{"id":9354,"date":"2026-05-28T16:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/?page_id=9354"},"modified":"2026-05-29T20:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T20:09:16","slug":"recommendedsoftware","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/home\/help_center\/recommendedsoftware\/","title":{"rendered":"Recommended Software Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common programs recommended are <\/span><b>Adobe Acrobat, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Files can be created in other programs as long as you can adjust the same options required for the product you want to use.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not all programs have the capability to add bleed and crop marks, popular programs such as <\/span><b>Procreate<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> cannot so it is not recommended for anything needing full-bleed\/borderless printing.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><b>Canva &amp; Adobe Express<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are a popular programs which are <em>very easy to use<\/em> and can create custom page sizes, and add crop marks and bleed.<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each product will have more detailed information about file setup on its own product page. Many products also offer a detailed setup guide. To be successful with our products you need a baseline of knowledge, if you are new or need a refresher the school offers access to LinkedIn Learning online training. We do not teach software but we do offer <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 Minute Consultations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> where we can offer suggestions for file setup, editing and exporting as well as help troubleshoot specific issues relating to printing with the Service Bureau. Please email us if you have any questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/learning\/indesign-2025-essential-training\/getting-started-24946719?resume=false&amp;u=2219506\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adobe InDesign in 20 Minutes<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">&#8211; LinkedIn Learning<\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/learning\/illustrator-2025-essential-training\/working-with-artboards?resume=false&amp;u=2219506\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adobe Illustrator Essential Training &#8211; Working with Artboards<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">&#8211; LinkedIn Learning<\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/learning\/photoshop-2025-essential-training\/understanding-file-formats?resume=false&amp;u=2219506\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adobe Photoshop Essential Training &#8211; Digital Image Essentials <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">&#8211; LinkedIn Learning<\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spectrolite.app\/how-to\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risograph Color Separations: Spectrolite App How To<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\"> &#8211; Spectrolite website<\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y5zYvwt8J24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risograph Tutorial | Splitting channels in Photoshop<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\"> &#8211; Youtube<\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laser Printing<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>No Bleed Designs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be made in almost any program but<\/span><b> Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign are recommended.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It&#8217;s best to set up the exact size you want the file to be printed (printer cannot print to the edge of the page). If the page size is not set to the desired final page size you can select <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8216;Fit To Print&#8217;<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when selecting the media to enlarge or shrink the design during printing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Full-Bleed Designs &#8211; Adobe InDesign (recommended) or Illustrator must be used<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: File must have crop marks and bleed area if full-bleed\/borderless is desired.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cards<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adobe InDesign (recommended), Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or any program can be used as long as you can set a custom page size (final card size for no-bleed cards, bleed size for full bleed cards &#8211; see card page for more details)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saddle Stitch Books<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>No Bleed Books &#8211; Can be made in almost any software<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; 1st page needs to be the cover and last page will be the back cover (page count must be a multiple of 4). If the page size is not set to the desired final page size you can select &#8216;Fit To Print&#8217; when selecting the media to enlarge or shrink the design during printing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Full-Bleed Books &#8211; Adobe InDesign must be used<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: full bleed books must be in the imposed format (2 pages up per page of pdf) with crop mark and bleed area. Adobe Illustrator can be used if you manually impose your file but it is not recommended because InDesign is able to do it automatically through the Print Booklet saving process.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spiral\/Wire Bound Books<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adobe InDesign (recommended) or Adobe Illustrator<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: All files need to have <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">both<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> crop and bleed area, these are used during cutting and binding to align your book body with the book cover. Other programs might work as well as long as you can make a custom page size and add bleed area and crop marks. The cover needs to be a custom page size to include the spine area.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perfect Bound Books<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adobe InDesign (recommended) or Adobe Illustrator<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: All files need to have <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">both<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> crop and bleed area, these are used during cutting and binding to align your book body with the book cover. Other programs might work as well as long as you can make a custom page size and add bleed area and crop marks. The cover needs to be a custom page size to include the spine area.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wide Format Inkjet\/Latex Printing<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adobe Photoshop or similar:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Digital file must be at the exact size of desired final print &#8211; you must set resolution and image size. Any borders need to be added to the file as white space. The recommended color profile is Adobe RGB (1998).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cut Vinyl<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adobe Illustrator must be used<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Artboard is used to set vinyl size. Text must be outlined and United so it can be cut by our cutter.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risograph Printing<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/spectrolite.app\/\">Spectrolite (recommended)<\/a>.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Risograph orders need BOTH a composite file (full color so we know how to align colors) and a B&amp;W print files for each color used. If starting from scratch we recommend to build your files with each ink color on a different layer. If starting from a full color image you will need to use either Photoshop or Spectrolite to separate out each color desired for printing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y5zYvwt8J24\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risograph Tutorial | Splitting channels in Photoshop<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Youtube<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spectrolite.app\/how-to\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spectrolite App How To<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Spectrolite website<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; The most common programs recommended are Adobe Acrobat, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop.\u00a0 &nbsp; Files can be created in other programs as long as you can adjust the same options required for the product you want to use.\u00a0 Not all programs have the capability to add bleed and crop marks, popular programs &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/home\/help_center\/recommendedsoftware\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":167,"featured_media":0,"parent":6,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9354","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/167"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9354"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9422,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9354\/revisions\/9422"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.saic.edu\/servicebureau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}