Have you ever been in a position where you need to send some artwork to print, and you’re not sure if you’ve covered all the basics? You’re probably a little nervous about something being wrong when it lands on your desk.
Maybe you’ve had someone take delivery of the artwork and play that age-old trick of telling you there’s a mistake, and your heart sinks because you’re just not sure? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way.
We’ve seen it all before, and we’ve compiled our top tips to make sure that your artwork is print-ready, first time, every time.
Creating print-ready artwork is about more than just a nice design. It’s about making sure the print you receive in front of you is exactly as you envisioned.
It isn’t just about one kind of print either – it goes beyond just business cards or flyers, it can stretch to signage, packaging, even your merch and workwear.
Getting the technical setup right reduces the risks of delays, reprints and unexpected costs. Even more importantly, it gives you peace of mind that when the items land on your desk, they’re exactly as you want.
Let’s look at how we can make sure that our print is clear every time.
This starts before the design is even made, and it is one of the most fundamental steps and is often a reason that delays can happen.
Whatever tool you’re designing in, you need to know the trim size, which is the final size of the product after cutting.
You’ll then need to know the bleed you need to add. The industry standard is 3mm but always check.
You’ll also need to know the safe area. For most items, this is 3-5mm. This impacts your layout and makes sure you don’t end up with some of your text or logo accidentally removed.
If you’re working with large format, this matters even more because you can end up with pixelated graphics.
Always check with your print management company if you’re unsure.
We’re printing an A5 flyer.
The trim size is 148mm (W) x 210mm (H)
If you include bleed, you need to add 3mm all the way around.
148 (trim) + 3 (left) + 3 (right) = 154mm
210 (trim) + 3 (top) + 3 (bottom) = 216mm
If you’ve picked up a flyer and it’s had a blurry image, you’ll likely remember. It can look unprofessional and not represent your brand in the right way, but it’s often something people forget.
This is where we hear the argument: it looks okay on my screen. The truth is, your screen is a bit more forgiving. If you see anything blurry on screen, it’s going to look worse in print. Zoom in. Check it still looks clear.
Images, logos, icons, shapes, and Illustrations are all images. They all need checking.
Anything that is JPG, PNG, TIFF, or PSD is going to be made of pixels, which means every time you change the dimensions, it loses clarity.
We recommend using 300dpi images where possible to make sure your artwork stays sharp and enables high-quality print results. If you don’t have a 300 dpi image, 150dpi or above is still acceptable, but below that will produce visible pixelation.
It’s important to use vector files. If your file is AI, EPS, SVG or PDF, it is likely a vector file.
Quite often, when we receive artwork, the fonts are missing. It’s a key reason that things get printed incorrectly. When you transfer artwork, if the receiver doesn’t have your font (and it isn’t embedded correctly), their system can replace the font, which can cause layout issues.
The solution is to embed your font or convert it, which will mean that the exact font you’ve used.
When your artwork is ready, exporting it properly is what protects all the work you’ve put in. Think of it like packaging something valuable. If you use the wrong kind of file, the contents can get damaged on the way to printing.
Choosing settings like PDF/X1a or PDF/X4 keeps everything safe. These options help your colours stay consistent, keep your fonts in place and make sure any effects, like soft shadows or gradients, look the same on paper as they do on your screen.
If you export as a normal screen PDF or a JPEG, your artwork can lose sharpness or print with the wrong colours. Using the right print-focused settings gives you the best chance of getting predictable, professional results every time.
We’ve all done it. We’re getting through a lot of things, a task list as long as our arm, and we want to box something off. So we’ve sent something off too quickly, only to spot the typo or misaligned image the moment it’s out of our hands.
A quick proof is like stepping back from a painting before you sign your name. You see things your eyes skipped over before.
Before you hit send, zoom in to 300% and check:
Two minutes of checking now can save days of reprinting later.
Great print starts with great preparation. When you’re ready to turn your finished artwork into something real, we’ll take it from there and handle the entire print process with care and precision. If you want your project produced to a high standard with no stress and no guesswork, get in touch and let’s make it happen.