File Preparation for
Digital Color Printing
at Graphic Traffic:

Minimum Bleed requirement: 1/8” on all sides.

3/16” Margin for all Live items (text logos, etc).

Make sure all images are CMYK or Spot color.
RGB files will not print as intended.

All images must be 300dpi at the final output size
(except for large format color posters
which can be as low as 150dpi).

All PDFs must be high resolution, CMYK
and include the fonts.

Please be sure to include crop marks
on any file with a bleed.

Please Review:

Bleed: Your document is considered to bleed if
any of the printing extends to the edge of the paper
once it has been trimmed to final size. With a bleed,
documents are printed on an oversized paper and
then trimmed down to the trim edge. An extra 1/8”
allowance is necessary on all edges of the document
with bleeds.

CMYK: Abbreviations for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow,
and Black. Even though we are not printing with
inks (laser is toner based), all files should be set
up as CMYK to obtain the best results. RGB files are
suitable for web and screen based viewing and for
photographic output, but may not give the desired
results when printed on a digital color press. Note:
Many times our clients describe their images as
looking “muddy” or “dull” when printed from RGB files.

All documents should be set up as CMYK when
submitting for output. To change the color settings
of a Photoshop file (.psd, .tif, .jpg) go
to Image>Mode>CMYK.

Mottle: Mottling usually refers to an uneven pattern
in ink/toner absorption and can look splotchy to the
eye. Often times you will notice it when heavy
coverage images or photographs are printed on an
uncoated, textured or rough recycled stock. The
degree of the “splotchy-ness” depends on a few
factors including (but not limited to) the image itself,
the color tones and/or values on the paper. We can
make recommendations on alternative papers if we
feel your document is not looking its best.