Preparing your artwork for greetings cards and other folded cards

Greetings cards and other folded cards are printed on our digital press. The good news: for these, you do not have to build a technical print file yourself. We set the print file up for you, so you can send good artwork and we will handle the bleed, the colour conversion and the fold. Below is what makes a good file, with the full print-ready setup at the end if you would rather supply that. For the complete press setup, see our press file checklist.

The easy way: send us your artwork

  • Send a good-quality PDF, or a high-resolution JPEG, TIFF or PNG. For greetings cards, any of these is fine.
  • Whatever the format, embed the colour profile, so we can reproduce your colours accurately.
  • Aim for 300 ppi at the finished card size, so photos and fine detail print sharp.
  • Leave the technical setup to us. We add the bleed, convert the colour for the press, lay out the sheet and set the fold.

Designing it so it prints well

  • Keep text and anything important about 4mm inside the edges, so nothing is clipped when the card is trimmed and folded.
  • If your design runs colour or images to the edge, take them right to the edge. We will add the bleed needed for cutting.

Folded cards

  • A folded card is printed flat and then folded, so a finished A6 card is printed on an A5 sheet and folded in half.
  • Please design folded cards as a single flat spread at the unfolded size, with the fold running down the centre.
  • Our standard sizes are on the greetings cards product pages. For a custom size, email us.

Colour

  • Embed your colour profile. We convert to CMYK (Coated FOGRA39) for the press.
  • Bright RGB blues, greens and oranges can shift a little on conversion. If colour is critical, ask us for a proof.

Prefer to supply a print-ready file?

If you would rather build the final press file yourself, set it up like this. It is the same as our press file checklist:

  • Print-ready PDF, ideally PDF/X-4.
  • Finished size with 3mm bleed on all sides, and text kept 4mm inside the trim.
  • CMYK, Coated FOGRA39.
  • Fonts embedded or outlined.
  • Do not flatten transparencies and gradients.
  • Include crop marks, but not fold marks.
  • Rich black for large solids using the recipe in the checklist, 100% K only for small black text, and a minimum line weight of 0.25pt.

Your file checklist

  • A good PDF, or a high-resolution JPEG, TIFF or PNG
  • Colour profile embedded
  • 300 ppi at the finished size
  • Important content kept about 4mm inside the edges
  • Folded designs supplied as a flat spread, fold down the centre

Supplying a print-ready file instead? Follow the press file checklist above.

Sending your file

  • Under 10 MB: email it straight to us.
  • Larger: use a file-transfer service such as WeTransfer, then send us 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

Usually 2 to 3 full working days from proof approval. Longer for large quantities.

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

  • Images are low-resolution at the finished size.
  • No colour profile is embedded, so we cannot be sure of your colours.
  • Important content sits too close to the edge, where it could be clipped.