Calendar Pages
After you have placed an order, we will send you calendar artwork and template for all 12 months of next year for any of the following calendar styles:
You must reference your order number and may request artwork by email (preferred) at info@softrackmousepads.com or telephone at 631-588-2853. The file type will be Adobe Illustrator CS3 eps that can be used to create artwork in Adobe Illustrator CS3 or above, or can be imported into other design programs, including Adobe InDesign and Quark XPress. You may also request a high resolution pdf.
Of course, you may also design your own calendar style and incorporate it into your artwork if you choose.
Specifications:
Trim size: 8"W X 7"H with 1/2" radius rounded corners
Bleed size minimum: 8.25"W X 7.25"H
Live area: 7.5"W X 6.5"H
Corner radius: 1/2"
Paper Stock: 100# recycled uncoated cover, plus chipboard base
Coating: Aqueous based Softrack mouse coating
Template: Click to download a template (PDF).
SPECIAL ADVISORY FOR PREPARING ARTWORK TO ACCOMMODATE OPTICAL MICE
While it is impossible to insure that a mouse pad will function optimally for every one of the many optical mice in use, Softrack calendar mouse pads are engineered to provide exceptional performance for most devices. An important component of this optimization must be integrated into the artwork you prepare. It’s easy to do but must be carried out consistently for the best results. Here’s what to do:
The entire area of every page should contain a black ink value of no less than 3%. This means that any area you would normally leave white must actually have a 3% black tint. While the tint is barely noticeable, it is important to optical mice that have difficulty with white spaces and any colors such as reds, yellows and oranges that have no black content.
To insure that photos do not include any areas with less than a 3% black ink value, open them in Adobe Photoshop and convert them to CMYK if necessary (per below, all photos and other images must be CMYK). Set the foreground color to 3% black only (C=0, M=0, Y=0, K=3). Under EDIT, apply a fill to the entire image using the foreground color for Contents and DARKEN mode with 100% Opacity for Blending. This will tint the photos so that all areas have at least 3% black ink content without affecting other colors or any area that already has at least 3% black ink.
Photos containing silhouetted objects surrounded by white should be tinted per above and any background area that would normally be white should also be tinted 3% for seamless matching.
Similarly, if you are using any vector graphics that do not contain at least 3% black ink, you should add 3% black in Adobe Illustrator and save them specifically for use in your Softrack calendar mouse pad artwork.Any type that you would normally knock out white should instead knock out 3% black and any colored type should include 3% black as well. Although this is not critical for small type (such as 12 point and under) since optical mice will not be traveling much before again being over an area with sufficient black ink to track correctly, it is best to be consistent.
File Preparation
You have received approval from your organization for your Softrack calendar mouse pad design and it is time to prepare artwork for printing. Now, by properly preparing your digital files, your job will be everything expect. Here’s some basic information about fonts, file formats, photos, graphics and general layout issues.
General Layout Tips
All of the page layout programs we support have some things in common that should be checked before sending your files:
- Are all linked graphics up to date?
Be sure to include all of these graphics when you submit your project.
- Are the color definitions consistent?
RGB colors must be converted to CMYK (and may significantly change appearance in the process). Spot colors that are used in a graphics program, such as Illustrator, and then placed into your page layout program must have spot colors named EXACTLY the same as those used in your layout program.
- Does your layout bleed correctly?
Extend elements which bleed off the edge of a page 1/8" past the cut (or "trim") line. That extra 1/8” will give our finishing department the space they need to make sure your project is finished exactly the way you intended.
Placed Photos
Ensure that your photos are converted from RGB (what you get from stock images or fresh off your scanner) to CMYK (what printing presses understand) and produce the best results with our equipment. The most frequent photo problems result from images that are too low in resolution, or saved in the RGB format.
Print is a high resolution medium. For your Softrack calendar mouse pads, we output photos with a 175 line screen. For best results all photos should have an effective resolution of at least 300 dots per inch. For best results, the image should be scanned at as high a resolution as needed, increasing the resolution in Photoshop will not effectively increase the quality of a photograph when printed.
As a rule, it is best to size your photographs in Photoshop to approximately the size they will be reproduced. For example, having to reduce an image in your page layout program down to 10% can cause moiré patterns. Similarly, blowing up photos in your page layout program can create issues too. If you have to enlarge a digital scan more than 125%, be aware that quality compromise is occurring. Unless you purchased and downloaded a high resolution photo from a stock agency, there is not an image anywhere on the internet fit for four-color printing.
Fonts and Placed Graphics
Our goal is make your Softrack calendar mouse pads look terrific. To do so, we need the fonts and graphics you have utilized in your page layout program. The number one cause of printing errors, production delays and our prepress department calling you is missing graphics or fonts.
Collecting Fonts/Images
When you package/collect a file, you create a folder that contains the InDesign/Quark document, necessary fonts & linked graphics. Before packaging all your files for submission, please make sure that all images are saved correctly. For instance, are the four-color images saved as CMYK? Are two-color images actually two colors? If you're unsure how to properly save your images, our prepress department and customer service can walk you through it.
Adobe InDesign
1. Choose File > Package.
2. If a dialog box appears alerting you to possible problems, correct problems stated by relinking missing images or finding missing fonts.
3. Click Package, and then specify a location in which to save all packaging files.
Quark XPress
1. Choose File > Save to save the project. Then choose File > Collect for Output.
2. Create a new folder, and specify a location to save files.
3. Check the following files to collect: Linked Pictures, Embedded Pictures, Printer Fonts & Screen Fonts.
4. Click Save.
Mac (recommended) or PC Platforms.
Program List:
Quark XPress
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe PDF (.pdf)
By paying attention to the details outline on this page and including all graphics and fonts, you give us the opportunity to deliver the quality you expect.
Should you have any further file preparation questions, please call us at 1-631-588-2853, Monday thru Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern US, or email info@Softrackmousepads.com.
Telephone: 631-588-2853
Fax: 631-585-0071
Email: info@Softrackmousepads.com
Address: 700-5 Union Parkway, Ronkonkoma NY 11779
