Print-ready artwork requirements for print products

Accepted file formats: TIF, JPG, PDF, PSD, EPS, CDR, AI

Not accepted: GIF, BMP, PICT, DOC, XLS, etc.

Artwork size

Artwork must include a 2 mm bleed on each side.
Important information must be no closer than 4 mm to the edge of the artwork, including the bleed.
All full-bleed elements (photos or background images) must cover the entire artwork area.
Files must not contain crop marks, registration marks, colour bars or any other elements.

For example:

Business card size before trimming: 54x94 mm; trimmed size: 50x90 mm;
Flyer size before trimming: 103x214 mm; trimmed size: 99x210 mm.

All important elements (logos, text, etc.) must be no closer than 4 mm to the trim edge. Files must not contain crop marks, registration marks, colour bars or any other elements.

Minimum size for hand-cut stickers: 50x50 mm

General file requirements

All layers flattened
No alpha channels
No linked images (for CDR, AI and EPS formats)
Colour mode: CMYK

TIF file

All layers merged
No alpha channel
No compression
Colour mode: CMYK

JPG file

Standard format only. JPEG 2000 or stereo JPEG must not be used
Saved at maximum quality
No compression

PDF file

PDF version 1.5 or later
No transparency
No gradient fills
All fonts converted to curves
No marks, cut lines or other non-printing objects
Colour mode: CMYK

CDR

No effects
Fonts converted to curves
No linked images
No OLE objects
No gradient fills
No locked or hidden elements or layers
Colour mode: CMYK
Do not set the page background in the document properties (Options / Document / Background)
Outline position "outside" or "inside" is not allowed

AI and EPS files

No effects. Fonts converted to curves
No linked images
No OLE objects
No gradient fills
No locked or hidden elements or layers
Colour mode: CMYK
Outline position "outside" or "inside" is not allowed

Resolution

Optimum resolution for offset printing: 300 dpi

Colour

CMYK or greyscale, 8 bits/channel
Minimum ink coverage: at least 20%
Maximum ink coverage: no more than 300%
Do not embed a colour profile

Rich black C-50 M-50 Y-50 K-100

small text C-0 M-0 Y-0 K-100

Grey no darker than C-0 M-0 Y-0 K-80

Hybrid spot UV varnish

Artwork is supplied in PDF format
Minimum UV varnish line width: 0.5 mm

Brochures

Accepted file formats: multi-page PDF, TIF and JPG. If there are several files, they must be put in a single archive.
Brochure artwork can be supplied as single pages or as print-ready imposed sheets. Spreads (e.g. pp. 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, etc.) are not accepted.

Trim bleed: 2 mm on 3 sides (top, bottom and outer edge) for single-page artwork, and 2 mm on 4 sides for imposed sheets.

Margin from the edge to important elements:

5 mm for brochures up to 32 pages;
6 mm up to 44 pages;
7 mm up to 56 pages;
8 mm up to 68 pages;
9 mm up to 80 pages.

Common mistakes

Raster images not merged into a single layer;
Fonts used in the artwork not converted to curves;
Images in RGB colour mode;
Incorrect raster image resolution (too low or too high);
Missing or incorrect bleed, wrong trimming, off-centre positioning;
Effects and transparency used in Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW;
Small text supplied as raster images (will be hard to read);
All important elements (logos, text, etc.) must be no closer than 4 mm to the trim edge.