How to Prepare Artwork for Printing

Whether you’re ordering business cards, flyers, banners, posters or branded clothing, supplying print-ready artwork is the best way to ensure your finished products look exactly as you intended.

This guide explains everything you need to know before uploading your artwork, helping you avoid delays, poor print quality and unnecessary reprints.

1. Use the Correct File Format

For the best printing results, we recommend uploading one of the following file types:

• PDF (Preferred)
• AI (Adobe Illustrator)
• EPS
• PSD
• SVG (where applicable)
• High-resolution PNG
• High-resolution JPG

Where possible, always upload the original design file rather than a screenshot or image taken from social media.

2. Design in CMYK Colour

Professional printing uses the CMYK colour model (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black).

If your artwork has been created in RGB, colours may appear different once printed because screens display colour differently from printers.

Whenever possible, export your artwork in CMYK to achieve the most accurate printed colours.

3. Add Bleed

Bleed is the extra area around the edge of your artwork that allows for accurate trimming after printing.

Without bleed, even a slight movement during trimming can leave unwanted white edges around your design.

As a general guide:

• Add 3mm bleed on all sides
• Extend background colours and images into the bleed area
• Never place important text inside the bleed

4. Keep Important Content Inside the Safe Area

Your logo, text, contact details and other important elements should always sit comfortably inside the safe area.

Keeping essential information away from the edge helps ensure nothing important is accidentally trimmed during production.

5. Use High-Resolution Images

Low-quality images are one of the biggest causes of poor print quality.

For professional results:

• Use images at 300 DPI where possible
• Avoid screenshots
• Avoid downloading images from social media
• Never stretch small images to fit large artwork

Sharper artwork produces sharper prints.

6. Outline or Embed Fonts

If you’re supplying editable artwork, fonts should either be:

• Converted to outlines, or
• Embedded within the PDF

This prevents font substitution if the printer doesn’t have your font installed.

7. Check Spelling Before Uploading

Take a few minutes to proofread your artwork carefully.

Double-check:

• Phone numbers
• Email addresses
• Website URLs
• Prices
• Dates
• Social media handles
• Company names

Small mistakes are much easier to correct before printing than after.

8. Save Your Artwork Correctly

Before uploading your design:

✓ Export at the correct size

✓ Include bleed

✓ Use CMYK colour mode

✓ Check image quality

✓ Embed fonts where possible

✓ Save as a high-quality PDF whenever available

Before You Upload

Before placing your order, run through this quick checklist:

• My artwork is the correct size.
• I have included bleed.
• Important text stays inside the safe area.
• Images are high resolution.
• Colours are set to CMYK where possible.
• I have checked all spelling and contact details.
• I am uploading the highest quality version of my artwork.

Completing these simple checks helps us produce the highest possible print quality while reducing delays and avoiding common artwork issues.

Need Help?

If you’re unsure whether your artwork is ready for print, don’t worry.

Our team is happy to review your file before production and advise if any changes are needed. We want every order to arrive looking exactly as you imagined.

Browse our products, upload your artwork with confidence, and let us take care of the printing.