Artwork help
Setting up your print file
Plain-English guides to getting your artwork print-ready: bleed, the safe area, resolution, colour, fonts and file types.
Bleed
Printers can't cut exactly on the edge every time, so we print a little bigger and trim it back. That extra margin is the bleed.
Run any background colour or image past the finished edge, all the way out to the bleed. If you stop at the edge, a thin white line can show after trimming.
The bleed is different for each product. Your product's artwork guide shows it.
The safe area
The safe area is the zone inside the finished edge where nothing important gets trimmed, folded, hemmed or hidden by a frame or base.
Keep text, logos, phone numbers and faces inside it. Backgrounds can still run to the bleed.
Resolution
Resolution is how much image detail there is at the size we print, measured in pixels per inch (ppi) at full size.
- 130 ppi at full size is our minimum.
- 150 ppi or more prints crisp.
A photo that looks sharp on screen can still be too small for a 2 metre banner. Our artwork checker works out the effective ppi for you.
CMYK vs RGB
Screens show colour in RGB (light). Printers use CMYK (ink). Supply CMYK for the most accurate colour.
RGB files get converted, and very bright greens, blues and oranges can come out duller than on screen.
Outline your fonts
If we don't have your font, the text can change when we open your file. Before you export, convert text to outlines (in Illustrator, Type › Create Outlines) or embed all fonts in your PDF.
File types
- PDF is preferred: print-ready, with fonts outlined or embedded.
- JPG or PNG are fine when they're high resolution at full size.
Vector vs raster
Vector artwork (logos and text from Illustrator, or a vector PDF) is made of shapes, so it stays sharp at any size.
Raster artwork (photos, JPG and PNG) is made of pixels, so it goes soft or blocky when it's stretched too far. That's why resolution matters.
Where you can, use vector logos and text, and keep photos at 150 ppi or more at full size.
10% scale templates for large items
Full-size files for big items like media walls and table covers are huge. Our templates for these are at 10% scale: design at one tenth of the real size, including the bleed.
At 10% scale, images need ten times the resolution (for example 1500 ppi in the file to print at 150 ppi).
How to send your files
Files can't be attached to our quote form, so either:
- paste a link (Google Drive, WeTransfer or Dropbox) into the Artwork link field on the quote form, or
- reply to our quote email with your files attached, or email infothesignageshed@gmail.com.
No artwork yet? Send your logo and wording and we'll set it up for you. You'll always see a digital proof before we print.
Artwork guides and templates
Each guide shows the artwork size, bleed and safe area for that product. Templates are PDFs you can design on.
Pull up banners
- Luxury 850 × 2000mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Luxury 1200 × 2000mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Double sided 850 × 2000mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Double sided 1200 × 2000mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
Media walls
- 2.4m × 2.2mGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- 3m × 2.2mGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- 4m × 2.2mGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
Corflute signs
- 600 × 450mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- 600 × 900mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- 900 × 1200mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
A-frames
- Printed A-frame 600 × 900mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Insert A-frame 600 × 900mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Real estate A-frame 600 × 450mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Folding corflute A-frame 600 × 950mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
Table covers
- Fitted throw 6ft, 3 sidedGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Fitted throw 6ft, 4 sidedGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Fitted throw 8ft, 3 sidedGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Fitted throw 8ft, 4 sidedGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Loose throw 6ft, 3 sidedGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Loose throw 6ft, 4 sidedGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Round throw 1520mm, full dropGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Round throw 1520mm, half dropGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Front drop runner 610 × 2006mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
- Front drop runner 914 × 2006mmGuide (PDF) · Template (PDF)
Questions
What file type should I send?
A print-ready PDF is best. High resolution JPG and PNG files are fine too.
What resolution does my artwork need?
At least 130 ppi at the full printed size, and 150 ppi or more for a crisp print. Logos and text are best as vectors.
Should my artwork be CMYK or RGB?
Supply CMYK for the most accurate colour. RGB files are converted for print, and some bright colours can come out duller.
Do I need to add bleed?
Yes. Run your background past the finished edge by the bleed shown in your product's artwork guide.
How do I send my files?
Paste a link (Google Drive, WeTransfer or Dropbox) in the quote form, or reply to our quote email with your files attached.
Can you check my artwork?
Yes. Run it through our free artwork checker first, and we also check every file and send a digital proof before anything is printed.