Artwork Guidelines
We accept that print terms and processes are difficult to understand if you don’t have regular contact with someone in the print world. So the following guidelines have been drawn up to help the uninitiated or those new to the preparation of artwork.
The guide is for information only and if you need further assistance then please call us and one of our print experts will talk you through the different requirements.
Or if you prefer, we will design and prepare the artwork for you so that you will have the reassurance that it will be correctly formatted for print.
It is important to remember that our online prices are for artwork that is prepared for print in an approved format. There will be an additional charge if our Design Services team have to change the file in order to obtain the best possible result.
If we have to make any amendments to artwork we will always tell you first and let you know the cost of any additional work done by us.
Here are some straightforward hints and tips with regard to the preparation of problem-free artwork.
File formats
Print ready pdf's are the preferred file format
To be deemed as 'print ready' you must supply with 3mm crop & bleed, be supplied in CMYK format.
Photographs
As well as providing the artwork in the highest possible resolution, it is important to ensure that all photographs, logos and icons etc. are also provided in similar details. A photograph saved at a minimum of 300 dpi will reproduce much better than one lifted from the web where the screen resolution can be as low at 72dpi.
Colours
The most exact colour reproduction will be obtained from artwork saved in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) which is the industry standard. We can convert images provided in RGB (more commonly used for web use) into CMYK but there is a risk of some variations in colour.
It is also important to remember that because of the different way that home or office printers are calibrated, you should use any print-out or screen image as a guide for proofing purposes only. Print companies use CMYK workflow technology that is calibrated and maintained to a recognised industry standard (ISO/FOGRA) in order to obtain the highest quality print results including correct colour resolution.
Fonts
Even home computers offer users a huge number of fonts and type styles so it is vital that all fonts used in the creation of artwork are embedded or turned to outlines before the final artwork is delivered. Unless this is done, the art-working system may automatically switch to a default font which will affect how a document looks and also may alter copy lengths.
Text
To ensure that all text is legible and unaffected by any cutting or cropping, a minimum of 4mm should be maintained from any edge of the document.
Bleed
To avoid any white edges to any aspect of a document including a photograph, background, colour or border, it is important to allow sufficient "bleed” so that the colours go past the print edges. This will ensure that when the pages are printed and trimmed, all aspects of the document will show. It is recommended that 3mm bleed be created outside the print crop marks.
Artwork size
Some of the most popular print documents are specified sizes and the tables below show the individual specifications for some of our most popular products. Please remember to add 6mm to the finished artwork size to allow for 3mm bleed outside the print crop marks on all edges.