For your artwork to be Print Ready it will need to be:
- Supplied at the correct trim size (mm)
- With 2.5mm bleed on each edge
- Supplied in CMYK (or PMS colours)
- Image based artwork 300dpi
- Text based artwork 600dpi
- Design elements kept within 3mm margin
- Single page scrolling PDF (not spreads or paginated)
Creating a Print Ready PDF in InDesign
Set up your file at the correct trim size (mm) with 2.5mm bleed and a 3mm margin.
Keep text and design elements you don’t want cut off within the 3mm margin. This is to help avoid disappointment with the 1-2mm variance with the guillotine when cutting your order down to size.
Export your file as a Press Quality PDF and ensure the following boxes are ticked:
• Under ‘General’ make sure ‘Pages’ is ticked and not ‘Spreads’
If exporting artwork for a booklet, please select to export your PDF in ‘Pages’ rather than ‘Spreads’. This is to ensure we have the correct running order of pages in the booklet.
• Under ‘Marks and Bleed’ make sure to tick ‘Use Document Bleed Settings’ and ‘Crop Marks’.
• Under ‘Output’ there is a button that reads ‘Ink Manager’, open the ‘Ink Manager’ window and make sure to tick ‘All Spots to Process’. This will convert any Spot Colours in the artwork to CMYK.
Note: Please disregard the last point if your artwork is required in Spot Colours.
Converting Spot Colours to CMYK can cause a variance in colour – it is recommended that you request a hard copy prior to approval to ensure you are happy with any colour change.
File Type
The easiest and fastest way to send us your files is as a Print Ready PDF. Not only are PDF files complete (with no missing fonts or links) but they hold true colour management, trapping and open pre-press information. A correctly exported file is generally so small in size that it is a breeze to send them over the internet via our ftp and email services – without any loss of quality or data.
We prefer to work in PDF format, however if you are unable to provide us with this format we can also work with a number of files from programs such as Word (.doc, .docx), Photoshop (.psd), Illustrator (.ai, .eps) and InDesign (.indd, .idml). All fonts need to be embedded or outlined.
Bleed
We require your artwork to have a minimum of 2.5mm bleed on each edge.
Bleed refers to the printing that goes beyond the trim edge, which allows for movement on the guillotine when trimming your product down to size. You will need bleed on any coloured background or image that touches the edge of your artwork.
Bleed ensures that when your artwork is cut down to size, there won’t be a hairline white edge where an image or background colour ends. The 2.5mm of bleed will need to be added to each edge of your document. So for example, if your artwork is A4 (210x297mm) with bleed included, the total size of the artwork is 215x302mm.
Resolution
The minimum resolution recommended for print is 300dpi. Anything less than 300dpi may be low resolution and may not print with the desired clarity you were after. If your artwork is predominately text based, we recommend 600dpi to ensure you achieve the sharpest looking text.
The resolution displayed on the web is 72dpi. This means that images saved from the internet/Google may not be suitable for print because the resolution could be much lower than the 300dpi minimum we recommend. We wouldn’t normally recommend sourcing your images from Google due to copyright reasons and image resolution, but if you are using images from Google for print make sure you make use of the search tools and refine the size of the image you are looking for.
Always make sure to read your artwork proof carefully, and make sure we haven’t noted that your artwork may be low resolution and unsuitable for print. We offer a FREE hard copy sample of your work, expressed to your door if you are uncertain about the clarity and resolution of your artwork.
Colour Matching
If colour matching is a requirement of the job, then you must let your Printman Colour Group Representative know at the beginning of the job and specify which PMS colours, or otherwise provide us with colour samples.
The colour represented in the artwork proof on screen (RGB) can vary to the final printed product (CMYK/PMS/SPOT). Colours on your artwork proof are NOT guaranteed to be an accurate representation of the final printed product. Colours will also vary when printed from a desktop printer. If colour matching is a crucial component to your design, we strongly urge you to request a hard copy sample prior to approving your proof.