Alternative Age – Octopus & Gears

Our online system accepts jpeg image files. You can also email us your files in .PDF, .JPG, .EPS, .TIFF, .AI, & .PNG

All print jobs must be in CMYK Color mode, if you send us an RGB File, there is a change that a color shift may occur and you may not be satisfied with your job. You should always start and finish your designs in CMYK Color mode.

For printing we only accept 300 dpi files and no less.

Bleed must extend further than the cut line and will be trimmed from the product during the final cutting phase. When the image is required to extend all the way to the edge, bleed is needed to preserve the finished look and the quality of the final product. Please keep all text at least 0.125″ inside the cut-line. We recommend using our templates at all times.

Yes, but if the border is too close to the cut-line, it may be cut off-center slightly. We cut through many sheets at a time, so watch your borders to avoid an unwanted mistake.

You must include a Spot UV template file along with the regular print file. The Spot UV template file is used to show where the UV coating needs to be applied. For better quality we recommend creating mask files in vector based programs. Please only use solid 100% K (black) to indicated where you would live the UV. Do not use shadows, glows or gray-scale images. White will indicate no UV.

No, please separate your files. 1 File for the front and 1 File for the back.

When sending your artwork, do not send extra files, like proof or samples, because they might get printed. Only send the files you need printed.

When using a blue in your design, always make sure to leave at least a 30% difference in your Cyan and Magenta values. Blue is close to purple in the CMYK spectrum. Remember, use a low amount of magenta whenever using high amounts of cyan to avoid purple.

Foil print jobs are set up the same as Spot UV files, You must provide a separate Foil mask file: black in the areas you want the foil and white in the areas you do not want the foil. All black areas should be solid 100% K with no other added colors. Avoid using small fine text or lines for foil objects. For best results make sure that foil coverage is less than 50% of the entire print side. Also be aware that there may be up to a 1/16″ shift on the placement of the foil. Keep this in mind if you are trying to align foil with other printed artwork on the card. For better quality we recommend creating mask files in vector-based programs.

Rich black is a ink mixture of solid black, 100% K, with additional CMY ink values. This results in a darker tone than black ink alone. If you print black alone as 100% K, the resulting black may not be as dark as you might like. We recommend using C:60, M:40, Y:40, K:100 this will give you a deep, dark rich black.

Cracking of the edges of a business card sometimes occurs when the card contains high values of ink, as in dark colors. This usually happens on a small amount of cards in the run. To prevent this, use lighter colors or if you must use dark colors, use as little ink as possible.

May things can cause banding, it can be caused by the program that it is exported from. Also, too many gradient steps, for example going from a very light color to a dark color, in a small area will cause banding. To prevent this, check your digital files before sending. If you sue a gradient, make sure it has enough room for a smooth transition.

When a job is coated with UV then scored and folded the job may begin to crack. During use, the cracks will become bigger and the ink may start to chip off. Cracking is normal when coated jobs are scored and folded.

Our certified templates are a great tool to create artwork that can be printed faster, easier and more accurately. These templates will help you identify where the cut line, bleed line, and safety line are located along with other information so you can design you artwork correctly.

When designing plastic cards, it is important to keep in mind that the frosted and clear plastic cards are transparent. Also, all plastic cards come with round corners at no extra charge. The clear cards are completely transparent. The frosted cards are semi-transparent and cannot be seen through easily. The opaque white plastic cards are solid white and not transparent at all. Keep this in mind when designing your plastic cards.