www.onlineSIGNS.BiZ

ARTWORK

• Camera-ready artwork is required for digitizing images or logos. A one-time setup fee will be accessed to clean-up images/logos at a rate of $45 per hour. Estimates can be obtained once the image is received.

• Preferred format: an EPS file is preferred; however, other formats are also acceptable, such as a TIF, AI, CDR, PLT or similar vector-art. This can be delivered on CD, floppy disk, or attached in an e-mail.

• If you require your artwork or disk returned, please send a self-addressed envelope with instructions. Please make a copy for your records. We deal with a large volume of artwork disks on a daily basis and cannot be responsible for lost or damaged artwork/disks.

• Custom fonts not listed on our website will be charged a $25 font search fee.

• Colors shown on the website and in color proofs are approximate. Actual colors may vary.

• We are not responsible for Copyright infringed material sent to us. It is assumed that the customer ordering the signs/decals is either the owner or has permission to use any copyrighted material. It is beyond the scope of our business to authenticate such ownership. 

TIPS ON REDUCING ART CHARGES

For sign lettering/decals to be cut out of vinyl,  the most economical process, you must follow these rules:

• Save in PC format (not Mac or Apple).

• No gradients if it is to be cut from vinyl.

• Do NOT export with header information.

• All objects must be CLOSED. Some graphics programs allow the user to create open shapes and color them anyway. Don't make an object by putting more than one shape on top of each other without joining them. When you look at it in "wireframe" mode, you should see only one continuous line.
• No lines thinner than 1/8" should be used.

• In Adobe Illustrator and Corel, it is possible to create "fat lines". They show up fine on the screen, but when we cut the vinyl, they become one single cut. You must convert the "fat lines" to outlines of the "fat line".

• In Adobe, set (pulldown) View to Artwork. Select the lines to be outlined and in the (pulldown) Object, select Expand and Stroke. You should see an outline where the outer edge of the "fat line" was. You may (depending on the version) have to delete the center line.
• In Corel, set View to Wireframe. Select the lines to be outlined and select (pulldown) Effects and then Outline. You may have to play with the outline settings to get the right look. Don't forget to delete the original line after your outline is OK.

• Don't compress files less than 1MB. We have more problems with zipped and compressed files than all other problems combined. IF YOU MUST COMPRESS, only do one file at a time. DO NOT create a multi-file archive!

• If your save or export scheme prompts you to save an additional file along with original, the chances of us opening it without a problem drop to near zero. Try a different export.

• If you have text in your file, please make sure you EITHER export the fonts with the file (one option most programs allow) OR (much better) "convert all objects to curves" in Corel or in Adobe, Type>"Create Outlines" before exporting. Be careful you don't overwrite your original file, if you intend to do future edits. This operation makes the text into shapes and programs will no longer allow you to edit the text. One exception is if the text is only notes and not part of the design, this is not necessary.

• Try to use FTP to send files to us. It's the most reliable. Some e-mail programs corrupt graphics files. If you send your file through AOL we'll probably be calling you.

• When sending us a bitmap file where color matching and stability are essential, please use your graphics software to convert your image to 32 bit color and send it in TIF format. CAUTION: This can VERY substantially increase the size of the file and should only be used when really necessary. Please check the size of your file after conversion and if it more than 10MBs, call us for advice (10MBs will take an hour to transfer on a 33k modem).

• Our printers accept standard color matching specifications such as Pantone and we do have access to approximatley 125 colors of vinyl that are Pantone color coordinated.

FILE TYPES

In a bitmap file, the computer "sees" a large field of white dots with a group of black dots interspersed in a specific pattern. In a vector file, the computer "sees" a white background and a black figure that starts at position (x1,y1) and goes straight to (x2,y2). In almost all cases, the vector file will be substantially smaller than the bitmap.

Advantages of vector files

• They can be "scaled" up in size virtually unlimited without loss of resolution. When you take a bitmap file that is originally 4"x5" (standard photo size) and try to scale it up so it can be 4 feet by 5 feet, you will start seeing a "stairstep" effect on the edges of objects. This is the original pixels being expanded and they can only be smoothed out so much and it is fairly labor intensive to do..

• They take up much less storage space.

• Most of the techniques of modern sign making programs require vector files, so you minimize "art charges". 

How do I know if I have a vector file or a bitmap?

All BMP, JPG, GIF, and TIF are bitmap files. They can't be anything else. One way to tell if you have a bitmap is by using extreme magnification on any sharp edge. If you can see "stairsteps", it is a bitmap. Another way is to use "Help" in your application and lookup "Wireframe" (Corel) or "Artwork" (Adobe). The respective commands are "View>Wireframe" and "View>Artwork". For other programs, if you can't find the function, it often means your program can't read vector files, so the file you are looking at is probably a bitmap. If you find it, activate that mode, the colors and fills should disappear and your view should change to all lines. This means you have a vector file and we should have no problem using it. If there are patterns or grayed out areas, they are probably "imbedded" bitmaps and you must follow the "bitmap" rules for good results.

If I am using a vector drawing program, am I assured that my saved file will be a vector file?

NO!!! If you "save as" or export to any of the bitmap formats, the output will become a bitmap.

Are bitmap files totally worthless?

No, we have wide format printers and can print bitmaps. In order to get good results, the original bitmap must be at least 1MB per square foot of the final printed size. This will give approximately magazine quality output. For near photo quality output, the original file needs to be about 2.5MBs per square foot. Anything more than 2.5MBs per square foot is beyond the resolution of our printers to print and is just wasting upload and download time. Most files that are too low in resolution can be "resized" for better results, but there are limits to what can be done. Typical charges would be $50-$100.

If I have a bitmap file that is too low resolution is there anything I can do?

Yes, there are programs that take the bitmap files and convert them to vector files. Usually, in this process, they pick up some distortion, but the best thing to do is manually fix the distortions after the conversion, making the graphic look as close as possible to the original and then you can expand the new vector file to any size you want. We can do this for you. The typical charge will be around $100.

Isn't there a cheaper way?

The best way is to use existing clipart we already have vectorized. We have thousands of images. Unless you have a very custom image, more than likely we will already have something similar to what you want to use.

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