Posters

At the present time, we are making posters created in Powerpoint, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw and QuarkXpress. We use both the Mac and PC platforms. We work with new programs as the need arises. We anticipate working with Canvas and Adobe InDesign.

Please note:
If you are working in Powerpoint, we cannot be responsible for posters that do not print when graphs and/or drawings have been cut and pasted from other programs into Powerpoint. To avoid problems when using SigmaPlot, Cricket Graph, Kaleidagraph, Freehand, or other programs with PowerPoint, please make your images into TIFFs first, and then bring them into Powerpoint.

QuarkXpress and Powerpoint.
Quark and Powerpoint both have size limitations when setting up a new file. Quark allows 48" maximum, and Powerpoint 56". With either of these programs we recommend setting the page size to half the final size (i.e.: for a 4x8 foot poster, set the size to 2x4 feet or 24x28 inches). We then scale the poster 200% when we print it. Be sure to let us know what your final size will be.

CorelDraw, Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop.
CorelDraw, Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign should allow a full-size page set-up, so the poster can be created and we can print directly at 100%. Be sure to allow AMPLE time for printing from these programs. Large file sizes can take up to 8 hours to print!

Possible Trouble.
The issue most vexing when it comes to posters is that they frequently contain images created in other programs. Sometimes those images work and sometimes they do not. An example is placing a graph into Powerpoint. It may look fine on the screen, and may print fine on a laserprinter, but may not load right (pieces may be missing or moved around) when printed on the poster printer. Printer drivers are not all the same and, depending on the file format use (jpeg, pict, tif, etc.), the results may vary.

Recommendations.
So the recommendations we make regarding images are to use TIFF files. These seem to be universally accepted - we have had no problems thus far with them. If you have files in other formats, Photoshop can usually convert them to TIFFs. (When you name the file, add the extension ".tif" at the end. This makes it readable on both the Mac and PC.) File size should be about 3-6 megabytes (the poster printer has high resolution, but no improvement in image quality is gained beyond 300dpi). Bigger is not necessarily better (we have done several comparisons to prove this to ourselves). Linear dimensions (8x10', etc) are not an issue as the size can be adjusted in the program being used to create the poster .

Be sure not to save at too low a resolution either, since insufficient resolution causes pixellation in the final image (the image looks "chunky").

Charts, Graphs and Drawings.
If you have charts, graphs and drawings you wish to include in the poster, and the original program will not allow them to be saved as high-resolution TIFF files (something better than 72dpi), our solution is to either print them out on a high-resolution (600+dpi) color ink-jet printer. Then we scan the print into Photoshop and make a Tiff from there. Or we ask that you increase the size of your drawing to four times its final output size, then save that image as a 72dpi TIFF or PICT. When it is reduced back down in Photoshop, the pixellation from a 72dpi image is minimized.

Proofs.
As a final check, we encourage a proof to be printed. We print an approximately one square foot print. This costs is one square foot, but it provides a full-scale image to look at prior to printing the final poster.

Imaging Service.
We also assist with image preparation and lay-out as needed. We usually ask for 4-5 days lead-time to produce a poster, but can handle shorter deadlines if we have advance notice.