...to ensure a successful print		  

 information on artwork, hardware / software and   technological conditions
 

United Flags & Flagstaffs Ltd
 
Our team is dedicated to assist you throughout the whole realisation process from the draft to the final print. Your ideas can be realised in chemical screen dye printing, digital chemical dye printing, digital pigment printing or digital transfer printing. First of all, the basis for the final product is your artwork.
 
To ensure a high quality print result, please refer to the following information:
 
Programs in use
 
  • Freehand (preferred)
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Corel Draw
  • Adobe Photoshop
We work with the latest program versions. QuarkXPress-Files, up to version 6.5 can be used but have to be modified by us for an extra charge.
 
Media in use
 
  • Floppy Disk 3.5"
  • Zipdisk 100MB / 250MB
  • CD-ROM
  • 2GB JAZ-Drive
  • DVD
Artwork Specifications
 
  • Always provide open files
  • indicate the program an EPS file was created with

 
  • do not provide closed EPS files

 
  • send complex Adobe Photoshop layouts as PSD file with its layers

 
  • define pixel files in CMYK mode, single-coloured graphics in grey scales

 
  • minimum file size 5MB

 
  • minimum resolution 400dpi in a scale 1:10, files with very fine details should have 900dpi

 
  • assign a profile to pixel data (Without a given profile, ISO-Coated for CMYK and ECI-RGB 1.0 for RGB colours will be used, which can cause colour variations)

 
  • do not apply high resolution to a Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator file and provide pixel data in TIFF or EPS format separately or linked to the file
  • scale artwork (e.g 1:10 of final size)
  • provide vectorised artworks only

 
  • preferred colour definition according to RAL, HKS or Panton (PMS)

 
  • consider 10% allowance for finishing

 
  • use a minimum line thickness of 1mm to original size (2mm for inverse) to avoid blurring effects

 
Design Service
 
If you are not able to provide printable artwork, we will gladly serve you with designing and the preparation of provided artwork for the printing process at cost price.
 
Applicable artwork:
 
  • fair drawing, preferred scale 1:10 (max DIN A3)

 
  • business card

 
  • sketch

 
  • film (no screen film), preferred scale 1:10 (max DIN A3)

 
  • sample flag as basic design sample in addition to one of the above listed artworks

 
  • slides (suitability check), photographs and drawings (no print copies)

 
Digital Proof Service
 
Device-Dependent Proof (in advance of the production run)
 
In advance of the production run we simulate the colour reproduction of your artwork according to the date provided. That means that you can check colours and eventually make adjustments before printing. This kind of proofing is done for digital chemical dye printing (DCD), digital pigment printing (DPD) and digital transfer dye printing (DTD). It shows a low-budget alternative to a printed sample.
 
Device-Independent Proof (service only)
 
We provide proofing as stand-alone service for individual use.
 
Remote Proof
 
Remote-proofing describes the creation of a colour-matching proof in two different locations. Within a short time it is possible to get a proof on the recipient's side matching with the proof of the sender. This however, requires that all participants use the same software, same paper, same inks, as well as the same measuring instruments for linearisation and quality control. For remote proofing with us you should have an Epson Printer, 4000, 7000, 9000 or 10000. Files should be sent in TIFF, EPS or PDF format.
 
Technical date of the proofing device:
 
Reference profule: ISOcoated.icc
Type of paper: EFI Proof Premium Paper 8260 Semiglossy
Ink: Ultra Chrome Inks
Printer: Epson 4000 Pro 8c
 
Chemical Screen Dye Printing (CSD Technology)
 
The CSD Technology realises brilliant and find detailed spot colour prints, full colour prints and half tone prints. Based on the digital Computer-to-Screen Process (CTP) even large quantities can be realised with a screen definition of up to 18.5 dots per cm.
 
Possible screen definitions
Chemical print through:
  • 6/9.5/11/15.5/18.5 dpcm (15/24/28/39/47 dpi)

 
  • half tones between 3 and 100% are possible

 
Bannerettes
 
  • 22 dpcm (54 dpi)

 
Colours
 
As full colour prints are printed in CMYK mode, a 100% reproduction of defined colours (Pantone, RAL or HKS) is not always possible. Alternative CMYK colours will be assigned being closest to the standard specification.
 
Clear Outlines
 
Small faces and fonts which are not printed in spot colours easily tend to have blurred outlines. Here we recommend using an additional colour. Due to the printing technology and the different material characteristics the print result may still deviate from the proof. We therefore recommend a sample print before printing larger quantities. If a sample flag is not produced, we cannot acknowledge colour deviations from the proof as a reason for complaint.
 
Digital Printing
 
We use digital chemical dye printing (DCD) for single pieces and small quantities of flags with very short lead times and the highest quality level. Digital transfer dye printing (DTD) is the process we use for our large images. We print on flexible materials for indoor and outdoor application with a width of up to 5m. Single panels can be joined by high frequency welding, so that any final format is possible.
 
Print Widths
 
  • DCD Technology up to 2.00 m

 
  • DTD Technology up to 1.60 m

 
  • DPD Technology up 5.00 m

 
Print Resolution
 
  • DCD Technology up to 720dpi

 
  • DTD Technology up to 720dpi

 
  • DPD Technology up to 360dpi

 
Viewing distance: Print resolution
   
0.3m to 3m 300dpi / 360dpi
3m to 6m 150dpi
6m to 10m 75dpi
over 10m 50dpi / 30dpi
   
Colours  
   
a 100% reproduction of defined colours is not possible. Alternative CYMK colours will be assigned closest possible to the standard specification. A proof is used for colour matching.
 
For print approval we provide a scaled artwork file in PDF format.