Preparing your artwork for signage

Our signage is printed on rigid boards and read from a distance, so the file setup is much like our other large-format work, with one signage-specific point: if you choose a standard drilled finish, we add the fixing holes for you, so keep your important content away from the corners. Here is how to prepare it.

File format

  • Supply a print-ready PDF, ideally PDF/X-4, with fonts embedded or outlined.
  • Keep text and logos as vector wherever you can, so they stay sharp at full size.

Size, bleed and safe zone

  • Set your file up at the finished sign size. We print signage on aluminium composite, Foam PVC, corrugated plastic and foamboard. For sizes, ask us for a quote.
  • Add 3mm bleed all round.
  • Keep text and anything important at least 4mm inside the trim, and clear of the corners if your sign is drilled (see below).

Resolution

  • Aim for 300 ppi at the full size. We will accept as low as 150 ppi, since signs are viewed from a distance, but 300 gives the crispest result.
  • Vector text and logos stay sharp at any size, so this applies to photos and other raster images.
  • Do not upscale a small image to fill the space.

Colour

  • Set your file to CMYK.
  • Pantone or spot colours will be converted to CMYK, which can shift colour, so convert them yourself first for predictable results.

Drilled holes

  • If you order our standard drilled finish, one hole in each corner, you do not need to set your artwork up any differently. We add the holes for you.
  • The standard holes are one per corner, 5mm across, with the edge of each hole 15mm in from the sign edges. So keep logos and important text clear of the corners, or a hole could land on them.
  • We can also do other hole positions and fixings. Just ask when you order or request a quote.

Your file checklist

  • Print-ready PDF (PDF/X-4), fonts embedded or outlined
  • Finished sign size, with 3mm bleed
  • Content 4mm inside the trim, and clear of the corners if drilled
  • Photos ideally 300 ppi, 150 ppi minimum, at full size
  • CMYK colour, with any Pantones already converted

Sending your file

  • Sign files are often large, so most people use a file-transfer service such as WeTransfer, then send a quick email to say it is on the way.
  • Smaller files (under 10 MB) can be emailed.
  • 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, for drilled signs, that nothing important sits in a corner.
  • 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 4 to 5 working days from proof approval.

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

  • Photos are low-resolution, below 150 ppi at the full size.
  • The file is RGB, or has Pantones that will shift when converted to CMYK.
  • Important content sits in a corner, where a drill hole would land, or too close to an edge.
  • Fonts are not embedded or outlined, so text could reflow or substitute