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File Requirements

Full PDF workflow

Printing Services now requires all files to be in a properly formatted PDF file. Please set your PDF software to PDF/X-1a settings to embed all the fonts, images, and other elements. Failure to do so can cause your file to fail when printing, and lead to extra time and expense for your job. Follow these steps to make an X-1a PDF:

  1. In your file's native program, select the "Print" option.
  2. Select "Adobe PDF" for the printer. If this option is absent, Adobe Acrobat is not installed. Read below and contact your department's IT representative.
  3. Select "Properties" to see PDF options.
  4. Under "Document Settings", select "PDF/X-1a:2001".
  5. If your job is not a standard letter size, choose the correct size under "Adobe PDF Page Size". If not listed, you can add a custom size from the "Add..." button.
  6. Select "OK", and then either "Print" or "OK".
  7. A safe file dialog window will open up, allowing you to save the PDF. Please use a unique and descriptive name, to avoid confusion with other files.
  8. Navigate to the PDF, open it, and verify that it was properly created. Thin lines may appear over images, this is normal for an X-1a PDF. If the line width does not change as the zoom level is changed, then these will not appear during printing.
  9. Hover your mouse in the lower left corner of your PDF to veiw the page size and verify it size prior to submission.

Printing Services recommends that your jobs be created whenever possible in Adobe's Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.). Microsoft Office is not recommended, however if this is your only option, the document must be converted to PDF before submission. Ask your department's IT representative to install Adobe Acrobat (not just Adobe Reader). Currently, the campus has licensed Adobe's Creative Suite at no cost for faculty and staff.

 

Variable Data Printing

 

If you are submitting a data merge job, along with the PDF you need to include the merge data in a MS Excel file, with all data presorted, and organized into columns with a title in the first row.