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The Economist is published weekly. The cover date is Saturday.

Copy deadlines

Display	2 weeks
Classified**	Noon Tuesday
Special reports	3 Weeks
*The publisher reserves the right to use process colours to match second colour requirements. Details available on request. ** Classified advertisers requiring proofs should supply copy for setting by Thursday of the preceding week.

Technical data

The cover, four-colour inserts and newsprint are printed by heat set web offset.

 

Live matter area

Type material or other illustrative material on a non-bleed page, or on a bleed page, but not intended to bleed, must be kept 10mm within quoted trimmed size on all four sides.

 

Digital

● Digital files must be pre-flighted to The Economist Newspaper specifications.

● File size should not exceed 50MB.

● Preferred method of delivery www.ad-handler.co.uk/economist/

 

File formats

● PDF 1.3 format using the latest Pass4Press specifications (see www.pass4press.com) based on the internationally recognised PDF/X-1a format [ISO 15930-1:2001].

● Full-page or double-page spreads must have a specified trim box, as well as trim marks. Please add 3mm bleed on all sides if required.

● All digital files must be named with the following syntax, using only alpha-numeric characters and the underscore, for example, Advertiser_20122006.pdf

● All graphics must be supplied as 300 dpi continuous tone or 2400 dpi bitmap files.

● Fonts should be supplied as embedded Type 1 PostScript fonts. We cannot accept Multiple Master fonts or instances.

● Four-colour guides should be produced from the final PDF file only. The Economist recommends the use of the PSO_LWC_Improved_eci.icc profile with a maximum ink weight limit of 300%, based on current ISO specifications for web-offset printing.

Please note that the following items are not acceptable:

● Microsoft PowerPoint documents ● RGB graphics ● Four-colour graphics in mono ads ● JPEG/ASCII graphics within documents ● Spot colours (CMYK only) ● Native files ● EPS files ● TIFF files

 

Digital proof requirements for regional print sites

The following are required for each edition.

Worldwide	7 Digital proofs
World Ex-UK	6 Digital proofs
World Ex-North America	5 Digital proofs
World Ex-Asia/Pacific	5 Digital proofs
World Ex-UK/Ex-North America	4 Digital proofs
Asia/Pacific and Asia Only	2 Digital proofs
Total Europe	2 Digital proofs
North America	3 Digital proofs
UK	1 Digital proofs
Continental Europe	1 Digital proofs
Middle East/Africa	1 Digital proofs
Latin America	1 Digital proofs

 

Spot colour

The Economist can only accept spot colour advertisements supplied out of CMYK.

 

Dimensions: Display

Depth dimensions are given first.

	mm	inches
Bleed spread (inc. bleed)	273 x 412	10 3/4 x 16 1/4
Trimmed spread	267 x 406	10 1/2 x 16
Spread (type area)	240 x 380	9 7/16 x 15
Bleed page (inc. bleed)	273 x 209	10 3/4 x 8 1/4
Trimmed page	267 x 203	10 1/2 x 8
Full page (type area)	240 x 180	9 7/16 x 7 1/16
Half-page horizontal	118 x 180	4 5/8 x 7 1/16
Half-page vertical	240 x 88	9 7/16 x 3 7/16
Half-page DPS under Letters	118 x 380	4 5/8 x 15
Half-page bookends in Letters	250 x 86	9 7/8 x 3 3/8
1/4pg facing on Letters	250 x 40	9 7/8 x 1 9/16
3/4pg facing on Letters	250 x 130	9 7/8 x 5 1/8
Third Vertical on Digital Highlights page	250 x 57	9 13/16 x 2 1/4
Third Horizontal on Digital Highlights page	80 x 176	3 1/8 x 6 15/16
Third Horizontal on Economics & Financial Indicators page	80 x 176	3 1/8 x 6 15/16
Third DPS on Economics & Financial Indicators page	80 x 380	3 1/8 x 15
Quarter page	118 x 88	4 5/8 x 3 7/16

 

Dimensions: Classified

	mm	inches
Full page (four columns)	235 x 180	9 1/4 x 7 1/16
Single column width	42	1 5/8
Double column width	88	3 7/16

 

Dimensions: Executive focus/International property

	mm	inches
Full page	235 x 180	9 1/4 x 7 1/16
Half page horizontal	115 x 180	4 9/16 x 7 1/16
Half page vertical	235 x 88	9 1/4 x 3 7/16
Quarter page	115 x 88	4 9/16 x 3 7/16

 

The quality of reproduction cannot be guaranteed if The Economist’s specifications are not adhered to or if the material is received after our copy deadlines.

 

For technical and production data contact:

Display Advertising: Katy Wilson or Linda Telemacque 
Tel: London +44 (0) 20 7830 7000 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7930 0458 
E-mail: katywilson@economist.com or lindatelemacque@economist.com

Classified Advertising: Nick Ormiston 
Tel: London +44 (0) 20 7830 7000 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7930 0458 
E-mail: nickormiston@economist.com

 

Advertisement Production - USA

Connie Baker, Production Manager Tel: Virginia +(1 540) 465 4833 Fax: +(1 540) 465 4835 E-mail: conniebaker@economist.com 

Rebecca Pickett, Production Coordinator Tel: Virginia +(1 540) 465 8072 Fax: +(1 540) 465 4835 E-mail: rebeccapickett@economist.com 

 

Creative formats:

 

Gatefolds

Following formats are available:

Single page gatefold opening to DPS		Half-page gatefold opening to 3/4 DPS
DPS gatefold opening to 3 page spread		DPS gatefold opening to four page spread

 

Wrap-around covers

Special distribution can be arranged for wrapped copies. They can be delivered to a single address (bulk delivery) or mailed to an advertiser’s own mailing list. Prices for distribution to individual addresses are for second class post and are subject to list presentation details. Prices for delivery by first class post are available on request.

The Economist takes no responsibility for items which could not be delivered to supplied names and addresses.

Your representative at The Economist can also provide you with details of special distribution opportunities at trade shows or other key events. Bulk charges apply for this type of distribution.

A premium is payable for wrap-around cover orders lower than 1,000 on any single regional edition of The Economist.

 

Bound-in inserts

Bound-in inserts can run in any edition of The Economist. They must be the same size as The Economist and must appear in the centre of the paper.

Advance notice is required to ensure availability.

UK & Europe/MEA:	100gsm
Asia Pacific and North/Latin America:	90gsm	60lbs
Minimum number of pages:	4	4

Please ask for complete technical specifications from your representative or a member of The Economist’s advertisement production department.

 

Loose inserts

	UK	Continental Europe*
Maximum size	247mm x 173mm	180mm x 145mm
Minimum size	148mm x 105mm	148mm x 105mm
Maximum weight of insert	30g	20g
Minimum weight of stock for single sheet unfolded insert	130gsm	130gsm
Minimum number of inserts	26,000	20,000

*In Continental Europe, loose inserts of more than two sides can only be inserted into polywrapped copies.

If there is a fold, it must be on the longest side of the insert.

Please liaise with the advertisement production department at all stages of your project. The team will help ensure that your insert meets The Economist’s requirements.

 

Bound-in reply cards

Final artwork is required eight weeks prior to the insertion date. Note that sizes differ between editions.

Edition	UK	Cont Europe/ME/Africa	Asia/Pacific	North America
Size	(H x W) mm	(H x W) mm	(H x W) mm	(H x W) mm
Bleed size	156 x 164	146 x 168	196 x 131	108 x 199
Trim size	150 x 158	140 x 162	190 x 125	102 x 193
Live type area	142 x 150	132 x 154	182 x 117	96 x 187

Requirements for Asia/Pacific edition: For self mailers, two sets of copy must be provided, one with a Hong Kong return address and one with a Singapore return address. All material must also be approved by the post offices in Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

Bound-in reply cards cannot run in the following months:

UK:	April, May, August, December
Continental Europe:	February, April, August, December
Other editions:	No restrictions

 

Tip-on cards

Maximum size:	210mm x 160mm
Minimum size:	85mm x 60mm
Maximum weight of stock:	300gsm
Minimum weight of stock:	120gsm
Adhesive:	Glued inserted cards are attached by low-tack, fugitive adhesive.

Tip-on cards can only be attached to premium-paid right-hand pages or spreads.

 

Display 1/3 page rates

Third-of-page advertisement must be non-bleed. Advertisement guaranteed to appear outside edge.

 

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•  All advertising creative should be supplied to The Economist a minimum of five working days before its live date. This allows for adequate quality testing and implementation.

•  Creative received after this period cannot be guaranteed to deliver in full and will not be compensated.

•  Send creative to your sales contact and the regional ad traffic team at The Economist.

•  Asia - economist.apac.adops@acceleration.biz

•  US - economist.us.adops@acceleration.biz

•  Rest of world - economist.uk.adops@acceleration.biz

 

Download the latest GUIDELINES and SPECIFICATIONS

 

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Printing process, paper stock and finishing
Print process: Heat set web offset (except cover: sheet fed)
Paper stock: Cover – 170gsm Galerie Art Silk Text section - 80gsm Galerie Silk
Finish: Cover – matte laminate
Binding: Perfect bound
Inks: CMYK

Image resolution
All images used within the PDF should have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi for continuous tone images, or 2,400 dpi for bitmaps, when at actual size. You will need to allow for this if the image has been scaled at all on the page (so, for example, if a contone image is being used on the page at 200% of its actual size it will need to be a 600 dpi image so that the effective printing resolution is still 300 dpi).

COLOUR
Intelligent Life is printed using CMYK process inks only (other than the outside front cover which will be printed using a special). It uses Fogra39 as its target colour space, which many will be more familiar with as the basis for the ISOcoated_v2_300_eci.icc profile. More information on this, and a link to enable you to download that profile, can be found at http://www.eci.org/. The Maximum Ink Density (or Total Area Coverage) permitted is 290%. Please note that this is lower than the 330% allowed within the ISO Coated v2 profile.

There is a minimum dot "first printing tone" of 2% for all colours and a minimum tint percentage of 15% for single colours and 8% for multi-colours.

Solid blacks
It is suggested that you provide a 35% Cyan boost behind blacks (created using black only) in order to ensure your solid blacks reproduce strongly and that your advertisement reproduces as vibrantly as possible.

Reversed out type
Do not incorporate reversed out type at any size smaller than 8 point, particularly if reversed out of more than one process colour.

Fonts
Fonts should only be supplied as embedded and subset within the PDF (preferably Type 1 PostScript). Multiple master fonts and instances will not be accepted.

 

Trim sizes, live matter area and bleed

Single page
Live matter area 270mm (h) by 210mm (w) centred on trim
Trim size 290mm (h) by 230mm (w)
Bleed size 296mm (h) by 236mm (w)

Note 1: Inside front cover and inside back cover Full Page ads will lose 5mm of the visual area due to the ‘hinge’ resulting from the perfect bound process. You may wish to reduce your live matter area by 5mm on the outside edge.

Double page spread (DPS)
Live matter area 270mm (h) by 440mm (w) centred on trim
Trim size 290mm (h) by 460mm (w)
Bleed size 296mm (h) by 466mm (w)

Note 1: With DPS ads you should avoid having text characters that sit on the ‘join’ between the two pages.
Note 2: DPS ads should be supplied as two separate pages with 3mm bleed on all sides for each page.

For Inside Front Cover and Gallery ads (first 4 x DPS’s in the book) see following specifications:

Cover and gallery double page spread
Note 1: These DPS ads should be supplied as two separate pages with 4mm bleed on all sides for each page.
Note 2: Extended imaging of 5mm is required either side of the hinge to help with alignment, which is to be included within the trim (not additional to the trim). All files should still be supplied to 290 x 230mm.
Note 3: Please note, a re-supply of a DPS file will be required if the advertisement moves from the general text section to the gallery.

Half page
Horizontal size 120mm (h) by 190mm (w)
Vertical trim size 245mm (h) by 90mm (w)
Note 1: Half Page ads reflect the live matter area used within the design layout for the editorial pages. These ads should be supplied as ‘float’ ads with no bleed.

 

File naming
The naming of all digital files supplied should conform to the following convention: Advertiser name, followed by an underscore, followed by any series of alphanumeric characters you wish (e.g. Advertiser_Job12345abc.pdf). If you are supplying a double page spread (and therefore two page files) then please name the files as per the following example:
Left hand page Advertiser_LH_Job12345abc.pdf
Right hand page Advertiser_RH_Job12345abc.pdf

Flightchecking
All PDFs should be pre-flight checked prior to being submitted. 

Proofing
All advertisements supplied must be supplied with two high resolution colour proofs using a proofing solution that can accurately represent the Fogra39 colour space. This proof should be made from the PDF(s) that is/are being supplied. The Economist’s advertising production department will be running a check proof for each advertisement supplied, to compare against the supplied proof.
The Economist’s advertising production department will contact the advertiser or their supplier in the event that the proof supplied and the check proof generated on arrival are considered insufficiently close to be considered a reasonable match.

Special advertisement opportunities
A range of facilities such as bound-in inserts, gatefolds and tip-on cards are available on a limited basis. Please contact the publication as early as possible should you wish to take advantage of these opportunities.

Publication issue, cover and copy dates
Advertisements appearing in the text sections must be supplied 5 weeks ahead of time and those appearing on the inside front cover, inside back cover or outside back cover must be supplied 6 weeks ahead.

The following provides the actual copy dates for upcoming issues:

Issue	Publication date	Copy deadline
Mar/Apr 2013	13th Feb 2013	17th Jan 2013
May/Jun 2013	10th Apr 2013	14th Mar 2013
Jul/Aug 2013	12th Jun 2013	16th May 2013
Sep/Oct 2013	14th Aug 2013	18th July 2013
Nov/Dec 2013	16th Oct 2013	19th Sep 2013
Jan/Feb 2014	4th Dec 2013	8th Nov 2013
Mar/Apr 2014	18th Feb 2014	17th Jan 2014