Artwork Specs

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

PDF FILES are the safest format to send.

Before sending your PDF open and check all your pages for any errors that may have occurred when converting the original document.
(Using PDF version 1.4 ensures the files are flattened)

Two sided artwork to be supplied in a 2 page PDF - 1 file containing 2 pages.
Page 1 will be considered the front and page 2 the reverse.
Page 1 will be considered the outside and page 2 the inside on a folded leaflet.

Booklets need to be supplied as ‘1 up’ pages, not spreads or ‘printer’s pairs’.
Pages must be in sequential order starting with the front cover as page 1 and the back of the cover as the last page.
e.g. 12pp booklet = 1 PDF containing 12 pages - not 12 separate PDFs.

Artwork to be supplied ‘1 Up’ at the correct size (with bleed and trim marks if needed)
E.g. Don’t supply a PDF with a business card set in the middle of an A4 size document unless you actually want it to be printed as an A4 size document.

Colour is CMYK not RGB
Spot colour is only used for invoice books/pads or envelopes.

Bleed
2 or 3mm for business cards
3mm for UV business cards, Round cornered cards and Magnets
3mm for leaflets and other stationery
3 - 5mm for booklets, presentation folders and banners

Internal Bleed
4mm is the minimum safest distance from the trim edge for business cards
At least 10mm for booklets and banners
To minimise booklet creep you may need to use progressive margins

Trim (Crop) Marks
Offset trim marks by 3mm if using 3mm bleed - or 5mm if using 5mm bleed etc
No marks needed for presentation folders (but include the die-line as a spot colour set to overprint)

Make sure artwork is centred within the document

Embed or outline fonts (not for booklets)

Hairline rules should be at least 0.3pt

Set Black Text at 100% K only.
Set Black as a background colour at 60% C, 50% M, 50% Y, 100% K to give good solid coverage.
Total combined ink density of your artwork should be 300 - 340% max.

Images must be CMYK - not RGB or LAB
Convert to cmyk before embedding into your document.
Minimum resolution is 300dpi at 100%

Other file formats we accept are:

Illustrator (.ai)
Convert all text to ‘outlines’ and embed all images if you are not supplying the font or any links. All colours need to be CMYK - don’t mix with spot colours.

InDesign (.indd)
Please use the ‘Package’ option in the ‘File’ menu. Include an IDML file and pdf. Check it has included all the images and fonts then Zip (using ‘compress’ in file menu) before sending.

Photoshop (.psd)
All colours and images need to be CMYK not RGB and set at 300dpi

Word - Publisher - Powerpoint - Excel
These files are not normally good for full colour printing and are unpredictable. They are normally in an RGB colour format which is great for viewing on screen but not good for printing. We can often convert them to the correct cmyk format but your colours will change, looking dirty or dark. Fonts can be slightly different from one PC to another and can throw out the formatting or may substitute to a default font with undesirable results. However, we can usually use these files without problems for general photocopying or digital colour printing - if you can, please PDF them, making sure you embed the fonts. Printed colours are often different to what you see on screen - for example a very bright lime green may turn into a darker green. We will check your file to see if it is usable and contact you if you need to have it re-designed. Allow extra time if supplying in these formats.