Artwork Guidelines
Get Your Artwork Print-Ready Fast & Easy
A good artwork can make or break an impactful first impression. It is your first and most important window of connection. So, before we print, please follow this quick guide to help us process your order smoothly:
Note: Don’t have design experience or access to software like Adobe Photoshop or InDesign? Don’t worry, just select the Proofing Option when you’re submitting an order, and our expert graphic team will prepare your file for print for a small fee.
Quick Pre-Submission Checklist
1. Accepted File Formats: PDF (most recommended), JPEG, JPG, Ps, Ai, and Id
2. Colour Mode: Convert all artwork to CMYK. For black-and-white designs, use grayscale.
3. Fonts & Images: All fonts must be outlined, and images should be embedded.
4. Spacing & Line Thickness: Maintain at least 1 pt spacing between design elements and ensure lines are at least 1 pt thick.
5. Font Size: Keep your fonts larger than 7 pt to ensure readability.
6. Image Resolution: Submit high-resolution images, 300 dpi or higher is recommended.
7. Bleed Area: Add a 0.125" bleed area on all sides for crop marks and ensure important text/images stay within safe margins.
8. No White Borders: Avoid leaving any white gaps between your artwork and the bleed line.
9. Safe Zone for Text: Maintain a minimum distance of 0.25" between all text and the trim edge to prevent accidental cropping.
10. File Size Limit: Files must remain under 100 MB. If larger, please email your file to info@iprint.com.
11. Contour Cut Lines: Use spot colour to indicate the cut line and give it a unique name.
12. Contour Layer Setup: Keep the contour cut on a separate layer and make sure it’s untouched and continuous.
What you see on computer screens can be deceptive sometimes, and so you might not get your colours 100% accurate. To ensure colour accuracy, please always convert your files to CMYK before submitting.
"Bleed" is just the extra elements extending beyond the work's trim area. It's there to avoid any white strip showing on the edge of your print. The standard bleed area for common docs is 0.125" on each side. Large print projects may need more space.
Do you have a design with a special finish in mind? If you are planning to add Spot UV, Foil or any other special finish to your design, you will need to upload two files, one for the artwork and one for the finish layer.
The file you submit for the finish must be a vector PDF in black and white only. Use 100% black (K) to indicate where the coating or foil should be applied.
A digital proof is a preview of your design that you can check before finalizing your order. It helps you make sure that everything is in place and all good to go.
Please remember that your digital proof is low resolution and gives you only enough accuracy to check the placement of the elements. You should not rely on your proof for understanding colour accuracy.
You can request a hard copy or physical proof if checking colour accuracy is absolutely crucial. Also, transparencies and line art should be scanned at full size. If the original is too large, aim for scans at 50% or 25% of the final size.
