Artwork Preparation Guide

Over the years we have helped thousands of clients produce stunning pieces of artwork for their displays and print. Below you will find our guides to preparing and supplying your own artwork, how to use our design experts to produce artwork for you, and links to our resources and templates. If you have any questions about your artwork please give us a call on 020 8664 5660 or contact us for expert advice.

How To Prepare Print Ready Artwork

After you have placed your order you will receive an e-mail, which will include a link to our secure file upload facility, along with detailed instructions and guidelines on supplying your artwork to us.
We have outlined the important aspects of your artwork below along with useful links to guides and resources, helping you to get the most out of your design. Icons illustrating the order process for large format print artwork

Key Artwork Design Points

You can find further details below about different file types and programmes but the key points to remember are the following.
  • Bleed - 5mm Bleed to all edges (Unless using a template)
  • Colour - CMYK colour profile
  • Resolution - All images 100dpi at full size or 400dpi at 1/4 size
  • File Type - .PDF (Preferred option) .JPG, .PNG, .TIFF, .EPS or .SVG file format

Free Artwork Check

Before we go to print, we will carry out a free technical check on your artwork. If there are any issues, we will contact you to let you know what needs to be changed.

What's Included
File format
File size
Resolution
Fonts
What's Not Included
Colours
Spelling and Grammar Mistakes
Positioning

Please ensure that your artwork meets our specifications. We cannot be held responsible for errors that occur from supplied artwork that does not meet our specification. If you need any help to determine if your artwork is ready for print please call us on 020 8664 5660 or email sales@discountdisplays.co.uk and we will be happy to help.

Artwork Options

Supply Your Own Artwork
We'll check your file for free
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Option seperators
Graphic Design Service
Packages Start At Just £10.99
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Pre-Designed Templates
Save time & money with pre-designed graphics
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Artwork Requirements By Format & File Type

PDF Format - Our Preferred Format

  • Page size must be on the correct template or set to the trim size
  • 5mm bleed to all edges - extend the colour/image to the end
  • Images and graphics must be in CMYK format, not RGB
  • Embed any fonts used or convert to outlines
  • Export as press or print optimised

Adobe Illustrator

  • Page size must be set to the trim size of your job or on the supplied template
  • Bleeds should extend 5mm beyond the page area
  • Include all images used
  • CMYK Colour profile
  • Convert all fonts to outlines to avoid font conflicts
  • Output your files in EPS format

Adobe Photoshop

  • Set page size to the Trim size
  • Add 5mm bleed to all edges
  • 100dpi at full size (400dpi at 1/4 size)
  • CMYK colour profile
  • flattened - no layers
  • Saved as tiff, eps or jpg

Adobe InDesign

  • Set page size to the Trim size
  • Add 5mm bleed to all edges
  • Include all fonts and images used
  • Convert fonts to outlines if possible to avoid font conflict

Quark Express

  • Include all fonts and images used
  • Page size must be set to the trim size of your job
  • Bleeds should extend 3mm beyond the page area

Microsoft Office Documents

Unfortunately documents created on Word, Excel and other Office applications are not suitable for large format printing. If you have a basic text design then it is possible for us to replicate your artwork in a print ready format, for a small fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you supply a proof?

If you are providing print ready artwork, we do not provide a proof as standard, which enables us to get your print to you quicker. If you require a proof please get in touch with us to discuss. We do provide a free technical file check as standard, as outlined above.
We can provide a machine print proof for the extra cost of £25 plus delivery. This involves printing an A3 proof on the machine that will be used to produce your final print. This will give you an accurate representation of colour. If you are using our design service, we do send out a PDF proof, which is an accurate representation of content and positioning. It is not an exact indicator of the final colour due to the limitations of screens.
Quoted delivery dates for print are from approval of artwork, so please bear in mind that requesting a proof may delay the delivery date of your product.

How long will delivery take?

After you have placed your order a provisional despatch and delivery date will be sent to you via email.
Our standard delivery time for printed products is 3-5 working days after artwork has been approved for print. This does vary for certain products so please check this on the product page. If you have a specific deadline, please contact us to ensure we can meet this.
Please check that your artwork meets the guidelines above to prevent any delays in approval.

Can you colour match CMYK and Pantone Colours?

Our printers and media are of the highest standard and are carefully calibrated to produce vibrant, full colour prints. The process involves CMYK printing and this means it is not always possible to match Pantone colours, but they will be converted to the nearest CMYK equivalent.
If exact colour matching is critical, please send us a physical copy of other printed material, such as a letterhead or brochure, and we will check your file prior to printing. If we cannot achieve a reasonable match we will call you to discuss.

What is DPI?

DPI (Dots per inch) is used to measure the resolution of an image both on screen and in print. DPI measures how many dots fit into a linear inch. Therefore, the higher the DPI, the more detail can be shown in an image. For best results we require all artwork to be submitted as 100dpi at final print size or 400dpi at quarter of final print size. If you want to learn more, check out our Image Resolution Guide

What is CMYK and RGB Colour?

These refer to the base colours used to create all other colours for different types of media. RGB (Red - Green - Blue) is what you will see on your computer or TV screen, but CMYK (Cyan - Magenta, Yellow - Key) is used for printing purposes. This means all artwork we receive for print must be in the CMYK colour format. If artwork is supplied in RGB it will be converted to CMYK and this may alter the print colour. If you want to learn more, check out our CMYK Colour Guide

Do I need to put my artwork on a template?

For all standard products with hardware (banner stands, pop ups, flags etc) we have artwork templates available. If purchasing one of these products then you must supply your artwork on the template to ensure it will fit properly when printed. For custom sized product (Correx, Foamex, PVC Banners etc) templates are not available. You would just need to create your artwork to the product size with a 5mm bleed. The easiest way to find artwork templates is on the product page. Can't find the template? Call us on 020 8664 5660 or email sales@discountdisplays.co.uk and we will be happy to help.

Still not sure? Check out our further advice & help below, or get in touch by calling us on 020 8664 5660 or sending an e-mail to sales@discountdisplays.co.uk and we will be happy to help.
Artwork Templates
Artwork Guides & Advice
Link to visit our Printers page
Our Print Capabilities