What is Full Color?
Full color refers to printing in the four basic printing colors: CMYK. This stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, & Black. Full color is the standard printing method for items printed on paper stock. It is also the standard for offset printing optical media (CD/DVD). Additionally, a large percentage of optical media that is silk screen printed will be printed Full Color. Full color is also refered to as 4 color process or CMYK.

What is process color?
Process color is any printing method that uses the standard CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, & Black) to print the supplied artwork. This is also refered to as Full Color and 4 color process.

Why do my fonts need to be outlined before we send
the artwork to you?
A font is dependent on the system having the font loaded. When the fonts are 'outlined' they become 'pictures' and no longer require the font profiles to be loaded on our system. This is important to insure that your artwork is
faithfully reproduced.

What is the minimum font size I can use on my artwork?
The minimum font size is dependent upon how the artwork is going to be printed. We recommend that the minimum font size is 6pt Bold. This is especially important if the artwork is CMYK (4 Color Process). The complete font specifications are: Silk Screen Printing 6 pt bold unless reversed out. Then use 7 pt bold as the minimum font size. Offset Printing 4 pt bold unless reversed out. Then use 6 pt bold as the minimum font size. The minimum font size for other printing methods is 6 pt bold.

What is the minimum line thickness I can use on my artwork?
The minimum line thickness is dependent upon how the artwork is going to be printed. We strongly recommend that your lines are no thinner than 0.75 pt. If your artwork is going to be printed offset the minimum line thickness is 0.5 pt.

My artwork has gradients. Is there anything I should know?
Gradients will reproduce well in Laser Printing, Offset Printing, & Inkjet Printing. There are some things to know if your project is going to be Silk Screen Printed. The nature of silk screen printing will produce good results with gradients between 20% and 80%. Gradients below 20% might reproduce as random dots. Gradients above 80% might reproduce as solids. Therefore we recommend your artwork be setup with gradients between 20% and 80%.

What is the minimum gradient recommended for
silk screen cd printing?
We strongly recommend that face artwork that is to be silk screened has gradients between 20% and 80%.

What is the minimum gradient recommended for
silk screen dvd printing?
We strongly recommend that face artwork that is to be silk screened has gradients between 20% and 80%.

What is the maximum gradient recommended for
silk screen dvd printing?
We strongly recommend that face artwork that is to be silk screened has gradients between 20% and 80%.

Why would I want a white flood coat for my CD face artwork?
A CD is silver on the surface. When we print on this silver surface the silver might change the tone of the artwork we print. To minimize this affect we recommend the use of a white flood coat. The exception to this recommendation is when the graphics are designed to use the silver CD surface as a part of the artwork.

Why would I want a white flood coat for my DVD face artwork?
A DVD is silver on the surface. When we print on this silver surface the silver might change the tone of the artwork we print. To minimize this affect we recommend the use of a white flood coat. The exception to this recommendation is when the graphics are designed to use the silver DVD surface as a part of
the artwork.

Can you accept artwork in RGB?
We do not offer any printing services that will allow us to accept RGB artwork. If your artwork is currently in RGB we recommend opening the artwork in a graphics program that allows you to convert the artwork to CMYK. An exception to this recommendation is if you artwork only has one or two colors. In these cases we recommend having the artwork converted to spot colors if the printing method is going to be silk screen printing. If the printing method is not going to be via silk screen please convert the artwork to CMYK.

Does my artwork for inserts or packaging need a bleed?
Yes. We strongly recommend a minimum of 1/4" bleed on all artwork used for inserts or packaging.

What is a bleed?
A bleed refers to artwork that extends further than what is estimated to be the print area. A bleed is important in case the stock shifts slightly during the printing process. This avoids an unprinted area on the final piece.

Why is a bleed important?
A bleed is important to avoid the potential for your final printed piece to have an unprinted area.

Will my CD printing match exactly?
Printing is subject to variations. These variations can include atmospheric conditions, slight variations in inks, slight variations in the scales that weigh inks in preparation for mixing. There are many other varations that do play a part in the final artwork. We do try very hard to minimize output variations, but small variations do occur and are considered acceptable in the printing industries.

Will my DVD printing match exactly?
Printing is subject to variations. These variations can include atmospheric conditions, slight variations in inks, slight variations in the scales that weigh inks in preparation for mixing. There are many other varations that do play a part in the final artwork. We do try very hard to minimize output variations, but small variations do occur and are considered acceptable in the printing industries.

What is the difference between a booklet and Z-Fold?
A booklet has a single fold in the middle of each sheet of paper. Booklets can come in 8, 12, 16, & 20 panel versions. A Z-Fold Insert is folded up accordian style. The Z-Fold is offered in 8, 10, & 12 panel versions.

What do you mean by panels?
There is sometimes confusion about pages. A single sheet of paper has a front and back. That single sheet of paper would be considered two panels. If you fold that paper in half you would have 4 panels. If you had two pieces of paper folded in half that would be 8 panels. Stapled together in the middle these eight panels would make an 8 panel Booklet.

What do you mean by a booklet?
A booklet is folded in the middle of the paper. Booklets come in increments of 4. We offer 8, 12, 16, & 20 panel booklets.

What is an entrapment?
An entrapment is also called a case wrap. This is the paper that is printed and put on the outside of a cd or dvd case between the clear plastic and the case.

What is a case wrap?
A case wrap is also called an entrapment. This is the paper that is printed and put on the outside of a cd or dvd case between the clear plastic and the case.

What is the difference between an entrapment and a case wrap?
There is no difference. Both are refering to the paper that is printed and put on the outside of a cd or dvd case between the clear plastic and the case.

When to use Replication?
Replication is used for projects that have large volumes. .

What is Replication?
Replication is a polycarbonate injection manufacturing. A replicated disc is created by applying a stamper into polycarbonate. This creates the pits that a computer reads as data.

What is a bump?
A bump is the spot on a piece of optical media (CD or DVD) that is not the flat spot. The bump is sometimes also refered to as a pit. There is no difference between a pit and a bump. The only difference is the perspective of which side of the optical media you are looking from.

What is a Father?
A Father is the metal part that is made from a Glass Master. The Father is used to make a harder metal part that is called a Mother.

What is a Glass Master?
A Glass Master is a piece of media that a computer writes data to in preparation for making a father.

What is a landing?
The landing is the flat spot between pits (bumps) on a piece of optical media.

What is Metalizing?
Metalizing is the process where a thin coat of metal is applied to the clear plastic disc that is the basis of optical media.

What is a Mother?
A Mother is a hard metal part created from a Father. The hard metal Mother is used to make a very hard part called a Stamper. The Stamper is the part that physically 'stamps' the pits and landings into the polycarbonate that is the basis of any optical media.

What is a pit?
A pit is the spot on a piece of optical media (CD or DVD) that is not the flat spot. The pit is sometimes also refered to as a bump. There is no difference between a pit and a bump. The only difference is the perspective of which side of the optical media you are looking from.

Is there a difference between a pit and a bump?
No. There is no difference between a pit and a bump. The only difference is the perspective of which side of the optical media you are looking from.

Why does optical media have pits and landings?
These difference in 'elevation' are read by the laser drive as data.

What is a Stamper?
A Stamper is made from a Mother. The Stamper is the part that physically 'stamps' the pits and landings into the polycarbonate that is the basis of any optical media.

What is the Substrate?
The core material of optical media is moulded polycarbonate. This moulded polycarbonate is refered to as the Substrate.

What is the track?
Audio cds contain songs or performances. Each song or performance is one track. On a data disc there is only one track. An enhanced cd will have one track for the data and additional tracks that comprise the audio portion of the cd.

What is track pitch?
Track pitch is the distance between rows of data on optical media. The normal track pitch for cds is 1.6 microns. For dvds the normal track pitch is .8 microns.