General Overall Guidelines

• Single page ads should be built to 100% trim size. If ad bleeds, extend bleed a minimum of 1/8” beyond trim.
  
  
• Partial page ads should be built to 100% of their actual trim size. If ad bleeds, extend bleed a minimum of 1/8” beyond trim.
  
  
• All Non-Bleed ads should be built to 100% of the Non-Bleed specs.
  
  
• Standard trim, bleed and center marks should be included but not in the “live” image area or “bleed” area.
  
  
• Spread ads: keep live matter 1/4” away from each side of center or 1/2” across the gutter. For spread ads with a headline crossing over the gutter, contact production department if the visual spacing between words or letters is critical.
  
  
• All elements must be placed at 100% of size.
  
  
• Do not apply style attributes to basic fonts.
  
  
• Include and/or embed all fonts, images/scans, logos/artwork.
  
  
• Font information should include manufacturer, font name and version. Multiple master fonts will not be accepted. True Type fonts are not recommended and may cause unexpected reproduction problems on press.
  
  
• Do not nest EPS files in other EPS files.
  
  
• Use of illegal characters in file names will not be accepted (example: &, /, -, ~, %, ( , ), #, ‘, $, etc or anything after the extension). Limit File Name to 24 characters INCLUDING the extension.
  
  
• On 4/C ads, Pantone colors, other spot colors, and non-CMYK
  elements must be converted to CMYK.
  
  
• Four-color solids should not exceed SWOP® density of 300%.
  
  
• 100% black elements should be knocked out and trapped or overprint using 100% K and 60% C to create a rich black.
  
  
• Color type, reverse type, and/or line art should not be less than .007 at the thinnest part of the character. Single-color type should be no less than .004 at the thinnest part of the character.
  
  
• To acoid low-res (soft type) or 4/C black type, type should be built in Quark, InDesign or Illustrator and not within Photoshop.
  
  
• Reverse type should use a dominant color (usually 70% or more) for the shape of the letters. Where practical and not detrimental to the appearance of the job, make the type in the subordinate colors slightly larger to minimize register problems on the production press.
  
  
• All supplied materials intended for use in Meredith publications must be properly trapped and, when possible, image trapping should be represented in the accompany SWOP® proofs.
  
  
• If the above guidlines are not met. the color and quality of print reproduction may vary. Proofs that are not SWOP compliant will be referenced for content only. Meredith will try to achieve a reasonable match to the supplied proof.