File format
Artwork needs to be supplied as a print-ready PDF. Print-ready means every step below has been followed so the file can go straight to production without amendment.
File supply help
How to get your artwork right first time
Our sign printing process is cutting edge — literally. Following these rules keeps your job on schedule and avoids expensive reprints. If anything here is unclear, send the file over anyway and we'll check it before it goes to print.
Fonts
Convert all fonts to outlines/paths, or make sure they are fully embedded in the PDF. Obscure or app-specific fonts (Canva exports, for example) often don't embed and won't print as they appear on screen. Minimum recommended font size is 16pt.
Size and scale
Supply the PDF at 100% of the finished size. For banners over 5m long you can supply at 50% — just note the scale in the filename so it isn't missed.
Colour
All printing runs in CMYK. Convert RGB and spot/Pantone colours to CMYK before export for the most predictable results.
Bleed and trim
Add 3mm bleed on all four sides and do not include external crop marks — the RIP automatically deducts 3mm around the file for trimming. A 1000mm square sign should therefore be a 1006mm square page.
Quiet zone
Keep all text and key graphics at least 10mm in from every edge. It looks better and protects the design from cutting tolerances.
Image resolution
150dpi is ideal for general detail; around 100dpi is fine on larger signs. Balance quality against file size when uploading.
Cut-to-shape
For contour-cut signs, include a cut-path vector on the top layer set to overprint using the CutContour spot colour. Keep shapes simple and under roughly 50 nodes — fine detail may not cut cleanly or can break in transit.
White ink
Some acrylic signs need white ink as a flood behind the graphics, as spot white, or as standalone white artwork. Supply it as a separate spot-colour layer named for white ink.
Pre-flight checklist
- Supplied as a PDF
- Fonts converted to paths or embedded
- Supplied at 100% scale
- Colours converted to CMYK
- 3mm bleed on all sides
- 10mm quiet zone around graphics
- Images at 150–300dpi
- Cut-to-shape spot colour included if required
- White ink layer included if required
What a good file looks like
A 100% size PDF with 3mm bleed (no crop marks), with any cuts, shapes, drill holes or special finishing indicated using the finishing spot colours.
Managing sign printing expectations
Large-format signs and displays are designed to be viewed at a distance — usually 1–2 metres for point of sale, and 5 metres or more for fascias and banners. Artwork does not need litho-level resolution.
Sign printing uses different inks and processes to litho, so an image will not match a litho print of the same file exactly.
Soft materials such as PVC foam can arrive with minor factory blemishes and mark easily. Minor scratching or creasing is not visible at normal viewing distances and isn't classed as a fault.
Still not sure?
Get in touch before you order and we'll advise on materials, finishing and file setup.