Artwork Set Up for Print

Accepted file types: 

We only accept files is as a Print Ready PDF. Not only are PDF files complete (with no missing fonts or links, if these were embedded) but they ensure that your colours and document information are secure. A correctly exported file should be small enough to send via e-mail or our WeTransfer file upload site.

Recommended programs for setting up print artwork:

• Adobe Creative Suite - InDesign or Illustrator,
• Affinity or other equivalent vector design programs,
• Canva (only for simple documents not requiring advanced finishing).

Anything else - such as Office programs (Word, PowerPoint) or AI generators are unable to natively produce print ready artwork. Please see below all our tips and tutorials for working with Adobe or Canva. Please contact us if you need design assistance to set up your file correctly and we will be happy to quote.

Flattened Files: 

We require you to flatten your PDF before sending them through to us.  We have extremely powerful RIPS on our printers.  These rips disassemble files and study each component of the file to ensure every fine detail is understood, before reassembling them and printing in fine detail. If your file is not flattened and there are issues with the file, then it may not print the way you require. Read more here: How to flatten a file.

Bleed and crops/trim marks:

We require your artwork to have a minimum of 3mm bleed on each edge.

Bleed refers to the printing that goes beyond the trim edge, which allows for movement on the guillotine when trimming your product down to size. You will need bleed on any coloured background or image that touches the edge of your artwork.

The 3mm of bleed will need to be added to each edge of your document. For example, if your artwork is A4 (210x297mm) with bleed included, the total size of the artwork is 216x303mm.

Most design programs allow you to set up bleed on the document canvas/artboard, and export out a PDF with bleed and crop marks. Read more here: Trim marks and Bleed.

Colour mode:

All files, unless otherwise stated, must be in CMYK mode. It is important to note that colours displayed on screen are indicative only and are always shown in RGB mode. CMYK is ink produced to a flat substrate (i.e. paper): Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black (Key) inks are mixed together to create colours. RGB is Red, Green and Blue mixed with light to produce colours. Because there is no light on a printed substrate, sometimes CMYK colours can appear different to what you are looking at on a screen. For these reasons, converting RGB colours to CMYK can cause colour variation from what you expect, so it is important that you check the proofs we send very carefully, and keep the differences in colour modes in mind when setting up your artwork.

If you require specific colours, please provide PMS colour codes, CMYK breakdown, or send us a hard copy example of a previously printed item, so the substrate and finish can be accurately matched (as colour outcome can change with these variations).

Ensure all solid areas of black (such as background fills) are set up as 'Rich black' which is a combination of CMYK that results in a deep and even black. The rich black code is: C:60, M:40, Y:40, K:100. If you use 100% Black (C:0, M:0, Y:0, K:100), the colour outcome may be mottled and more grey in appearance due to oversaturation of the black ink.