NCR Pads

Submission specifications for NCR Pads

Add 3 mm bleed.

To allow leeway for cutting differences in production, always add a bleed of 3 mm around all edges of your design. Make sure colours, background pictures and layouts extend into the bleed area so as to avoid leaving white lines as a result of cutting tolerances.

Keep 4 mm safety margin

Keep all important text and images at least 4 mm away from the edge of the finished size.

Resolution of at least 300 dpi.

Make sure the resolution of the images and graphics in your artwork are at least 300 dpi.

Use CMYK as the colour mode.

Prepare your files using CMYK as the colour mode, not RGB. Use colourmode FOGRA39 (ISO Coated v2) for coated papertypes and colourmode FOGRA47 (PSO Uncoated ISO12647) for uncoated papertypes. If you are unsure of the colour mode of your file, don't worry we can always convert this for you. Keep in mind this can cause the colours to differ from the original file.

Use the PMS colour code(s).

Use uncoated PMS colours for products printed on uncoated paper (offset paper, Biotop and Conqueror Vergé), and use coated PMS colours for products printed on machine coated papers (gloss and silk), and every other product printed with PMS colours (gifts, textiles etc.).

Positioning your numbering.

Let us know where we should place the numbering by adding a box to your design (with or without border) of minimum 20 x 8 mm to your design. The position of the box can be anywhere within the margin requirements. Numbering is always done in 100% black, therefore we recommend to use light colours for the box as this will also be printed. Do not place the numbers yourself, since we will add the numbering. For numbering we always start from 000001 and use the font Helvetica Bold 12 pt unless requested otherwise.

Save your files in uneditable, print-ready file formats.

Save your files in uneditable, print-ready file formats (PDF (1.4 or higher), TIFF, EPS, JPG). Deliver your files in one layer: the background layer.

Convert fonts to outlines or embed all the fonts.

Make sure you convert fonts to outlines or embed all the fonts when saving it to PDF.

Fonts should be at least 6pt.

Fonts should be at least 6 pt.

Use the right values for full colour black.

Use Rich Black (C:63% M:52% Y:51% K:100%) for larger areas and text to get a deep black colour. Do not use this value for text smaller than 15 pt or plain text. This can only be used in full colour printing. For designing black smaller texts use 100% black.

Make sure the ink coverage isn't higher than 300%.

Force Colour Images to CMYK with a 260% ink limit (in Photoshop > Convert Colour Profile > Photoshop 5 Default CMYK). Make sure the ink coverage isn't higher than 300%.

Check line thickness.

Lines should be at least 0.25 pt. Negative lines should be at least 0.5 pt.

Check your artwork on overprint.

Make sure no elements in your artwork are set on overprint unless you want this effect in your design. You can read more about overprint in our Help Centre.

Submit your file in Vector.

For your NCR Pads, we need a vector file to ensure the print quality. Not sure if you have a vector file, or do you want to know how to create it? Please read our Pixels vs. Vector article.

Frequently Asked Questions for NCR Pads

What is this product exactly? And what can I use it for?

• A copypad is collection of paper, with multiple copysheets, glued together on the top. The copypad have 1 white sheet, and 1 or 2 copysheets (depending on your choice). The text which gets written on the white sheet, gets copied on the sheets underneath it.
• This product can be used:
• Serve as an invoice/receipt slip
• Serve as a delivery slip

What is the fastest possible turnaround?

• The fastest possible turnaround for NCR Pads is:
• 8 working days
• Please note: Only applicable for products which require your design: To make sure that your order is delivered at the indicated time, it is important that we receive your file with your design for the product, on time (also called cut-off time). This way, the product can be moved into production on time. The deadline is always communicated at the final step when putting your product together and in the box on the right which details your entire order.
• The cut-off time for your printed item may vary. This depends on the combination you choose. This has to do with the manufacturing technique and / or the order quantities.
• Please note: The product delivery shifts a day every time the deadline for submission has passed. This is also the case if the file is rejected by us and corrected artwork isn't supplied before the next cut-off time.

Which production techniques do you use?

• For the production of NCR Pads, we use the following technique(s):
• 
  Offset Lithography/Litho printing: This technique uses wet ink and aluminium and rubber plates to transfer images and text onto paper sheets, resulting in sharp, vibrant, and consistent prints. While this method may require slightly more setup than digital printing, it's the most cost-effective option for larger print runs.

Which carriers are used for the delivery?

• For the delivery of your NCR Pads we use multiple carriers. We use our most reliable carriers, which in most cases are UPS or DPD.
  We also use DHL and our own courier service. However, these carriers are only used for certain products (depending on the size, the turnaround and the quantity).

On which side will the NCR Pads by glued together?

• The NCR Pads will be glued together on the top.

What materials can I choose from?

• 80 gsm offset: This is the most often-used paper for NCR Pads. The thin paper makes it easy to tear off. Because of it's structure the NCR Pads are perfect to write on.
• 60 gsm offset: This paper is mostly used for the backsheets.
• Reinforced cartboard: The back side is made from reinforced cartboard with a thickness of 1mm.

What is pantone printing?

• Pantone colours are often used when a design only contains 1 to 4 colours. Pantone colours have a unique code within the Panton matching system (PMS), so that the result of colours used is always the same. PMS is mainly used for: Letterheads, envelopes, business cards and compliment cards.

What is full colour printing?

• Full colour printing is almost always used when there are many colours in a design. Pictures, for example, are designs with a lot of colours. Full colour exists of the following colours: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black). The colours are mixed while printing, so almost any colour can be realised while using CMYK.