How to Upload a Print-Ready Ad in the Customer Portal

Providing a print-ready ad ensures clients have full control over the design, layout, and messaging of their ad, allowing them to maintain brand consistency and meet specific advertising goals. It also speeds up the production process, reduces the potential for errors or misinterpretations, and eliminates additional design costs, ensuring the ad is printed exactly as envisioned.

Print-ready ads should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than the first ad deadline. This ensures that the QC team has enough time to review the ad and provide feedback if any revisions are needed. Submitting early allows the client to address any issues before the final deadline, ensuring the ad is approved by QC by the final deadline.


  1. In ARC, navigate to the Reporting page on the left-hand side.
  2. Select the Ads List report from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select the correct month at the top of the page that you are working on.
  4. Click Display
  5. Find the account from the client list you want to place the Ad for.
  6. To the right, under the “Status” column, click Submit Ad for that account.
  7. In the screen that populates, select “Upload a Finished Ad.”
  8. Select the purple ad option “Upload a Finish Ad.”
  9. Click the green “Upload Provided Ad” button located towards the top left side
  10. Select and open from your files the Print Ready Ad PDF file you want to upload.
  11. Once the ad has been uploaded, review the Additional Specifications on the right-hand side that have green check marks:
    1. Green checkmarks next to the specs indicate that the file meets the guidelines for that specification.
    2. A red X next to any of the specifications indicates there is an issue with that spec, and the client must make the necessary revisions to the file before proceeding with the submission.
      1. Color Mode: Ensure the color mode is CMYK or RGB (accepted formats).
      2. Resolution: The resolution should be 300 DPI or higher.
      3. File Type: PDF is the recommended file type.
      4. Ad Size: This section will show if the ad size is correct or indicate how the dimensions differ from what ARC requires.
  12. Click Submit when all specifications are met, with a green checkmark next to it.

Fixing Issues 

  • If there are any red Xs next to the ad specifications, the client must adjust the file before proceeding.
  • If unable to fix, you can use the "Fix My Ad" button in an attempt for the corporate design team to attempt to fix the issue.
  • The corporate design team can only make minor adjustments, such as:
    • Removing crop marks
    • Fixing minor sizing issues

Note: Submitting with the "Fix My Ad" button does not guarantee that all issues will be resolved. The ad may still require revisions.


How to Upload a Print-Ready Ad in the Customer Portal

This guide will walk you through the process of uploading a print-ready ad in the client portal.

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1. Providing a Print-Ready Ad

Providing a print-ready ad ensures clients have full control over the design, layout, and messaging of their ad, allowing them to maintain brand consistency and meet specific advertising goals. It also speeds up the production process, reduces the potential for errors or misinterpretations, and eliminates additional design costs, ensuring the ad is printed exactly as envisioned.
Providing a Print-Ready Ad

2. Print-ready ads should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than the first ad deadline. This ensures that the QC team has enough time to review the ad and provide feedback if any revisions are needed. Submitting early allows the client to address any issues before the final deadline, ensuring the ad is approved by QC by the final deadline.

Print-ready ads should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than the first ad deadline. This ensures that the QC team has enough time to review the ad and provide feedback if any revisions are needed. Submitting early allows the client to address any issues before the final deadline, ensuring the ad is approved by QC by the final deadline.
Print-ready ads should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than the first ad deadline. This ensures that the QC team has enough time to review the ad and provide feedback if any revisions are needed.


Submitting early allows the client to address any issues before the final deadline, ensuring the ad is approved by QC by the final deadline.

3. Click "Ads"

In the customer portal, select the Ads icon located from the menu on the left hand side of the page.
Click 'Ads'

4. Click the + on the correlating issue

Locate the insertion by month you are wanting to upload for and click the gray plus sign.
Click the + on the correlating issue

5. Upload a Finished Ad

Under Upload a Finished Ad click Select
Upload a Finished Ad

6. Click "Upload Provided Ad"

Click the green "Upload Provided Ad" button located towards the top left side to upload your Print Ready Ad PDF file.
Click 'Upload Provided Ad'

7. Review Ad and Submit

Once the ad has been uploaded, verify the Additional Specifications on the right-hand side have green check marks. Green checkmarks indicate the file meets that guideline. If there is a red X this indicates an issue with one of the guidelines and will need necessary revisions to the file before proceeding with the submission. Click Submit when all specifications are met.
Review Ad and Submit
The guide covered how to upload a print ready ad in the client portal.
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