for details. Black text should only contain C=0%, M=0%, Y=0%, K=100%.

Versions 6 - 11 only

• set resolution to 300 ppi
• set color mode to CMYK
• set page size plus any bleeds (1/8") correctly
• keep layers un-flattened and text in layers un-rendered
• check all black text to make sure it is 100% black with no other support colors.
• "save as" a "Photoshop EPS"
• encoding => binary
• preview => 8-bit
• only "maintain vector data" checked
• "faux" bold or italics applied to the text will result in rasterized text
• or "save as" a "Photoshop PDF"
• include layers
• PDF preset should be "press quality"
  

All versions including older versions

• If you use a black background, set the color for the black as follows: C=40%, M=40%, Y=20%, K=100%.
• If you're creating a business card with bleeds in Photoshop, you need to begin your new file with the following settings: (follow similar procedures and resolutions for most files created in Photoshop)
  
  
   
• Then pull your guides out from your rules to form the following template.



 

• Small colored text is not recommended regardless of the program, because any text that is colored contains "tints" if the color is not a 100% tint of one of the CMYK colors. Mis-registration between process colors, usually handled by "trapping" may cause such text to be blurry.
• Versions 5.5 and older should save the file as a TIFF with LZW Compression turned off.

Click here for very important notes on color