Quick Reference
Art Guidelines

We can help!

The first thing to be aware of is that Graphics East wants to help you.
We have decades of experience and are ready to share.
Feel free to contact us if you’re not sure or have questions about anything.

File Prep
Fundamentals

Resolution

Image resolution should be around 300 dpi at the size the image will be used

Bleeds

A standard 1/8” bleed will work well for most projects

Document Layout

  • Saddle Stitched Books – The page count must be divisible by 4. Create InDesign document as facing pages.
  • Spiral and Perfect Bound Books – The page count must be divisible by 2. Create InDesign document as single pages.
  • Folded Brochures – Set the front and back panels at the finish size.
    Every additional panel needs to be approximately 1/16 inch shorter than the one preceding it.
    Templates are available for your convenience.
  • Pocket Folders and other custom projects – We are happy to help with layouts and templates!

Package and
Send Files

Native Files/ Working Files

This option allows the greatest flexibility for making future edits, and is the best choice if you anticipate needing alterations.

Both InDesign and Illustrator offer a “Package” function that will collect all the necessary pieces of your project and package them into a folder that you can send us. You can find this near the bottom of the “File” menu. We recommend that you zip that folder before sending it.

PDF

PDFs are neat, compact, and easy to send, but they tend to be more difficult to edit.

This is a good option for projects where extensive edits are not expected. Please contact us for PDF settings for best results.

File Submission

You are welcome to email art files to your sales representative whenever possible.

For large file sizes we will build you a personal link to our FTP site that you can open in a web browser for simple drag and drop submission