Artwork setup guidelines
Font Guide
To ensure legibility do avoid using font sizes smaller than 7pt. If working out of vector based software such as Illustrator, InDesign, or Freehand, please convert your text to outlines before generating the final PDF file. If working out of Photoshop, simply flatten the image. When using MS Publisher for design and layout, do ensure the photos, graphics, and fonts are embedded into the file.
We also recommend you are extra careful when using type on dark backgrounds aka reversed out text. The dark ink tends to bleed into lighter areas on a press so avoid “thin” fonts in these instances and keep to “sans serif” fonts such as Arial and Helvetica.
Bleed Guide
If your graphic files contain a border the border must have a minimum of 3mm distance from all surrounding edges. If you leave less than 3mm your finished product may appear to have unequal borders from top to bottom and from side to side. This is due to the final cutting process in which some "draw" or "slippage" might occur. Ideally, you want to create the border with 5mm distance from all surrounding edges.
Do not place any critical images or text beyond the safety zone/inner margin, which needs to be at least 3mm from the final trim size. This will avoid anything getting cut off when the finished piece is trimmed.
Please ensure your files are saved without any crop marks as these marks will be considered part of the artwork and will end up being printed on the finished product.
Resolution Guide
To avoid disappoint with your final product ensure you are designing with the highest quality images available to you. We recommend using images at 300dpi resolution, however images upwards of 125dpi can be acceptable depending on their usage.
Images can be compressed heavily in order to be optimised for websites, where possible avoid using images taken off websites and look for source photography or take your own photos.
Low resolution images can produce blurry or pixelated and may detract from the finished product.
Where possible always select Maximum Resolution when exporting your images.
Colour Guide
Always ensure you set the colour mode for you design to CMYK and not RGB.
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black "K") is the colour inks that we will use to print your job.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) are the colour lights that make up what you see on your computer monitor.
There are infinitely more colour options available in RGB so to avoid disappointment and to have a better idea what you final product will look like always make sure you are using CMYK colours in your design.
Images from your digital camera or scanner may be set to RGB by default so be sure to convert them before placing them into your design.
If your design software asks you for a colour profile, we use US Web Coated (SWOP) V2.
Proofing Guide
Make sure you have proofread your artwork to ensure the spelling and grammar is correct.
