Artwork Specifications

Ensure perfect print results with our comprehensive file preparation guide

Accepted File Formats

PDF

Recommended

Preferred format - High quality, press-ready PDFs with embedded fonts

AI (Adobe Illustrator)

Recommended

Vector artwork ideal for logos, graphics, and scalable designs

EPS

Encapsulated PostScript - Good for vector graphics

JPEG / JPG

High resolution only (300 DPI minimum) - May lose quality

PNG

Suitable for images with transparency - 300 DPI minimum

TIFF

High quality raster format - Large file sizes

Resolution Requirements

Minimum: 300 DPI (Dots Per Inch)

This ensures sharp, high-quality printed output

Avoid: Below 150 DPI

Images may appear pixelated or blurry when printed

Vector Graphics: Resolution Independent

AI, EPS files scale perfectly at any size

Colour Mode

Always Use CMYK for Print

RGB is for screens only. Convert all artwork to CMYK to ensure accurate colour reproduction.

Important: Colours may shift when converting from RGB to CMYK. Always check a proof before final printing.

Bleed & Safe Zones

What is Bleed?

Bleed is the area of your artwork that extends beyond the finished trim size. This ensures no white edges appear if there's any slight movement during cutting.

  • Standard Bleed: 3mm (all sides)
  • Safe Zone: Keep important text and logos at least 3mm from the trim edge
  • Background: Extend background colours and images to the bleed edge

Example: For an A4 flyer (210mm x 297mm), your artwork file should be 216mm x 303mm (adding 3mm bleed on each side).

Font Requirements

✓ Recommended: Outline/Embed Fonts

  • Adobe Illustrator: Type → Create Outlines
  • Adobe InDesign: Export PDF with fonts embedded
  • PDF: Ensure all fonts are embedded (check PDF properties)

⚠️ Warning: If fonts are not outlined or embedded, text may display incorrectly or be substituted with default fonts.

Image Quality Guidelines

Good Quality Images

  • • High resolution (300 DPI)
  • • Sharp, in-focus photographs
  • • CMYK colour mode
  • • Properly exposed (not too dark/light)
  • • Professional stock photos

Avoid These Issues

  • • Low resolution web images
  • • Screenshots (usually low quality)
  • • Overly compressed JPEGs
  • • Stretched or distorted images
  • • Blurry or pixelated photos

File Size Recommendations

  • Standard prints: Keep files under 100MB for faster upload and processing
  • Large format: Files may be larger, but compress images where possible
  • Compression: Use high-quality compression settings to reduce file size without quality loss
  • Too large? Contact our team for alternative upload methods

✅ Pre-Flight Checklist

Need Help with Your Artwork?

Our design team can help prepare your files for print or create custom designs from scratch.

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