Frequently
Asked Questions
1. Does Canon accept application files?
2. Why do I have to send a color proof for my digital ad?
3. Can I just send a color laser proof?
4. Why do I have to send a digital ad checklist?
8. My PDF
was rejected because of low-resolution images but all of my images
are high resolution. How can this be?
9. I'm
being told I have spot colors in my ad but if I've
converted them to process color in my original file, why
are you still
seeing them?
10. I submitted an EPS file created in Adobe Illustrator with the fonts converted
to outlines but you rejected my file because it still has active fonts
in it. Why is this happening?
11. Can I
submit a DCS file or a file with DCS files placed within it?
12. I want
to submit a file using a Duotone image. Is this OK?
13. I
submitted an EPS file made from QuarkXPressXPress and
it was rejected because
the fonts are not embedded. Doesn't that happen
automatically? How do I do that?
14. You've
told me to resave my file with a preview but I did that for the
original submission. Are you sure it doesn't have a preview?
15. I'm
new to making PDFs and I want to learn more. Where should I go?
16. I submitted
an ad to you a few months ago and our company recently changed
e-mail addresses. Can you make this small change for us?
17. I'm
having trouble fixing the problems with my file. Can
someone please walk me through the process, step-by-step?
18. What is the best way to send my ad to Canon Communications?
1. Q:
Does Canon accept application files?
A: No. Because of potential reproduction errors we cannot accept application
files. Ads created in QuarkXPressXPress, Adobe PageMaker, Abode InDesign,
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PhotoShop, Macromedia Freehand, etc. should
be converted to one of our accepted formats, PDF, EPS, TIFF or PostScript,
to ensure that they print correctly. See our Support section for further
information.
2. Q: Why do I have to send a color proof for
my digital ad?
A: The printer needs color guidance while your ad is on press.
3. Q: Can I just send a color laser proof?
A: We need a contract-quality, digital halftone proof pulled from your
final file. A color laser should only be used for content. Color lasers
vary greatly depending on the output device and how it is calibrated.
4. Q: Why do I have to send a digital ad checklist?
A: It's important to send; without it, we cannot process your
digital ad correctly and reproduction errors could occur.
5. Q: Do you accept files created by Microsoft
Word, Harvard Graphics, Microsoft Publisher, or Microsoft PowerPoint?
A: No. These applications are not designed for creating high resolution,
CMYK files for print. You'll be unable to generate a file that
meets our specifications to print correctly.
6. Q: My file was created to trim with bleed
added outside of trim, but my PDF was rejected for not having bleed.
How do
I make a PDF with bleed?
A: The specific answer will depend on the application you're using
and the method of creating a PDF that you're using. See our Support
section for more detailed information. In general, when making your PDF,
you should have the option to add bleed beyond the trim. This option
may not be obvious to you at first. You may be required to investigate
all the option windows you're presented with in order to find the
bleed options. Your user manuals and the software publisher's
online resources may provide some assistance here.
7. Q: You have informed me that my PDF has been
rejected because it contains images in LAB color but I've double
checked all of my images and they are in CMYK color mode. What's
happening?
A: This is likely due to some or all of your images that have been
saved from Photoshop as EPS files with PostScript Color Management
turned on.
To fix this problem, simply open your EPS images in Photoshop and resave
them with PostScript Color Management turned off. To find and turn
off this option, perform a Save As for each image. In the first window,
name
the file and choose a location to save it to. When you click the Save
button, the EPS Options window will open. Find the PostScript Color
Management option in the list and uncheck the box next to it. Click
the OK button.
You'll then need to update the link in your native application
file and then make a new PDF.
8. Q: My PDF was rejected because of low-resolution
images but all of my images are high resolution. How can this be?
A: The problem is common when creating PDFs from page layout applications
such as QuarkXPress and Adobe PageMaker. Creating a PDF is a two-step
process. In the first step, a PostScript file is generated. In the
second step, the PostScript file is converted to a PDF file by using
Adobe Distiller.
The first step of the process requires that you select a PostScript
Printer Driver (PPD). If you choose an inappropriate PPD, the resolution
of your
images can be inadvertently lowered. This problem can be resolved by
using an appropriate PPD such as the Adobe Distiller PPD (automatically
installed when you install Adobe Distiller) or the Adobe Print Production
PPD (available in our Downloads section). Note: The step in the process
where you select a PPD depends on the application you're using,
the version of the application, and the method you're using to
create your PDF. You may find it necessary to do some searching to find
it, as the location of this option is not always apparent. During the
process of making your PDF, try looking for buttons that say Options
or Preferences. If you're unable to find it, refer to the manual
that accompanied your software.
9. Q: I'm being told I have spot colors
in my ad but if I've
converted them to process color in my original file, why are you still
seeing them?
A: This is very common for QuarkXPressXPress users but can be easily
fixed. From the menu bar in QuarkXPressXPress, choose Edit>Colors
(or Shift+F12 from the keyboard) to bring up the Colors window. Select
the color in question and click the Edit button. This brings up the Edit
Color window. You may have already been here to change the Model from
Pantone or RGB to CMYK but that's not enough. Below Model is a
check box next to the words Spot Color. To complete the conversion of
a spot color to process color, you MUST uncheck this box. Click OK and
repeat as necessary. Note: If you have imported EPS files from other
applications that may also contain spot colors, you'll need to
open those files in their original applications and convert the spot
colors from there. Refer to the software's user manual for further
instructions.
10. Q: I submitted an EPS file created in Adobe
Illustrator with the fonts converted to outlines but you rejected my
file because it still has active
fonts in it. Why is this happening?
A: The Create Outlines feature in Adobe Illustrator is a wonderful
tool but it's also a bit sloppy. Even if you have done a Select All
and performed Create Outlines, some stray text anchor points can still
be left behind. As long as there are text anchor points present, even
if there is no text in them, they will still make reference to a font.
Fixing this problem is a simple matter of locating these points and deleting
them. One method is to change the View from Preview to Outline (Command+Y).
This reveals the stray points as little x's that can then be selected
and deleted. You can also try using Object>Path>Clean Up, making
sure that Stray Points and Empty Text Paths are checked. Additionally,
you can try Select>Object>Stray Points or Select>Object>Text
Objects, and then delete the resulting selections. Be careful when using
Select>Object>Text Objects. If you still have unconverted text,
it will select that text as well as the stray text points. As a final
check, go to Type>Find Font. If there are any Fonts listed in the
top window under Fonts In Document, you still have stray text points
somewhere in the document. Keep finding and deleting until that window
is empty. If the window is empty, save a new EPS file and then send
that file to us.
11. Q: Can I submit a DCS file or a file with
DCS files placed within it?
A: No. Our printer requests that we refrain from using these types
of files. So unfortunately, we have to pass this request on to you.
You'll
need to find an alternate method of achieving the same result with
a standard EPS file.
12. Q: I want to submit a file using a Duotone image.
Is this OK?
A: Yes and no. If you want to use a Duotone image in your ad you'll
not be able to submit a PDF. Because Adobe Distiller cannot translate
these types of files properly, they will be converted to RGB in a PDF
file. Instead, you'll need to submit an EPS file but some additional
care needs to be taken. Always make sure the spot color in your Duotone
file is named EXACTLY the same as it's in your layout application's
color palette. If there is ANY difference in the name, even just one
letter difference, your EPS file will likely not separate properly and
you'll be asked to submit a corrected file. EPS files generated
from Illustrator need Duotone images embedded in a VERY specific way.
Please contact us for special instructions. And as always, you're
encouraged to check your work prior to submitting ad files to us. You
can print separations of your finished file to make sure that it's
indeed separating properly.
13. Q: I submitted an EPS file made from QuarkXPressXPress
and it was rejected because the fonts are not embedded. Doesn't
that happen automatically? How do I do that?
A: Out of the box, QuarkXPressXPress is not able to embed the fonts
into an EPS file. You'll need an additional Xtension to allow
QuarkXPress to do this for you. One very good utility is made by Meadows
Information
Systems http://www.meadowsinfo.com/pubsolutions/downloads.htm. It's called Utility
Bundle and includes the Font Collector Xtension. This Utility Bundle
is free to download and use with a single user license. Once installed,
you'll have the option of embedding fonts into your QuarkXPress
EPS files.
14. Q: You've told me to resave my file
with a preview but I did that for the original submission. Are you sure
it
doesn't have a preview?
A: We are quite sure. If you transmitted an uncompressed (Stuffed or
Zipped) file to us electronically by e-mail or FTP, the preview may have
been inadvertently stripped away from the file. This is most common with
EPS files. The solution is to compress your file before transmission.
Mac users can use Stuff-It or similar application and PC users can use
Winzip or similar application. This ensures that your file remains intact
and protected during transmission.
15. Q: I'm new to making PDFs and I want to learn
more. Where should I go?
A: A simple Internet search for PDF will yield a tremendous number
of results but the best source has always been the creator of the PDF
format – Adobe!
Their online Support section at adobe.com is incredible. The amount of
information there is staggering. Even seasoned veterans can find new
and useful information. Be sure to try the User to User Forums. More
than likely, if you have a question, it's already been answered
by the generous folks that read and post regularly. If you don't
see your question, simply post it. You'll be amazed at how quickly
it gets answered!
16. Q: I submitted an ad to you a few months
ago and our company recently changed e-mail addresses. Can you make this
small change for us?
A: No. Because of liability issues and the protection of our advertisers,
we have a strict policy of not altering electronic files, no matter how
minute the change is.
17. Q: I'm having trouble fixing the problems
with my file. Can someone please walk me through the process, step-by-step?
A: Unfortunately, we can't. Our workload does not permit us to
provide live, step-by-step phone support. If you have a specific question
or problem, we're happy to offer suggestions but we'll be
unable to guide you through them while you work on the file over the
phone. However, in most cases, your questions can be answered by the
user's manual that accompanied your software or the publisher's
online support services.
18. Q: What is the best way to send my ad to
Canon Communications?
A: Electronically, via email, or FTP (file transfer protocol). It's
fast, it's free and allows us to receive your file far more quickly
than postal service, FedEx, or UPS. See our Send section for more details.
Note: We can receive files through email as large as 5Mb, so anything
small enough to fit on a floppy disk will be small enough to go through
email.
