Introduction for the graphic artist
We see that most of the artists and designers preparing work for a shopping bag have a background in offset lithography or gravure, not flexography. If there is some flexo experience, it is in narrow web for labels, and not the wide web used for packaging. Wide web flexo is a world apart from offset litho and narrow web flexo. These Art Guidelines are designed to function as a very basic "how to" primer for designers and artists working on new flexographically printed shopping bag projects. The Guidelines should help to get the art done correctly the first time, minimizing the prep time and costs to get shopping bag art ready to run. Please do not hesitate to call or write Aplasticbag.com if there are any questions before starting a new shopping bag design.

In line flexographic printing
Flexographic printing is a relief printing process that uses photopolymer plates .112 thick. In many respects flexo is like printing with big rubber stamps. At Aplasticbag.com printing is done in line with bag making. Rolls of paper are unwound into the bag machine, printed up to three colors, handles applied, side folds formed and seam glued, bottom folded and glued, and then individual bags are cut away from the web and packaged for shipment. The ability to reproduce fine lines, screens and halftones is limited compared to litho, gravure and narrow web flexo.

Ink color matching and proofing
We can custom match submitted materials, or use PMS color specifications. When using PMS, please specify colors from the Uncoated "U" section of the book or Coated "C" section of the book as appropriate. If we are reproducing a PMS color on uncoated paper that has been reproduced on coated paper previously, we suggest the end user and/or artist specify a PMSU shade that best matches the coated paper version when submitting the art and order. Aplasticbag.com prints on Natural Kraft, White Kraft, Oatmeal and Claycoated papers. All inks are water based.

We send ink drawdowns for PMS colors on White Kraft and Claycoated only when requested on P.O., or when there are traps and/or overprints that in our judgment should be approved prior to production. Note that due to our production process, there is no trapping or overprinting on Claycoated paper. We send ink drawdowns for PMSU matches on Natural Kraft and Oatmeal, as well as for all custom matches to colors other than PMSU numbers. Approval is required before bags can be produced.

Design templates and logo positioning, bag proofing
Unless the design is no more than a spot imprint, the designer should have a template before starting artwork. A tool enabling artists to quickly construct their own templates appears on the back side of this sheet.. Templates can also be requested from Tulsa Customer Service, or found as downloadable, executable files in Freehand and Illustrator at this site. See link below, or in Site Directory at left, but please finish reading these Art Guidelines first.. Orders for spot imprints not on a template must include logo positioning instructions on the P.O., e.g., center left to right, 3" up from bottom. All bags must be proofed, usually as folded bluelines. Color keys may be furnished when tight register and complicated trapping is involved. Bag proofs must be approved before bags can be produced.

Line width
Minimum positive printing line width is two (2) point. The minimum reverse printing line width is (3) point.

Type size
Minimum positive printing type size is ten (10) point. The minimum reverse printing type size is twelve (12) point bold. These guidelines are subject to review with serif type faces, and with designs including heavy areas of broad solid along with small type in the same color. In these circumstances the type may need to be larger and/or bolder.

Register tolerance and trap
Wherever two colors meet, a 4.5 point trap - 1/16" - is required to trap the colors. Where two colors are adjacent and the designer does not want them to touch, there should be a minimum of 4.5 points of space between the two colors. As a general rule this register tolerance precludes the use of two overprinting colors to create a third color, whether with solids or screens; and when attempted would need a third color such as black to outline the shape. Note that due to our production process, there is no trapping or overprinting on Claycoated paper.

Screens and halftones
The line screen rulings used at Aplasticbag.com are 50 line and 45 line. Maximum Photoshop resolution needed is 125 - save space! Due to the differences between how wide web flexo and offset litho reproduce screens and halftones, we request the opportunity to review the design elements to provide specific production art direction as early in the planning process as possible. Halftones must have strong contrast, as must steps between manually selected screen values of the same color. Subtle tone variations will not reproduce.

Formats Aplasticbag.com can accept for artwork
1. Camera ready mechanical or scanned (raster) digital images that do not have to be enlarged more than 150%.
2. .004 right reading emulsion up negatives (RREU). Please do not try to furnish negatives for designs with screens/halftones.
3. .112 photopolymer plates, .050 relief. Please do not try to furnish plates for designs with screens/halftones.
4. 3.5" floppy disks for Macintosh. Please furnish confirming hard copy - scaled laser or ink jet print, etc. - with disks.
5. 100 megabyte Zip disks for Macintosh. Please furnish confirming hard copy - scaled laser or ink jet print, etc. - with disks.
6. 44, 88 and 200 megabyte Syquest drives for Mac. Please furnish confirming hard copy - scaled laser or ink jet print, etc. - with disks.
6. CD for Macintosh. Please furnish confirming hard copy - scaled laser or ink jet print, etc. - with disks.
7. As email attachments to art@Aplasticbag.com. Please fax confirming hard copy - scaled laser or ink jet print, etc.
8. Mac Freehand and Illustrator files are preferred. Quark is acceptable if these are not available. PC file capabilities are limited.
9. When submitting artwork on disk, all screen fonts, printer fonts, and graphic source files must be furnished with the layout.