AUT - How do I

How do I

Save and send images to Printsprint?
Change the size of an image for inserting into a document for Printsprint?
Choose what paper to use?
Copy images or files onto CD or DVD?
Save files into WinZip?
Decide what binding to use on my document?
Decide what format to send documents to Printsprint?
Send digital files through to Printsprint?
Change file formats in Microsoft Word?
Save a file as a PDF?
Open a PDF?
Decide whether to use offset or digital printing?
Booklet Creation

Save and send images to Printsprint?
When sending an image through to Printsprint you should save it as an EPS, JPEG, TIFF, BMP or GIF. If your image is currently saved in a different format, then open it up in an image editor such as Microsoft Picture Editor, Fireworks, Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Image Ready. You can then email the image through to Printsprint, with instructions on what you want them to do with the image.

If you are including the image in a printed document, you must make sure the photo is saved as 300dpi or higher. Otherwise the image resolution will not be of high enough quality for printing. Look under help in your image editor for instructions on how to save in the correct format. Internet pictures are 72dpi, which is not adequate for printing.

If your file is less than 10mb then you can email this through to Printsprint. Otherwise, please burn the images and other files onto CD and either post, request collection, or deliver it to a Printsprint branch.

Change the size of an image for inserting into a document for Printsprint?
It is best to send the image through to Printsprint in its original size, as this gives us more versatility and is less likely to compromise quality. You can tell us what size you would like the image. Please do not send the images through already embedded into a word document, as the quality is unlikely to be adequate for printing.

Choose what paper to use?
Choosing the right paper for your document can be a bewildering task. But it is important that you get it right. Making the wrong decision can lead to unnecessary costs, or a lower quality of reproduction that you expected. Here are some things for you to consider:

Brightness – Better quality paper will reflect more light, which will improve the quality of the reproduction. Cheaper dull paper reflects less light, thereby reducing the vibrancy of colour and clear printing.
Opacity – This is about the show-through from one side of the paper to the other. Most paper is between 80 and 98 percent opacity. The higher the number, the less show through will be experienced.
Coated or uncoated – Coated, or enamel, paper has a clay surface coating which creates a smoother, even finish and holds the ink better than uncoated paper. However, uncoated paper is less expensive. If you are printing a standard black and white document, uncoated paper tends to be the preferred choice. But for a multi-colour document such as a book or a manual we'd recommend coated paper because you will get a better reproduction. Paper can be coated either on one side or both sides.
Paper Weight (Grade) – The grade of paper is measured in grams per square metre (gsm). The higher the gsm, the better the quality. Concentration of paper fibres and the thickness of the paper affects the gsm.
Acid Free. Acid free paper is paper with pH of 7.0 or greater. Such paper is produced from cotton fibres, wood pulp or other fibre and special precaution is taken during manufacture to eliminate any active acid. No paper is completely acid free.

The right paper to choose depends on the quality you desire and your budget. These aspects of paper will make a difference to the quality of your document, the clarity of images, the colour, and how well the document lasts over time. We have a large variety of paper stock in house which includes textured, coated, uncoated, different graded paper, in a variety of colours. Before making a decision, visit Printsprint to view samples of our extensive range of papers.

Copy images or files onto CD or DVD?
To copy (or burn) images or files onto CD or DVD you will need a CD or DVD drive on your computer. A variety of CD-burning programs are available to allow you to do this. Once you have one of the programs, you insert a blank writable CD or DVD (called CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R or DVD-RW) into the CD drive and open your program. You should then follow instructions. Without a CD drive you will not be able to copy large files.

Save files into WinZip?
Open WinZip and click on New. Select each file that is to be added and click Add. When you have finished adding, click Finished. This WinZip file can now be emailed through to Printsprint with instructions.

Decide what binding to use on my document?
See Finishing for information about binding.

Decide what format to send documents to Printsprint?
Printsprint can open the following formats: all Microsoft formats, QuarkXPress, Pagemaker (PC only), In Design, Freehand, Illustrator, Dreamweaver.

Send digital files through to Printsprint?
If all the files you have add up to less than 10mb you can email them through to Printsprint with instructions. If they are more than this, try compressing the size using WinZip. Otherwise, we would suggest saving the files onto a CD or DVD.

Change file formats in Microsoft Word?
Sometimes you may want to change the file format to ensure the person receiving it can open the file. To do this go to File/Save As and in the box Save Type As scroll down to chose the format you need.

Save a file as a PDF?
The advantage of saving a file as a PDF is that it can be opened on any computer, and the layout, font and graphics will not change. To create a PDF you will need a full version of Adobe Acrobat (many people have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, but this will not allow you to create a PDF). If you have Adobe Acrobat then it is a simple process:
- Open Adobe Acrobat and in Job Options; select Print Optimised, which will save the file in a high resolution.
- Open the file you want to save, for example a word document in Microsoft Word, and then select File/Print.
- Under Printer Name, choose Acrobat Distiller. The document will then open in Acrobat.
- Select File/Save and save the PDF in your chosen location. The document is now ready to send to other people.

Open a PDF?
To open a PDF you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is free software which can be downloaded at www.adobe.com.
Once you have the software, you can simply click on any file with a .pdf extension to open and read a PDF.

Decide whether to use offset or digital printing?
Offset printing is the traditional form of printing and involves a plate (film) carrying the image to be printed. This image is off-set to rubber wrapped around a cylinder. The image is then transferred to a sheet of paper.

The advantage of offset printing is that you get a better quality product with clearer images, more vibrant colour and a better choice of paper. However, it costs more to print and will take longer, and you need a high run, or number of copies, to make it financially viable.

Booklet Creation
Printsprint is able to create your electronic file or hard copy orginals into a booklet. To achieve this process, customers are asked to supply their files/originals as individual single-sided, A4 pages, opposed to paginated spreads.