Trading Cards with Spot UV

When printing, 300 PPI is the best print resolution for digital printers. Designing a file below 300 PPI will result in blurring and pixelation. On the other hand, it is not worth designing with a resolution higher than 300 PPI. As far as the eye can see, there will be no difference in print quality. In addition, it will make your file much larger (increases file upload/load time).

We always recommend the 300 PPI drawing for printing, but we also know that sometimes you do not have the ability to edit your drawings. If you cannot draw your files to print at 300 PPI, you will need to take some steps to ensure that the lower resolution works for you.

We recommend that you adjust the resolution in your graphics editor (i.e. Photoshop) to 300 PPI before you start drawing your file. Increasing the resolution after the start will still result in blurring/pixelation.

Please do not send any extra files such as proofs or samples unless you are requested by one We only need the final printing files.

All the artworks are checked by our team before printing. If we encounter any problems with the files we will contact you and advice changes in the format. Please note that the conversions of both color mode and size will be made automatically without previous information.

During the artwork analysis, we check:

• whether the files are submitted in one of the accepted formats (PDF, JPG, TIFF, EPS or PS)
• if the number of pages is correct
• if the provided file is in greyscale (only if you ordered a one coloured print)
• if the file is the correct size (if not, we will scale your artwork to the desired size, however this might result in the decrease of resolution. Also no additional bleeding will be added in the process)
• if perforations lines have been indicated
• if the appropriate fonts are embedded within the file

To make sure that there are no white areas on your printed product, all the submitted files must have a 2 mm bleed on each side. This means that your design (both images and graphics) should be always 2mm larger than the actual print format. Failing to do so may result in small deviations which lead to white margins. To make sure that the fonts and crucial design elements are visible, please place them at least 3mm from the final format (not including the bleed) and don’t use frames as boundaries in the layout.

Additionally:
– If you are submitting your print data in an open format the bleed should be 4mm on each side (eg. A4 size including a bleed should be 301×214 mm)
– If you are submitting files for presentation folders, banners, monthly calendars, packaging or any other advertising technology products please prepare the file with a 3mm bleed on each side
– Envelopes must be submitted with a 1 mm bleed.
– Textile stretcher frames require 15 mm bleed.
If you require more information, please refer to our artwork instructions.

You can upload your files in the following formats:
JPG, PDF,EPS, TIFF, PS (PostScript)

Make sure that your PDF file is saved directly from a graphic program in the PDF/X-standard (PDF/X3 or PDF/X1a) format. In order to avoid issues with layers and transparencies in the printing process, it is advised to use the “compatibility 1.3” setting while saving your artwork.

If you are submitting your files in TIFF format, please make sure you reduce the layers to only one layer.

In order to prevent problems with variations in color or print image, please don’t use the pre-separated DCS EPS data.

We are open for collection Monday through Friday between 10am and 6pm. Outside our working hours you may always fill in our contact-us form and we will come back to you the next business day.