Most of our yearbooks come in either Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher file formats. Here are some guidelines to follow which will help us handle your files:

• Set your page sizes to 8½ x 11 with half-inch margins. If your yearbook is printed onto 11 x 17 we can easily re-format 8½ x 11 pages at the Print Shop.
• Embed your fonts! Click HERE for a quick how-to.
• Word does NOT display alerts if fonts are missing, but instead are automatically substituted. We will not know if a font has been substituted until your yearbook has been proofed by you. Publisher, however, does alert when fonts are missing.
• Stretching/re-sizing images in Word or Publisher does not decrease the image's file size. If you are taking pictures with a digital camera, please decrease the Megapixels on your camera that you are shooting with. Check your camera's instructions on how to accomplish this. For the size we will be printing, you will not lose quality by reducing from 5 megapixels to 2 megapixels.
• Scan images at no more than 150 dpi. Check your scanner preferences for information on how to adjust this.
• Large files will take quite a while to open on our Print Shop PCs. Save us time: open large images in a graphics program (egs.: Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft Paint) and reduce their width and height. Convert images to grayscale if they are not printed in color. This also will reduce the file sizes.
• Save your files into smaller sections. Preferably each section should be less than 15 megabytes (MB). For example:
1. Pages 01-10.pub
2. Pages 11-20.pub
3. Pages 21-30.pub and so on...
• If you have the means to, supply your files in PDF format. This will ensure your fonts/images will print correctly AND it will reduce your file sizes. Your files will inevitably be converted to PDF anyway prior to printing at the Print Shop, so this will not only save time, but will ensure your fonts and images will print correctly.
• If possible, supply a hard copy of your files so we can compare how they are supposed to look. Missing images/fonts will cause text to re-flow and pages to re-paginate.
• Keep in mind: incoming yearbooks are printed in the order they are received AND proofed.

For Adobe Pagemaker 6.5/7.0 files here are some guidelines to follow which will help us handle those particular files:

• Set your page sizes to 8½ x 11 with half-inch margins. If your yearbook is printed onto 11 x 17 we can easily re-format 8½ x 11 pages at the Print Shop.
• Linking your images will reduce the file sizes, but the images must also be kept on the same computer as your yearbook file(s). Instead of linking, embed your images. Embedding your images will ensure they are not missing once we receive your files and open them.
• Copying Microsoft clipart and pasting them into Pagemaker causes erratic printing. We're not sure why, but put it down to a compatibility issue. Use Microsoft clipart with Pagemaker at your own risk.
• Stretching/re-sizing images in Pagemaker does not decrease the image's file size. If you are taking pictures with a digital camera, please decrease the Megapixels on your camera that you are shooting with. Check your camera's instructions on how to accomplish this. For the size we will be printing, you will not lose quality by reducing from 5 megapixels to 2 megapixels.
• Scan images at no more than 150 dpi. Check your scanner preferences for information on how to adjust this.
• Large files will take quite a while to open on our Print Shop PCs. Save us time: open large images in a graphics program (egs.: Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft Paint) and reduce their width and height. Convert images to grayscale if they are not printed in color. This also will reduce the file sizes.
• Save your files into smaller sections. Preferably each section should be less than 15 megabytes (MB). For example:
1. Pages 01-10.pmd (or .p65)
2. Pages 11-20.pmd
3. Pages 21-30.pmd and so on...
• If you have the means to, supply your files in PDF format. This will ensure your fonts/images will print correctly AND it will reduce your file sizes. Your files will inevitably be converted to PDF anyway prior to printing at the Print Shop, so this will not only save time, but will ensure your fonts and images will print correctly.
• If possible, supply a hard copy of your files so we can compare how they are supposed to look. Missing images/fonts will cause text to re-flow and pages to re-paginate.
• Package your files if you can. Packaging your Pagemaker files collects all images and fonts used and saves them in a predetermined folder for sending to a different computer. Here's how:
  1. From Pagemaker, open the "Utilities" menu.
  2. Select "Plugins"
  3. Choose "Save for Service Provider..."
  4. Click the "Preflight Pub" button. This examines your system and checks to see if the fonts and images in the Pagemaker file actually exist on your system. If you see any red "X's" then there are problems. Click on the appropriate tabs for detailed info on what is missing or out of date. In many cases images simply need to be re-linked or updated. Missing images will need to be re-located (perhaps they were copied from a disc that is no longer in the drive?).
  5. Click "Package". Save if necessary. Create a new directory--perhaps on your desktop--named "Yearbook-PrintShop" (or whatever you like). Make sure "Copy Fonts" is CHECKED. Make sure "Update links..." is CHECKED. Save the file.
  6. Your Pagemaker file, fonts and graphics are being saved into the new directory. This new directory is what we need at the Print Shop in order to open your yearbook.
• Keep in mind: incoming yearbooks are printed in the order they are received AND proofed.




As always, feel free to call us at the Print Shop with any questions regarding electronic files.