The Following Information Is Copyrighted 2003 by SciFor Inc., The Science Forum. All Rights Reserved.
Scifor is unique in its PRINT ONLY service, as we are one of very few on-line service bureaus that accept Powerpoint files for printing large-format posters due to the problematic nature of Powerpoint jobs.
What follows are some Powerpoint guidelines to help you properly prepare your files for output. Feel free to pass these tips along to your colleagues as they begin to prepare their slide(s) for wide-format printing:
- Powerpoint's colors are based on the RGB color model (Red-Green-Blue)
which is the way color is displayed on TV, Computer and VIdeo monitors
(known as "transmitted color"). RGB CANNOT be reproduced exactly in the
printing world. Printing colors use the CMYK color model
(Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black and is known as "reflective color"), which has a
limited color gamut (or "color range"). It can only simulate RGB colors, but
CAN NEVER REPRODUCE THEM EXACTLY. So, expectations for color matching must
be adjusted accordingly.
- Powerpoint files are typically low-resolution, since they are meant for
monitor display at 72 ppi ("pixles per inch") or for RGB transparency output
(i.e. "slides"). If you want better quality resolution, make sure that
photographic images are scanned and saved at least at 150 dpi ("dots per
inch") before embedding them in your Powerpoint document (use of a digital
imaging program like Adobe Photoshop or Aldus Photostyler is required; some
scanners package limited edition copies of this software or their own
proprietary scanning software). We recommend 150 dpi as the minimum
resolution needed for viewing distances of 4' to 8'. Image resolution,
however, should NEVER exceed 300 dpi, which is suitable for viewing
distances of less than a foot away.
- Text and Image boxes SHOULD NEVER overlap the slide edge or exist outside
the boundary of the slide entirely (i.e. in the pasteboard area). This is
not advisable since text and/or images can be "cut off" at the edges when
sent to print because of the plotter's non-printing area. In addition, FULL
BLEED color backgrounds from Powerpoint templates, besides being unable to
faithfully reproduce the color per the first comment above, cannot print
full bleed because of the "gripper edge" (where the paper is pulled through
by the plotter). Therefore, a non-printing margin around the poster, or
"white" border, is inevitable. This may also cause an off-center alignment
of your Powerpoint poster, since there will be a greater margin on one side
than the other (this is because Powerpoint can only interpret your layout
for output to slides, not for printing to a large-format plotter). If you
request it, Scifor can trim your poster to center the layout within the
paper width and/or height; however, please note there is a $25 trim charge
for this service.
- Powerpoint is primarily a presentation program (meant for on-screen
display or output to slides). The fact that we can print slides in large
format is only due to the fact that we have created work-arounds to the
limitations of Powerpoint. It is advisable that, depending on what version
of Powerpoint you own, you set up your slide's "page setup" to be either
HALF THE SIZE OF YOUR FINISHED POSTER, or at FULL SIZE. In this way we can
ensure proper enlargement to the requested poster size because the page
set-up is PROPORTIONATE to the OUTPUT. If you set up your slide with a page
set-up of 45" x 21" we will reproduce it at 200% to a 90 x 42". Or,
alternately, if you can set it up to be at actual size of 90x42, we will
print at 100% (preferred).
- Any embedded graphs, such as those brought in from Excel, must be
"ungrouped" when the file is saved (i.e. select chart or graph, right mouse
click in Windows, choose GROUPING-->UNGROUP or, if Macintosh, select from
the tool palette and choose the "Group-->Ungroup" command, ). This will
break the link or path to the source data, but is necessary when preparing
the files for the service bureau. Only do this when you are ABSOLUTELY SURE
there will be NO FURTHER CHANGES to your graph data; otherwise, the chart
will not be automatically updated if you decide to change your chart.
Powerpoint and Excel, although both Microsoft products, do not tend to work
well together for reasons beyond the scope of this tutorial. This also applies
to MS Word tables, which, when embedded as a Microsoft Word Object, can have
unpredictable results when printed, such as incorrect letter spacing or font
substitutions. It is recommended, whenever possible, to create the text
and/or table using Powerpoint's text tools. This is especially important
with imported charts with vertical Y-axis labels, since imported vertical
axis will sometimes not print at all. NOTE: Please UNGROUP your imported
charts and graphs and CHECK their positioning in the layout (e.g. ESPECIALLY
legends text and lines). This will save time and added expense.
- Finally, use STANDARD FONTS whereever and whenever possible, or provide
the service bureau with any esoteric fonts. UNAUTHORIZED FONTS: please DO
NOT USE "TIMES NEW ROMAN", "CG TIMES", "SYSTEM" or "ARIAL UNICODE" fonts, as
these are SCREEN fonts and tend to be problematic for printing. (TIMES is
okay, however, if you wish to have a serif face. Alternately, for a
sans-serif face, we recommend TrueType ARIAL for Windows users and standard
Postscript HELVETICA for Macintosh users). REPLACE ANY "ARIAL UNICODE" FONTS
WITH "ARIAL" ONLY. REPLACE "TIMES NEW ROMAN" or "CG TIMES" FONTS WITH
TrueType "TIMES" ONLY.
If Scifor is required to correct your PRINT ONLY job, for whatever reason, there is a minimum labor charge of $20.00 and a labor rate of $20 per quarter hour. Therefore, take special care when preparing your files so as to eliminate or reduce extra costs.
We do not have any specific template (there are just too many different poster sizes and formats) but if you follow the above guidelines, especially comment #4 for poster size, you should do fine and your poster will sail through the wide-format plotter without a hitch!
Hope this helps! Any questions, please feel free to call or email.
Thank you for your business and referrals. We look forward to being of service.
Customer Service 1-800-446-4966