When adding boxes or rules to your work, always specify the line
width. Never use the default hairline of your software package. This
width of a hairline is resolution-dependent and on a high-resolution
imagesetter, default hairlines tend to disappear.
As a general rule, always edit your images (e.g. resize,
crop, rotate, flip, etc.) in an imaging editing software
program before adding to your page layout. This saves your
page layout program from calculating the rotation, resizing,
etc., every time you print the file. This calculation is very
time consuming and memory-intensive.
Compressing image files affects the processing and quality of
the printed piece. Consequently, many printers recommend that you do
not compress your images.
Do not rename file names. Use
the file extensions generated by the application you are using.
Do not cover up (mask) unwanted elements with filled boxes or
lines. The hidden elements are still part of your job and can appear
on film.
When scanning images for film output scan at a minimum 300 dpi
and save as a TIF or EPS format image. Scan color photos as RGB but
convert to CMYK prior to film output. (GIFS and low resolution JPEGS
are not recommended for imagesetter film output). However, for color
digital printing JPEGS and RGB color are acceptable formats.