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). Only OpenType Fonts or Macintosh-compatible fonts will be accepted—remember to include screen fonts with all Type I fonts.

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 .125″ 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

The easiest 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)

You may also 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.

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.)

QuarkXPress

File > Save Page as EPS > Download fonts with this EPS file? Yes > Default settings (Change set page and bleed as needed.)

 

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 jpaxson@wsu.edu, if you have any additional questions regarding preparing artwork for submission.