Upload Design (Bottle Sleeve)

Layers

There is no need to turn off layers. The BLEED and DIE LINES are a specific spot color that can be turned off in the printing process. The BLEED MASK must be left ON as it not only contains mandatory art but it also covers any overflow art.

Embed Images & Confirm Links

Illustrator: Make sure all links are embedded. WINDOW > LINKS > EMBED IMAGE(S). Once the links are embedded, the link above becomes UNEMBED LINKS. 

InDesign: Be sure all images are linked. If there is a red question mark the image is not linked properly. WINDOW > LINKS.

Convert All Text to Outlines

TIP! Duplicate your original file so you always have an editable version and do not accidentally overwrite your original! On the duplicate, convert all text to outlines and save as PDF.

InDesign/Illustrator: Select all text/text blocks, then TYPE > CREATE OUTLINES

Convert All Colors and Links to CMYK

Illustrator: Make sure any linked and embedded photos are in CMYK and that your color mode is set to CMYK. FILE > DOCUMENT COLOR MODE > CMYK.

InDesign: Make sure photos are CMYK and that any vector images from Illustrator were created in CMYK color mode. FILE > DOCUMENT COLOR MODE > CMYK.

Save File for Printing (PDF)

Once the above checklist has been accomplished it’s time to save out your PDF for printing. There is no need for any crop marks or bleed settings as they are already built into the template.

Illustrator: FILE > SAVE AS > select PDF from the dropdown at the bottom of the window. On the next window, next to Adobe PDF Preset, select PRESS QUALITY. If the saved document is over 30Mb, save it again but under OPTIONS uncheck ‘Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities’. * Be sure to make a duplicate file so you can go back in and edit your original if needed! (Click SAVE PDF at the bottom of the page.

InDesign: FILE > EXPORT > select PDF from the FORMAT dropdown at the bottom of the window that opens. Click SAVE. In the next window select PRESS QUALITY. Click EXPORT at the bottom of the page.

Proof Your Print PDF One Last Time

Once your PDF is saved. Open it in Acrobat and proof to make sure the text is showing correctly and that any images are sharp and the highest resolution possible.

PRO TIPS…

• If a design can all be done in vector files, Illustrator is the way to go. Photos in Illustrator bump up the file size considerably.

• If a design contains photos, InDesign is the best choice. You can even build your design in Illustrator or Photoshop and import it into the InDesign template. (Of course, turn off the bleed, die lines and bleed mask layers when saving from Illustrator!)

• PNG templates are provided to aid in designing a background (or even a full design) in Photoshop. Use the PNG template and use it as your top layer. When done, turn off the top layer, flatten your image, and save it out in CMYK. Then, insert the image into the ART GOES HERE layer in InDesign and position it to fit.