Time and time again, we see people who choose to print low resolution images and get very bad results indeed. Pixelated images are one of the biggest issues which can lead to a print job looking unprofessional.

Don’t let your printed materials let you down. Spend some time reading our printing guidelines to give you a better understanding of the world of printing.

If your website logo always come out printed with ragged edges.  Find out why below:

We have created FREE Printing Guidelines 2013 to help you understand the reasons why some printing looks good and others look terribly unprofessional.

Printing Guidelines 2013

    • Printed files, images, or ads should be submitted as high-res PDF files to exact trim size specified.
    • CMYK only; RGB cannot be accepted for print (RGB is used when images will be online or on a computer screen)
    • All files should be flattened with no transparencies included in the final file. 
    • Generally speaking; images should have a resolution or “Dots Per Inch” or DPI of 300.

      300 DPI is a standard for most printing. The resolution of an image refers to the density of pixels (print dots) that make up an image or graphic. The higher the resolution of the image, the more detailed an image will be. A lower resolution is fuzzy, and much less detailed. Image resolutions are measured in DPI (Dots Per Inch) and PPI (Pixels Per Inch). DPI refers to printed documents and the amount of spacing of the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black dots on the printed surface. PPI is in reference to the pixels (or dots) on a TV, computer, phone, or iPad screen. PPI and DPI should never be confused.
    • When designing for a screen 72 PPI is the resolution which should be used.
    • When designing for print, the resolution should be 300 DPI.
  • Embed your fonts into your PDF printing files.
    Your printer may not have the exact same fonts as you do.
  • Bleed
    The bleed is terribly important in printing. Most of the time the purpose or use of bleed is misunderstood. You should ensure there is a 3mm bleed around the final PDF file.  This is one of the most important elements in artwork for printing! Please ensure there is 3mm bleed all round the PDF (EXAMPLE: for A4 usually 210mm x 297mm, save as 216mm x 303mm). Crop marks can be included if you wish. If your artwork is supplied without bleed the printer may not always be able to add it on for you and you may have to amend and re-supply the artwork.