AI Graphic Design & Print File Preparation


Create Your Own Artwork — Or Let Us Create It For You

Creating professional artwork for commercial printing has become easier than ever. Modern design software and artificial intelligence tools can help businesses and individuals create professional-looking graphics, marketing materials and printed projects without spending hours learning complicated graphic design software.

Discount Printing Service gives you several options for creating artwork for your printing project. You can create your own design using modern AI-assisted design tools, traditional graphic design software or free desktop publishing software. Or, if you don't have the time or experience to create your own artwork, our graphic design team can create it for you.

Our AI-assisted design capabilities allow us to develop certain types of artwork much more efficiently than traditional design workflows. This can reduce the amount of design time required for qualifying projects and allow us to offer affordable flat-rate graphic design fees.

Design Your Own Printing Projects

If you enjoy creating your own artwork, today's design software provides more options than ever.

Modern applications can help you create business cards, flyers, brochures, postcards, newsletters, menus, signs, invitations and many other printed products.

Popular design tools include:

  • Adobe Express — An easy-to-use design application for creating graphics, marketing materials and other visual content without the complexity of professional desktop publishing software.
  • Adobe Firefly — Adobe's generative AI technology can help create and modify images and other creative content using AI-assisted tools.
  • Adobe InDesign — Professional page-layout software widely used for brochures, newsletters, catalogs and other multi-page printed materials.
  • Adobe Photoshop — Professional image-editing software useful for photographs and raster-based graphics.
  • Adobe Illustrator — Professional vector-graphics software useful for logos, illustrations, charts, maps and other artwork that benefits from scalable vector graphics.
  • Microsoft Word — While primarily a word-processing application, Word can be used to create many simple printing projects.
  • Microsoft Publisher — A desktop-publishing application historically used to create brochures, flyers, newsletters and other printed materials. (Microsoft Publisher is reaching end of life in October 2026.) 
  • Scribus — Free, open-source desktop-publishing software that provides many professional page-layout features without the cost of commercial publishing software.

The important thing isn't necessarily which software you use. What matters is that the finished artwork is properly prepared and exported as a suitable file for commercial printing.

How AI Is Changing Graphic Design

Artificial intelligence is changing the way artwork can be created.

Instead of beginning every project completely from scratch, AI-assisted tools can help generate ideas, images and design elements much more quickly. Designers can use AI to explore different concepts, create variations, modify images and accelerate parts of the creative process that previously required substantially more manual work.

AI-assisted design can help with:

  • Generating creative concepts
  • Creating images and illustrations
  • Removing or replacing backgrounds
  • Modifying existing images
  • Creating multiple design variations
  • Developing marketing graphics
  • Generating visual elements from text descriptions
  • Quickly experimenting with different creative directions

These capabilities can significantly reduce the time required to develop certain types of artwork.

AI-Generated Artwork Is Not Necessarily Print-Ready Artwork

One important thing to understand is that an image that looks great on a computer monitor isn't necessarily ready for commercial printing.

AI tools can create impressive images and graphics, but professional printing has additional requirements involving document size, resolution, bleed, margins, color, typography and PDF preparation.

AI-generated artwork may require additional preparation when it contains:

  • Low-resolution images
  • Incorrect document dimensions
  • Missing bleed
  • Text that needs correction or replacement
  • RGB artwork that needs conversion for the printing process
  • Small or difficult-to-read text
  • Logos or brand elements that need refinement
  • Images requiring additional editing
  • Artwork that doesn't match the specifications of the product being printed

This is where professional print preparation becomes important.

We can help take an idea or AI-assisted design and prepare it for the actual commercial printing process.

Save Money With AI-Assisted Graphic Design

Professional graphic design has traditionally required significant amounts of design time. When a project is billed entirely according to the amount of time required to create it, even relatively simple projects can become expensive when extensive design work is necessary.

AI-assisted design tools can help reduce the amount of time required to develop certain types of artwork.

At Discount Printing Service, we combine AI-assisted creative tools with professional graphic design and commercial printing experience to create certain projects more efficiently.

For qualifying projects, this can allow us to offer affordable flat-rate graphic design fees rather than relying solely on traditional hourly design time.

AI does not replace professional design experience. Complex projects can still require creative direction, design expertise, revisions and proper preparation for printing.

Instead, AI gives us another tool that helps us work faster and provide more value to our customers.

Don't Have Artwork? We Can Help.

If you have an idea for a business card, flyer, brochure, postcard, newsletter, menu or another printed product but don't have finished artwork, contact us about our graphic design services.

You can provide us with your ideas, text, photographs, logos, examples or other information about what you want your finished piece to look like.

We can help determine the best approach for creating the artwork and preparing it for commercial printing.

Traditional Graphic Design Software Still Works

You don't have to use AI to create your artwork.

If you already know how to use traditional graphic design or desktop-publishing software, you can continue using the tools you're comfortable with.

We can accept suitable print-ready PDF files created using applications such as:

  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Scribus
  • Other applications capable of exporting an appropriate PDF for commercial printing

You don't need to use the newest design software to order printing from us.

If your application can produce a properly prepared PDF that meets the requirements of your printing project, you can use the software you're comfortable with.

Microsoft Publisher Is Being Retired

If you currently use Microsoft Publisher, you should be aware that Microsoft is retiring Publisher in October 2026. Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to access Publisher after October 1, 2026, and support for perpetual versions ends October 13, 2026.

If you have existing Publisher files that you will need in the future, consider converting important projects to PDF or another appropriate format before Publisher is retired.

This makes Adobe Express, Adobe InDesign, Scribus and other current design applications worth considering as alternatives for future projects.

Preparing a Print-Ready PDF

We recommend submitting your finished artwork as a PDF file whenever possible.

For the most predictable color results, we recommend using a CMYK color workflow when preparing artwork for commercial printing. RGB artwork can be converted during the production process and may result in color shifts, particularly with colors that cannot be reproduced accurately within the CMYK printing gamut.

Your artwork may also need to be prepared with the appropriate:

  • Finished document size
  • Margins and safe areas
  • Bleed
  • Image resolution
  • Color settings
  • Fonts
  • Folding guides when applicable
  • Other product-specific requirements

The exact requirements can vary depending on the product you are ordering.

Always check the file requirements listed on the individual product page before preparing your artwork.

Printing Templates

Many of our product pages include specifications for the finished product size and artwork requirements.

We also offer PDF layout templates for many products that can help you create your artwork correctly.

Depending on the product, a template may show:

  • Finished size
  • Margins
  • Bleed area
  • Safe areas
  • Folding guides
  • Other important layout information

If you need a template for a specific product, contact us and we can provide the appropriate template when available.

Need Help Preparing Your Artwork?

You have several options when ordering from Discount Printing Service.

Create Your Own Artwork

Use Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Microsoft Word, Publisher, Scribus, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator or another suitable design application.

Use AI to Help Create Your Design

Modern AI-assisted design tools can help you develop ideas and create artwork much faster than traditional methods.

Let Discount Printing Service Design It For You

If you don't have the time or experience to create your own print-ready artwork, our graphic design team can help create and prepare your project.

Our AI-assisted design capabilities can help us complete qualifying projects more efficiently, potentially reducing design costs and allowing us to offer affordable flat-rate design services.

Regardless of how your artwork is created, our goal is the same:

Create a professional-looking design and prepare it properly for high-quality commercial printing.

Ready to Print?

Once your artwork is complete, find the product you want to order in our online store. The product page will provide the specifications, pricing and ordering options for that product.

When artwork upload is available, you can upload your completed PDF directly through the product page and attach it to your order.

If you aren't sure whether your artwork is ready for printing, contact Discount Printing Service before placing your order. We can help you determine what is needed to prepare your file for production.

Need professional artwork created? Contact us for information about our affordable graphic design services.