PDF Print
Bleed, safe margins, CMYK, and 300 dpi images.
Customer Resource
Production-Ready Artwork Guide
Better files make better finished pieces.
This guide explains what we need for print, signs, apparel, laser engraving, and promotional products so your project can move into production with fewer surprises.
Start With The Basics
If it was built for viewing, it may not be ready for making.
A file can look sharp on your screen and still cause problems in production. Screens are forgiving. Machines, materials, blades, thread, ink, vinyl, and lasers are not.
You do not need to be a production expert before sending us artwork. Send what you have and we can take a look. But if you are preparing files yourself, or working with a designer, the sections below will help you send files we can actually use.
The short version
Production-ready artwork is set up for the thing being made, not just the thing being shown on screen.
Start Here
General Artwork Basics
Different products need different file setup. A business card, storefront sign, embroidered hoodie, and laser-engraved tumbler are not made the same way, so they do not all need the same kind of file.
Whenever possible, send:
- A high-quality PDF
- Vector files such as AI, EPS, SVG, or vector PDF
- Original design files if edits are needed
- Packaged files with fonts and linked images included
- High-resolution images at the size they will be used
- Brand colours, Pantone colours, or previous printed samples if colour matching matters
Please avoid sending:
- Screenshots
- Tiny web logos
- Low-resolution social media images
- Files copied from email signatures
- Artwork enlarged far beyond its original size
PDF / AI / EPS / SVG
Scale, viewing distance, vector logos, and cut lines.
Vector or high-res art
Decoration method, stitch limits, colour count, and clean edges.
Vector files
Black-and-white artwork, contrast, paths, and engraving area.
Vector logos
Small imprint areas, limited colours, and supplier templates.
Print
Print that is ready for the press.
This applies to business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, booklets, forms, NCR, menus, calendars, cards, and most paper-based print projects.
For most print projects, the big three are simple: correct size, proper bleed, and clear images.
For print, we usually prefer:
- PDF Print format
- Artwork supplied 1-up, not stepped up or repeated on the page
- Correct finished size
- 1/8" or 3 mm bleed when artwork runs to the edge
- Safe margins of at least 1/8" or 3 mm for text, logos, borders, and important details
- Crop marks when helpful
- CMYK colour setup where possible
- Images at 300 dpi at finished size
- Fonts embedded or outlined
- Multi-page documents supplied as single pages in order, not printer spreads, unless requested
Bleed
Extra artwork that extends past the finished edge so trimming does not leave a thin white line.
Safe Margin
Space that keeps important content away from the edge so text, logos, and borders do not get cut too close.
Crop Marks
Small marks that show where the piece should be trimmed. If included, please do not move or alter them.
Wide Format / Signs
Signs need to survive distance, size, and install.
This applies to signs, banners, decals, window graphics, wall graphics, trade show displays, A-boards, vehicle decals, and vehicle wraps.
A brochure is held in someone’s hand. A sign may be viewed from the road. Viewing distance matters, so large-format artwork does not always follow the same resolution rules as small print.
For sign work, we usually prefer:
- Vector files for logos, text, shapes, and cut lines
- PDF, AI, EPS, or SVG files where possible
- Artwork built at full size, or at a clear scale such as 50% or 25%
- High-resolution images suitable for the final size and viewing distance
- Bleed when the piece will be trimmed, wrapped, or mounted
- Safe margins for grommets, hems, frames, hardware, or installation edges
- Vector cut lines for decals, contour cuts, or specialty shapes
- Confirmed measurements for vehicle graphics, wall graphics, and installation work
Apparel
Apparel depends on how it is decorated.
This applies to shirts, hoodies, hats, jackets, uniforms, bags, patches, and other decorated apparel.
Embroidery, screen printing, heat transfer, and DTF all handle artwork differently. The method changes what the artwork can safely do.
For apparel, we usually prefer:
- Vector logos when possible
- AI, EPS, SVG, PDF, or high-resolution transparent PNG files
- Artwork sized for the print or embroidery location
- Clear colour instructions
- Clean edges and simple shapes
- Decoration method confirmed before final file setup
Embroidery
Embroidery is not just printing with thread. Fine detail may need to be simplified, tiny text may not stitch clearly, and gradients or shadows usually do not translate well.
Screen Printing
Screen printing usually needs artwork that can be separated by colour. Vector artwork, clear colour separations, and Pantone colours are helpful.
Heat Transfer / DTF
High-resolution artwork and clean edges matter. Transparent PNGs can be useful, but vector artwork is still helpful when available.
Laser Engraving
Laser files are about contrast, paths, and surface.
This applies to tumblers, plaques, awards, name tags, acrylic, wood, leatherette, metal marking, and other engraved items.
Laser engraving usually does not reproduce full colour. It marks, burns, cuts, or changes the surface of the material.
For laser work, we usually prefer:
- Vector files such as AI, EPS, SVG, or vector PDF
- Black-and-white artwork
- Strong contrast
- Fonts outlined
- Artwork sized to the engraving area
- Clear instructions for what should engrave and what should cut
- Vector paths for anything being cut
Simple usually engraves better.
Fine detail may disappear depending on the material, product size, and engraving area. Photos can sometimes be engraved, but they usually need special preparation.
Promotional Items
Swag has small spaces and strict limits.
This applies to pens, mugs, tumblers, notebooks, bags, keychains, drinkware, tech items, giveaways, and other branded merchandise.
Promotional products often have small imprint areas, curved surfaces, limited colours, and supplier-specific requirements.
For promotional items, we usually prefer:
- Vector logos such as AI, EPS, SVG, or vector PDF
- Pantone colours if exact colour matching matters
- Simple versions of complex logos when the imprint area is small
- Artwork that works in one colour if needed
- Clear placement instructions
- Supplier templates when available
A good logo still needs the right version.
A logo that works well on a sign may be too detailed for a pen. A full-colour design may need to become a one-colour imprint. A wide logo may not fit well on a narrow product.
AI-Generated Artwork
AI can make a strong concept. It does not always make a production file.
AI tools can be useful for exploring ideas, creating rough concepts, generating background images, or helping you visualise a direction.
But an AI-generated image is not automatically production-ready.
Common AI file issues include:
- Low resolution at the final production size
- Soft or blurry edges
- Strange artefacts or distorted details
- Text that looks like lettering but is not actually readable
- Logos or icons that are not clean enough to reproduce
- No bleed, safe margins, crop marks, or production setup
- No vector cut lines for decals, signs, or engraving
- Colours that may shift when converted for print
Good starting point. Usually not the final file.
For production, AI artwork may need to be rebuilt, cleaned up, vectorized, typeset properly, or adjusted for the method we are using.
Common Tools
Canva, Word, and PowerPoint files
These tools can be helpful, but they are not always set up for production by default.
Canva
- Use PDF Print export
- Turn on crop marks and bleed when applicable
- Use CMYK colour profile when available
- Build the design at the correct finished size before exporting
- Send an editable Canva link if you want us to make adjustments
Avoid sending PNG or JPG exports for print unless we specifically ask for them.
Word and PowerPoint
Word and PowerPoint are useful for drafts, layouts, and content direction, but they often need adjustment before production.
If possible, export to PDF before sending. We may still need to adjust the file depending on what we are making.
Proofs and Approval
Before we make it, check it.
A proof is your chance to review the layout before production.
Electronic proofs are useful for checking layout and content, but they are not perfect colour proofs. Screens vary. Materials vary. Production methods vary.
Please check:
- Spelling
- Names and titles
- Dates and phone numbers
- Addresses and URLs
- Quantity
- Size and placement
- Colours and overall appearance
Once a proof is approved, the approved file moves into production. Any errors missed during proofing may appear in the finished product, so please review carefully.
Not sure what to send?
Send us what you have.
Tell us what you are trying to make. We will check the file and let you know whether it is ready to produce, needs a small adjustment, or needs to be rebuilt for the method we are using.