Best Practices to Prepare Artwork for Static Items

 Static Item Requirements

Direct 3.1 Storefront Administrator Document 

Prepare your Product Artwork

Each static product in a storefront requires four (4) supporting files as follows:

Naming Conventions for Saving your JPG and PDF Files

When naming your JPG and PDF files, please use only standard letters, spaces, dashes and underscores.

Do not use the following characters in your filenames:

• Any of the characters above the number keys on a standard keyboard:

  ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( )

• Single quote, double quote, brackets, curly brackets, colon, semicolon, etc.

  When naming your files, make sure that you always include the appropriate .jpg or .pdf extension i.e. sample.jpg, sample.pdf

  BAD FILENAME: #10 Envelope(color).jpg

  GOOD FILENAME: 10-Envelope_color.jpg

  PDF Guidelines for the Static Document

  The Static Document is typically a high quality PDF file that can be used to produce a digital or press job. You must upload a file even if you do not plan on using the copy stored in the AccuConnect storefront for production purposes.

  This document will get copied to the FTP when an order is placed. We recommend using high quality PDF files that are generated with Acrobat’s standard Press Quality settings (or equivalent).

  Please include bleed area and crop marks if needed for final production. You may also want to provide an imposed, multi-up, PDF for production (i.e. a 10-up business card on a letter sized document).

  Note that the ordering user will not have access to the Static File.

  Example of a Press Quality PDF with bleeds and crops

   

  PDF Guidelines for the Proof File or Preview Image

  When using a PDF file for either the Proof File or the Preview Image, you may want to consider creating a “low resolution” and/or secure version of the PDF as the end user customer will have access to them during the shopping process (and could theoretically save/extract them from the web browser).

  Note: The Proof File is displayed to the ordering user at the "4 View Summary" step and will be displayed (for personalized products) if the user clicks the "Preview Proof" link on the "2 Personalize" step.

  Suggestions:

• Reduce all images to 72dpi (screen resolution)
• Eliminate all vector art by rasterizing the file at 72dpi
• Using Acrobat Pro, prevent or limit printing of the document using the Security options in the Document Properties

Example of a Low Resolution PDF

Print File or Preview Image – JPG

If using a JPG for the Proof File or Preview Image, we recommend the following:

• JPG format with medium compression
• RGB color space (8-bit)
  • NOTE: Some browsers will not load a CMYK file
• 72 dpi
• Minimum size of 480 x 480 pixels
• Maximum size of 640 x 640 pixels
• Note that the size does not have to be exactly 480 x 480 or 640 x 640 as the image will NOT be “stretched” by AccuConnect- the image just needs to fit within the stated parameters
• To reduce file size and improve browser loading times, make sure that the file does not contain any EPS Path information

Sample Proof/Preview JPG File – the green border indicates the image size (in this case 640 x 457 px) – the blue border indicates the maximum recommended size (640 x 640 px)

Note that if the Proof/Preview image is less than 640 x 640 px, it will NOT be stretched like the example on the right

Thumbnail Image – JPG

The thumbnail image is used in the Product view pages and is displayed in the Product Information pop-up screen. This image will also be displayed in the shopping cart.

The thumbnail image must be a JPG file with the following settings:

• JPG format with medium compression
• RGB color space (8-bit)
• 72 dpi
• Exactly 120 x 100 pixels
• Note that the size must be exactly 120 x 100 or the image will be “stretched” by AccuConnect

Sample thumbnail at 120 x 100 px (With additional 2px border added around the thumbnail. A light grey border was added to display the white space created around the thumbnail.)

Sample thumbnail at 120 x 86 px that has been stretched

When preparing your thumbnail image in Adobe Photoshop, we recommend the following workflow:

• Open your file in Photoshop
• Use the File>Save for Web & Devices menu
  • Start with the JPEG Medium preset
  • Use the Image Size section in the “Save for Web & Devices” dialog to size the artwork to fit within 120 x 100 pixels

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Save and name your file appropriately, adding ”_thumb” to the end of the file name (i.e. “Sample Art_thumb.jpg”)

     

     

• If the file created with the “Save for Web & Devices” dialog is not exactly 120 x 100 pixels, use Photoshop’s Image>Canvas Size menu item to extend the canvas as needed, using Gray for the “Canvas extension color”

   

   

• To reduce file size and improve browser loading times, make sure that the file does not contain EPS Path information