Supported Graphic Files for Editorial

While a wide variety of image formats exist across the digital landscape, our system requirements for editorial imagery dictate that we only accept a select group of standard file types to ensure smooth processing and accurate rendering across ARC. 

File Formats for Editorial

Pixel-Based Images

Best for photos and complex imagery, these resolution-dependent formats rely on fixed pixel grids, making them ideal for web display, digital media, and standard print production.

• JPEG – Standard compressed photos for web and print
• PNG – Web and print-ready images with the ability to have background transparency
• WEBP – Modern web format for fast-loading images.

Image Types That Are Not Accepted for Editorial

While vector graphics, PDFs, PSDs, and uncompressed TIFFs are standard design formats, our editorial production workflow requires flattened, high-resolution pixel-based files (such as JPEGs or PNGs at 300 DPI) to keep our systems running smoothly. Layered formats like PSDs and PDFs often contain unflattened adjustment layers and unsupported graphic effects, while vector files frequently include restricted visual elements (such as logos) and rely on scalable paths that our systems must manually convert. Additionally, massive files like uncompressed TIFFs or raw design packages create severe storage and bandwidth bottlenecks, often causing upload errors or crashing ARC. Requiring flat, optimized image files ensures your artwork uploads seamlessly and processes without error.

These files are not accepted in the editorial portal and will cause errors when attempting to upload them to ARC: AI, EPS, SVG, JFIF, PDF, PSD, RAW, and TIFF.

Pixel-Based Image Resolution (DPI)

DPI (Dots Per Inch) measures print resolution by counting how many ink dots a printer places within a single inch of paper. Higher DPI values generally yield sharper, more detailed prints. To ensure your images look crisp and professional in our print magazines, all files uploaded to ARC must be set to 300 DPI at their final print size.

How to Verify Image Sizing at 300DPI

1. Check the size of your image. It is commonly listed in pixels. You can find this in image properties or photo-editing software. You'll see something like “3000px x 2400px.”
2. Divide the image size in pixels by 300 to get the size in inches at 300DPI. 
   • Example:
     1. 3000 pixels / 300 = 10 inches
     2. 2400 pixels / 300 = 8 inches
     3. Your image at 300 DPI is 10 inches x 8 inches.

Your image must be converted to 300 DPI for this calculation to work. ARC automatically formats all images uploaded to 300 DPI so you can also download the image after you’ve uploaded it to ARC to verify the size.

Image Color Formats

For more information about print color and quality, refer to: Understanding Print Color Quality.

To ensure your colors translate accurately from screen to press, we recommend setting your artwork to our recommended color profiles. We suggest using U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 for CMYK files, or sRGB IEC61966-2.1 for RGB files. Converting your images to these standard profiles before exporting helps eliminate unexpected color shifts.

Please note that images converted to CMYK provide the most accurate print output, but they may look altered on digital screens—often appearing over-saturated, shifted, or strangely "technicolor." Because CMYK files are designed for ink rather than digital displays, this will also affect how the image looks on our website, and these color distortions will be visible to anyone viewing the image online.

Color Formats to Avoid

Please avoid submitting images in extreme or ultra-wide color spaces, including but not limited to ProPhoto RGB, Rec. 2020, Rec. 2100, Adobe RGB (1998), Wide Gamut RGB, or ACES2065-1 (AP0). The most common ultra-wide format is ProPhoto RGB. While these formats are designed to capture a massive spectrum of colors for specialized editing, they exist well outside standard digital RGB gamuts and far beyond the physical range of CMYK print inks. When an ultra-wide color space file is processed for web display or sent to commercial printing, the automated conversion forces those unreachable colors back into range. This severe gamut mapping often results in flat, muddy, or radically shifted colors in print and online—far different from how the image appeared in your editing software.

All images using extreme or ultra-wide color spaces must be converted to one of City Lifestyle's recommended color spaces (sRGB IEC61966-2.1 for RGB files or U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 for CMYK files) BEFORE uploading to ARC.