Artwork Check list

Preparing press-ready artwork for commercial printing can be confusing, especially if this is your first time. Please use this check list as a guide before uploading your artwork, as it may help you save valuable time and avoid any unnecessary printing delays.
Before submitting your artwork, please check that: 
1. The preferred format is vector graphic files. Usually suppies in AI, PDF, EPS, CDR formats.
2. Your artwork is the correct size. Artwork to be 1-up on a single page document.
For folded jobs artwork should be supplied at the flat size (for example an A3 folded to A4 should be supplied as 2x A3 pages and not as 4x A4 pages). 
3. Bleed is set to exact 1mm to paper business card, 1.5mm to plastic business cards and 3mm to other products.
4. The document colour mode set to CMYK
5. All Rich Black are set to C = 40%, M = 0%, Y = 0%, K = 100%.
6. All fonts are outlined (converted to curves) or embedded.
7. All links are embedded.
8. All lines in your artwork are at least 0.3pt and all text should be at least 8pt using a non narrow style font. 
9. All borders in your artwork are at least 5mm wide.
10. All images in your artwork are 300dpi when placed at 100%.

COLOUR

Offset printing uses a CMYK colour format (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black). The colours on your screen are RGB colours (Red, Green, Blue). 

Some RGB colours that appear on your screen can not be printed in CMYK. You must be careful when selecting colours on your printing, as some colours will print dull when compared to your computer screen.

In the diagram below, the colours on top are RGB colours as you seen on your computer screen. When printed in CMYK, they would appear as the colours on the bottom, slightly duller. 

Fonts

• ● The minimum line thickness for all artwork is 0.3pt while text should be at least 8pt.
• ● All fonts must be embedded before your files are made into a pdf. Make sure you check your pdf before sending to WPI and make sure that it looks as it should. Alternatively converting your text to curves will avoid any font issues.

Image resolution

• ● All images should be input into your files as 300dpi minimum and scaled to 100%
• ● Make sure that you check that your images display how you would like them to at 100% when creating the artwork.

Bleed

• ● When printing right to the edge of a product you must include 2mm bleed on each edge. For booklets 4mm bleed is required on all pages.
• ● Bleed is ‘extra’ artwork that will be chopped off the edge of the flyer but allows margins for guillotines to trim into allowing no chance of white edges showing.
• ● Make sure there is NO important information or image area in the bleed area is this WILL be trimmed off.
• ● Do not put any important information or text within 2mm of the product edge (i.e. 4mm from the artwork edge) as trimming can move 2mm either way of the trim area and your text could be trimmed off.
• ● Avoid this borders where possible as these will often be uneven is the sheet moves 1mm in either direction. See below for an illustration of bleed setup

Artwork Sizes

We require document page sizes to be as listed

CMYK Printing

• ● All conventional offset printing is done using 4 inks to make up colour images & text. It is very important that all files are supplied to WPI as CMYK or a colour conversion will be performed that may not convert as you would expect/like.
• ● Photographs from cameras are generally in RGB format as RGB is a better form of conveying images composed of light i.e. on computers or tv screens. This does not convert to print so all RGB images will be converted to CMYK. It is imperative that this conversion is done prior to sending to WPI as this is the only way you can have an idea how the files will look once they go to print.
• ● A third type of colour format is PMS or Pantone Matching System. Rather than being a collection of 3 or 4 colours like CMYK and RGB, pantone colours are specific shades with their own codes which create consistent colouring every time.
• ● We currently only offer PMS colours on envelopes and carbonless books.
• ● We suggest using 100% black for all text and lines on your artwork. This means that the CMYK values should be set to 0 for cyan,magenta and yellow, and 100 for black. Please make sure all lines and text are also set to overprint.
• ● If your CMYK artwork contains large areas of the colour black, we strongly recommend the addition of at least 40% (C) Cyan in addition to the 100% (K) Black to produce a richer, better looking black.

Common Mistakes

“Not Full Bleed”- Background is not fully extended to the edge. This will cause strips to be ground your card after it is	Background extends all the way to the edge on both sides. Card will be trimmed property

Out of Zone- The text is out of the safe zone. This information will be out off.	All the text and important graphics are well within the safe zone Background extends all the way to the bleed zone

Pixelated – Text and Images care not print ready hi-resolution. You files must be in 300 pixels/ inch resolution. We do not recommend use web image to print	File and image are in proper print resolution Specifications and will print correctly and clear.

“Hard to Read”—Text created with conflicting color values, no shadows on complex backgrounds, or very thin, tiny font will be very difficult to read.	Text created with the proper contrasting color and large font sizes will be very readable

“Borders”—We do not recommend borders due to the nature of our cutting. You will need to either remove the border or put them well be cut off or removed.	Border, if desired, is placed well inside the Safely is placed well inside the safety zone

"Blank Card" - Created or uploaded card with no text, images, or any other information	All text and images were correctly created