Magazine Double Page Spread

1. A PDF file shall be compliant with the ISO PDF/X-1a:2001 standard as defined by ISO 15930-1, colour value as derived from FOGRA data set (Fogra 39L for artpaper and Fogra 47L for woodfree). 
2. A PDF file must be embedded with output intent profile, i.e. art paper – Fogra 39L, woodfree paper – Fogra 47L 
3. TAC (Total Area Coverage) for any Rich Blacks and/or graphics must not exceed 330% for art paper or 300% for woodfree paper 
4. Crop marks must appear on PDF, located at least 3mm away from the trim area. 
5. The size of a PDF file must comply with the specifications of the respective publication. SPH Media will not be held responsible if any file type or artwork exceeds the type area specified and is trimmed away. 
6. For double-page spread, the type or product shots should be away from gutter area and not split. Any critical cross over should be double imaged across the gutter with an allowance of 5mm from each side of the centre. The spread should carry a minimum 10mm common image through the centre of the spread. 
7. A PDF file must not contain annotations that are set to print.
8. A PDF file must not use layers. 
9. No object in a PDF file shall be transparent. 
10. When transparency is used, it must be flattened in the PDF.

1. Resolution for colour and greyscale images should not be below 300 dpi.
2. Resolution of 1-bit images (either regular images or image masks) shall not be below 550 dpi.
3. Do not use JPEG2000 image compression to reduce file size when exporting PDF files from programs such as InDesign.

1. Colour space must be defined accurately as intended to print (CMYK or greyscale). When a Pantone/Spot colour is required, special arrangement must be made for booking and printing. 
2. RGB colour must not be used in the PDF. 
3. Black text shall be in 100% black. To avoid misregistration, rich black (4C black) text is not recommended. 
4. Fine black text (below 12 point) on 4 colour background must be set to “overprint”.
5. Coloured text, white text and lines must be set to “knock out”. 
6. Coloured text with a black drop shadow on colour background should be set to “overprint”.

1. Only PostScript Type 1, TrueType and Open Type are accepted. Avoid using multiple master fonts in one PDF. 
2. Ensure that all fonts are embedded in the PDF, or convert fonts to outlines to prevent file error. 
3. All text should be above 8 point for readability. To minimise misregistration, reverse text is recommended to be above 10 point with no more than two colours.

1. Use only letters, numbers and underscore “_”. 
2. For easy identification, file name should contain Advertiser name, Magazine Title, Issue Date. 
3. In case of revisions, when delivering new files, please name as follows: R1_filename, R2_filename, and so on. 
4. PDF should include date and time information.

For the purpose of communicating the standard to all parties involved in magazine printing workflow. We have adopted Fogra standard as the prerequisite for advertisements materials and colour proofs for our magazine titles. Please refer to the Appendix accordion for a better understanding of the standard and procedures. 

SPH Media shall not be responsible for any erroneous reproduction of the advertisement copy if the Advertiser of Agency fails to comply with the prerequisite of file stated in the technical specifications during the production of the advertisement copy or file submission. The technical specifications may be varied and amended by SPH Media from time to time.

Only Advertisement materials submitted via two appointed vendors, XR's Quickcut (formerly Adstream) and Datamation's EADS could be accepted by SPH Media. They provide a fast and economical solution to validate and transmit files electronically to SPH Media according to the required technical specifications. For more information or to set up an account, please contact the following persons: 

1. XR Quickcut

XR Print Support at (+6) 03-2240 2288 or email at printsupport@extremereach.com

2. EADS 

Cindy Tan at (65) 6270 0008 or email at cindy.tan@datamation.com.sg

Fogra Standard – Digital Proofing Specifications

SPH Media has adopted the colour space described in ISO 12647-2, and characterised by the FOGRA data set (Fogra 39L for artpaper and Fogra 47L for woodfree) – which is the prerequisite for any party who wishes to send or produce proofs for magazine publications. 

The mandated measurement criteria and tolerance for the ECI2002 colour chart are to be based on the Proposed Measurement Criteria and Tolerance for ECI2002 Colour Chart:

A. Maximum Delta E (CIELab) for any colour patch: 4.0 Delta E (CIELab) 

B. Average Delta E (CIELab) for all colour patch: 2.0 Delta E (CIELab) 

Below example is an ECI2002 Random chart layout for X-rite GretagMacbeth EyeOne IO. Different device will have its own layout. 

For quick sanity checks and verification of proofs before submission, a Colour Control strip must be included in every proof. The control strip image must be printed through a proofing system. The colour indexes of this colour control strip can be validated against a predefined tolerance defined by Delta E and Delta h. The colour indexes (CMYK) and colour values (CIE Lab) are derived from the FOGRA data set (Fogra 39L for artpaper and Fogra 47L for woodfree). 

The layout is designed in 3 rows of 24 patches in each row, the first row being A1 - A24, second row B1 - B24 and third row C1 - C24. Each patch size is 10 mm by 8 mm, with the patches separated by 1 mm width. 

The Colour Control Strip should not be edited, resized or altered in any way. It has to be output in its entirety for accurate measurement. SPH magazines Measurement Criteria and Tolerance for Colour Control Strip: 

A. Maximum Delta E (CIELab) for Primary Colour: 3.0 Delta E (CIELab) 

B. Average Delta E (CIELab) for all colour patch: 2.0 Delta E (CIELab) 

C. Maximum Delta E (CIELab) for Substrate: 2.0 Delta E (CIELab) 

D. Maximum Delta E (CIELab) for any colour patch: 4.0 Delta E (CIELab) 

E. Maximum Delta h (CIELch) for Primary Colour: 2.5 Delta h (CIELch) 

F. Average Delta h (CIELch) for 3-C Gray: 1.5 Delta h (CIELch) 

These criteria and tolerance will be reviewed from time to time by SPH Media and will be adjusted whenever deemed fit. Below are examples of possible positioning of the Colour Control Strip: 

A colour proof must be verified after printing to determine whether it passes or fails. Only the copy that passes should be provided to use as a colour reference during printing. A verified proof should come with a sticker which shows the reading and indicates it has passed the verification process.