Artwork Guidelines

1. File Preparation

• Size: Use the correct size artboard with 3mm bleeds and trim marks in an editable, high-resolution PDF format.
• Bleeds: Add 3mm bleed for small format products like business cards, flyers, brochures, marketing cards etc or 5mm for large format products. Check specific requirements for books or promotional items.

• Margins: Keep critical elements at least 5mm from trim lines and 10mm for envelopes.

2. Document Size

Your document size must be the page size plus bleed. Same Day Printing standard page sizes excluding bleed are:

• BC 90mm x 55mm
• DL 99mm x 210mm
• A6 105mm x 148mm
• A5 148.5mm x 210mm
• A4 210mm x 297mm
• A3 297mm x 420mm
• A2 420mm x 594mm
• A1 594mm x 840mm
• A0 840mm x 1189mm

3. Fonts & Colours

• Fonts: Convert all fonts to outlines or embed them in the file.
• Colors: Use CMYK only. Avoid RGB and PMS unless quoted specifically. Utilize a CMYK swatch book for accurate color representation, especially for light shades and pastels.

4. Images and Text

• Images: Ensure all images are in CMYK at 300dpi resolution. Increasing resolution in Photoshop won’t enhance image quality.
• Text: Use black text with 100% K for rich blacks. Avoid thin or light fonts; a minimum stroke width of 0.4pt is recommended.

5. Design Considerations

• Borders: Avoid using borders to prevent uneven results due to trimming shifts.
• White Overprint: Ensure no white elements are set to overprint.
• Links & Transparencies: Embed all links and flatten transparencies.

6. Special Instructions

• Brochures and Books: Supply single-page PDFs for internal pages. For brochures, provide flat size PDFs with separate pages for inside and outside spreads.
• Foiling: Use vector art for foil elements, with a minimum thickness of 0.4mm. Avoid gradients and ensure proper spacing around foiled areas.

7. Foiling

• Elements for foil must be created as vector art, not as PNG, JPEG, or bitmap.
• Minimum thickness for foil elements is 0.4mm or 0.25pt.
• The foil process is subject to movement (shift) up to 2mm.
• There must be a gap of more than 2mm between foil and text/elements not to be foiled over.
• Strong alignment (registration/FIT) between foil and other CMYK design elements is not recommended due to potential registration shifts in the printing and foiling processes.
• Generally, a minimum of 6pt bold font is suitable for foiling.
• Foil cannot be used as shading or gradient; only 100% values are acceptable.
• Solid areas of foil should not exceed 150mm x 150mm.
• Foil areas need to be output at a resolution of 2000dpi to avoid jagged or uneven foil application.

8. Non-Press Ready Files

Files from Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or Publisher are not press-ready and may incur additional fees for conversion. We recommend using professional design software like Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, or Photoshop.

9. Pre-Press Limitations

Our pre-press process doesn’t include checking grammar, numbers, social media links, or advanced image quality. Double-check your files before submission, as adjustments post-approval may result in extra costs.

10. Approval Process

Once you approve the PDF proof, you accept responsibility for the final design. Any errors identified after approval will require a reprint at your expense.

For more details or assistance, feel free to contact us. Preparing your artwork correctly saves time, avoids extra costs, and ensures stunning print results!

Before Committing to Your Order:

If you have any questions or concerns about your artwork, please ask us before committing to your order. If you need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us or check out our extensive guide for foiling.

Pre-Press Process Limitations

Once you have committed to your order and supplied print-ready artwork, our pre-press process may identify some challenges outside of the normal pre-press checks. However, this is not guaranteed. Unless otherwise requested and paid for as a service, our pre-press process does not include, but is not limited to, checking:

• Font stroke, spacing, and size
• Spelling, grammar, and any copy (no proofreading services are included)
• Accuracy of numbers, including phone numbers
• Correctness of social media addresses and icons
• Image quality beyond confirming it is 300dpi (no photo editing included)

When supplying press-ready artwork, we are not accountable for any design errors or not considering design requirements for print.

Design Proposal - Artwork Guidelines

A design proposal will be provided to you in writing. Upon your acceptance, a PDF proof will be created and sent to you for approval before we proceed to printing. We will not proceed to print until we have written confirmation from you to proceed. Once you have confirmed in writing, you acknowledge that you have carefully checked everything and that we cannot be held accountable for any errors. Any adjustments or reprints will be at your cost.

To recreate designs, all logos, fonts (if not native or in our library), and any other design elements or assets you require must be provided in soft copy format with your file. You confirm that you have the legal rights to reproduce anything you supply. As part of our service, we do not check any copyright, trademark, or licensing requirements for anything you supply to us. The onus is on you to perform these checks. We are not liable or accountable for anything you provide to us and claim to have permission to use.

Please click here for additional Terms and Conditions.