National Ground Water Association

Digital figures are required. Digital figures must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) and be submitted in a TIF format or EPS format with embedded fonts. You may consult the Blackwell Publishing Web site for more information at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/bauthor/anyps.asp.

We recommend the following tips for the best possible reproduction:

• If possible, avoid making prescreened line art (art containing gray shading). It is nearly impossible to digitize these images accurately without creating "blotchy" patterns. If you must provide an image that contains screens, the following guidelines apply:
  • Always submit the image at its final size. For Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation®, that is 8.25 cm wide for one-column art and 17.15 cm wide for two-column art.
  • Generate the image at line screens of 85 lines per inch (lpi) or lower.
  • When applying multiple shades of gray, differentiate the gray levels by at least 20 pecent. In other words, apply gray in increments or steps no closer than 20 percent. Use 20 percent black, 40 percent black, and 60 percent black. Alternatively, use various pattern backgrounds (solid dots, lines, bricks, diamonds, squares, etc.).
  • Never use levels of gray below 20 percent or above 70 percent black. Levels of gray outside these guidelines will either fade out or become totally black upon printing.
• Use thick, solid lines that are no finer than 1 point in thickness.
• Use bold, solid type. Avoid using type with serifs (e.g., Times); sans serif type (e.g., Helvetica) reproduces best.
• At 100 percent size, no type should be smaller than 5 point.
• Avoid layering type directly over shaded or textured areas. Create a white box and place the lettering within the boundaries of the white box.
• Avoid the use of reversed type (white lettering on a black background).
• When scanning images, be sure that the originals are perfectly clean and neat. Scanners faithfully reproduce all smudges, crooked lines, and stray marks.
• When printing images that will be scanned, use high quality laser printer paper or bond paper. Do not use photocopies. Opacity and smoothness are important quality factors in the scanning process. Use the highest resolution possible on your printer or graphics plotting device.
• When preparing figures that will be scanned, remember that surface smoothness is critical. Tape, creases, and other minor surface irregularities are unacceptable since they will produce shadows that the scanner sees as black. Maximize the black and white contrast (the toner level in the printing device must be high.) The scanner does not improve contrast; it reproduces contrast as is.
• Color publication is available. Color figures are published free of charge to the author. However, as there are additional costs to print color, it is asked that the author use color figures only when necessary to improve the clarity of the figure.