Whatever your printing needs may be, here are our top tips for correctly setting up print ready artwork:

Do I need to use professional software?

When designing your artwork, you should always try to use professional design software. The finished product will always look better when created using specific design and art working software. Professional design software will have a wide range of high-end functions and settings that aren't available in most desktop publishing software. Programs such as Microsoft Powerpoint and Word are not designed for use when it comes to high-end printing. If in doubt about your design contact us and see if we can help.

What resolution should my artwork be?

When having a poster printed, we recommend that the resolution is a minimum of 150dpi (dots per inch). If you're printing something larger, like a roller banner, pop-up stand or canvas, ensure your artwork is at least 300dpi. It is also worth noting that images that contain rasterised text (text saved as an image, rather than text) need to be saved at a minimum of 300 dpi. This will help to ensure that your images and rasterised text are sharp and legible when printed. If your artwork is not saved at the correct dpi, it may be pixelated when printed and could have a sort of soft, fuzzy look about it.

Can I use any font when printing?

Make sure that any live fonts are embedded or converted to vectors before you send us your artwork files. If you forget to do this, you may end up with a font substitution or missing and unexpected characters.

RGB or CMYK?

Remember, coloured images such as photographs always need to be in CMYK mode, not RGB or Indexed. If you leave them in RGB, you may end up with some unexpected surprises post-print out.

Does my image need to contain bleed?

We're able to print edge-to-edge, so we don't need bleed on any print files, except for flyers, business cards and leaflets. If you have any questions relating to artwork set-up, please contact us on LiveChat.

Is my artwork ready to be printed?

Make sure that you thoroughly check your artwork before sending it to print. If your artwork needs to be a specific print size, you'll need to ensure it is in the correct aspect ratio for this size. It could be worth printing a proof version at home before going for the final print run, especially if printing in full quality bulk. We recommend using Adobe Acrobat to check artworks before printing.

What format should I save my artwork in for printing?

Always save in PDF where possible. TIFF, JPEG and PNG files are also acceptable, provided they are of sufficient resolution.

Is it worth printing in higher quality paper?

Always! The higher quality the paper and ink, the finer the result will be, resulting in stunning print outs with strong, vibrant colours and professional looking papers. If you are in doubt over which paper type to choose, you're welcome to come into the store and check out some samples.

I need help designing my artwork!

We understand that not everyone has access to professional design software, nor the time to learn how to use it, which is why we offer a professional design service. With prices starting from £20 + VAT, why not contact us today for a design quote?

We hope you enjoyed our few tips for correctly setting up your artwork. Always remember, you can drop us a message or give us a call for a friendly consultation of services.