File Preparation

File Preparation

File formats
A file from most of the graphic design software is accepted including:

We always recommend all the artwork to be in PDF format to avoid any printing issues.

Standard Guidelines for Artwork

Images should be at least 300dpi (dot per inch). If the resolution of the pictures lowers than 300dpi, it may cause blurry or pixilated. If you use the image from the internet, it displays correctly on the computer screen, but the resolution will be too low to produce a quality print. Below images show the differences between the low and high-resolution pictures.

What is Bleed Area

Bleed is the allowable amount of image that is needed to ensure, when cutting to final size, that any artwork intended to flow off the finished edge of your piece trims correctly. A bleed Image will extended outside the trim lines or “crop marks” in your PDF. When making your PDF there will be the option to “include marks and bleed”. All the files should have 12 to 15 mm bleed on all sides.

What is Safe Area

This is an area inside the trim. Safe area is a smaller dimension than your final ad size and is important to pay attention to because this is where you should place your most important information within your design. Any content outside of this area is in risk of being cut off!

What is Trim or Crop Area

Trim or Crop area represents the final dimensions of your image. In the printing, crop and trim marks that indicate where to cut the paper are printed at the edges of the larger sheets of the paper as guides. Those marks are trimmed off the final printed piece.

Full Colour

All files must be submitted in CMYK format to help ensure colour accuracy. If the files submitted as RGB or PMS colour, we will converted to CMYK and there may be some colour shift due to variances in the colour modes (illustrated in the image below).

Image represent when we convert the RBG to CMYK.

What is Spot Colour

Spot colour is to match a particular color especially a background color of company logo on a printed image. The main reason that the spot color is utilized is to maintain the color fidelity or accuracy of the color throughout the print run. When you submit a file, file should be submitted in PMS colors with PMS numbers provided.

Fonts

Fonts, transparencies and other effects used in Vector format software (Illustrator and InDesign) should be flattened, and the fonts outlined. If the image aren’t flattening transparencies, or outlined fonts may result in some text or graphics dropping out from your
artwork.

If you require assistant in preparing your artwork file or have any question regarding our prepress specification, please email at support@printing247.com.au