Preparing your files

Our templates are specially designed to cater our production. Important indicators, such as bleed, corner rounding and safe zone, are included in our templates, which are compatible with Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Publisher, CorelDraw and Freehand. Using our templates eliminates issues that may cause production delay, meaning that your work will finish on time. Nevertheless, you do not have to use our templates. This is to make your experience with tonchabub.co.th the most convenient. We have created a checklist that tells you all necessary aspects you need to keep in mind while designing. Before placing an order or sending us your files, it is important that you carefully go through the checklist to make sure that your files can be printed without any issues. You will be informed of any files that do not meet the requirements and you will be able to fix it before we create a proof.

Colour
All files should be done in CMYK mode in order to get the right colours before uploading. Files that are in RGB or PMS mode will be converted to CMYK mode and this may affect your colours.

File size
You file must be exactly the same size as the area after trimming plus the bleed. In other words, your files must be 0.25 inches bigger that your desired size. (For example, 2x3.5-card layout must be 2.25x3.75). For envelopes, both pictures and messages must not be too close to the edges and bleeding is not allowed.

Crop mark
Please make sure that you save your file without a crop mark. Having it means that it will appear on your finished work.

Font/text
Do not use a font size smaller than 7pt. If you use vector programmes like Illustrator, InDesign or Freehand, please turn the texts into outlines before creating a PDF file. If you use Photoshop, please flatten your picture. If you use MS Publisher, please make sure everything is embedded in the file. For more help on embedding, please see embedding guide PDF.

Resolution
All pictures must be at least 300 dpi in resolution, otherwise, you picture will be grainy and blurry.

Safety zone
Do not place a photo or a text outside the safe zone, which is 1/8 inches from the cutline to avoid the cut.

Typos/grammatical mistakes
Please proofread your work.

Borders
If you would like to include a border in your work, please place it at least 1/8 inches from the edge. Otherwise your finished work will have unequal edges during cutting process. For the best result, place it ¼ inches from the edge.

Arrangement
The front and the back of your work must be in the same orientation. If one side is portrait and the other is landscape, one needs to be rotated. Multiple-page documents (booklets and catalogues)
This is relevant to booklet and catalogue printing. Please remember the following. The first page must be on the outside of the front cover. The second page must be on the inside of the front cover. And so on until the last page, which must be on the outside of the back cover. Multi-pages PDF must be in total number of multiple of 4. The page must have the same size of the area after cutting plus the bleed. Our expert help is available if you are unsure about this. The help is free of charge. Please call 039351678 or 039313144 or simply email us.

We accept:

• .PSD – Photoshop
• .EPS – Illustrator
• .INDD – InDesign
• .CDR – CorelDraw 12
• .FHD – Freehand
• .PUB – Publisher
• .PPT – PowerPoint
• .PDF – Adobe Acrobat
• .TIF – Tagged Image
• .JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Groip
• .BMP – Bitmap

A PDF creator that is recommended is CutePDF. It is fast, easy-to-use, free but powerful.
See checklist for more help when preparing a file.

Below are the common issues occurred in the files sent to us. Please note that your order will be halted until the issue is solved. Ithaiprint.com and tonchabub.co.th will try to let you know about this as soon as possible. However, to avoid any delays, it is important that you understand the problems and their solutions.

Changing the colour mode
Most graphic software allows you to choose the colour mode.
CMYK:
RGB:
Scanners, digital cameras and display screens are in RGB mode.
Off-set printers print a photo out is CMYK mode, which is called 4-colour processing or natural colours.
You should design your work in CMYK mode to see the right colours. Fills sent to us in RGB mode will be converted to CMYK mode, which may affect your colours.

Wrong size
The right bleed size is required. It is recommended that you use our free templates to create the right size of your work.
Your artwork or texts are too close to the cutline.
Texts or pictures must be 1/8 inches away from the edge of your layout to avoid the cut. This is called the safety zone.
Photos that are close to the edge must be extended into the bleed by ¼ inches.
Your work might move while cutting, so it is important that you leave at least ¼ inches around the edges clear. Tonchabub.co.th cannot guarantee the precision of the cut when you leave less than ¼ inches blank.

Low quality photos
Files sent to us must have a resolution at least 300 dpi. Files with less that 300 dpi resolution cannot be reproduced onto the plate because the photos will be grainy and blurry.
You may use a photo from internet, but please keep in mind that it is likely to have low resolution. Most of them are 72 dpi in resolution in order to download quickly.
When we receive pictures with low resolution, we will immediately ask you to change the photo. You will need to send us a signed written statement to us to confirm that you would like to proceed as it is and you are responsible for the decision.

Pictures and fonts missing
This is common with Publisher or InDesign. Please make sure you send us or upload the fonts and the pictures. We will then send you a proof for you to approve.
For Mac users, please embed fonts and high-resolution photos.

Wrong file type
Our printing services are compatible with certain file types only. Please check your file types before uploading them.

Bad files
This is common when you compress your files. We often receive incomplete and unusable files.

โปรดทบทวนแต่ละเกณฑ์มาตรฐานพร้อมพิมพ์ดังต่อไปนี้ เพื่อให้งานพิมพ์ของท่านเป็นไปตามกำหนดการ

สี
เราต้องการให้ทุกไฟล์กราฟฟิกนั้นถูกสร้างขึ้นโดยใช้ CMYK เพื่อให้ได้สีที่เที่ยงตรงก่อนที่จะถูกอัพโหลด ไฟล์ต่างๆที่ถูกส่งใน RGB หรือโดยใช้สี PMS จะต้องถูกแปลงเป็น CMYK ซึ่งอาจทำให้สีเพี้ยนไปบ้างในผลิตภัณฑ์ที่ผลิตออกมา

ขนาดไฟล์
ไฟล์ของท่านจะต้องสร้างให้เท่าขนาดตัดเจียนบวกด้วย bleed(ส่วนที่ซึมออกไป) ซึ่งหมายถึงว่าไฟล์ต่างๆของท่านจะต้องมีขนาด ใหญ่กว่าขนาดของผลิตภัณฑ์ที่ท่านสั่งซื้อ 0.25 นิ้ว ( ตัวอย่างเช่น นามบัตร 2x3.5 = 2.25 x 3.75 ไฟล์กราฟฟิก) ในกรณีของซอง ทั้งภาพและตัวอักษรทั้งหมดต้องอยู่ห่างจากแต่ละขอบสุดท้ายของซอง และ ภาพต่างๆจะไม่สามารถมี bleed ออกนอกขอบได้

ครอปมาร์ก
โปรดแน่ใจว่าไฟล์ต่างๆของท่านนั้นถูกบันทึกไว้โดยไม่มีครอปมาร์กใดๆ เมื่อมาร์กเหล่านี้จะถูกพิจารณาว่าเป็นส่วนของอาร์ตเวิร์ค และจบด้วยการที่มันถูกพิมพ์ลงบนผลิตภัณฑ์ที่สำเร็จแล้ว

ฟอนต์/ตัวอักษร
โปรดทำให้แน่ใจว่าท่านไม่ได้ใช้ขนาดฟอนต์ที่เล็กกว่า 7pt ถ้าหากทำงานอยู่กับซอฟท์แวร์ฐานเวกเตอร์ เช่น Illustrator, InDesign, หรือ Freehand  ตัวอักษรทั้งหมดจะต้องถูกแปลงเป็น outlines ก่อนที่จะสร้างไฟล์ PDF ในท้ายที่สุด ถ้าหากทำงานอยู่กับ Photoshop ทำให้ภาพแบนราบ เมื่อกำลังใช้ MS Publisher ทำงานออกแบบและเลย์เอาท์ เป็นเรื่องสำคัญที่ต้องทำให้แน่ว่า รูปถ่าย, กราฟฟิก และ ฟอนต์ต่างๆ นั้นถูกฝังเข้าไปข้างในไฟล์ดังกล่าว สำหรับคำสอนเรื่องการฝังรูปถ่าย, กราฟฟิก และ ฟอนต์ต่างๆของท่าน โดยการใช้ MS Publisher ให้อ่านที่ embedding guide PDF
ความละเอียด
เราขอแนะนำว่ารูปภาพทุกรูปจะต้องอย่างน้อย 300dpi การส่งไฟล์ต่างๆที่มีความละเอียดต่ำกว่า 300 dpi สามารถทำให้รูปภาพดูเป็นจุดๆและเบลอ

เขตปลอดภัย
อย่าวางรูปภาพหรือตัวอักษรที่สำคัญเลยเขตปลอดภัย ซึ่งคืออย่างน้อย 1/8 นิ้วจากขนาดตัดเจียนแล้ว ทั้งนี้เพื่อหลีกเลี่ยงการที่มันจะถูกตัดออกไปเมื่อชิ้นงานที่เสร็จแล้วถูก ตัดเจียน

ข้อบกพร่องทางการพิมพ์ / ไวยากรณ์
ควรแน่ใจว่าท่านได้อ่านพิสูจน์อาร์ตเวิร์คของท่านเพื่อให้ตัวสะกดและไวยากรณ์นั้นถูกต้อง

ขอบเขต
ถ้าหากไฟล์กราฟฟิกของท่านมีขอบ ตัวขอบจะต้องอยู่ห่างจากขอบที่อยู่โดยรอบทั้งหมด 1/8 นิ้ว(0.125 นิ้ว)เป็นอย่างน้อย ถ้าหากท่านปล่อยให้มันห่างน้อยกว่า 1/8 นิ้ว(0.125 นิ้ว)แล้ว ผลิตภัณฑ์ที่เสร็จแล้วอาจเป็นผลให้ขอบเขตจากด้านบนไปยังด้านล่างและจากข้าง หนึ่งไปยังอีกข้างหนึ่งไม่เท่ากัน ทั้งนี้เป็นผลมาจากกระบวนการตัดในตอนสุดท้ายซึ่งอาจเกิดการเลื่อนไหลได้ วิธีที่ดีที่สุดคือ ให้ท่านสร้างขอบเขตที่อยู่ห่าง ¼ นิ้ว(0.25 นิ้ว)จากขอบที่อยู่โดยรอบทั้งหมด

ทิศทาง
ด้านหน้าและด้านหลังของไฟล์กราฟฟิกของท่านจะต้องมีทิศทางเดียวกัน ถ้าหากด้านหน้าเป็นรูปแบบ portrait และด้านหลังอยู่ในรูปแบบ landscape จะต้องมีหน้าหนึ่งที่ต้องหมุนไป 90 องศา

เอกสารหลายหน้า(คำสั่งซื้อหนังสือเล่มเล็ก/แคตตาล็อก)
เอกสารหลายหน้านั้นจะถูกใช้เมื่อมีการส่งไฟล์กราฟฟิกสำหรับคำสั่งซื้อ หนังสือเล่มเล็ก/แคตตาล็อก เท่านั้น เมื่อทำการส่งไฟล์กราฟฟิก หนังสือเล่มเล็ก/แคตตาล็อก หน้า 1 ของ PDF หลายหน้าจะต้องอยู่ด้านนอกของปกหน้า หน้า 2 จะต้องอยู่ด้านในปกด้านหน้า หน้าสุดท้ายของ PDF หลายหน้า จะต้องอยู่ด้านนอกของปกหลัง   PDF หลายหน้าจะต้องมีการนับหน้าเป็นจำนวนคูณของสี่(4)ด้วยเหมือนกัน และ แต่ละหน้าต้องถูกสร้างให้มีขนาดตัดเจียนสุดท้ายรวม bleed ด้วย

Yes, dpi and ppi are similar. However, the ppi and dpi values of your files will be checked and verified when we receive them.

You can upload files with any size when using our FTP. However, this depends on whether your connection to the internet is long enough for you upload to be completed.

You files must be at least 300 dpi in resolution. Files with less than 300-dpi resolution will result in low-quality offset printing as it will be unclear and/or has serrated edges.
Very often a picture found on the internet has low resolution and is not good enough for printing. Only the pictures from photo studios with high resolution can be used.
Most pictures on the internet have 72 dpi resolutions for fast download, but this is not good for printing. We will reject your pictures if they have low resolution. If this happens, please fix and change the pictures. You will need to give us a written statement with your signature if you would like us to proceed anyway and you understand that the finished products may not be the best quality.

It is not easy to get a print that looks exactly like what you can see on screen because different screens have different technology. We try our best to make sure that your colours look right. At least it should look similar to your files because we have a system that controls ink distribution. We also measure colour density after printing and adjust the printer until we get the right density.

Digital cameras are an amazing invention that allows us to capture a picture in different ways. It is design to capture 3 pictures: red, green and blue pictures (similar to the system used in TV screens), before combining the 3 pictures into 1. It is important that your camera is set to the maximum possible quality. As a result, your file will be large and you may only be able to take only one picture instead of 12, 64 or 128 pictures. But this is good because you need the best quality photo a camera can provide you. It will also take a long time to download and upload. Remember that your finished art work should be at least 300 dpi.
Very often you will notice that your printed picture is darker than how it appears on your screen. Please check and adjust the brightness of your picture. If you can, convert the colours from the RGB (red, green and blue) mode to the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) mode. Please also note that all the colours you see from the RBG lights will be printed in CYMK mode. It is fine if you cannot convert the colours; we will do it for free. Last but not least, it is recommended that you sharpen your photo as this will add vividness and lead to a print with better quality.

Some digital cameras tell you about the resolution, whilst some tell the picture size in pixel. Knowing the size, whether from the camera of other software, lets you easily calculate the resolution and the size that will lead to clear and vivid printing. Simply divide the width with 300 if the picture does not have texts and 400 if the picture has some texts. For example, you have a picture without a text sized 600x900 pixels. Dividing each by 300, you will get 2x3 inches. This means for best result the maximum size of this picture you can use is 2x3 inches in your layout. The resolution will also tell you the maximum size you can use in a layout. It is recommended that the final resolution is 300 if your picture does not have a text and 400 if your picture has a text. Remember that size and resolution have inverse relationship. If your original photo size is 2x2 with a resolution of 300 dpi, enlarging it to 4x4 will reduce the resolution to only 150 dpi. You can always reduce the picture size in your layout as this will increase the resolution, but you have a limit on how much you can enlarge it.

You can send your art work, including pictures, cliparts, and other pictures, done in Word or PowerPoint to us.

Both types of files are acceptable. Nevertheless, we prefer normal Publisher files. Please avoid using Pack and Go in Publisher. If your publisher file involves a link (which is not recommended in Publisher), please include all files into a zipped file before sending it. Compressing with WinZip or PK Zip (or Stuffit on Mac) is common for Quark, Pagemaker, Illustrator, Indesign or other files that involve a link. When using a font that is not originally in Publisher, please send it alongside your Publisher files. You can zip them together or upload the font as an additional file (or put them together in a CD or Zip disk if you send the files by post).

Yes, we convert all files to CMYK mode by using standard values. This may affect the colour of your finished work. It is recommended that you convert the file yourself before sending it to us in order to control the colour afterwards. This allows you to choose the right colour for your texts and pictures.

It recommended that you use C=30, M=30, Y=30 and K=100 for the blackest black. It has been proven that this leads to the best result.

In general we process your order as quickly and cheaply as much as possible and ensure that the colours are closest to your design by using standard ink density. We do not guarantee that your work will be exactly the same as your sample because different printers use different technology. Inkjet and laser printing are hugely different from offset printing. Even if using the same technology, different companies clearly produce different finished work.
If you would like exactly the same colour, please contact us to arrange a digital proofing device. Please also note that this costs 400 baht extra. We will then send the digital proofing to you by EMS. After you approve the colours and send it back, we will print you work out and make sure that the colours are the same as the proofing. If you would like to adjust the colours after proofing, an additional cost of at least 400 baht will be added.
Please remember that our finished work will be polished and professional, but may not look exactly like your work printed from your inkjet printer.

If possible, set RGB worksheet to sRGB IEC1966-2.1 and CMYK worksheet to US Sheetfed Coated V2.

We accept CD, DVD and Flash drive.

Customers of tonchabub.co.th can upload files using our own FTP and download proofing from our server easily.
We accept native files from the following programmes:
•    Adobe Illustrator (.ai)
•    Adobe Photoshop (.psd)
•    Adobe InDesign (.indd)
•    Corel Draw (.cdr)
•    Freehand (.fhd)
•    Microsoft Word (.doc)
•    Microsoft Publisher (.pub)
•    Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt)
We also accept: .pdf ; .jpeg ; .eps ; .tif ;  .bmp

Our quality check team cannot change files sent in for printing. After receiving our proofing via email, you can submit your new files by logging in to My Account.
If you use our FTP to send files, you can upload new files without any additional costs until you approve our proofing.

Fonts and writing styles may be an issue when transferring a file from one computer to another. We have more than 1000 fonts, but it is recommended that you send them in together with your files. After proofing, it is your responsibility to check that the fonts are right and have not been replaced by vector drawing programmes like Illustrator, Freehand and CorelDraw. Please also make sure you transform all the fonts to outlines or curves before sending in the final files.
Please always remember that small texts are not recommended because we print in 4 colours. The minimum recommended size is 12 pt. Remember that most people cannot read texts sized less than 6 pt no matter what colour it is.

RGB (red, green and blue) are the primary colours of light. They are used in most display screens, as well as digital cameras and scanners. On the other hand, CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) refers to the primary colours of ink used in 4-colour printers. In general it is call natural colour printing. The mixture of RGB lights is white, whilst that of CMYK is black. Therefore, it is practically impossible to get the same colours from a printer and from a screen.
Many programme can transform layouts/pictures from RGB to CMYK. You will notice the differences when converting. If possible, it is recommended that you convert your work and work with CMYK as this allows you to control and change the printing colours as you wish. You should your picture in CMYK brighter than normal as the ink on printing plate will make it thicker. You will have more colour on paper on the screen. Your background should be in bright colours when you have dark-colour or black texts. This makes your messages readable.

In general, most graphic software lets you choose to work in either RGB or CMYK mode. Scanners and digital cameras create a picture on screen by using just 3 colours: red, green and blue (RGB). These are the primary colours of light and computer screens use them.
Offset printers and printed picture use a different set of colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. It is called 4-colour process or full-colour. This is common in most printing materials distributed around us every day.
If you do not use CMYK in your design, it will be converted to CMYK during proofing. This may change the colours of your finished work.