creating business cards....

Hi Guys,
VERY new to PS...

These are the guidelines i have to follow:

- CMYK
- All fonts supplied or converted to outlines OR embedd fonts etc in EPS files
- Bitmap images require a minimumof 300DPI
- Linework requires a minimum of 800-1200 DPI
- Supply as a single pagw where possible
- 2mm bleed required ofr artwork outside of trim area, include bleed within document pages, need 2mm bleed guide lines.
- No RGB or LAB colour spacers on file
- Make sure LINKS are all available

What and how does all this mean...????

Any tutorials...???

Much appreciated

- CMYK
- All fonts supplied or converted to outlines OR embedd fonts etc in EPS files
- Bitmap images require a minimumof 300DPI
- Linework requires a minimum of 800-1200 DPI
- Supply as a single pagw where possible
- 2mm bleed required ofr artwork outside of trim area, include bleed within document pages, need 2mm bleed guide lines.
- No RGB or LAB colour spacers on file
- Make sure LINKS are all available

- CMYK, you can specify the colors by doing: Image->Mode->CMYK
- Saved in bitmap format with 300 pixel res. To figure out the exact dimensions, multipy 300 by the dimensions of the business card, in inches.
- ?
- ?
- ?
- ?
- Most likely they're talking about links to their site and email addresses.

thanks !moOchan!

3 out of 4 of the ? concern printing limitations, and that part i wouldn't know.

How did you land a job making business cards if you don't know any of that stuff? It's all BASIC graphic design knowledge.
If you just someone who picked up a bootleg copy of PS, and have no formal training in pre-press....you really shouldn't be doing that. Take a class at a community college or something, but don't tell someone you can do something for them, then scour the internet hoping you'll be able to BS your way through the job.

Sorry to be so negative, but as a graphic designer, I hate seeing people who don't have full knowledge of the business try to throw something together. Because, you may end up with a cool looking business card...but when it comes time to take that to the printer and you haven't followed your limitations because you didnt understand them, your going to end up costing, yourself and your client alot more money than you should have.

So, in short, learn PS, learn Quark, learn Illustrator, learn any other graphics programs you need to, and learn how you need to set up your graphics so they will be printed correctly. THEN tell people you can make business cards for them.

And, no an internet message board is NOT the place to learn that. A book, or a classroom are.

Well re: the initial topic. You should find some templates somewhere for (my preferance) Illustrator and use that for the text and lay out. Use photoshop for any images that are bitmapped and you can just drag the images into illustrator without any conversion.

Before you save as an eps file use the white arrow and select (drag whole area) all the text and then go to:
type--> outline, this will make all the text vector so you dont need the fonts to be installed on the computer.

Also with saving into eps you can embed all the images so you dont need to include those with the files, unless they want the images for later use.

when you select colors for fonts use the pantone, coated colors and select the colors. B4 you finalize everything make sure you click on the swatch color icon (the little square in the swatch pallet that has the color in it.) and convert it to process. ie changes from a spot to cmyk value color.

You can make a template, but you need all the right specs, so try to find one. There are quite a few downloadable ones on the net, free.

Just make the images the size you want. Stay away from resizing them too much.

You will need one eps file for the front and one for the back, seperate files amigo. That may be several copies of the cards in one template.

re: PSNukehead....

I have never taken a class on all this stuff, and yes I did get some books, but most don't explain the basic details of what you need to do to get from point a to point b with this kind of work. I had to ask a lot of questions, read forums such as this, etc. in order to be able to make sense of this. I didnt have a co worker who knew what to do. I also bugged the print house we use and he has been very patient and helpful to me. All do respect we have to start somewhere. And a good place to head in the right direction is to ask people who know where to go. We are all newbies at some point and I still have lots to learn. Otherwise I wouldnt waste my time checking this board and reading the tutorials and seeing what people do and asking questions.

Yes, but that still doesn't justify leading someone to believe that you have the skills and then performing a half-assed job for them simply because you have no clue what you are doing.

Originally posted by Marble
Otherwise I wouldnt waste my time checking this board and reading the tutorials and seeing what people do and asking questions.

Why're you even here when if you concider this to be a waste of time ? If it's a waste of time then you should go elsewhere and seek information at locations where you don' waste your precious time...

who said he was leading someone on? Maybe his boss told him to make new business cards. or maybe they are for himself? Maybe he is doing it for free for someone he knows? also basic graphic design? If you do mostly web work, linescreen, bleed, and cmyk wouldnt mean a thing, but you could still call yourself a graphic designer.... Maybe it's basic if you work in a print house or learned in class, but we dont all have that option.

re read that because you are not understanding what i said (i worded it bad. sorry)....What I was trying to say is we all are learning, including my self, or I wouldnt bother coming here.