Files your printer will love.

Press-ready PDF is ideal.Exported with crop marks and bleed, fonts embedded or outlined, images at or above 300 DPI, CMYK color.

• PDF (preferred) — press-ready, with bleed and trim marks
• Adobe Illustrator (.ai) — outline fonts before saving
• Photoshop (.psd) — 300 DPI at final size, CMYK mode
• InDesign package (.zip) — include linked images & fonts
• JPEG, PNG, TIFF — fine for photos; avoid for text-heavy layouts

If your file is larger than what the quote form accepts, drop it on WeTransfer or Dropbox and paste the link in the notes.

Any artwork that runs off the edge of the finished piece needs bleed— extra image beyond the trim line so a slight cutter drift doesn't leave a white sliver.

Bleed

0.125" (1/8") on all sides

Trim line

Where the piece actually cuts

Safe zone

0.125" inside the trim — keep text off edges

On a 3.5×2″ business card, your document size should be 3.75×2.25″, with the final card cut at 3.5×2″ and all critical text no closer than 0.125″ from the trim.

Print is a CMYK process: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Your screen is RGB. Files exported in RGB can shift color when we convert them for press — blues tend to go purple, neons go muddy.

• Build your file in CMYK from the start when possible
• Convert images to CMYK in Photoshop before placing
• Specify Pantone (PMS) colors for brand-critical work — we match on offset
• Rich black is C:60 M:40 Y:40 K:100 — use it for large solid-black fills

300 DPI at the final printed size.A photo that looks sharp on a webpage at 800 px wide will be pixelated at 8 inches printed.

Text & logos

Vector (AI / PDF) — scales forever

Photos

300 DPI minimum at final print size

Large format (banners)

150 DPI is acceptable — viewed from distance

If we don't have your font installed, your layout will reflow — text will resize, line-break differently, and your design falls apart.

• Convert text to outlines (Type → Create Outlines in Illustrator)
• Or embed fonts when exporting PDF (usually a checkbox)
• Or package your InDesign file — includes font files with the document

Heads up: once text is outlined, it can no longer be edited as text. Keep an editable master file somewhere safe.

• Text too close to the edge
  Pull any text at least 0.125" (1/8") inside the trim line.
• No bleed on full-bleed artwork
  Extend background 0.125" past trim on all sides.
• RGB file submitted for print
  Convert to CMYK; brand colors may need a Pantone spec to match.
• Low-resolution images
  Re-source the image at 300 DPI at final size.
• Transparency flattened incorrectly
  Re-export PDF with transparency preserved (PDF/X-4).
• Spot colors left in a CMYK-only job
  Convert spot swatches to process (or budget for an extra ink unit).

What file format should I send for printing?

A press-ready PDF is ideal: CMYK color, 300 DPI images, 0.125" bleed on all sides, and fonts embedded or converted to outlines. We also accept native Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign files, plus JPEG, PNG, and TIFF for photo-heavy jobs.

How much bleed do I need?

The standard is 0.125" (1/8") of bleed on every side. That means your document size should be 0.25" larger than the finished piece in both directions. Any artwork that touches the edge of the final piece needs to extend into the bleed area to prevent white slivers after trimming.

What's the difference between CMYK and RGB for printing?

CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) is the four-color process used on press. RGB (red, green, blue) is what your screen displays. Files built in RGB will shift color when converted for print — blues may turn purple and neons may look muddy. Always build print files in CMYK, or specify Pantone colors if you need exact brand matching.

What image resolution do I need for print?

300 DPI at the final printed size is the standard. A photo that looks sharp on a webpage at 800 pixels wide will look pixelated at 8 inches printed. For large-format work like banners and posters, 150 DPI is acceptable since they're viewed from distance.

Do I need to outline my fonts before sending the file?

If you're not sure whether the fonts will travel with your file, yes. Converting text to outlines (Type → Create Outlines in Illustrator) locks your layout so it looks exactly as designed. Alternatively, export a PDF with fonts embedded — most PDF presets do this automatically. Always keep an editable master file somewhere safe.

What if my file is too large to upload?

Our quote form accepts files up to 500MB. For anything bigger, use a service like WeTransfer or Dropbox and paste the share link into the "External file link" field on the quote form.

Can you match a specific Pantone color on press?

Yes. On offset, we can mix exact Pantone (PMS) inks for brand-critical jobs. On digital printing we can get close in CMYK but can't hit every PMS color perfectly — we'll tell you before the job runs if there's a color we won't be able to match precisely.

What if my file isn't press-ready?

Send it anyway. We preflight every file before it goes to press and we'll tell you specifically what needs fixing. If the issue is small we often fix it ourselves at no extra cost. If it's a bigger rebuild, we'll quote a flat-rate file-prep fee before doing the work.