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Frequently Asked Art Questions - Answers You Want To Know.
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| Q.What are the Art Specifications I need to follow for a billboard I am designing and sending to you to print? |
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A.
See the Art Deptartment Specs & Templates Page
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| Q. What are the maximum number of words to put on a billboard? |
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A.
Industry
standard is approx. 7-10 words or
less....if you keep it below 15 you
may be ok and still be readable.
Factors include speed of traffic,
distance from road, size of
billboard structure.
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| Q.I'm not an artist and I've never advertised on a billboard before, can you do the design and layout for us if I give you my info? |
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A.Yes...with
your imput. You
can send or email elements (Logos,
Photos, Info) to us and
we can put it together for you.
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| Q. I've designed magazine ads with photos at 300dpi, but have never done a billboard. Does the resolution have to be even higher on the layout since it is so big? |
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A.
No...most
designs are done 1/12th the size of
the actual billboard. For example a
10x40 foot billboard is actually
designed at 11x41 inches (
with bleeds ) and
with only 300dpi of resolution. This
results in a clear print viewed from
the road. If it is clear on your
layout at 11x41 inches it will be
clear on the billboard.
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| Q. Why do I need to include the bleeds in my layout? |
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A.
Bleed
areas help to give some safety
margin so that the design can fit
onto the billboard structure that
may be slightly irregular in size.
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| Q. Can I design my billboard in a program you don't have? |
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A.
Maybe...but
it works best to use what we use.
Your program may have the ability to
export the file into
a different format like JPEG or PDF, which
we may be able to use. Otherwise we
may need to rebuild it from your
images and text.
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| Q. How long does it take from the time I give you the art till the time a billboard is up on the highway? |
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A.
If
the contract is signed, the art is created
correctly and the final proof
approved, in
most cases (except tri-visions),
artwork is sent to print within one
day of receiving a final proof
approval from you and then it's
usually up in about 10 working days.
(holidays, weather, and unforeseen
problems may delay sometimes).
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Q.I want to design a billboard with big cutouts that extend off the billboard. Can I do this, and if so, what is the maximum size? |
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A.Not all billboards are legally allowed to have extensions and some just won't accommodate them. Before designing anything please contact the Sales Rep (NOT the art dept) to make sure this is allowed and get an estimate of cost to produce...generally, top-outs and extensions are around $25 per square foot in addition to the billboard vinyl face. If topouts or sideouts are allowed, the maximum size is 3 ft of extension. keep in mind that Diagonals and irregular cuts out of a square are priced at whole sq ft.
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