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Creating Color Magazine Ads
This area of the site provides detailed production guidelines and procedures for placing and creating digital ad material for color ads in The Magazine, including type specifications and file formats.
Color Production Guidelines
New York Times Magazine, T Style and KEY Magazine are printed rotogravure on high quality supercalendared paper.
Trim size is 8 15/16" x 10 7/8". (For detailed ad sizes, visit www.rrd-lpc.com/nyt)
Digital Input:
PDF/X-1a or Adobe® Acrobat® distilled PDF’s using the settings available on the RRD download page. PDF’s exported from application files are discouraged and can lead to less than desirable results.
Please Note: In order to print the text and linework elements with optimum sharpness, we recommend those elements be prepared correctly in the original application design file with outlines created and/or supplied printer and screen fonts embedded. Rotogravure produces all text and linework elements at 2400 dpi, with pictures and images at 300 dpi. The above recommendations will result in the desired 2400 dpi output resolution.
Note: Any text or line work element created in Adobe Photoshop will reproduce at only 300 dpi picture resolution resulting in a soft edge in the final printed product.
Digital Proofs:
It is recommended that all advertisers submit a contract proof with their ad files regardless of delivery method. Electronically submitted ad files ARE NOT EXCLUDED.
Note 1: Kodak Approval, Kodak Digital Matchprint and Fuji Final (on the manufactures recommended Publication Stock or SWOP standard 60lb Monterey Gloss) are the only contract level digital proofs accepted by The New York Times for the Magazine as color guidance (133-150 line screen required). Color laser & ink jet proofs can be used for content checking only and will not serve as press color guidance.
Note 2: For those advertisers who submit electronic files without an acceptable contract level proof for color guidance, a SWOP Kodak Approval proof will be pulled by the printer and used for color guidance. This proof will not be sent out for review. Color reproduction will be based on the match to the proof pulled by the printer. The Times will accept a non-contract level proof for mechanical and element check only.
Advertisement Inspection Process:
Advertising material arriving within the allotted 48 hour production window will be put through a complete inspection process including a mechanical size check, Pre-flight of the file and SWOP Kodak Approval contract proof pulled for color evaluation and content check. Should the ad material fail the mechanical or Pre-flight steps, the sender will be notified and given the opportunity to replace the file. If there are any issues regarding content and color, as compared to the supplied contract proof, the Kodak Approval proof will be submitted to the sender for review. After review, a revised file may be sent to the printer correcting any problems identified, e.g. color or text. There will not be a second Kodak proof submission for replacement material.
Material arriving on extension and past the 48 hour lead time is subject to the terms of the NYT ad disclaimer which eliminates the content and color inspection of the material.
Type Specifications:
Thin lines, fine serifs and medium or small type should be restricted to one color. Reproduce all colored type with a minimum of colors, while holding .007" at the thinnest part of a character or rule with a minimum size of 10 pt. For more specific information contact a Production Representative at R. R. Donnelley.
Reverse type and line art should not be finer than .007" (equivalent to .5 point rule) at the thinnest part of a character or rule, with a minimum size of 10 pt. Reverse type should use dominant color (usually 70% or more) for shape of letters. Where practical, and not detrimental to the appearance of the image, make the type in subordinate colors slightly larger to minimize register problems on the production press. Small type and fine serifs should not be used for reverse type. The surrounding tone must be dark enough to ensure legibility.
Black type should not be finer than .004" (equivalent to a .29 point rule) at the thinnest part of a character or rule, with a minimum size of 6 pt. When type is to be surprinted, the background should be no heavier than 30% in any one color, and no more than 90% total in all four colors for legibility.
Image Preparation:
It is recommended that the scan resolution of supplied images be 300 DPI. Higher resolutions are discouraged. Crop unnecessary image not used in the ad to limit extra processing time on large files. Recommended scaling requirements are no more than 120% and no less than 80%.
TAC/GCR/GAA Requirements:
The Gravure Association of America (GAA) endorses the 300% total area coverage (TAC) requirement as specified by SWOP for web offset printing. However, 300% TAC is not a limiting factor for gravure printing and on uncoated stocks higher TAC may be preferred by some publishers.
Note: New York Times Magazine maximum TAC is 340%. Due to the reduced opacity and increased porosity of uncoated stocks, gray component replacement (GCR) applications may not be suitable for all users. Therefore, the use of GCR on uncoated stocks is a matter to be resolved and pre-approved by all parties involved. The New York Times discourages the use of GCR.
Scan Density:
A four-color solid black should not exceed the specification of 340% total density for the gravure process, or go below the SWOP standard maximum of 300% for offset printing. We suggest a rich black be comprised of 40% cyan and 100% key (a total density of 140%) for large black tinted areas, as in tint panels. Text type should be 100% key only. Maximum density of mono illustrations should not exceed 93%. The guaranteed minimum printing tone is 5%. Advertisements containing dark-end detail in the illustration should be scanned to provide maximum detail in the 3/4-tone to dark-end range by maintaining 10% tonal step-off to ensure visual reproduction. Consult your New York Times contact regarding any variation from these specifications. See enclosed under-color replacement (UCR) color profile for download. (Recommended).
For additional questions regarding color digital specifications, please visit www.rrd-lpc.com/nyt or call 717-293-2397 to reach a New York Times Color Representative.