Guidelines
Some Helpful Hints to Make Your Design Shine!
If you're having National Media Services design your CD or DVD project, please take note of the following:
The better the photo, the better it will look when printed! A professional photograph does wonders for your product. A bad photo is going to look like a bad photo, and unless you're going for that kind of look, take the steps to acquire the best image possible. Poor lighting, busy backgrounds and out of focus images don't get any better when printed.
Provide all your text in an e-mail or Word document. It's more efficient to copy, paste and format than it is to typeset your text and it lessens the chance for spelling errors. If you're not sure what you want to put on your CD, take your queue from product that you have in your collection.
Tell us a little about what you may be looking for concerning the design. If you're a traditional gospel artist you probably don't want your product looking like a heavy metal CD. A short note to the designer can do wonders. Even a stick figure drawing is more helpful than you realize in helping us achieve the look and feel you're seeking.
We'll send an e-mail proof for you to look at and upon your approval make a physical production proof you can hold in your hand...NO SURPRISES! Your final product will match the physical proof we send (Of course you can opt for an e-mail proof only. It can save you time if turn-around is an issue).
If you are supplying us with finished design files, PLEASE READ these helpful tips!
Use Our Templates!
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with specifications and templates before beginning your design. Design not supplied in our templates can incur an additional prep charge (minimum flight check is $39). We'll carefully check supplied files to be sure they meet our specifications. We will make minor adjustments as necessary. There is a READ ME file in all template downloads. Please read it before you begin your design. We encourage you to call us if you have any questions pertaining to graphics. Our helpful staff will be happy to assist you!
Check For Typos!
While we thoroughly check your files before processing, we don't check for typos. Have someone check your design carefully before you submit it to us. Once we have your files, you have only one last chance to catch any typos or omissions on the proof we send you. You can incur delays and additional charges if you make changes after that. Have a few sets of fresh eyes check your graphics, too!
Make sure all digital images are 300 dpi!
72 dpi images (like those found on most websites) may look good on your computer monitor, but they sure don't look good when printed and are not usable! Additionally, there may be copyright issues. All digitally supplied images should be 300 dpi. If you're supplying digital photos make sure they were taken with a 3 megapixel camera (or more) and are the highest quality setting and size.
Disc Design Tips!
Our full-color on disc printing process is state of the art! This means that you can print full-color imagery in glorious detail...the more colors the better! Please read the "READ ME" file included in the template download.
Final Hints!
APPROVE YOUR PROOFS RIGHT AWAY!
The turn time your project consultant discusses with you depends on you approving your proofs within 24 hours! Any delays you create cannot be made up in production. We cannot start production until we have written approval of your artwork and/or master!
ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM!
You know the old saying about assuming.... If you're not sure, ASK! After all, we're the experts and we're here to help you in any way we can and make you comfortable with what's going on with your project.
PAY PROMPTLY!
We require 50% payment to start your order. A credit card or debit card is the fastest, most efficient method of payment. Make sure you have a current credit or debit card on file so your order can be booked into production. Shipping is billed at the time of the order or before your product ships depending on shipping method. We also accept PayPal, money orders, and personal/business checks. Please note that paying by check may delay your order until the funds clear.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST? DON'T SCHEDULE YOUR RELEASE PARTY UNTIL YOU HAVE PRODUCT IN YOUR HAND!
With a custom manufactured product, there are never any guaranteed delivery times (some companies claim guaranteed delivery but if you read the fine print, it's no guarantee at all). Turn times are quoted in good faith based on what normally happens but delays can happen at any step of the way. While we have an amazing track record of delivering on time, we offer this common sense advice.
Important Information!
- Please submit your art in Print Ready High Resolution PDF's (with template lines removed) in CMYK Color Mode!
- All fonts converted to Outlines or Curves!
- Use a professional design program!
- We work with the Adobe Creative Suite of products (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator etc. and accept up to version CS6).
- Please note: Add 2 - 5 business days to your turn time if National Media Services is designing your project.
Preferred Design Formats:
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Illustrator
- Corel Draw
- Encapsulated Post Script-.EPS (exported from Illustrator, Photoshop)
- Printed Document Format-. PDF (exported from Illustrator, Photoshop or InDesign)
- Flattened Files
Need help along the way? Please feel free to call us and we'll be glad to help you.
No surprises here -- you'll receive an actual production sample of your project to review before production begins -- included in our minimum flight check charge of $39. If you need us to do the design and graphics, the production sample is included at no extra charge.