Artwork Guidelines

Great print starts with a great file. Follow these simple steps and your job will come out sharp, clean and just how you pictured it. If any of this sounds technical, don't worry. Our designers are happy to help.

1. Add bleed

Bleed is extra background that runs past the edge of your design so there are no thin white lines after trimming.

Add 0.125 in (3 mm) on every side, unless the product template says otherwise.
Extend background colours and images all the way into the bleed.

2. Keep important things in the safe zone

Keep text, logos and anything important well inside the trim line so nothing gets cut off. If a product has a template, use its safe zone as your guide.

3. Use the right resolution

Small format (business cards, flyers, stickers, labels): 300 dpi at final print size.
Large format (banners, signs, billboards): 100–150 dpi at full size is fine, because these are viewed from a distance.
Images pulled from websites or social media are usually too small to print well.

4. Set up your colour in CMYK

Design in CMYK, the colour mode printers use.
Screens and print show colour differently, so printed colours may vary slightly from what you see on screen.

5. Outline or embed your fonts

Convert text to outlines, or embed your fonts in the PDF. This stops fonts from swapping or shifting when we open your file.

6. Send the right file type

PDF (preferred, print-ready)
AI (Adobe Illustrator)
EPS
High-resolution JPG or PNG

7. Check before you approve

We'll send you a proof before anything prints. Check spelling, phone numbers, prices, dates and layout carefully. Once you approve the proof, that's what we print.

Need design help?

No artwork? No problem. You can:

Use our online design tool on the product page.
Ask our designers to create or fix your artwork when you place your order.
Call (876) 939-6625 or email sales@printbigja.com and tell us what you have in mind.

Product Category

Artwork Guidelines