Creative Biz Note #11

Best Format for Clients

I noticed a simple question on the IM forum that received a ton of readers--"What is the best format that illustrators find to send to clients?" So, I decided to post my lengthy response.

I go back and forth. JPEGs are typically viewable through a browser window. If I have a more than two images to send to a client, then I use a PDF and gang them into one file--make sure the images open up so they can view the entire image within their window (command D in Acrobat) and have the page panel open for them so they see that there are the other pages to view. We did this all the time in the advertising world. Make it easy for the client.

For hi-res files I send out a TIFF file (not JPEG--no compression). Stuff-it and/or put on a server for easy downloading. I try to make the process of receiving hi-res files easy and flawless. No passwords and user names to input to get to a ftp server. I copy my properties of the file on our server and the make a hyper-link on an email for the client to click. One click and it downloads to their desktop. Check out SendSpace Pro for an easy set-up.

Also, if I'm sending out a blast of emails (blindly) to unknown art directors sometimes their servers block random emails with attachments. Virus protection. It has happened to me before and I've read about it online with my e-mailing service. Embed images into the email giving it a better chance of making it through.

My experiences with cross-platform...file format doesn't matter so much. BUT most of the art industry is on Macs..if you work on a PC, remember that even with a Pantone Huey Pro correcting colors on your screen--an image on the PC will display slightly darker on the Mac. Adjust the image on the Mac with a PSD curve before you send it out.

Another point---Adobe Illustrator can be fussy when saving as a PDF format. A more involved process that holds all the raster effects that sometimes get messed up is to literally drag the art over to Photoshop--save it as a JPG or EPS and then output as a PDF from there or drag it over to Acrobat. Also, make sure you are using the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Pro...the software has improved ten fold over the last few years.

: ) Just how I do it.

Next Creative Biz Note #12---Keeping Momentum During Hard Times
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