The best file format for promotional items are vector based EPS files created in professional graphics applications such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia FreeHand (now an Adobe product as well) or Correll Draw. Vector files allow us to adjust the size of your brand without a bit of distortion or "jaggies" we call this Resolution independent and that's a good thing when you are trying to maintain the integrity of your artwork. EPS files also retain specific PANTONE and other color information that insures accurate brand color and reduces the chance that your HUNTER GREEN 3308 will turn into LIME GREEN 375. These files are also typically small in binary size so they e-mail and transfer quickly and securely. To find out more about building the perfect art file, check out www.productionreadyart.com

Other files that can produce good results as well these include raster based files created in professional graphics applications like Adobe Photoshop, Fireworks, Gimp and others. The primary challenge with using these applications to create production quality art is they create resolution dependent files that can cause quality problems when applied to typical promotional items. Bt if you are a PSD guru, then make sure that the files you create are at least 300dpi at the size you intend the image to print, and throw away any unused channels or paths which could clip your brand in an inappropriate way. Other challenges with raster-based images include the vast number of file types that can turn your art project into alphabet soup. PSD, TIFF, JPG, GIF and more all are potential extensions, and all have subtle nuances, which may affect the quality of your promotional marketing project.

Some file formats are definitely not appropriate for quality promotional marketing projects. Friends don't let friends use MS PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Paint to create production ready art. Never, ever! Also, while the internet has revolutionized the way we communicate and transfer assets, don't get tempted to use art appearing on a website for promotional marketing. No matter how good the graphic looks on your screen, it will not look good on your promotional marketing item. We promise!

Once again, if you have a question concerning the quality or file type of your artwork, feel free to send us an e-mail ARTgenius@bluegrassltd.com