We strongly recommend you prepare your file as a High-Resolution PDF File with Bleed.
Your files should always be in CMYK, anything else may result in a colour shift when other colour modes are converted into CMYK.
For best results, the design file should start off as a CMYK colour mode.
The preferred resolution for images and artwork is 300DPI.
We ask that all artwork files have a maximum file size of 250 megabytes. This is to ensure that there are no delays in your turnaround due to file retrieval and processing time. If your file is larger than 250, we recommend compressing and optimizing your file. If this is not possible, please provide us your file via CD, DVD, USB flash drives or another form of storage device.
A 1/8” bleed is required on all four sides of your artwork.
Bleed is extended artwork on all sides of the artwork to allow for cutter variance. Items such as background and design elements should always extend out of the trim margin.
Failing to provide bleed information and crop marks can result in the printed product showing a thin area of white on the edge.
If your file does not consist of bleed, it will be rejected by our prepress department and we will request for a new file with bleed. This can result in delaying the completion of your job.
Safe Margins are 1/16” away from the cut line. Safe margins are guidelines that help you keep important elements of your design away from the edge of your artwork in order that text and images will not be cut 
off when trimmed down to the final size.
The file you upload must have font/imaged embedded or outlined in order to properly process your file.
Tutorial on how to embed images
Adobe InDesign: Window > Links
Choose the image you want to embed from the list and click on the arrow and select "Embed File".
Adobe Illustrator: Window > Links
Choose the image you want to embed from the list and click on the arrow and select "Embed Image".
Instruction on how to convert to outlines
Select your text box. Under the Type menu select Create Outlines.
For products such as business cards, we would recommend customers to avoid borders. If the border is too close to the cutline, it may results in the final product to be off-centre slightly.
In order to ensure files are submitted properly for proper orientation, we will require files to be submitted HEAD TO HEAD. We require to have designs submitted as one file, for example, a one sided file should consist of 1 PDF, one page, and two sided file should consist of 1 PDF, 2 pages.
Below are examples on how to submit file:
Overprinting refers to the process of printing one colour on top of another. If you do not want this to happen make sure that the overprint options are turned off and switched to knockout in your document. Below, the file was not switched to overprint, even though the white text is showed on screen, when printed, the white text did not show up due to overprint issues.
Please note that our file preview does not display overprint issues, therefore, it is critical to check your file for overprint issues before uploading the file to us.
Transparency effects are generally not preferred in printing, and only on screen. It causes ripping issues and elements to disappear. To prevent this, do not use any shadow, glows and transparency on top of a spot colour – always convert your spot colour to CMYK before using any transparency effects.
We are limited maximum ink coverage of 300%, anything over may result in many print related problems such as cracking. To achieve a rich black, we will recommend the values C30, M20, Y20, 100k
We will always require 100% K for black text (C0, M0, Y0, K100). Rich black should not be used for type or thin lines because it will result in fuzziness and misregistration issues.
Blues and Purples has always been a problem in the printing industry because the two colours are so close together in the CMYK spectrum. In order to ensure the two colours come up the correct tones, leave at least 15% differences in your Cyan and Magenta Values. (Example C100/M85/Y0/K0)
For print to look blue, Cyan>Magenta by 15%
For print to look purple, Cyan < Magenta by 15%
Red and Orange are also problematic on press because the two colours are close together in the CMYK spectrum. In order to ensure the two colours come up the correct tones, leave at least 15% differences in your Magenta and Yellow Values. (Example C0/M100/Y85/K0)
For print to look Red, Magenta > Yellow by 15%
For print to look Orange, Magenta < Yellow by 15%
Vector images use mathematical equations to define each component of an image. This allows vector images to retain their high-quality at any size. Programs like Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, or Adobe Freehand uses vector graphics. Vector images should be used for all text and logos if possible. They result in the clearest image and can be re-sized without losing resolution.
A raster image is composed of a collection of tiny dots called pixels. When these pixels are small, and placed close together, they fool the eye into forming a single image. Raster images work great when subtle gradations of color are necessary. Because they contain a fixed number of pixels, a major disadvantage of raster images is that their quality suffers when they are enlarged or otherwise transformed.
We would also recommend fonts and logos to be vector for print with maximum clarity.
Files shoud be PDF - CMYK - 300 dpi.
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