Advertising Production Support Department
For all Technical Support enquiries please contact our support staff on 1300 666 326


Digital advertisements submitted to Fairfax must be saved as Portable Document Format (PDF).
The full PDF specification is tabled below. "Please note that PDF files must be created with a PostScript application."

Please Note: Fully rasterised pdfs from or placed in any application are not acceptable, due to extremely poor reproduction of fonts.

The following applications are not PostScript compatible and are not suitable for creating PDFs for Fairfax:

- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Publisher
- PhotoShop


Instructions for creating PDF files

The preferred method for creating a PDF file is shown below.

Step 1

Create an EPS file using a PostScript software application. Instructions for popular PostScript applications can be found here:

Freehand v9 - v10 Illustrator v8 - v10
InDesign v1 - v2 PageMaker v6 - v6.5
PageMaker v7 (Mac) QuarkXPress v4
PageMaker v7 (Windows)  


Step2

Convert the EPS to PDF using Adobe Acrobat Distiller. Job Options for Distiller can be downloaded here:

* To download Windows Job Options, right-click on the link and select "Save Target as".
* To download Mac Job Options, Control-click on the link and select "Download link to disk".


Newspapers Acrobat Mac
Windows
Magazines Acrobat Mac
Windows



Photoshop Colour Settings File
A Colour Settings File (CSF) has been developed to use Photoshop to enable effective image conversion from RGB to CMYK or RGB to Greyscale. In converting the image this file will also adjust maximum ink weight and incorporate Grey Component Replacement (GCR) settings for newsprint.

The Photoshop CSF file with newsprint settings can be downloaded here:

CSF type Example Platform  
Fairfax newsprints

The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald,

The Sun-Herald, The Financial Review.

CSF (readme files)
ICC (readme files)


Preparing artwork

The specification below is provided to assist with the preparation and creation of PDF files for advertising use.


Logo artwork

(Age clients only: There is a set up charge of $38.50 per logo)


Sydney publications


Corinne Graham on 02 9282 1259. Sydney Logo Guidelines provides information about preparing logo files.



Melbourne publications


Sandra Lowry on 03 9601 2337.
Melbourne Logo Guidelines provides information about preparing logo files.



PDF Newsprint specification

General
PDF version
1.3
PostScript level
3
ICC compliant
No
Colour model
CMYK only
 
Fonts & Type
*Type that has been set outside the recommendations shown is likely to reproduce poorly. Fairfax will not accept any claim for compensation for poor type reproduction where these recommendations have not been met. Ads with type set outside Fairfax recommendations are accepted and run entirely at the advertisers risk.*


Font embedding required




Yes
Font subsetting allowed
Yes
Recommended point size for coloured type
8pt
Recommended weight for coloured type
Bold
Recommended plates allowed for coloured type
3
Recommended point size for reversed type
12pt
Recommended weight for reversed type
Bold
Recommended plates allowed for reversed type
3
Recommended point size for single colour type (100% C,M,Y or K)
6pt
 
Images
Format
EPS, TIFF
Minimum resolution for colour images
150dpi
Minimum resolution for greyscale images
150dpi
Minimum resolution for black & white (single bit) images
600dpi
Total ink weight
240%
Dot aim point (C,M,Y,K) for Catchlights
0%,0%,0%,0%
Dot aim point (C,M,Y,K) for Highlights
0%,0%,0%,0%
Dot aim point (C,M,Y,K) for non essential whites
0%,0%,0%,0%
Dot aim point (C,M,Y,K) for essential whites
3%,2%,2%,0%
Dot aim point (Colour) for midtones
30%
Dot aim point (Colour) for shadow (max)
240%
Dot aim point for shadow (black max)
80%
Dot aim point (Mono) for Catchlights
0%
Dot aim point (Mono) for non essential whites
0%
Dot aim point (Mono) for midtones
30%
Dot aim point for shadow (max)
92%
Vector art (logos)
Format
EPS
PostScript level
3
Colour model
CMYK only


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