Printing an artwork you created–be it a digital drawing or a simple brochure you want to hand out to customers–can be a real challenge, especially for beginners.
The last thing you’d want is to design the best creation you’ve ever thought of and then waste money and time wondering why the printed version won’t match the digital file. If you don’t know where to start fixing your files for the printer, read on to find out what you should take into account.
5 Things to Consider When Sending Artwork to Printers
1. Create Design using CMYK colours instead of RGB
Monitors work in RGB mode, so most programs used in design do just the same. The trick in using an RGB based tool is that it uses light to create colours. The more light you add, the more vibrant the image gets. However, printers only work with CMYK, where ink is added to create different hues. The risk you’re running when designing in RGB mode is that the printed version will look dull compared to the digital version, because the range achievable by ink (CMYK) is considerably narrower than the wide spectrum of colours that can be created with RGB.
2. Outline the fonts
This operation refers to transforming text into vectors that can be easily read by the printer. Although you can no longer change the text-because it’s read just as an image-there is no risk that the printer is unable to deliver your document because it’s missing the font you have used.
3. Create a Safe Zone and Bleed on All Edges
“Bleed” is a term used to describe the area where overprinting happens. Because it is to be cut after printing, it should not contain any vital information or important parts of images. The safe zone is the area inside the printing material that fits the remaining design. The recommended with for the safe zone is the same as for bleed, meaning at least 3mm. These aspects are critical for a great printing job because overprint will overlap with the actual document and it will be impossible to trim it.
4. Export the File as PDF
Creating a PDF file from your document is the easiest way to ensure that what you see on your screen is what you’ll get from the printer. Its main advantage is that it stores every information a printer needs, ruling out the possibility of not printing certain fonts. Moreover, printers typically have the required soft to open-and edit!-a PDF file as needed, without having to worry that the rest of the design will be altered.
5. Make Sure Resolution is Right
When you’re working with images, the most important thing you need to consider is resolution. How the picture looks on your monitor may differ, because it can be expanded or resized to fit a certain area on the page. However, what the printer reads is resolution. Ignoring this aspect may lead to large images printed over text or other similar issues.
If you need any help with sending artwork or for any other printing needs, get in touch now.
