Artwork Guide
Supplying Artwork
- Files
We can accept lots of different formats and there is a big list below as proof! But in a nutshell what we really prefer are PDF and Ai files. See further down the page for the low-down on how to properly save PDF files.
- Resolution
For really good print reproduction we need files saved at 300ppi. This refers to the number of pixels per inch. Less that 300ppi and your artwork might print dotty or fuzzy.
Please always save your artwork at the size it is to be printed. If you supply us artwork that is saved at a small size and you want it printed big then things are going to go horribly wrong! We can scale artwork down but we can’t scale it up without a loss of resolution (and good resolution is what makes the image lovely and crisp and sharp).
- Colour
If possible save your artwork in the colour format CMYK as these are the ink colours used to print your artwork. We can convert your artwork to CMYK but this will change the colour of your artwork and it might not print as you expect it to. If you work in CMYK when designing your artwork then this will give you a much better idea as to how the final printed piece will look.
File Formats Accepted
Press ready PDF – with fonts embedded, for best results high resolution 300dpi.
Illustrator – fonts converted to outlines and supplied as AI or EPS files. Or output ‘Press Ready’ PDF from Illustrator.
Freehand – fonts converted to paths.
Photoshop – layers flattened, at least 300 dpi, JPEG, PDF or Tiff. Remember to include 3mm bleed. PSD files can be supplied – please advise if your artwork contains layers.
Corel Draw – fonts converted to Curves then export as Illustrator AI file.
InDesign – fonts converted to outlines. Save as a ‘Package’ and zip the fonts, images and inDesign file in one file. Or output ‘Press Ready’ PDF from inDesign.
Raster or Pixel Based Programmes – ie Photoshop/Paint/Gimp. Export as Tiff, JPeg or PNG. Ensure the original artwork is ‘press ready’ at 300dpi and includes 3mm bleed.
Supplying Native Files – When supplying native files e.g. Quark Express, please ensure all elements, document, images and fonts are in one folder and please compress using Stuffit or similar to .sit or zip files before sending.
Supplying PDF Artwork
We prefer all artwork to be supplied as high-resolution PDF format with fonts embedded.
PDF’s are rapidly becoming the standard file format for transmitting files for printing, but it is important to prepare your PDF file in the correct way.
Correct Preparation of PDF Files
When creating a PDF in Acrobat Distiller, there are job options which must be set for commercial printing. These include default resolution, compression settings and font embedding. Where possible ensure a 300dpi PDFx1a ‘print’ or ‘press ready’ PDF is outputted. Please include a 3mm bleed, crop marks and supply as single pages.
Please ensure you choose high resolution. Compression settings for colour and greyscale should be down sampled to 300dpi with “auto compression” set on high. Bitmapped (monochrome: i.e. line art) images should be set at 600dpi. Font embedding should be set to “embed all fonts.”
Microsoft Office Files
If you are creating a PDF from a MS Publisher or Word file, care must be taken to ensure spot colours are created correctly in your original documents. Do not set to RGB (Red, Green, Blue) colours as they cannot be printed as such.
Supplying EPS Files
Any other file formats not listed above must be saved as an eps or jpeg. If there are any changes to the job, you may have to amend and re-submit the artwork as we may be unable to change it. Ensure your files have bleed and crop marks and please confirm the final size of the artwork and supply a hard copy for reference.
Sending Artwork by Email
You can email us sales@labelsworld.co.uk with any relevant information regarding the job. Maximum file size preferred by email is 15mb. Files larger than this should be sent on disk or by using one of the many file sharing sites that are now readily available and allow you to send large files normally free of charge, ie wetransfer or yousendit.
Sending Artwork on Disk
CD Rom, DVD, and USB memory sticks can be sent to:
Labels World
46 Summer Road
Erdington
Birmingham
B23 6UR
Please include a hard copy of your artwork for reference with any useful instructions. Please quote the order reference number and include a contact name, email address and telephone number in case of a query. Don’t forget to keep a copy of your file, in case we need you to undertake changes or corrections.
Further Assistance
If you need any help with sending your artwork please contact us on 0121 448 3920
