5 Steps to Great Quality Print
Whether you’re a new business looking for some business cards, or looking for a new printer to help with your marketing needs, we can help!
You might be wondering ‘Isn’t print dead?’ and our answer is no! Print is a more tangible and credible marketing method in comparison to digital marketing. If you hand someone your business card, or a flyer, they can take it away with them and read it at their own leisure. Given that this person may then read the business card/flyer again, print offers longevity – something digital marketing does not.
As a family-run business based in Wiltshire, we’re here for all your printing needs. We want your artwork to make the right impression, so we have created a guide to help you avoid any issues when supplying artwork to us for printing. Following this guide will help you avoid any delays and guarantee great quality print.
Files
File Size
We do not have a maximum file size, but we advise sending large files over 10meg via WeTransfer. WeTranfer is a free platform our clients use to send large files across to us.
It is also important that the file you upload is not too small, as it may lose its quality when it is printed full size. Please refer to the resolution section below to ensure your image quality is up to spec.
Formats we accept
We can accept a number of different formats, but we do prefer PDF. Listed below is a list of the formats we accept.
It is important that your PDF file is prepared in the correct way ready for printing. The following options must be selected:
- Resolution – select high resolution.
- Compression Settings – for colour and greyscale this should be downsampled to 300dpi with “auto compression” set on high.
- Font Embedding – “embed all fonts” should be selected.
- Colour – must be set as CMYK. Avoid selecting RGB.
Illustrator
Include all embedded images and all text must be completely imbedded or converted to curves. The file must be saved as an EPS file.
Photoshop
When starting a new document in Photoshop, the resolution must be set to 300dpi. The file then must be saved as either TIFF or JPEG.
Microsoft Documents
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Publisher
These applications are not designed to prepare print-ready artwork. Instead, we recommend that you convert your Microsoft document into a PDF.
After you convert your document into a PDF, it’s important to check that the colours, text, and design elements are still present.
Resolution
Resolution must be at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) for an original image size
Posters must be at least 200 dpi in original size and advertising systems such as displays, and banners must be 150 dpi in original size.
The higher the dpi number, the better the print quality. A low dpi will result in a pixelated and blurred print.
Fonts
Our recommended font size is a minimum of 6 pt.
All fonts must be completely embedded or converted to curves to avoid problems with spacing (space between characters).
Colour
Artwork that is intended for print should be created in (or converted to) CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black). CMYK files achieve colours the same way that printers mix inks to achieve colours on the printed page.
RGB must be avoided. Files submitted in RGB will be converted into CMYK before going to print. It must be noted that conversion of RGB to CMYK may lead to possible colour shifts, and your artwork may not print as you expect. This is because not all RGB colours are represented in the CMYK colour range.
Trimming
One of the most important elements in artwork for printing is adding a bleed to your artwork. Bleed is ink that prints beyond the trim edge of the printed page. After printing your artwork, we trim the bleed off. This ensures that your printed artwork does not have a white edge along the sides, and instead has a clean break.
We request that all artwork sent to us is supplied with a minimum 3mm bleed on each edge. Both trim and bleed marks should be shown on the artwork. For example, a PDF must be saved with 6mm added to each measurement. An A4 PDF is usually 210mm x 297mm. To supply artwork to us, your file would need to be 216mm x 303mm.
Any important information on your artwork should be at least 5 mm from the edge of the final format size.
If you’re struggling with adding a bleed, we have our own in-house design and graphics department, which can help design from scratch or tidy up your existing artwork. Get in touch by emailing info@townsenddesignandprint.co.uk
Proofing
Once you have sent your artwork to us, you are responsible for any errors or omissions present. We do not check your print files for spelling and/or typographical errors, or overprint settings.
We also advise that you please pay attention to the reading direction when creating your print files. For example, the single pages of a folded leaflet or flyer have to be assembled according the completely opened leaflet (one front/back).
Multi-page Products
If your print product runs over several pages, we advise sending a single PDF file in the order you’d like it to print, with the front cover on page 1 and the back cover on the last page.
If you choose to upload separate files, they should be numbered with a prefix to show the order you want them to print, for example:
01_NameOfYourFile, 02_NameOfYourFile, 03_NameOfYourFile etc.
Need Help
Here at Townsend Design and Print, we are dedicated to providing you with the best possible service.
Following these guidelines ensures that there will be no delays with your printing. If you have any problems or need any help, please don’t hesitate to call Alison on 01225 705052
or email her at info@townsenddesignandprint.co.uk or ali@townsend-design.co.uk