In a digital world, many people are accustomed to the screen and the colors it produces. Often taught on this platform, mastering design, typography, and layout skills for content creation becomes an art of its own. However, what many people don’t realize in the beginning is that sending your digital file for NH printing services is not a one and done job.
Instead, preparing your file for print becomes crucial to ensure the final results meet your expectations. That said, this step is generally one of the most terrifying of the design process. Lucky for you, you’ve found one of the most dedicated teams. At The Print Factory, our experts have decades of printing experience to ensure your project is setup for success.
Here, we are providing you with a helpful guide on preparing your project for printing.
RESOLUTION
For the best printing results, be sure all embedded images are a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch). If the images are set lower, the result may be blurry or pixelated. Regardless of the
CMYK
There are two types of color spectrums – RGB and CMYK. On screen, RGB is impressive. However, if your document is designed for print, you want to stick with CMYK for optimal color output.
CROPPING
Crop marks are helpful on some but not all documents. Generally, these marks are required if you are sending a file that has already been imposed. In such instances, offset the crop marks 1/8” from the finished image.
COLOR BLEED
If your project requires no white border, chances are, you’ll need to consider color bleeding. Again, 1/8” is the magic number for all sides. However, you will also want to take extra cautions if cutting is involved. In this case, be sure the text or imagery is – you guessed it – at least 1/8” from the cut line.
TYPOGRAPHY
When sending your file to a print shop, it often proves helpful to send the font file along with your complete document. When possible, your pdf should include compressed or outlined fonts.
IMAGERY
Unfortunately, we all too often received documents that contain copyrighted images. As you know, such actions are illegal and will delay the printing process. So, if you’re using artwork from other sources, be sure they’re licensed for use, contain no watermarks, or that you have written permission from the artist or photographer to print the file.
ASK FOR A PRINT PROOF
If you have any doubts about the printed product, remember, it’s okay to request a printed proof! In fact, this is generally the safer route. By requesting a proof you’ll have the opportunity to make needed adjustments before the full printing process goes underway.
When it comes to preparing digital files for print, the experts at The Print Factory are here to help. With decades of experience, our NH printing services are known as some of the best. For more information, please contact our team today by calling (603) 880-4519.