Preparing your artwork for presentation folders

Our presentation folders are die-cut and creased, with interlocking slots that hold business cards, so the artwork has to fit a fixed shape. The easiest and safest way to get it right is to design straight onto our template. Ask us for it, add your design over the guide, and export to the specs below.

Start with our template

  • Ask us for the template. Email us before you start and let us know which folder you are ordering, an A4 with a 0mm spine for a slim folder, or an A4 with a spine to hold a thicker stack, and we will send you the current template. We supply it on request so you are always working from the latest version.
  • Place your design on a new layer over the guide, or delete the guide layer before you export. The guide lines must not print.
  • The template marks three things to work around, explained next.

The lines on the template

  • Bleed area: extend any background or image out into the bleed, so trimming leaves no white edges.
  • Fold lines: where the folder creases. Avoid running text across a fold line, as it can distort slightly.
  • Cut lines: where the slots are cut for business cards. Keep logos and important content clear of these.
  • Safe zone: keep text and anything important at least 4mm inside the outer edge.

File setup

  • Format: a print-ready PDF, ideally PDF/X-4.
  • Resolution: 300 dpi minimum for any images.
  • Colour: CMYK, Coated FOGRA39 RGB or Pantone and spot colours will be converted during proofing, which can shift colour, so convert them to CMYK yourself first.
  • Fonts: outlined or embedded.
  • Bleed 3mm, safe zone 4mm. When exporting, use the template's document bleed settings (3mm).

Your file checklist

  • Designed on our A4 folder template (0mm or 7mm spine)
  • Guide layer deleted or hidden so it will not print
  • PDF, ideally PDF/X-4
  • 300 dpi images
  • CMYK, with any Pantones already converted
  • Fonts outlined or embedded
  • 3mm bleed, content 3mm inside the edge, and clear of the fold and cut lines

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.
  • Local? Bring it in on a USB stick.

Proofs and approval

  • We send a PDF proof before printing, so you can check the layout and how your design sits against the folds and slots.
  • On-screen colour depends on your own monitor, so the proof confirms layout and content rather than an exact colour match.
  • Please check your proof carefully. 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 5 working days from proof approval.

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

  • The guide layer is still in the file and would print.
  • No bleed, or the background stops short of the bleed area.
  • Text runs across a fold or over a slot.
  • The file is RGB, or has Pantones that will shift on conversion.
  • Images are low-resolution, or fonts are not outlined or embedded.