Most print problems come from five things, and all five are fixable before you upload. This is the same list our file check runs against every upload, so if your file passes here it will pass there.
1. Bleed: extend the artwork 1/8 inch past the trim
Paper and vinyl are cut after printing, and the cut can drift by a hair. If your background stops exactly at the edge, that drift shows up as a thin white sliver. Bleed is artwork that runs 1/8 inch (0.125 in, about 3 mm) past the final size on every side, so the cut always lands on color.
- A 3.5 x 2 inch business card is built at 3.75 x 2.25 inches.
- An 18 x 24 inch yard sign is built at 18.25 x 24.25 inches.
- In Illustrator or InDesign, set the document bleed to 0.125 in and export the PDF with "Use document bleed settings" checked.
- In Canva, turn on "Show print bleed" and export as PDF Print with crop marks and bleed.
2. Safe area: keep text 1/8 inch inside the trim
The same drift that eats the bleed can also clip anything sitting right on the edge. Keep text, logos and anything you cannot lose at least 1/8 inch inside the finished size. For banners and large signs, give it more: 1 inch from the edge keeps type clear of hems and grommets.
3. Resolution: 300 dpi for small pieces, 100 dpi for large format
Resolution only matters for photos and other raster images; vector shapes and type are sharp at any size. The number you need depends on how close people stand:
- Business cards, postcards, flyers, stickers, labels: 300 dpi at the final print size.
- Banners, yard signs, posters, window graphics: 100 dpi at the final size is plenty. A 4 x 8 foot banner at 100 dpi is a 4,800 x 9,600 pixel file, which is already large.
The trap is a photo that is 300 dpi at 4 x 6 inches and then stretched to 24 x 36. Check the effective resolution at the size you are printing, not the size the file came in.
4. Color: CMYK, and know what RGB will do
Screens make color with light (RGB); presses make it with ink (CMYK). Bright screen colors, especially neon greens, electric blues and hot pinks, do not exist in ink and will print duller. Converting to CMYK before you upload lets you see the shift on your own monitor instead of being surprised by the proof. If you send RGB, we convert it and the file check flags it so you know.
Two habits that help: build large black areas as a rich black (for example C60 M40 Y40 K100) rather than 100% K alone so they print deep instead of gray, and keep small black text at 100% K only so it stays crisp.
5. Fonts: embed or outline them
If a font is not embedded in the PDF, the press computer substitutes one and your layout reflows. Exporting to PDF from Illustrator, InDesign, Affinity or Canva embeds fonts automatically. If you are sending an AI or EPS file, convert the type to outlines first (Illustrator: Type, Create Outlines). Word and PowerPoint files should be saved as PDF, never sent as the working file.
Which file type to send
PDF is best. We also take AI, EPS, SVG, PNG, JPG, TIF and PSD, up to 20 MB per file. Two-sided items take a back file or a two-page PDF. If you cannot get the file right, upload what you have and note it; basic fixes like adding bleed, resizing, converting RGB to CMYK and outlining fonts are offered when the file check finds a problem, and our designers can build the piece from a written brief. More detail is in the ordering and artwork FAQ.
Ready to print? Browse the catalog, sign in for a live quote by size and quantity, and upload your file when you add the item to the cart. Not sure the file is right? The file check runs before checkout, and our designers can fix it or build it from your notes.