M&G Electronic Prepress - Creating Covers

General Guides
• Build the entire cover (front, spine and back) all in one document on one page.
• Be sure that the page is set up at the correct trim size including spine bulk.
• Make sure that any bleeds are extended at least 1/8” past trim and that the artwork is sized accordingly.
• All color art should be set up as either CMYK or spot PMS colors. Please note that converting RGB to CMYK may result in color changes and may result in additional charges if we need to convert your files.
• Include a final laser with your files, preferably at 100%.
• Include all fonts (screen and printer) on the disk with your files.
• As with text, do not stylize your fonts. Please see Fonts for more details.
• Make sure the font size used on the spine fits inside the bulk.

Graphics
There are some additional tips for sending problem-free graphic files in Photoshop. First, it is best to send layered files, not flattened, so that adjustments can be made if necessary. We cannot work backwards on flattened files. This is especially important if a large portion of the cover has been set up as a single file in Photoshop. Occasionally text and graphics are too close to the trim or the bind, and may need to be moved slightly so that they are not cut off. It is also very important that graphics are linked to the layout application rather than storing or embedding them, and that the graphics are sent with the job. When graphics are embedded, we lose the ability to adjust color, highlights, and shadows.

Also, be sure to include any fonts that might be used in graphics, especially if there are EPS files linked to the cover. Often the fonts for these files are overlooked when the job is put on disk. You can also convert your fonts to outlines in Illustrator or FreeHand after you have finalized the artwork. Many times nested fonts pose problems in the output even if they aren’t used.

Finally, be sure that the graphics are scanned at 300 dpi at their placed size, and remember to make the graphic large enough to accommodate for bleeds if necessary.

Contract Proofs
Even if you supply high resolution color files we cannot guarantee the results of color based on non-contract proofs. As calibrations and ink substrates are different, low end proofs usually do not match a contract proof. One other thing to note is that not all spot colors will be rendered accurately on proofs because most proofing systems do not contain entire swatch books of color, but rather have one swatch for each of the main color groups. The purpose is to simply show where the spot color is and if trapping is set up correctly.

Creating Files
We still prefer to prepare covers from your application files. From time to time, we must make adjustments to individual elements of the cover to obtain accurate spine bulk and bleeds. We also must work within the CMYK printing model. Please be sure that black is CMYK black. RGB black runs the risk of printing with screens. These adjustments are able to be accomplished most easily from your application files. Also remember to provide all graphics links to the application program rather than embedding them.

If you send a PDF (Portable Document Format), please also include the application file. It is especially important that the trim size, spine bulk, bleeds and colors be set up properly before sending the PDF. Bleeds must be at least 1/8” on all sides. If your job is to print CMYK, then make sure that all graphics and any additional colors are set up in this mode. For spot color, be sure trapping information is correct and create the PDF as a composite. We will output the separations here.

Calculating Spine Bulk
The spine bulk of your cover will be equal to the number of pages in the book (rounded up to nearest 8) divided by the PPI.

PPI stands for Pages Per Inch. Below is a list of the PPI for our standard papers: