Preparing Your Artwork for Printing
Every printed product requires artwork in digital format before it can be produced. You can create your artwork yourself, have Discount Printing Service create it, or have another graphic designer prepare the file for you.
If you prepare your own artwork, we generally recommend submitting a print-ready PDF.
You can create your artwork using a variety of design applications, including Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Express, Microsoft Word, Scribus and other software capable of producing an appropriate PDF.
The important thing is not necessarily which software you use. The finished file must meet the requirements of the product you are ordering.
Create Your Own Artwork or Let Us Design It
If you submit artwork that meets the requirements for your product, there is generally no separate graphic design charge for preparing the file yourself.
If your artwork does not meet the requirements, you may need to correct the file and resubmit it.
If you prefer, we can help correct certain file-preparation problems or create artwork for you for an additional fee.
For professional design assistance, visit our Graphic Design Services page. If you prefer to create your own artwork, our guide to Free DIY Graphic Design Software for Printing covers tools you can use to develop your designs.
What Is a Print-Ready PDF?
A print-ready PDF is a PDF that has been properly prepared for the specific printing project.
Depending on the product, this may include:
- Correct finished document size
- Appropriate margins
- Bleed
- Proper image resolution
- Appropriate color space
- Correct fonts
- Proper folding or layout guides
- Other product-specific requirements
Always check the artwork specifications on the individual product page before submitting your file.
What Is Bleed?
Bleed is the portion of artwork that extends beyond the final trim edge of a printed piece.
When a design has color, photographs, graphics or other artwork that extends all the way to the edge of the finished product, the artwork must extend beyond the final cut line. After printing, the excess area is trimmed away.
For example, if a background color extends completely to the edge of a business card, flyer or brochure, the background should continue beyond the final trim line.
Without sufficient bleed, small variations during trimming can potentially leave a thin white edge along the finished piece.
How Much Bleed Do I Need?
Bleed requirements can vary depending on the product.
Check the individual product page for the specific bleed requirement before preparing your artwork.
We also provide PDF templates for many products that can show the finished size, bleed area, margins and other important layout information.
Keep Important Information Away From the Trim
Bleed isn't the only consideration when preparing artwork.
Important text, logos, contact information and other elements that you don't want close to the edge should be kept inside the recommended safe area.
As a general guideline, we recommend keeping important information at least 1/8 inch away from the trim edge, unless the specific product requirements indicate otherwise.
CMYK vs. RGB Color
Color can look different on a computer screen than it does on a printed piece.
Computer monitors and many digital devices use RGB (Red, Green, Blue) to display color, while commercial printing commonly uses CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black).
For the most predictable printing results, we recommend preparing full-color artwork using an appropriate CMYK color workflow whenever possible.
RGB artwork may be converted to CMYK during production, and some colors may change during that conversion.
Bright colors that appear on a monitor may not be reproducible exactly using CMYK printing.
For more information, see our guide to:
Spot Color vs. Full Color (CMYK) Printing
Image Resolution
Photographs and other raster images should generally be prepared at approximately 300 DPI at their final printed size for high-quality printing.
Low-resolution images may appear:
- Pixelated
- Fuzzy
- Blurry
- Jagged
- Less detailed
Images downloaded from websites are often much lower resolution than what is appropriate for commercial printing.
What About Vector Artwork?
Vector artwork, such as properly created logos, illustrations and line artwork, is resolution-independent and can generally be scaled without the pixelation associated with raster images.
If raster images are incorporated into vector artwork, however, those raster images still need to have sufficient resolution for the intended printed size.
Fonts and Text
When preparing a PDF for commercial printing, fonts should be properly embedded or converted to outlines when appropriate.
Missing or incorrectly embedded fonts can cause text to substitute or change when a file is opened or processed on another computer.
For this reason, we recommend using a properly exported PDF and checking the final PDF carefully before submitting it.
PDF Files for Commercial Printing
When exporting your artwork to PDF, choose a high-quality PDF setting appropriate for commercial printing. If your software offers a High Quality Print or Press Quality preset, choose the option suitable for your project.
Your PDF should preserve the necessary:
- Image quality
- Color information
- Document dimensions
- Bleed
- Fonts
- Vector artwork
Avoid unnecessarily compressing images or exporting a low-quality PDF intended primarily for email or web viewing.
Crop Marks and Printing Marks
Whether crop marks are required depends on the product and how the job is produced.
Do not automatically add crop marks to every file.
Follow the specific artwork instructions provided on the product page or template.
When printing multiple pieces on a larger sheet, additional production considerations may include bleed, crop marks, registration marks and other press-related information.
Product-Specific File Requirements
Different printed products have different requirements.
For example, a business card, brochure, envelope, carbonless form and newsletter may have different:
- Finished sizes
- Bleed requirements
- Margins
- Folding requirements
- Resolution requirements
- File dimensions
- Color considerations
Always review the artwork requirements on the product page before preparing your final file.
If you are unsure about the requirements for a particular product, contact us before submitting your artwork.
We Can Check Your Artwork
If you aren't sure whether your PDF is properly prepared, we can check your file before production.
If a problem is found, you may be able to correct the file yourself and resubmit it.
For certain problems, we may also be able to make corrections for an additional graphic design or file-preparation charge.
If the artwork requires substantial design work, our Graphic Design Services may be a better option.
Need Artwork Created?
You don't have to create your artwork yourself.
Discount Printing Service can help you create professional, press-ready artwork using our graphic design experience and knowledge of commercial printing requirements. We work with customers to develop designs that suit their projects and prepare files for production.
Depending on the project, we may offer an affordable flat-rate design fee or bill for design time by the hour. Graphic design fees are separate from printing costs.
Learn more about our Graphic Design Services. If you would rather create your own design, explore our guide to Free DIY Graphic Design Software for Printing.
Whether you provide your own artwork, have another designer create it, or have us create it for you, we can help you get your project ready for commercial printing.
Ready to Upload Your Artwork?
Once your artwork is complete, find the product you want to order in our online store.
Review the product specifications and file requirements, then upload your print-ready PDF through the product page when artwork upload is available.
Not sure if your file is ready? Contact Discount Printing Service before placing your order and we'll help you determine what is needed.