Often there is a misconception about what it means to submit camera ready artwork to a printing company. If a file is camera ready it means that basically no manipulation will be required to print your file. Lets say you are submitting a business card. Providing you are going with a standard business card size, your document needs to be set at 3.5” x 2”, not 6.25” x 5”.
You will save yourself a headache and possibly money, if you know ahead of time what print requirements you need to follow when setting your document. What works for one printer will not necessarily work for the next.
Many companies include templates on their websites that can be downloaded or detailed art submission specifications will be listed under a “help/file submission” section and if you can’t find what you are looking for you can always call and ask.
You want to be sure that your file uses the proper margins, bleed settings, color setting (RGB, CMYK, Spot Color) and will be submitted in the correct file format and version – such as Illustrator CS2 and not Illustrator CS4. When you submit your file using the proper settings you are avoiding possible delays in print time which can be costly if you have a client that is expecting their job by a certain date.