Handy Tips For Sending Perfect Artwork To Print
From pencil sketches on scrap pieces of paper to beautiful illustrations created on complex software, it’s safe to say we’ve seen it all. With over 50 years in the print industry we’ve got simple, non-complicated answers to your artwork related questions.
PDF or JPEG?
We prefer a clear, high-resolution PDF but AI, ID, PS, CDR, JPG and even Word Documents are fine too! If you are sending JPEGs, we do suggest that you make them as high quality as you possibly can, this will speed up the time that your order is with our artwork department which means a shorter lead time. If the quality isn’t up to scratch then we will happily re-draw it for you.
I don’t know much about artwork
or software, what can I do?
Our Customark artwork department have over 20 years’ experience in their field so we can confidently say that we can advise and design artwork that is right for you. A detailed idea of what you’re looking for, images you want using, text etc and we can whip up a design for you. No problem at all!
Do I need to add bleed to my design?
We’re not very fussy here, plus we like to keep our artwork team busy. We don’t have any problems with you adding bleed to your designs, but if you don’t then it isn’t the end of the world. We can pop it on for you.
What about cut lines, crop marks and registration marks?
These you really don’t need to worry about. Our artwork team will prepare your artwork for our machines with the right cut lines, crop marks and registration marks to fit the purpose.
Do I use CMYK or RGB?
CMYK is always best. If you send over your artwork in RGB format there is a risk of colour changes when we convert it over to CMYK, so it’s always best to do it yourself.
How about if I want to use specific colours?
If you have specific colours in mind it’s always best to pop the pantone references of said colours over on an email so we can get your products spot on.
And fancy fonts?
If you’re sending over raw Illustrator, InDesign, PhotoShop and CoralDraw files that have fonts that aren’t standard or they are hard to get a hold of we do advice that you either expand and export your files into PDFs or JPEGs or send us over the font file too so we can download and install the right font.
Pictures incorporated into the design?
If you do have an image on your design, we do ask that it is of very good quality and high-resolution as it would show when printed. We suggest vector images and no screenshots!
What if I’m ordering something a bit more technical like a Membrane Keypad?
We have developed a reputation as one of the most dynamic and pro-active industrial marking solution companies. In order to maintain our commitment to providing this quality service we are continually investing in state-of-the-art graphic design software and equipment.
Our past customers have generally sent us technical files or drawing which we work to. If the customer would prefer us to control the engineering design, this is no problem to us. Sometimes the designs are rough sketches so we have pointers, it is then down to us, in these cases, to pull things together into an approval document. Our design service has always been here to help the customer to achieve their goals.
What’s an approval document?
An approval is what we send back to you once we’ve finished your artwork, before it goes to production. New orders will always need approval. We send it back to you for you to give it a once over, we want your products to be perfect. Once you’ve emailed us with the approval we can then pass it on to our production team.
If there’s something that we haven’t covered then get in touch and we will happily answer any questions that you may have! Call 01384 264700, email sales@customark.co.uk or visit our website www.customark-limited.com
