Sending Artwork for Creation of Your Inflatable

You can usually get these files from your company's design department, design house or ad agency when the label or print ad for the product is created. Note: if the art is to be used as part of an inflatable product, it must be the "flat artwork," meaning that we cannot use a photograph of the three dimensional product itself. Rather the art that was used to create the product's packaging would need to be sent.

If possible, supply a color correct hard copy of your final layout including call-outs for critical PMS colors. Under normal circumstances, artwork must be provided 3-4 weeks prior to inflatable shipment.

How To Send Your Artwork:

Larger Files 

For art files larger than 10mb, we suggest uploading to our ftp site (see image below for settings). You will need to have ftp software on your computer. A couple of popular applications are WS_FTP for Windows or Fetch for Mac OS. Both companies offer trial versions of their software. If you use Firefox as a browser, their FireFTP extension will also work well.

If you'd like to avoid using ftp all together, there is a free service called YouSendIt where you can create a free user account and send files up to 1GB.

Choices Of Formats:

Bitmap Images (aka raster images)

Customers who choose an inflatable or banner that requires digital printing of artwork will need to remit their drawings in bitmap form.

Some programs that use bitmap images include:

• Adobe Photoshop
• Corel Draw
  
• Scanners & Scanning Software
• Kodak Photo CD Images

Instructions For Your Art Department:

   1. Make sure your color mode is CMYK.
   2. Do NOT use any type of file compression (aka JPEG or GIF files).
   3. Artwork for the final project should be 70 dpi. Therefore the size of your art file will be determined by its resolution, and vice versa. The equation for determining the optimal size/resolution is as follows:

HOW TO DETERMINE THE RESOLUTION REQUIRED IF THE ART FILE SIZE IS KNOWN

Let A= The Final Inflatable Size

Let B= The Art File Size 

Formula to determine resolution is: A X 70 / B

      Example: To Print a 10' Label
      Final inflatable size: = 120" Tall
      Art File size: = 12" Tall
      Resolution Needed: 120" x 70 dpi / 12" = 8400/12= 700 dpi.

HOW TO DETERMINE THE ART FILE SIZE NEEDED IF THE RESOLUTION IS KNOWN

      Let C= The Final Inflatable Size
      Let D= The Resolution
      Formula to determine art size is: C X 70 / D

      Example: To Print a 10' Label
      Final inflatable size: = 120" Tall
      Art Resolution: = 300 DPI
      Art Size Needed: 120" x 70 dpi / 300 dpi = 8400/ 300 dpi= 28Ó tall.

Formats we prefer are CD or DVD. Since bitmap images at 600 dpi can be quite large, see above for instructions for sending art via ftp. If the file is 5 mb or less, you may email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Vector Graphics

Customers whose inflatable or banner will require paint, silk-screen, vinyl graphics, hand painting or applique should use vector graphics. Vector graphics are good for producing crisp outlines for logos and illustrations.

Some programs which use vector graphics:

• Adobe Illustrator
• Corel Draw
• Macromedia Freehand
• Various CAD Programs

Instructions For Your Art Department:

   1. Make sure your color mode is CMYK.
   2. Save Illustrator, Quark XPress, Corel or Freehand files as .eps files.
   3. Convert all fonts to outlines or embed them in the document.
   4. Send your screen and printer fonts with the project in case corrections are required. If your file is smaller than 5 mb, we will gladly accept it via email. If the file is larger than 5 mb, we prefer to have it sent on a CD-ROM or Iomega Zip disk via mail.

Combination of Bitmap & Vector Graphics

If your files contain a combination of bitmap and vector images, include a copy of each placed bitmap image as a TIFF or EPS file. We accept both Macintosh and PC formats.

A final note: we recommend the purchase and use of programs such as Flightcheck, which can be ordered at http://www.markzware.com.

If you have any further questions or concerns - contact us for questions regarding a specific job already in progress, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

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