Preparing your artwork for flyers, cards and business stationery

This one setup covers our everyday print: flyers, folded leaflets, business cards, postcards, letterheads, compliment slips, note pads and loyalty cards. They share the same file requirements, so once you have it right it applies across all of them. For the full detail, see our press file checklist.

File format

Supply a print-ready PDF, ideally PDF/X-4. It keeps your text and shapes as crisp vector and handles transparency correctly.
Fonts embedded or outlined, so nothing reflows or substitutes.
Do not flatten transparencies and gradients yourself. PDF/X-4 carries them safely.
We accept PDF only. Please do not send native files such as InDesign or Illustrator, or office documents. Export a print-ready PDF as above.

Size, bleed and safe zone

Set your document to the finished (trim) size. Standard sizes are on each product page. For anything custom, email us.
Add 3mm bleed on all sides. Extend any background or image that touches the edge out to the bleed, so cutting never leaves a white sliver.
Keep text and anything important at least 4mm inside the trim. Cutting has a tiny tolerance, and content too close to the edge can look clipped.
Keep body text 8pt or larger on standard products, so small print stays sharp and legible.

Resolution

300 ppi at the finished size for any photos or raster images. Text and logos kept as vector stay sharp at any size.
Do not upscale. Enlarging a small image in software adds size but not detail.

Colour

Set your file to CMYK, using the Coated FOGRA39 profile. This is the press standard we print to, so what you set is what you get.
RGB, Pantone and spot colours will be converted to CMYK, which can shift colour, so convert them yourself first for predictable results.
Large solid blacks: use a rich black so they look deep rather than flat, following the recipe in our press file checklist.
Small black text and fine lines: use 100% K only (single black), not rich black, so they stay sharp. Keep lines to a minimum weight of 0.25pt.

Folded leaflets

Supply folded leaflets as a single flat spread at the unfolded size, with the panels in position and the folds where they will crease. Keep text clear of the fold lines.
Multi-panel folds, such as a tri-fold, have slightly different panel widths, because one panel folds inside the others. If you need a template to set the folds up correctly, email us and we will send you one.

Your file checklist

Print-ready PDF (PDF/X-4)
Finished size, with 3mm bleed all round
Text and key content 4mm inside the trim, and 8pt or larger
300 ppi images
CMYK, Coated FOGRA39
Fonts embedded or outlined
Rich black for large solids, 100% K for small black text

Sending your file

Under 10 MB: email it straight to us.
Larger: use a file-transfer service such as WeTransfer, then send a quick email to say it is on the way and which service you have used.
Local? Bring it in on a USB stick.

Proofs and approval

We send a PDF proof before we print, so you can check the layout, wording and setup.
On-screen colour depends on your own monitor, so the proof confirms layout and content rather than an exact colour match. For a colour check on paper, ask for a hard-copy proof.
Please check your proof carefully, especially spelling and layout. Anything you approve is what we print, errors included. You are also confirming you hold the rights to any images or logos used. Approval is given in writing and is contractually binding for the work. Full details are in our terms and conditions.

Turnaround

Turnaround varies across this group. Please check the product page or your quote for the estimated timescale on your job.

If we come back to you, it is usually one of these

No bleed, or the background stops at the trim, so there is a risk of white edges.
Text too close to the edge (inside the 4mm safe zone), or smaller than 8pt.
The file is RGB and has colours that will shift on conversion.
Images are low-resolution at the finished size.
Fonts are not embedded or outlined.