If you are supplying Designs and Signs with your own graphics, please follow these guidelines, to insure accurate reproduction, and to avoid excessive design fees.

ARTWORK REQUIREMENTS FOR CUT LETTERS, LOGOS OR GRAPHICS

We ask that all files be saved in the following formats (in order of preferrence).

VECTOR (LINE ART) FILE FORMATS:

• Gerber OMEGA or Graphix Advantage Composer files (PLT, any version up to 2.61)
• PC CorelDRAW files (CDR or CMX, any version up to 3X)
• PC Adobe Acrobat Reader (Vectors - PDF, any version)
• PC Adobe Illustrator (AI, CS2 or previous)
• PC Encapsulated PostScript vector graphics (EPS, CS2 or previous)
• The following formats can usually be opened, but may have significant limitations: Macromedia Freehand (FH), Corel/Micrografx Designer (DSF/DRW), Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG, SVGZ), WordPerfect (WPG, WP4, WP5, WPD), Macintosh PICT (PCT), Microsoft Word (DOC, DOT, MCW), Windows Metafile (WMF, EMF), Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM), Frame Vector Metafile (FMV)
• AutoCAD (DXF, DWG, preferably version 14 or lower--very difficult for us to work with, but it's a place to start)

RASTOR (BITMAP) FILE FORMATS:

• We can open most bitmap formats (BMP, TIF, GIF, JPG, JPEG, PhotoShop, Photo-Paint), but their usability is quite limited.
• Bitmaps may be used for printed sign elements, such as a full-color photo or pattern.  In this case, the image should be large, and created at a high resolution.
• Bitmaps are made up of a gridwork of square dots. When these files are expanded, the squares get larger, creating a jagged, "stair-stepped" image. Most logos that have been created in PhotoShop (or other similar program) are not of a high enough resolution to be used effectively on signage. For this reason, scanned and bitmapped images that have not been converted to lines, curves or paths will very often involve clean-up design fees.
• Graphics created and used on web pages are almost always too small, and too crude to be used at all.  Web graphics are typically 72 dots per inch, and far too coarse to be useable.
• File formats include: BMP, CAL, CPT, FPX, GIF, JPG, JPEG, JP2, MAC, PCD, PCX, PNG, PPF, PP4, PP5, PSD, RIFF, SCT, TGA, TIF, TIFF, XCF, XPM, WI (and others).

MAC FILES:

While much of the graphics world uses Macintosh computers, most of the sign industry does not.  If your file is in Mac format, please follow asterisked* notes below, in addition to the rest of this page.

NO FILE FORMAT AVAILABLE:

• Black and white proof or slick. We can scan these images, up to 8½" x 14." The larger and cleaner the print is, the better, to save clean-up time and excessive design charges.
• Faxed artwork. Be advised that this method always involves lengthy clean-up, and thus design charges, except with the simplest of logos/designs.
• If you are unable to provide any of these formats, please call and ask the Graphics Department at (702) 736-6463, extension 21, for help.

We can accept artwork on any of the following media:

• 3½” Floppy disk (PC Format)
• CD-ROM, DVD-ROM (PC Format)
• e-mail - Files can be e-mailed to us at graphics@designsandsigns.net.
• When visiting in person, you may bring your files on USB Flash or Hard Drive storage devices (PC Format)

Also remember:

• If your file contains precise colors, please include proper CMYK or RGB values, PMS number, or Gerber/3M Vinyl or EDGE color names to insure the best color match. Colors often shift values when files are converted from one file format to another, so if color is especially important, please let us know.
• * Please convert any fonts to curves or outlines before saving the file, especially if you are saving from Mac (If you have PC CorelDRAW 8 or higher, you can EMBED live fonts when you save, to ensure accuracy). Please also give us the names of any fonts that are important to your job.
• If possible, please save your artwork actual size. Scaled drawings always have the potential to come out the wrong size. If it is crucial that your sign be manufactured at a precise size, please call out the measurement to exact fraction or decimal value.
• * Our sign equipment only functions with Windows/PC software.  Any Mac files should be supplied uncompressed, and with the appropriate file extensions (AI, EPS, CDR, etc.). You must convert files to PC Format. Files compressed with StuffIt may not decompress correctly.  If the file is too large to send without compression, please consider saving to PC-formatted CD-ROM instead of email.
• * We cannot use Quark Xpress, PageMaker, InDesign or other page-layout/publisher program files. If your artwork is within one of these files types, you must extract it, and save it into one of the above mentioned formats.

IF YOU'RE STILL NOT SURE WHAT TO DO:

Contact the graphics department at (702) 736-8735, ext. 21, or email graphics@designsandsigns.net. 

IF AN IMAGE SHOWS AS RED "X," PLEASE RIGHT-CLICK ON IT, AND SELECT "SHOW PICTURE." ALL IMAGES ARE INTACT.

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All signs represented on these pages were designed and/or manufactured in whole or in part, by Designs and Signs Inc., unless otherwise noted.

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