ART AND PRINTING SPECIFICATIONS

ARTWORK FILES (Final / Camera Ready)

Electronic files should be submitted as final, editable, digital vector art in Adobe Illustrator as an .eps, .ai or .pdf files. Our art department is Macintosh based and uses Adobe software. Large files should be emailed or transferred as a compressed .zip format for easier retrieving.
All type/copy should be checked for spelling and outlined prior to avoid defaulting of the typefaces. If type is not outlined, the fonts should accompany the artwork.
All artwork should be submitted as Pantone spot colors, not CMYK, unless printing in 4-Color Process. 4-Color Process art should include all linked images and be at the actual size it is to print. 4-Color Process placed/linked images are not to be any less than 300 ppi. Kal Pac cannot assign ink colors to artwork if no Pantone color is specified. See Art Services for more information.
All non-essential art should be deleted from the file before submission, and all layers should be shown and unlocked.
All emailed artwork must be sent to art@kalpac.com. Emailed files should reference the company name and corresponding purchase order. If art is sent without an order, it will be archived for a period no longer than 6 months. Artwork for completed orders will remain on file with the art department for 2 years.
Artwork should either be a clean black and white vector file, or vector art file with color defined as above. Low-resolution JPEGs, PNGs, TIFFs, and flat clipart files are not considered vector artwork art as they are not editable. Low-resolution scans, Xerox or fax copies are not camera-ready artwork.
If submitting artwork for recreation, please keep in mind that we cannot duplicate any screens or tints of color exactly. We will do our best to match the supplied artwork as much as possible and note any concerns during proofing.
Art should be to size. Enlargements and reductions may incur art charges.
If the artwork has bleed, please ensure artwork has at least 1/8” bleed on all sides, and 1/2” bleed on Top and Bottom. Note that for side gussets this will be reversed and artwork will be cut in by 1/8”.
All type is to be kept 1” from the bottom fold, ½” from all side files and ½” or more from handle areas.
Positive printing minimal type size is 8 point Helvetica. Positive print line width is to be a minimum of 1 point.
Reverse print or knock-out printing minimal type size is 12 point Helvetica. Type with thin serifs should not be used. Reverse print line width is to be a minimum of 2 points.
Color separated artwork must have traps built into it. Traps must be a minimum of 4 points. Art that is not trapped may incur additional art charges. We suggest an electronic file be submitted early for quoting when the artwork contains 2 or more colors.
Customer supplied plates will not be used. Any new order will be required to have new plates made by our factory. This also may also include orders in which the artwork is being transferred to a new factory due to factory closure.
Customer supplied negatives will not be accepted.

PRINTING CAPABILITIES

Metal Rotogravure: Screens of 85 dpi to a maximum of 120 dpi. Solids and screens of the same color can print on the same station. Rotogravure plates are recommended and sometimes required when printing bags with heavy ink coverage, 4-sided print, tight registration, screens, process art or fine detail.
Flexographic Plates: Generally used for simple line art. Screens of 55 dpi to a maximum of 65 dpi. Screens may appear muddled due to press gain. The art department will determine if flexographic plates can be used with the screens upon reviewing the artwork.
Graduated screens less than 25% may not be noticeable or etch completely onto the plates. A 5% tolerance when printing screens is standard. Screens more than 85% may appear solid when printed.
Ink colors are to be chosen from the standard Pantone Books. Pantone colors are to be specified as “C” (Coated) or “U” (Uncoated) only. Coated inks are standard. Uncoated and Metallic inks will incur an up-charge.
When printing 4-Color Process images on plastic, type should be Black to avoid becoming blurry due to movement in registration between colors. The same is true if small type reverses out of a 4-Color Process image or color block. Hard edges may also appear “softened” or blurry due to movement in registration.
Solid ink panels in side gussets will be cut back 1/8” from side folds to keep ink from appearing on the faces of the bag when being converted. As our printing plates incorporate one face and one gusset, when the 2nd gusset meets up with the first face, there may be a slight break in art. Additionally, artwork may be pulled back from heat-sealed edges by up to 1/2” to ensure the strength of the seal.

ART SERVICES

Proofing is done on an “as needed” basis by Kal Pac’s art department. If proofing is required, or viewed as necessary, the order will not be processed until all proofs are completed, approved and signed. Any change in artwork that must be made to accommodate printing capabilities will be noted during the proofing process. All electronic approvals, either by completed proof form or via email, will constitute as an established approval to be kept on record with the order.
If artwork size is not specified, art will be sized to fit the imprint area accordingly.
Proofs are provided at no charge, however excessive changes or alterations to the original proof may incur art charges. Additionally, any art submitted needing cleanup, recreating or extensive trapping will incur art charges based on the time spent and complexity of updating to be suitable for production. All art charges will be determined upon reviewing the artwork.
If a specified type style is requested and we do not have it available, we will match the request as closely as possible from a font in our library, or the font may be provided.
Kal Pac cannot assign ink colors to artwork if no Pantone color is specified. We can offer suggestions based on color conversion software, but the final decision is solely up to the customer/client. Ink Drawdowns or Pre-production Samples (PPS) of color proofs may be requested and provided for an additional charge. If an Ink Drawdown or PPS Sample is produced, it will be sent for customer/client review and the order will be delayed until we are advised on how to proceed.
Templates are available for any custom bag or box size/style.