Illustrator Pre pre ss | Ba sic ch e cklist

01 Vector vs raster / Vector is resolution-independent (smooth curves), raster is pixel-based

(resolution IS imp.)
02 File structure on desktop / working and final collected folders
In your final collected file, you want a links folder, a fonts folder, your native file and
your PDFs
03 Open up New Doc / Print settings, 300dpi CMYK / bleed
04 Check Effect – Doc Raster Effects settings – High 300dpi
05 Object – Flatten Transparency / High resolution settings
06 Work with layers to organize your file information and to ease navigation through
components
07 Grid
Centred rectangle (smaller than 16 x 20 to allow for margins all around)
Object – Path – Split into Guides (choose rows and columns) – Add Guides
Select guide lines with white arrow selector
View – Guides – Make Guides
Delete rectangles
Lock layer

08 Baseline grid / align text baseline to baseline (easier to set up in InDesign)

09 Colour
Swatch palette
Delete default palette
Can organize your own colours into sets
One model: Pantone Colour Bridge CMYK PC
Process vs spot / colour gamut / colour shifts
Overprint preview will show you colour shifts between spot and process colours

10 kuler.adobe.com
Can access directly from AI – under Window – Extensions – Kuler
Can browse through colour palettes built by other designers

11 Document info / Use to look at effective image ppi / make sure that it's at least 300dpi
for photos/other images, 1200dpi for bitmaps

NOTE: Illustrator converts any RGB images to CMYK

NOT ideal: make the conversion + colour adjustments in PS first
12 Links palette
Link your images (instead of leaving them embedded)
Use "Relink" in Links palette and find file in your Links folder (Final collected)
Also use to look at file types: you want TIF or EPS, but no jpegs (lossy format)

13 Separations preview
Check that you only have CMYK, no spot colours
Make sure that your black type is black only and not rich black

14 Bleed / make sure that bleed is in place (use red border as guide)

15 Save new AI file as your final version

16 Save PDF / PDF X1-a / crops and bleeds in place

17 In Acrobat, you can preflight your document under Advanced – Preflight – Digital Colour /
analyze

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18 Also make a lores PDF without bleed to show cropping

19 Revisit file management and clean up your file folders / Archive final files