Artwork Specification

We only accept print-ready artwork as either PDF or TIFF files. Most mainstream graphics software (e.g. Adobe, Corel Draw, Quark Xpress) provide you with the facility to output and save your artwork in PDF format. Please avoid sending jpegs as they compress data resulting in a loss of quality when printing. If you have any doubts about what we require please contact us to discuss the options before you start your design. There are also numerous freeware and shareware programs that allow you to print to a PDF file from virtually any other program. These include AcroPDF and DeskPDF.

Artwork files and images that are to be used for commercial litho printing, must be created using CMYK (not RGB) for colours to print correctly. Please ensure that all colours used in the design of your print-ready artwork file are made up of CMYK values. We do not provide Pantone or Spot Colour matching of any kind with our full colour printing service. Note; most Pantone colours have a CMYK equivalent.

Images for professional colour or grayscale printing need to be set at 300dpi to print clearly. Web images are generally 72dpi and RGB. These images are not suitable for use in commercial printing.

Text should be set at a minimum of 5mm in from any page edge. All fonts/text must be converted to curves or paths, and all layers flattened, prior to creating your final print-ready PDF file.

A bleed-edge is required to extend an image "off the paper". Images that run to the edge of the finished printed item must run over by 3mm. For example, if you want the background of your leaflet to be completely black, you must set the background image to be 3mm larger on all sides than the finished size - i.e. a flat A4 leaflet is 297mm x 210mm. The printable page size will need to be 303mm x 216mm. This is required to compensate for variations in the guillotining (cutting) process.

We do not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies in artwork. Whilst every effort will be made to inform you of any apparent errors, we will reproduce the artwork you provide without further proof-reading on our part.