Fantasy Index Ad-Building Tips and Definitions

Ad File-Building Tips

• Use specific fonts instead of applying style attributes (for example, use Helvetica Bold instead of applying a <<bold>> style to Helvetica).
• Include all fonts, images, logos and artwork.
• Screen-resolution or web graphics are not high enough resolution for print production. Bitmap art (photos, etc.) should be at least 300 ppi.
• Do not nest EPS files in other EPS files.
• All color images must be in CMYK mode.
• Total ink percentages from all four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) should not exceed 270 percent.
• Include the Quark "Collect for Output" report, or similar summary.
• Include hard proofs that match each digital file.

General Requirements

Digital files are the preferred format for advertisements. Files 20 MB in size or smaller may be emailed; files larger than 20 MB should be delivered on disk. Accepted disks formats are:

• CD
• DVD

The following software programs are acceptable:

• InDesign (version CS3 or earlier)
• Quark XPress (version 7.2 or earlier)
• Illustrator (version CS3 or earlier)
• FreeHand (version MX or earlier)
• Photoshop (version CS3 or earlier)
• Acrobat/PDF files (version CS3 or earlier)

All fonts should be included with the digital file - both screen and printer fonts for Postscript fonts, or the proper Open Type font. Only Type 1 Postscript fonts or Open Type fonts are accepted - DO NOT use True Type fonts.

Include all the fonts in the family (roman, bold, italic, bold italic, black, etc.). Also include all photos or linked art used in the file. File formats should be either EPS or TIFF.

Include a proof that matches each digital file, either a hard copy, PDF or JPEG.

Graphics Definitions

Bleed, Trim Size and Live Area.

A full-page advertisement in Fantasy Football Index appears on a page measuring 8 3/8 inches by 10 7/8 inches. That page is first printed on a much larger sheet of paper, then cut down or trimmed to the proper dimensions. If you have a photo or art that goes all the way to the edges of the page, it will need to bleed or spill over the edges by a quarter-inch in each direction in order to make sure the image covers the whole page (a printed sheet may not be exactly centered when it is trimmed to size, hence the need for some extra image). The live area is the part of the page that is guaranteed to be seen - it's the "safe" area to put your text or graphics so they won't disappear into the binding, or accidentally get trimmed out.

DPI, LPI and PPI

DPI- or dots per inch, measures the resolution of a printer. In other words the dots of toner or ink set down by a laser printer, imagesetter or other printer to print text and graphics. Roughly, the more dots per inch, or higher dpi, the better - it allows for more detail and sharper images. Dots per inch is not a measure of image resolution, but is often used that way as interchangeable with:

PPI - or pixels per inch, which measures the resolution of an image. A graphic on a web page has a resolution of (usually) 72 ppi. If that same image is printed, though, edges that appear in the image can be jagged or blurry. To avoid that, most printed graphics should be 300 ppi. And simply having your software (such as Adobe Photoshop) increase the resolution to 300 ppi won't work - it has to add in pixels that weren't there in the original, and the results are still blurry and unuseable. Start with a high-resolution original, whether from a scan, digital camera, or original illustration.

LPI - lines per inch, measures the resolution of images in commercial printing. Photos and other graphics are reproduced using halftone dots - tiny dots that vary in size and give the effect of different tones or colors. The more lines of these dots per inch, the sharper and more detailed the graphic. Magazines generally print at 133 or 150 lpi; newspapers at 85 or 100 lpi. This is also known as the line frequency, screen frequency or halftone resolution.

EPS and Bitmap Graphics

EPS stands for Encapsulated Postcript. EPS graphics rely (roughly) on a description of points in an image, and the lines and tones that extend from them. EPS graphics produced by programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia FreeHand can run either large or small and look fine.

Bitmap graphics include file formats such as TIFF, GIF, JPEG, BMP, PICT and others. These graphics are made up of pixels, similar to the way a mosaic is made up of several small tiles. Bitmap graphics can be sized smaller and look fine, but they can't be sized larger.

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