Technical Specifications
Here at Ka-blam we've tried to make the readying of your files
for our printing process
as simple and as painless as possible.
There are only FIVE things you need to get right.
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1. File Format
We need TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) files.
You don't have to assemble your comic in some complicated layout program. You don't have to create a
PDF (sorry, but we won't even accept a PDF) and worry if you got all the settings right. You just need to name/number your files in a clear,
conscise, descriptive manner and save them as TIFFs.
Be sure the files are flattened (no extra
layers or channels).
Be sure they are saved using LZW compression.
Color files
should be in RGB mode. Yes, we do mean RGB not CMYK. (If you have
questions about this click here.)
Black and white files may be in either Bitmap mode (Line Art)
or Grayscale mode, whatever works best for you.
2. Resolution
Your files MUST be 300 DPI (dots per inch).
300 DPI is the optimal resolution for our system.
If the
resolution of your files is less than 300 DPI, your print quality will suffer. If the resolution of your
files is greater than 300 DPI you will not see any discernible improvement in print quality, your
files sizes will be larger (much larger in some cases), and you may actually slow down your turnaround time.
Screen-sized images (72 DPI) and formats (jpgs, gifs, pngs, etc.) are UNPRINTABLE in ALL cases.
3. Dimensions
Simply put, this is the height and width (in inches) of your comic book pages or non-comic book product (such
as mini-posters, postcards, etc.).
4. Name your files properly!
Sorry, but this is a big issue with us and one that
causes way, way too much confusion and consternation, not to mention lost productivity and even a few reprints.
This should be a stunningly simple thing. Just name your files in the order in which they will appear in the printed book.
For example the cover files would be -- frontcover.tif, insidefront.tif, insideback.tif, and backcover.tif.
The first page of the comic should be page01.tif. The second page is page02.tif, etc.
It doesn't matter if the first page of the comic is an introduction page or a credits page or a special thanks page or a
dedicated to page while the story proper begins on the second page or even the third page. The file that will be the first
interior page of printed comic is NOT intro.tif or thanks.tif or credits.tif. It is page01.tif.
If the first actual page of story or sequential artwork doesn't appear until the second interior page of the printed comic
then that file is NOT page01.tif. It is page02.tif.
Make sense?
If you do this properly then there's no need to send a pagination guide, or a page order resource file, or any special instructions on how to assemble the
book. Just name the files for the actual page order in which they will appear in the printed book. I'm afraid we're going to be
sticklers about this. If your page files do not conform to this numbering scheme, then your files are NOT in spec and we'll
have to insist that you rename and/or renumber your files and resubmit.
By the way, the important part of this is the numbering. Feel free to include the prefix of your choice in the file
name.
For example it doesn't have to be page01.tif, it could be KungFuMonkey_page01.tif or KFMpage01.tif
or even simply 01.tif.. Including the proper page number in the file name is the key.
5. And lastly ... Zip it Up!
After you've got all of your files whipped into shape, then please, please, please, archive them into a single
downloadable file! You can use winzip
or WinRaR or
StuffIt
or whatever else you've got so long as we get a single downloadable file.
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