Artwork FAQs
Getting your artwork
print-ready.
Everything you need to know to send us files that print perfectly first time — what a print-ready PDF is, why bleed matters, and why colours on screen can look different on paper.
Print-ready PDF
What is a print-ready PDF?
A print-ready PDF is a file that’s set up so we can print it exactly as it is — no fixing, resizing or guessing. It’s the right finished size, has extra background around the edges (called bleed), keeps important text away from the edge, and uses print colours and sharp images.
Printed sheets are trimmed to size after printing, and the blade can move a fraction of a millimetre. Bleed and a safe area stop you ending up with thin white edges or text that’s been cut off.
YOUR BUSINESS
Text & logos stay inside the dashed line
Bleed (outer edge) — extend backgrounds and photos 3 mm past the finished size. This part gets trimmed off.
Trim line — the finished size, where the sheet is cut.
Safe area — keep text and logos at least 3–5 mm inside the trim line.
Your print-ready checklist
01
Correct finished size
Set your page to the size of the final product, e.g. 90 × 55 mm for a business card or 210 × 297 mm for A4.
02
3 mm bleed
Anything that touches the edge runs 3 mm past it on every side, so the page is 6 mm bigger overall.
03
Safe area
Keep text, logos and phone numbers at least 3–5 mm inside the trim line.
04
CMYK colour
Set your document to CMYK so the colours you see are closer to what prints. See RGB vs CMYK below.
05
300 dpi images
Photos should be 300 dpi at the size they print. Images copied from websites are usually too small and print blurry.
06
Fonts embedded
Embed your fonts or convert text to outlines when you save the PDF, so the text looks exactly as you designed it.
Colour
What’s the difference between RGB and CMYK?
RGB (red, green, blue) is how screens make colour — by shining light. Mixing all three at full strength makes white. Phones, monitors and cameras all work in RGB.
CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) is how printers make colour — with ink on paper. Ink absorbs light rather than giving it off, so it can’t reach the glowing brightness of a screen.
That means very bright screen colours — neon greens, electric blues and hot pinks — print a little duller. Design in CMYK where you can, and if you send RGB we’ll convert it and let you know if a colour is likely to shift.
On screen · RGB
Neon green
Electric blue
Hot pink
Bright orange
In print · CMYK
Neon green
Electric blue
Hot pink
Bright orange
Colours shown are approximate — your screen is RGB, so the print column is a simulation. Exact results depend on the paper and finish.
More questions
Artwork FAQs.
Not sure if your file is ready? Send it anyway — we check every file before it’s printed. Questions? Call 07 5449 7933.
What file types do you accept?
A print-ready PDF is best. We also accept AI, EPS, JPG and PNG files. Send the highest-quality version you have.
I designed it in Canva — how do I download it?
Click Share → Download, choose PDF Print, and tick Crop marks and bleed. That gives us a print-ready file.
Can you print from a Word file?
Often, yes — but fonts and layouts can move between computers. Saving your Word document as a PDF first gives the most reliable result.
What resolution do my images need?
300 dpi at the printed size for flyers, cards and brochures. Large signs and banners are viewed from further away, so lower resolution is usually fine — ask us if you’re unsure.
Do I need crop marks?
They’re helpful but not essential. What matters most is that your file includes 3 mm bleed on every edge.
Will you check my file?
Yes. A real person checks every file before it prints, and we’ll let you know if anything needs fixing. Our designers can also fix artwork or set it up for you.
No artwork? No problem.
Make print-ready artwork in our free Design Studio — bleed and safe-area guides are built in — or ask our designers to do it for you.