THE PRINT EDIT / 01
Prepare your files carefully to help the printed result come closer to your design intent.
Explore the print handbook
A preview image is not a complete production file.
Prefer a print-ready PDF and retain the editable original. Confirm versions and delivery arrangements for AI, PSD or CDR files. Avoid submitting chat screenshots alone.
Outline or properly embed fonts, and keep an editable original.
Embed linked images or package them with the artwork; check for missing assets.
Identify finished size, front and back, design IDs and quantities.
Three boundaries help prevent white edges and lost content.
Extend full-bleed backgrounds and images into the bleed area; do not add a white border.
Match the quoted size to the artwork. For folded pieces, specify both flat and folded dimensions.
Keep text, logos and QR codes away from the edge. This diagram is not to scale; use the confirmed template for bleed and safe margins.
Enlarged illustration, not a guarantee of printing resolution.
Check effective image resolution at the final print size. Enlarging a small image or changing its resolution number cannot restore missing detail.
Assess small type, fine lines and reversed text against the stock and print process. Keep original vector logos instead of screenshots.
Process inks reproduce varied imagery; spot inks serve specified colours. Choose around the artwork and brand requirements.
The areas illustrate possible ink roles. This photo does not verify the inks used and is not a colour proof.
Cyan, magenta, yellow and black combine through halftones to reproduce photos, gradients and multicolour artwork.
A premixed ink prints a specified area, often a logo or brand panel. Spot inks can be combined with process inks.
Process and spot inks may be combined. A six-colour press does not require six inks for every job; the configuration is confirmed for the production plan.
Process images combine halftone dots in different inks. This enlarged schematic explains overprinting, not the dot size or screen arrangement used in production.
Spot colours are commonly specified with PANTONE references. Provide the complete reference and guide information, and identify the areas requiring spot ink.
The suffix is part of the reference; do not supply the number alone. The same ink can appear different on different papers. Agree the physical reference and proofing plan together.
Print can only aim to approximate the appearance of your file on screen; an identical match cannot be guaranteed. Display settings, stock colour, ink and finishing affect the result. A computer or phone screen cannot be the sole colour reference.
Provide colour references or a physical sample and identify spot-colour areas. Spot inks cannot guarantee an exact screen match either. For critical colours, agree on proofing and a colour approval reference before production.
Clear and metallic stocks affect appearance. Where white ink is required, specify its area and layering separately and confirm equipment compatibility.
Separate and name cut contours, fold lines and hole positions from printable artwork. Production guides are not decorative lines to print on the product.
Provide closed contours for shaped labels. Confirm fold style and reading order for folded pieces, and hole size and placement for punched items. Mark any local finishing areas separately.
Review each item and send a complete brief.
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