This section covers what you need to know about sending us your own artwork files as well as the range of fontswe keep on file.

Sending your artwork to us:

Please supply files as EPS, AI, CDR or editable PDF with all text converted to outlines/curves. If the file size is more than 10Mb please don't email it as the server will not deliver it. Please use CMYK or PMS fills and outlines rather than RGB. We work exclusively with PC's and Mac files occasionally cause slight problems, in any case it is always a good idea to include a JPG of the finished file for us to compare with.

Large format print files should be sent at 10% of the finished size with a resolution of at least 750dpi (i.e. 75dpi when full size) JPG compression is normally fine for keeping the file sizes manageable so please use this rather then Photoshop or BMP where possible. Please note that we do not accept Quark, Autocad or Freehand files.

If you already have a leaflet, business card or logo on your computer then you may want to send it to us electronically by either email or on cd. This can save you money since we don't have to re-create it but it needs to be in a usable format and of suitable quality for the end use. Please read on to find out what this means for you.

If your finished job requires us to use cut self adhesive vinyl we need a special type of file. If your finished job is going to be digitally printed then most types file are acceptable (see section below on images) but if you are not sure please call us to find out. Due to the nature of vinyl cutting all artwork should be sent as vectored artwork. An example of this format is an Adobe Illustrator or EPS file. Bitmap files such as BMP, JPG, PSD, GIF, and Word cannot be directly cut out of vinyl. The graphics in these files have to be traced by hand and converted into vectored art which can be a long and costly job depending on the complexity of the original. If you cannot provide vector artwork then we will happily quote you to redraw your original for you, this normally costs about £30+vat. So it's worth thinking whether anyone else (printers, ad agencies, web designers etc.) you have dealt with might have a better file type.

We can open most types of electronic files but there are some basic factors that will make things a lot easier for us and cheaper for you! The following is a list of file types which we can open -

• EPS (Encapsulated Post Script) *
• AI (Adobe Illustrator up to version CS)
• CDR (CorelDRAW up to version X3) *
• PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format) *
• PSD (Adobe Photoshop up to version CS)
• WMF (Windows Meta File)
• JPG (Bitmap)
• BMP (Bitmap)
• TIFF (Bitmap)
• DOC (Microsoft Word)

Sometimes people send us files we can't use so check the list and make sure you are not sending us a Quark document or an Autocad file! The most suitable types are marked with a * in the list but other types can still be of great help.

If you only have the artwork in a non-graphics program like MS Word then you will possibly have problems with the fonts being included with the file. In other words, if you just save the file on disc and we don't have the same font used then the file font will be substituted with another incorrect one. In this case please let us know exactly what font you would like us to use. We carry over 8000 fonts including the standard Windows ones like Avantgarde, Arial etc and a list of some of the most popular ones is included here for reference. If you have used a specific font which is not in the list below then you may need to send us the font file as a TTF or Open type file.

Images

When we print images there are some important issues to be aware of when you send us any artwork. Sending us a logo which is the size of a postage stamp and taken off a web page is not going to help much!

Resolution is the number of pixels or dots that make up a picture and normally images on web pages are 72 dots per inch (dpi) which is going to give a very poor end result. In general images should be approx 300dpi if we are using them for small end products like stationery, labels etc. As a guide, try zooming right in to the image so it more than fills the screen - do the edges look blurred or jagged?

If so then you might need a better quality image to get the finished product to look how you want.

If we are printing something larger, like a banner or vehicle graphics then a higher resolution would be more appropriate.

The usable resolution also depends on the physical size of an image. It's a simple matter of how many dots or pixels your image contains - If your image is 2"x2" and has a resolution of 100dpi then you only have 200x200 pixels in total to make up your image. Generally we need a resolution of no less than 150dpi at the size of the final print. So if you need a banner with a logo 12"x12" and your image is 2"x2" to start with then you need it to be a resolution of at least 900dpi (as 12" is 6 times larger than the 2" original the resolution must be increased to compensate) in order to look good on the finished print.

If all this is getting too complex or confusing then please feel free to give us a call or send over your artwork and we will let you know the best way forward.