The Files We Need to Produce Your Rub On Decal Transfers
Document File Formats & Artwork Specifications
Prepared correctly, the document, file or Artwork for Rub on Transfers can be created with software as simple as a Word or Text program. The key to a print-ready document is simple, but have important specifics that will vary depending to the software program used. The specifics have been grouped into 3 sections, Text, Vector and Raster which most programs fit into.
Document Setup Basics is the place to start, these specifications are common to all document types. They are essential and absolute to the creation of delay-free Rub on Sticker Decal Transfers Document Artwork Files.
For Text Applications such as Microsoft Word, a Save As a PDF may be all that is needed. If there are any graphics, then the setting used may make or break the quality of your document. See the specifications below.
For Vector or Raster Applications, Vector applications make it easier to create superior quality, easy to edit graphics then Raster software does. However with some simple but critical settings, the image quality of a rub on decal from a raster file will not disappoint.
Basic Facts & Myths
- Saving an unsuitable Document or Graphic in an alternative File Formats will make the Graphic suitable. MYTH
- Vector Graphics are significantly superior to Raster Graphics for NoTone™ Rub On Transfers and almost all other uses. FACT
- Saving a Raster graphic as a Vector file format can convert it a Vector Graphic. MYTH
- A Vector Graphic saved as a Raster File format will convert the graphic to Raster and lose the vector editing capabilities. FACT!
- Increasing the resolution of your document after the graphics have been created will improve the graphics. MYTH
- The choice of the wrong File Format can impair your graphics. FACT!
Document Setup Basics
All Graphics, Text, & Icons must be created in Black, including White, Stock Colors, Custom Match, Foil, and Metallics. Use the Black Swatch color in our Rub On Transfer Templates. The formula for the black must be only 100% K. No Cyan Magenta or Yellow in the mix. Your final Rub On Transfer Color is determined by which Transfer Color Product you choose from the Shop. Do not put white graphics on a black or other color background.
The Rub on Decal Transfers will be produced at the same size as the size of the Graphics in your document. Raster documents must be supplied at their final Sheet Size at a high enough resolution. If you have a graphic you need to be resized, we can resize and populate the rub on transfer sheet size with as many as will fit.
No Shades, Shadows, Tones, Transparency or Gradients of a color can be used in your Rub On Transfer graphics. The typical process for producing rub on is not ideal for imaging the small dots of the color that would be required to produce the Shades, Shadows, Tones or Gradients of a color.
Rub On Transfer Decals have No Tones of color. The color of your graphic will be imaged from a single solid color. Known as spot color printing, a color such as green is produced from a single color green ink and not from overprinting two color Yellow & Cyan to achieve the green.
Once your graphics are applied they will appear the same and at the same size as they are in your document except for the color. The color of your transfers will be that of the Transfer Product color you ordered. For White transfers, do not make white graphics on a black background. Do not mirror or reflect your graphics if this is not how you what them to appear once transferred. With the exception of color, it can be said that, once your transfer graphics are applied, what you see in your document is What You See Is What You Get known by the acronym WYSIWIG. If you want your graphic and text to appear mirrored or reflected when applied and viewed from the application surface because your intent is to read the text correctly from the opposite side of a transparent surface, then supply your text mirrored or reflected.
Glossary of Terms
A PDF is a File Format created by Adobe that supports both Vector and Raster file types in the same document file. There are many Software Application Programs that can create a PDF File Format. Although an application can create a PDF, it may not have the needed options to screte a PDF exactly as needed. Some of these applications are installed on your system and appear as options in 3rd party applications such as the Microsoft Office Suite to save as a PDF. Others PDF Creators are available to use online, while others require a subscription or payment such as Acrobat by Adobe. Acrobat offers powerful options, tools, and settings such as Print Output Preview, a choice of compression methods, and resolutions. Many fonts can be embedded, vectors remain editable while raster will be downsized according to the available settings. Adobe illustrator documents by default create an internal PDF within its own file format .ai that serves as the file preview and enables lower versions of illustrator and other software applications to open and edit an .ai file
A File Format is data saved in a specific structure or format. The specific structure or format type is named and can usually be recognized by a three to four-letter abbreviation that follows a period and the document name. The Software Application Program that you use to create your graphics or text will save the data in this structure or format as it’s own format or may have options to Save As or Export To other File Formats that can be opened by other different software applications. Some File Formats will or will not support your type of graphics text etc. Some File formats may impair your graphics. Common File Formats for the Graphics and Print industry are PDF EPS TIF SVG and more to come.
File Size does not refer to the size of the Document Page Size, the Graphics or the Resolution,
The File Size is the amount of data in the file or the amount of space the file will take up on a hard drive. The larger the file size, the longer it will take to be uploaded to our website. We support file uploads for your order of up to 128 Megs total. Sending a large file size by email may be limited by your email provider. We recommend that file sizes larger than 15 Megs be sent by a File Transfer service such as WeTransfer.com which is free to use, does not require registration, but does require confirmation by email.
Document Setup By Application Type
Setup For All Vector Documents
Most Software Applications provide an option to convert the fonts in your document to objects which no longer require the font file in order to display correctly. On a copy of your document, depending on the terminology of your Software Application, convert the Fonts to Paths, Curves or Outlines. Once converted the text will no longer be editable as text. When your document is printed from anywhere other than your computer, the offsite computer needs the same exact font files to print your document. Without the exact same font file, font substitutions occur with a completely different font or with a slightly different version. Either option can cause the text to reflow differently than you original document. To avoid potential Font issues, the solution is to convert the font-drawn characters into objects that no longer need the font file. The Adobe created File Format encodes the font into the PDF allowing offsite computers to display and print your document as it was intended to appear. However, if a document needs to be edited, the font file may be required due to Font Licensing agreements or the failure of the font to embed. A PDF is the preferred File FOrmat but it is still the best practice to convert your fonts to avoid any delays in the production of your Rub On Transfer order.
Document Settings Specific to your Vector Application
IMPORTANT
Converting your text to outlines will turn any text into objects and therefore make it uneditable.
Make sure you always save a copy of your file with the original text in case a change has to be made.
The specifications for supplying an Adobe Illustrator document would be to Covert Fonts to Outlines and to Save As a Press Ready PDF with embedded links. Here is a recommended workflow to capture every option needed. On your illustrator document, perform a Save As and append the letters OL to the file name. Unlock all layers and objects and perform a Select All. Go to the Main Menu/Type/Create outlines. Now that all fonts have been converted to vector paths or outlines(OL), save your illustrator file as a PDF with the following settings . .
- Preserve Illustrator Editing capability
- Embed Links
- ETC to follow
The specifications for supplying an Inkscape document would be to Convert Fonts to Paths and to Save As a Press Ready PDF with embedded links. Here is a recommended workflow to capture every option needed. On your Inkscape document, perform an Export to PDF with the following settings . .
- ETC to follow
- ETC to follow
- ETC to follow
The specifications for supplying a CorelDRAW document would be to Export AS / or Save As a PDF
- Convert Fonts to Curves
- Embed Links
- ETC to follow
– OR –
Setup for all Raster Documents
Grayscale is the correct Color Mode for preparing a Raster Document for Rub On Sticker Decal Transfers. Take advantage of the significantly smaller file size to increase the resolution of the document which will enable the reproduction of thinner text font weights, smoother curves, and visually sharper graphics that would otherwise appear bold or bloated. A resolution of 300DPI is not adequate for text and smooth curves. A minimum of 600DPI is required to produce smaller graphics, however, we recommend 1200 DPI. (more…)
600 DPI is the recommended minimum resolution at the final Size for a Rub-On Transfer Decal. Working at higher resolutions are not a problem when using the correct Grayscale color mode. While lower resolutions may be just adequate for large shapes with no curves and only straight lines, almost all documents we receive have some small curved shapes and thin angled 1 pt lines or small light text. Whether these lines are part of some text, a border or another graphic, 600 DPI is the bare minimum if the rub on transfer is to resemble what you see on the screen. The line may appear solid on your screen, but if zoomed in you will find the line ditherers from 100% black pixels to gray pixels. Reproduced on your rub on decal sheet, the gray pixels will either be Black or will not be produced. If it is produced as black, it can make the line appear double the size compared to what you see on a screen view. If the gray is not produced, the line will be half the thickness. The results will be a line graphic or text that is either bolder than expected or thinner which may be broken during processing. An even higher resolution is needed to reprodyce line thickness of a 1/2 point. We recommend 1200 DPI. We plan to create & post the results of some tests at different resolutions to determine the minimum resolutions required to produce details of certain sizes.
Save your Raster Document in one of the following File Formats
The File Formats are listed from top to bottom in the preferred order of suitability, quality, and strengths to the weakest option at the bottom.
If your Raster document was created with Adobe PhotoShop, then please supply the Native File Format .PSD. Do not Flatten or Merge Layers if they are useful and the size of the resulting file is still manageable.
By supplying the Native Adobe File Format PSD, all the functions, options, and features will be preserved for maximum quality and any tweaks if needed. Photoshop is capable of Vector Output of fonts if created and preserved on Text layers. This preserves the font weight and appearance complete with Font Hinting. No thinning, bolding or bloating of the type. We will need the Font if you did not use Adobe Managed Font s or ask us how the embed the fonts.
A PNG or Portable Network Graphic is one of the next best choices when supplying a Raster file format other than the Native File Format. Save with the option Large Size File and there is no loss of quality and the size of the file is relatively small. PNG supports the grayscale color mode if saved from an application program that is set to the grayscale mode.
TIF / TIFF – Tagged Image File Format is one of the next best choices when supplying a Raster file format other than the Native File Format. Save with the option LZW Compression plus Keep Layers. There is no loss of quality and layers in your file can be preserved with these settings. The size of the file can be larger than a PNG. TIFFs that include several layers can be significantly larger than a PNG. If your document contains many unneeded layers, merge some or eliminate all layers if they are not useful to the production of Rub On Transfers.
JPG or JPEGs are not the ideal File Format as the quality will degrade substantially. The reasons and additional info will be added further below.
If you must supply a JPG, save the JPG with the options set to Maximum Quality. Any other settings will degrade the quality of the text and graphics and introduce artifacts or noise to the image. If your application program does not provide a choice of settings, it is likely the saved JPG will be degraded
How to Create the File Format
IMPORTANT
Some File Formats once saved, may not support all the options, features and the ability to be fully editable by your software application program. When creating a File Format, do so on a copy of your original or by performing a Save As or Export To.
– OR –
Word & Text Setup
All Graphics, Text, & Icons must be created in Black, including White, Stock Colors, Custom Match, Foil, and Metallics. Use the Black Swatch color in our Rub On Transfer Templates. The formula for the black must be only 100% K. No Cyan Magenta or Yellow in the mix. Your final Rub On Transfer Color is determined by which Transfer Color Product you choose from the Shop. Do not put white graphics on a black or other color background.
The Rub on Decal Transfers will be produced at the same size as the size of the Graphics in your document. Raster documents must be supplied at their final Sheet Size at a high enough resolution. If you have a graphic you need to be resized, we can resize and populate the rub on transfer sheet size with as many as will fit.
No Shades, Shadows, Tones, Transparency or Gradients of a color can be used in your Rub On Transfer graphics. The typical process for producing rub on is not ideal for imaging the small dots of the color that would be required to produce the Shades, Shadows, Tones or Gradients of a color.
Rub On Transfer Decals have No Tones of color. The color of your graphic will be imaged from a single solid color. Known as spot color printing, a color such as green is produced from a single color green ink and not from overprinting two color Yellow & Cyan to achieve the green.
Once your graphics are applied they will appear the same and at the same size as they are in your document except for the color. The color of your transfers will be that of the Transfer Product color you ordered. For White transfers, do not make white graphics on a black background. Do not mirror or reflect your graphics if this is not how you what them to appear once transferred. With the exception of color, it can be said that, once your transfer graphics are applied, what you see in your document is What You See Is What You Get known by the acronym WYSIWIG. If you want your graphic and text to appear mirrored or reflected when applied and viewed from the application surface because your intent is to read the text correctly from the opposite side of a transparent surface, then supply your text mirrored or reflected.
Save your Word or Text Document as a PDF
There are many Software Application Programs that can create a PDF File Format. Although an application can create a PDF, it may not have the needed options to create a PDF exactly as needed. If you document contains only text, use the setting that indicates a High quality or for Print which most PDF creators should have. If your file contains graphics, you may need options that can control the compression quality of the graphics. Try using an online converter or one that can be downloaded and that has superior options for saving the PDF. Essential controls would be to Embed the Fonts and set the quality of the PDF compression. The best setting would be to not compress raster image or a compression method with no quality loss such as ZIP. If only JPG setting is available, choose Maximum Quality. If there are setting for downsampling set the value to Do not down sample for a resolutions of less than 601DPI and/or downsample to 600 DPI