Advertising Artwork Guidelines

Advertisers may submit digital art created in the applications listed below. You may send your native application file if you include copies of all high-resolution links (do not embed images!) and all fonts used, unless they have been converted to outlines (preferred). Make sure your fonts are compatible with the current requirements of Adobe Creative Cloud.

You may also submit your artwork as a PDF file, but it must be converted as described below (see PDF Conversion for WSM). Whichever way you choose, please note that:

• All artwork should be produced using CMYK color mode and Adobe RGB (1998) and U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 for the working spaces. (Select “North America Prepress 2” under Edit > Color Settings… > Settings in your Adobe Creative Cloud applications.)
• Images should be at least 300 pixels per inch at actual size; line art at least 1200 ppi.
• Spot colors should be converted to CMYK equivalents.
• Artwork in ads with bleeds needs to be extended by .25″ on all sides.

Application settings before creating artwork for Washington State Magazine

Adobe InDesign

Edit > Transparency Blend Space > Document CMYK
Edit > Color Settings > Settings: North America Prepress 2 (Working spaces: Adobe RGB/CMYK U.S. Web Coated [SWOP] v2)

Adobe Illustrator

File > Document Setup > Transparency: Export & Clipboard Preset: High Resolution
File > Document Color Mode > CMYK Color
Edit > Color settings > Settings: North America Prepress 2 (Working spaces: Adobe RGB/CMYK U.S. Web Coated [SWOP] v2)
Effect > Document Raster Effects Settings> Color Model: CMYK; Resolution: High (300 ppi); Options: Anti-alias

Adobe Photoshop

Image > Mode > CMYK Color
Edit > Color Settings > Settings: North America Prepress 2 (Working spaces: Adobe RGB/CMYK U.S. Web Coated [SWOP] v2)
Image > Image Size > Resolution: 300 pixels/inch

 

PDF Conversion for Washington State Magazine

You may export directly to PDF in InDesign if you modify the File > Adobe PDF Presets > Press Quality settings as outlined in the PDF guide available here.

Another way to convert your advertising artwork to PDF for delivery to Washington State Magazine is to export as a single page EPS file and then use Acrobat Distiller. Before using Distiller, however, you must download a special Job Options settings file. (See Step 2 below for details.)

Step 1: Exporting an EPS file from your application

Adobe InDesign

File > Export > Format: EPS > Save > General: Default settings (change set page and bleed as needed); Advanced: Default settings (make sure Transparency Flattener Preset: High Resolution is selected)

Adobe Illustrator

File > Save As > Format: Illustrator EPS > EPS Options: Default settings (Make sure Transparency Preset: High Resolution; Options: Embed Fonts, Include Linked Files are selected if available.)

Adobe Photoshop

File > Save As > Photoshop EPS: Default > EPS Options: Default settings (Make sure Include Vector Data is checked if available.)

 

Step 2: Converting your EPS file to PDF

Acrobat Distiller

Unzip the “WSM_Distiller” archive you downloaded if it didn’t unzip automatically. Launch Acrobat Distiller and drag the appropriate .joboptions file to the Distiller window. (Click “Replace” if a Caution dialog box appears, and click “OK” to Confirm Security.) Now drag your EPS file to the Distiller window to convert it to a PDF.

Additional Questions?

Please contact John Paxson, WSM art director, at 509-335-2106 or john.paxson@wsu.edu, if you have any additional questions regarding preparing artwork for submission.