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    • Electronic File Requirements

    When you send in your designs for printing, be sure to follow our electronic file requirements!

    McGrath Custom Apparel Specs

    McGrath Print Commercial Printing Specs

    Can I send my files as an email attachment?

    Depending upon how large your file is, we can accept via email. Anything over 10MB would be too large to email. We would recommend using our upload feature for larger files.

    What file preferences do you have?

    • Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel or PowerPoint files are accepted with the understanding these files aren’t generally used for high resolution printing purposes. We understand these may be the only files you have available, and we will make every effort to deliver a quality product to you.
    • Vector PDF or vector EPS files (with fonts embedded or type converted to outlines and images embedded) are preferred.
      • Make sure the Documents Raster Effects Settings are set to a minimum of 300 dpi.
      • When saving your PDF be sure to choose High Quality Print and modify the settings as follows:
        • Downsample using Jpeg Compression (not Jpeg Automatic) with the Image Quality at Maximum.
        • Embed all fonts. You can choose to outline all fonts but that will limit our ability to make last minute corrections for you. Instead, supply the fonts with your files just in case!
        • Include all marks (registration, trim, etc.).
        • Include bleeds, make sure the offset is .125”
        • No color conversion / do not include profiles.
    • Adobe InDesign CC (2017) or earlier and Quark 7 or earlier. At the time of this printing, we are unable to upgrade to the operating system that is required to operate Adobe CC 2018 products.
      • Support files (fonts and placed images) must accompany native layout files.
      • The best way to achieve this is to use the application’s “Package” or “Collect” feature.

    What is the difference between native files and a PDF file?

    A native file is the file your project is created in and any files used within. For instance, an image manipulated in Adobe Photoshop is placed in an Adobe InDesign file. A logo which was created in Adobe Illustrator is placed in that same InDesign file. Those are the native files. Only the program the files were created in will be able to open those files. The PDF file is a Portable Document Format file which can be created from several different programs and can be opened using Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe Acrobat Reader. PDF files are generally what printers use to create their plates. Note: not all PDF files are created equal. If you need assistance in creating a PDF file for print, please contact us and we’ll walk you through this painless procedure.