Design Guidebook
Prepare your files for the Panda Printing Process by following these guidelines!
2017 Panda Design Guidebook
Welcome game designers, publishers, graphic designers, artists, illustrators, and
everyone else who creates board games!
Within these pages you will discover the secrets to producing files perfectly
crafted for the printing process of Panda Game Manufacturing. You may
face prepress challenges, and with this book as your guide, you will have the
information necessary to overcome those challenges.
In our quest to produce the highest quality board games possible, all projects
must pass through the design verification process. The design verification process
at Panda consists of the uploading of the print files by the client, followed by
the checking of those files by a member of the Panda prepress team. A prepress
report will be generated highlighting the issues that must be addressed before
the files can be moved to the production phase. Several rounds of file uploading,
checking, and prepress reports may happen before the files are cleared to go to
production.
Bur never fear! The closer you follow this guidebook, the quicker your game will
get through the design verification process and into the production phase. In
addition to this guidebook, Panda has online resources available at pandagm.
com/resources/.
Sincerely,
The prepress team at Panda Game Manufacturing
Doris Chan
Adam Skelding
Darrell Louder Heidi Zimmerman Alex Corrao Prepress Lead
Senior Prepress Specialist
Marketing Mgr./Prepress Specialist
Prepress Specialist
Prepress Specialist
Copyright © 2017 Panda Game Manufacturing v4.0
3
FILE PREPARATION AT A GLANCE
GENERAL FILE REQUIREMENTS
4
5-6
BLEED & MARGINS
7
COLOR & RESOLUTION
8
CARDS9
TWO PIECE GAME BOX
10
TUCK BOX, FOIL PACKS
11
BOX MARKINGS & CUSTOMS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Throughout this guide, look for the callout
boxes below pointing out tips, warnings,
and downloadable content available
PANDA TIP
12-13
GAME BOARD
14
CARDBOARD MATS & SCREENS
15
BOOKLETS & PAPER SHEETS
16
WARNING
PUNCHBOARD17-19
STICKERS & SPECIAL EFFECTS
20
MANUFACTURED COMPONENTS
21
GLOSSARY22
3
DOWNLOADABLE
CONTENT
AVAILABLE
4
FILE PREPARATION AT A GLANCE
Adobe software is a popular choice when
creating print files. Using the right piece
of software for the right task can make file
preparation easier.
FILE PREPARATION AT A GLANCE
Included within these pages are the instructions needed to ensure that your files are set
to Panda printing standards. Following these guidelines will reduce the time it takes for
your project to go through the design verification phase of production.
We strongly urge those unfamiliar with Panda’s standards to read this guidebook in its
entirety. While it is important to follow all of these best practices, there are a few absolute
MUSTs below.
Use InDesign for final layout (especially
text placement) and pdf generation.
Use Illustrator for the development of
vector illustrations.
All files submitted for print must...
•
have images at a resolution of at least 300 pixels per inch (ppi).
•
be in CMYK color format.
•
have all text in pure black (C: 0%, M: 0%, Y: 0%, K :100%).
•
have at least 3mm of margin.
•
have at least 3mm of bleed (exception: game boards & boxes require 18mm).
•
be submitted in PDF format.
•
be generated using the color profile U.S. Sheetfed Uncoated v2.
•
be properly named (i.e. Gametitle_component.pdf, discussed below).
•
include (either in a separate layer or file) a die line template for your box,
punchboards, and stickers.
Use Photoshop for the development
of raster illustrations. Panda strongly
advises you to not use Photoshop for the
creation of your final PDFs. Please use
Adobe InDesign (preferred) or Adobe
Illustrator instead. If you must use
Photoshop, please plan for additional
time for prepress checks and revisions.
PLEASE DO NOT USE PHOTOSHOP TO CREATE YOUR FINAL PDF
FILES. Photoshop is designed for raster illustrations. Illustrator
is designed for vector art. InDesign is best for layout of printed
materials, especially those that contain text.
4
5
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL FILE REQUIREMENTS
Image Resolution: All images require a resolution of 300 ppi (or higher). Using lower
resolution images runs the risk of your images appearing blurry and pixelated.
Color: All files must be submitted in CMYK format, unless stated otherwise on your contract,
Do not use RGB format for your color profile as it will not print correctly.
Pure Black: If you are using black text, please ensure that it is set to Pure Black (C: 0%, M:
0%, Y: 0%, K :100%). If you must place text in Photoshop, set the Opacity Mask of your text
to Multiply.
Margin & Bleed: All files and components require 3mm of margin AND 3mm of bleed,
unless stated otherwise. Please check your specific component later in this guidebook to
verify.
File Format: All files must be submitted as a PDF with compatibility set to Acrobat 7 (or
higher) and using the color profile “U.S. Sheetfed Uncoated v2”.
(Preserve Numbers)
When exporting a PDF from InDesign, set your output settings to the ones indicated above.
5
CMYK setup of pure black color for text.
6
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL FILE REQUIREMENTS
Example of file names for the game
“Boomer Town Takedown”
Boomer_box_top.pdf
Boomer_box_bottom.pdf
Boomer_box_dielines.pdf
Boomer_cards.pdf
Boomer_gameboard.pdf
Boomer_punchboard_front_1.pdf
Boomer_punchboard_back_1.pdf
Boomer_punchboard_front_2.pdf
Boomer_punchboard_back_2.pdf
Boomer_punchboard_dielines.pdf
Nomenclature: Panda has a recommended nomenclature for naming your files; following
this naming convention will help keep files organized and avoid confusion during
production. Filenames should follow the format Gametitle_component.pdf. A later version
would be named Gametitle_component_v2.pdf, etc. When you upload revised files, always
update the version number and delete any earlier iterations of that file.
Example: If you have a game titled Boomer Town Takedown, the rulebook could be named
“Boomer_rulebook.pdf”. If that file is updated, the updated file should be named “Boomer_
rulebook_v2.pdf”, and the original “Boomer_rulebook.pdf” file should be deleted.
Dieline Files: Always include dielines and/or fold lines for boxes, folded rulesheets,
punchboards, and stickers. You may place these on a separate layer within your document
for ease of checking. If you are unable to export these on a separate layer, upload an
additional file as a PDF. Please label dielines and/or foldlines clearly by attaching “dielines,”
or “foldlines” to the end of your filename (i.e. Boomer_box_dielines.pdf ).
Templates: Panda has an incredible, easy to use template generator. If you need a
template for a printed component such as a box, card, game board, booklet, player mat,
tuck box, or more, please use the Panda Template Generator found at: pandagm.com/
template-generator/. The downloadable PDF template generated will have bleed lines,
die lines, margin lines, and even fold lines for a game board template.
To help ensure you have proper bleed and margins on your files,
use Panda’s Custom Template Generator, which you can find here:
pandagm.com/template-generator/
If you have to use Photoshop to create your final PDF files for print,
please ensure all black text (and black icons) have their transparency
set to Multiply. Doing this his will help avoid Overprint issues.
6
7
BLEED & MARGINS
BLEED & MARGINS
Bleed and margin issues are the most common problem found during prepress checks, but
also the easiest to avoid!
Bleed (also known as trim) is a printing term that refers to the artwork that goes
beyond the edge of the dieline for your component. Artwork and background colors
extend into the bleed area to avoid unprinted edges appearing in the final trimmed
document.
All files require at least 3mm of bleed on each side, with the following exceptions:
Game Boards & Boxes: These two components need extra bleed so that they
can be wrapped around the board or box edge. They require 18mm on each
edge (3mm of bleed + 15mm of wrap).
Punchboards: Every individual token requires 3mm of bleed and 3mm of
margin.
Sticker Sheets: Every individual sticker requires 3mm of bleed and
1.5mm of margin.
Margin is the area between the main content and the edge of a page. Keeping your
margin free of text or images means that your content won’t be unintentionally cut
off and the final product won’t appear off-center.
All files require at least 3mm of margin on each side, with the following exception:
Large Rulebooks: If your rulebook is 32-64 pages in length, increase the margin
to 6mm.
7
Card sample, with dielines overlaid to
show proper bleed/cut/margin lines.
8
COLOR & RESOLUTION
COLOR & RESOLUTION
Incorrect color space and low resolution images are also common problems discovered
during design verification.
Resolution: For best results, all images need to have a resolution of 300 pixels per
inch (ppi).
Color mode: All images need to be in CMYK format, not RGB. InDesign can
automatically convert your RGB images to CMYK upon export to PDF. Please use the
export settings shown below.
When using Photoshop to build
illustrations, use these settings so that
your raster images will easily integrate
with InDesign.
Color Profile: The printing presses at Panda’s manufacturing facility are calibrated
to the color profile U.S. Sheetfed Uncoated v2. Please use the export settings
shown below.
(Preserve Numbers)
Export settings to create trouble free PDFs from InDesign
Share your layout with your illustrator so that they have the
information necessary to provide you with illustrations that are in
CMYK format and large enough to fill your bleed while staying at or
above 300ppi.
8
9
CARDS
CARDS
Cards are often an integral part of tabletop games. Panda offers a wide variety of standard
card sizes to suit your game’s unique needs.
Bleed and margin: All cards must have 3mm of bleed and 3mm of margin.
Note: Standard card corners
have a radius of 3mm.
File Format: When submitting cards, upload the file as a multipage PDF with the card
back as the last page.
Example: Deck A has 54 cards, therefore the PDF for Deck A will be 55 pages in length, with
page 55 being the card back for the preceding 54 cards.
Color: If you are making cards that require high color consistency on the card backs,
avoid using screen and gradient designs. We cannot print any pigment combination
where the total ink coverage exceeds 320%. (C% + M% + Y% + K%)
Black borders on cards should use Border Black: C:40% M:0% Y:0% K:100% for a
rich, consistent black. Card backs and borders should avoid using rich colors as these
are hard to consistently color match. If you do want a rich color border, speak to your
project manager about using PMS Pantone spot color borders.
Card Inventory: Card inventories tell us how many of which card to print. Download
a template to use to create your card inventory at: pandagm.com/resources/.
Panda’s most common standard card sizes include:
44 x 67mm (mini) 57 x 87mm (bridge) 63 x 88mm (blackjack)
59 x 91mm (euro)
51 x 51mm (mini square)
70 x 70mm (square)
84 / sheet
60 / sheet
54 / sheet
45 / sheet
110 / sheet
56 / sheet
Panda has many more standard card sizes; for a complete list, go to pandagm.com/
template-generator/
9
Please note that our die-cutting machines
have a drift tolerance of +/- 1mm, and as a
result cards may be die-cut slightly off center
by 1mm. It’s best to avoid intricate designs
near the edges of the card, as this will make it
more obvious if the die-cutting is off by 1mm
and may result in “marked cards”.
Scaled down examples of our most common
standard card sizes:
10 TWO PIECE GAME BOX
TWO PIECE GAME BOX
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and with tabletop games, the first
impression starts with the box. The best way to start building your box is with the Panda
Template Generator found at: pandagm.com/template-generator/
Example of a game box with wrapped
edges and game insert.
Make sure your components fit: The box should be at least 15mm larger in each
dimension than your largest component to make sure that each component can
be easily removed. The box also needs to be large enough to contain all of the
components together. Your contact at Panda can help you determine the best box
size for your game.
Example: If your game box is 150mm x 200mm, the maximum size of any the
components inside the box would be 135mm x 185mm. This size would apply to game
boards when folded, rules booklets or sheets, punchboards, cardboard mats, etc.
18mm of bleed: All box files (top & bottom) must have 18mm of bleed on each
side. This is 3mm of standard bleed plus 15mm of wrap that goes around to the
inside of the box to create a clean, smooth edge.
Box bottom adjustment: In order for the box top to fit properly over the box
bottom, the box bottom panel needs to be slightly smaller than the box top (the
box sides remain the same). The required adjustment is dictated by the thickness
of your box material. The Panda Template Generator will automatically make those
adjustments for you!
Box Markings: Please see pages 12-13.
To ensure that you have proper dimensions, fold lines, bleed and
margins on your box, use Panda’s Template Generator: pandagm.
com/template-generator/
Top and Bottom box templates generated
with the Panda Template Generator
10
Tuck boxes: If your game consists of only cards, the best container may be a lighter, one
piece tuck box. Just like the two piece box, you can generate custom templates for a tuck
box with the Panda Template Generator found at: pandagm.com/template-generator/
Bleed and margin: All tuck box files must have 3mm of bleed and 3mm of margin.
Box Markings: Please see pages 12-13.
Example of a tuck box template from the Panda Template Generator
Foil packs: For something even smaller, like a booster pack, foil can be your best option.
Our foil packs follow all of the same print specifications as our boxes. Contact us for a
template that matches your project.
Box Markings: Please see pages 12-13.
11
TUCK BOX AND FOIL PACKS 11
TUCK BOX & FOIL PACKS
12 BOX MARKINGS & CUSTOMS
BOX MARKINGS & CUSTOMS
Required Markings: When submitting your box file(s) please ensure that all required
markings below are on the box (usually on the box bottom).
The UPC must be in pure black, (C:
0%, Y: 0%, M: 0%, K: 100%). Please
leave 5mm of space for the Panda lot
number (example shown here on the
right side of the UPC).
Warning! Not Suitable for children
under 36 months. Small parts
Choking hazard
Age label warning symbol and
choking hazard text
CE mark, required for any games going
to the European Union
UPC: Most retail products require a UPC (barcode) for scanning and inventory
purposes. Please ensure the UPC code is in Pure Black (C: 0%, Y: 0%, M: 0%, K:
100%) on a white background. Leave 5mm to the right of your UPC so that Panda
can include a manufacturing lot code which is required by customs in the rare event
of a product recall. This will be a Panda lot number and a small Panda logo for easy
reference.
Age Warning Label for Small Children: All games with small parts need the Age
Warning Label for small children. The minimum size for this warning symbol
is 10mm diameter. This image can be found by following the link on pandagm.
com/resources/. Colors and proportions of the label must not be adjusted. The
following text should be included next to the icon: “Warning! Not Suitable for
children under 36 months. Small parts - Choking hazard” For more information, please
reference the following regulations: ASTM F963-07, EN 71, & ISO 8124.
CE Mark: In order to pass through EU customs, your game will need a CE marking
on the box. The CE marking is a declaration that the product passes all essential
safety requirements in accordance with EU testing standards. The CE marking needs
to be a minimum of 7.5 mm in width and the proportions may not be altered in any
way. A downloadable CE mark can be found by following the link at pandagm.com/
resources/.
Note: By putting the CE mark on your box, you may need to produce a test report if
requested by EU customs.
12
BOX MARKINGS & CUSTOMS 13
BOX MARKINGS & CUSTOMS (cont.)
Required Markings (cont.):
Made in China: As the product is being produced in Shenzhen, China, “Made in
China” is required to be near the UPC in order to pass through US or EU customs.
Recommended Age Label: All games need a recommended Age Label. Games
listed as 13+ in the US and 14+ in Europe will not be subjected to the same customs
regulations as games intended for children. We recommend using 14+ (instead
of 13+) in the event that you import any of your products into the EU. There is no
standard label or typeface for the recommended age. If your game is clearly designed
or marketed towards children, customs may deem your age label inappropriate and
require safety testing anyway.
Recommended Markings: The markings indicated below are not mandatory, but highly
recommended.
Company Address: While not mandatory, your company’s name and address should
be put on the box in order to fully pass safety testing. At minimum, your website URL,
if you have one, should be on the box.
Playing Time and Number of players: While not mandatory, most games include a
label to indicate the playing time per game and the number of players.
13
Example of a player count, playing
time, and recommended age labels
14 GAME BOARD
GAME BOARD
Your game board is the centerpiece of the tabletop gaming experience. Though laying
out a flat board may seem simple, it can be troublesome if the margins and bleeds are not
set properly. You can generate a custom template for your game board at pandagm.com/
template-generator/
Bleed: As with the game box, the board requires 18mm of total bleed to wrap
around the edges. This covers and protects the edge of the game board which in
turn lengthens its life.
Artwork file as submitted for game
board production
Double sided: Printing a custom back for your game board adds minimal cost and
is an enormous opportunity. lf you are designing a double-sided game board, the
back side needs to be 3mm smaller on all four sides than the front. This is because
the back sheet is mounted on top of the wrapped edges from the front side of the
game board. Don’t forget the standard 3mm bleed!
Example: If your game board is 200mm x 400mm then the trimmed size for the back
would be 194mm x 394mm. Including bleed, the final file size would be 200mm x 400mm.
The artwork with dielines overlaid - The
bleed will be wrapped to the back of the
game board to help protect its edges.
Maximum Size: Should you have high ambitions for a giant game board, please
note that the current maximum size for Panda manufactured game boards is
700mm x 1000mm. For playing surfaces larger than 700mm x 1000mm, consider
using two game boards placed side by side, if you need a larger board, ask your
project manager about a printed vinyl game board.
To ensure that you have proper dimensions, fold lines, bleed and
margins on your game board, use Panda’s Template Generator at
pandagm.com/template-generator/
The finished game board
14
CARDBOARD MATS & SCREENS 15
CARDBOARD MATS & SCREENS
In addition to the main, folded game board, sometimes a game may require smaller
additional boards. These may be used for individual player boards, token storage areas,
scoring boards, or any number of purposes. These non-folded boards are known as
cardboard mats. If your game requires a cardboard mat, making it square or rectangular
will be the most cost efficient. Special shapes will require a diecut mold which will incur
additional costs.
Bleed and margin: All cardboard mat files must have 3mm of bleed and 3mm of
margin.
Sometimes we need to hide our goods from the enemy! This is where a player screen, also
known as a cardboard screen, may come in handy. Angled edges beyond the fold can make
these stand up better.
leed and margin: All player screen files must have 3mm of bleed and 3mm of
B
margin.
Dieline file: Player screens require an uploaded dieline file indicating trim and fold
lines. If you need a template, contact us.
Margin
Trim
Bleed
Fold
Player Screen: 224 X 92mm
pandagm.com
Bleed: 3mm
Bleed: 3mm
Bleed: 3mm
Bleed: 3mm
Example of a player screen template
15
Player screens: good for keeping
things secret!
16 BOOKLETS & PAPER SHEETS
BOOKLETS & PAPER SHEETS
Booklets, also known as rulebooks, are usually saddle stitched (bound with staples). Paper
Sheets are single sheets that can be folded to your specifications.
Saddle stitch binding
(most common form
of rulebook binding)
Bleed and margin: All rulebook and paper sheet files must have 3mm of bleed.
Margin sizes vary depending on the number of pages:
1-32 pages: Use the standard 3mm margin.
32-64 pages: Increase the margin to 6mm.
Perfect binding
64+ pages: Inquire about different binding methods and templates.
Number of Pages: An important note to keep in mind when laying out your
booklet is that the pages must be in multiples of four (with the exception of single
sheet rules which can be single or double sided).
Spiral binding
Casewrap (hard cover) binding
File Format: Submit these as multi-page PDFs with only one page of the booklet
on each page of the PDF. Do not use two page spreads. The production team will
layout the booklet for print with the proper pagination.
Using a larger than required margin on the gutter of your rulebook
will ensure that your content near the fold is easily visible.
16
PUNCHBOARD 17
PUNCHBOARD
A punchboard is a versatile component that can be utilized to create a multitude of items
such as tokens, tiles, trackers, dials, and even constructible cardboard components.
Punchboard Size: To comfortably fit in the box, the size of the punchbord should be
at least 15mm smaller in each dimension than the box top.
Example: a 200mm x 250mm box can hold a punchboard of 185mm x 235mm.
Bleed and Margin: Each individual punch out (token) on the punchboards should
have 3mm of bleed outside its dieline and 3mm of margin between the dieline and
any non-background art including text and border lines. The entire board must
also include a “whole board” dieline, this dieline also requires 3mm bleed and 3mm
margin. The whole board dieline will match the size of the punchboard as specified
on the contract. There should always be 6mm minimum between any dielines, either
token to token, or token to whole board dieline.
Label and number your punchboards. This is particularly important if you have
multiple punchboards with the same dieline and similar art so that they don’t get
mixed up during the production process. You can label them outside the whole board
dieline as that portion will be discarded during final assembly and packaging.
Margins, dielines, and bleeds
whole board dieline
REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR DIELINE TEMPLATE AS A
SEPARATE PDF FILE THAT CONTAINS NO ARTWORK
Optionally, you may save the dieline as a separate layer
within the art file, name the layer “dielines - do not print”
17
Diecut mold made from dieline file
18 PUNCHBOARD
PUNCHBOARD (cont.)
Example: If you need four panda
tokens and twelve coins, it is more
efficient (and less expensive) to
create a single dieline template
to be used twice instead of two
separate templates.
Multiple Punchboards: When designing punchboards, it’s best to think about efficiency.
As there is an added cost for each diecut mold, you will want to lay out your punchboard
in such a way that the same dieline template can be used for multiple punchboards.
Individual Token Sizing: The smallest token size Panda can produce is approximately
8mm x 8mm, and the smallest edge in any unique shape must be at least 3mm long.
Note: Due to the physics of the punching process, the front side of the tokens will have a slightly
rounded edge.
Back Side Layout: Make sure that the layout of the back sheet of the punchboard
artwork is a mirror image of the front of the punchboard.
Artwork: front
Artwork: back
18
19
PUNCHBOARD
PUNCHBOARD (cont.)
Shared dielines: If you’re running out of space on your punchboard, some tokens could
share a dieline. Straight edge triangles, rectangles, and hexagons work best for this.
However, there are some restrictions for this method.
Each token must have at least one edge that touches a portion of the punchboard that is
discarded after the tokens are punched out. As there is no bleed between tokens that share
a dieline, they must have identical content in their margins.
For a double layered punchboard,
we start with two punchboards...
In the above example, the 12 tokens
are in two groups of six. Each token
has at least one edge that touches
the discarded punch board.
In this example, the two center
tokens do not share an edge with the
discarded punchboard. This dieline
pattern would not be allowed.
Double Layered Punchboards: In some games, a double layer punchboard is a great
solution. This type of punchboard is actually two layers of punchboard glued together.
The top layer will have areas punched out of it, that can hold cubes, discs, meeples, or
other components in a certain spot on that board. Please take extra care to ensure that any
images on the bottom layer line up correctly with the punched out portions of the top layer.
19
...that are glued together...
...creating the perfect place to
hold cubes, meeples, or other
components
20 STICKERS & SPECIAL EFFECTS
STICKERS & SPECIAL EFFECTS
Sticker Sheets: Sticker sheets are available from Panda for your game. Sticker sheets
are “kiss cut”, meaning that the sheets that the stickers are on will be cut through the
sticker part of sheet that has the artwork, but not through the backing paper. The
stickers can then be peeled away and applied.
Submitted box artwork
Layout: Sticker sheets are designed and laid out in a similar manner as
punchboards, with the exception that the sticker sheet margin and bleed is
1.5mm instead of 3mm. If a template is required, Panda can provide one for
simple shapes such as squares and circles. Sticker sheets can also have shared
dielines for the individual stickers.
Box Stickers: Panda can also apply a sticker to the exterior of your game. This can
come in handy if you have a special Kickstarter version.
Spot UV or Foil Stamping: To be extra fancy, Panda can add special printing effects
such as Spot UV and Foil Stamping.
Format: Similar to dielines, please upload a separate vectorized PDF with the
special effect areas indicated in pure black. The rest of the file should be either
white or transparent.
Vector file showing special effect area
Final box with effect
20
MANUFACTURED COMPONENTS 21
MANUFACTURED COMPONENTS
Manufactured components (wood, plastic, metal items) should be designed as though they
are a flat icon, using Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors. Like the image below, clearly
label the component with the appropriate dimensions and color codes. Talk to your project
manager for more details about manufactured components.
Silkscreen Printing: A screen printed shape on a wooden component must be at
least 1mm thick. We can print up to four colors on a component, but using fewer
colors reduces the opportunity for complications.
Component
Name & Type
Front View
10mm
Side View
Pantone Colors
Talk to your Project Manager about
Panda’s many other components!
# per
Game
Copy
Pantone
8mm
16mm
Panda Meeple
Wood
Pantone
40 mm
Pantone
INK
8 mm
Panda Token
Plastic
3 Units
7579 C
Cool Grey 5
Black 6 C
Use Panda’s online component spec sheet to submit your
manufactured component’s specifications: pandagm.com/resources/
21
2 Units
Panda has many different types of
manufactured components.
GLOSSARY OF COMMON TERMS
Black, Border
PPI
Black, Pure
Dielines
Black, Rich
Margin - (a.k.a. Inner Bleed / Safe Zone)
Rich black should be avoided for text, small icons, and the UPC label.
Rich black’s color formula is generally any combination of CMYK that
looks like black.
Margin is the zone between the trim/cut area and the content/art. The
margin prevents the art from being trimmed off of the document and
the eye from tracking drift. In some instances, the margin is the border.
Bleed
Overprint
Bleed is the zone outside of the trim/cut area. It is art that is printed
beyond the trim line so that it can be cut off. This prevents unprinted
white edges showing up on printed components.
Overprinting refers to the process of printing one color on top of
another in reprographics. Overprinting allows the printer to create crisp
text and avoid visual drift.
Color, CMYK
Raster
Border black is the name of the CMYK color Panda suggests for black
borders on cards. This border black color is very consistent and more
easily matched between print runs. The color formula for border black
is: C: 40%, M: 0%, Y: 0%, K: 100%.
PPI stands for Pixels Per Inch, and pertains to the resolution of an image.
It is a metric that measures how much visual data is contained within a
graphic. All images within files submitted to Panda must be at least 300
ppi, the industry printing standard
Pure black is the name of the CMYK color Panda prefers for black text,
icons, and the UPC symbol. The color formula for pure black is: C: 0%, M:
0%, Y: 0%, K: 100%.
A dieline is a vector graphic used to convey to a machinist how to create
a punch out. It can also be used by graphic designers to assist in the
proper layout of a document that will be diecut.
An image or text made of individual pixels (not vector format). Raster
graphics can be shrunk but not enlarged. Photoshop is a program that
generates raster graphics.
The CMYK color model (process color, four color) is a subtractive color
model used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing
process itself. CMYK refers to the four inks used in color printing: cyan,
magenta, yellow and key (black).
Trim - (see Bleed)
Color, RGB
Vector
The RGB color model is an additive color model in which red, green and
blue are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array
of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three
additive primary colors. Not all colors in the RGB colorspace can be
reproduced in CMYK.
Vector graphics use mathematical formulas to describe shapes in
computer graphics. Vector graphics are based on Bézier curves that
allow the user to shape the graphic. Vector graphics can be infinitely
scaled. Illustrator is a program that generates vector graphics.
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NOTES
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