Creating the correct format of artwork and double checking everything, before sending it to your printer is critical. Having this information can save you both time and money for your business. Creating a professional and consistent look for your brand is important across all your printed materials.
Here we highlight things to check before sending on your artwork to be printed.
Proofread everything
Although most printers will carry out a check of your printed material for any typos or grammatical errors, it is your responsibility to double check everything before sending it on. Catching errors before they go to print could be the difference between a success and failure. Once your clients have your printed material, the damage will already have been done.
You need to consider two types of proofreading your artwork. Firstly, you want to check for grammatical mistakes, typos, spelling and the flow of language in the design. Secondly, you need to graphically proofread your promotional material. Looking at it from a customer standpoint and considering the text layout, spacing and colours, will help you make sure that the message is clear.
Confirm image size and resolution
According to Jamie from Leeds Printing Company “Make sure you always check the resolution of any imagery in your artwork. This means not only the resolution of any photos but also the resolution of the saved document.” It is recommended to save print items at a 300 DPI or more, but you should always look to save your files at the highest possible resolution. Setting the image at the highest resolution means you can always scale down if needed.
Ensure colour accuracy
When you are printing your design files, what you see on screen, is not often what you get from the printer. It is always advisable to do a test print and check the existing colour model of your design. Again, catching this before you get to the printer, can eliminate any costly mistakes.
Check font spacing
Once you have finished proofreading your design, it is time to set the text spacing. Luckily, most modern design programmes come out of the box with a degree of optimisation. However, adjusting the leading tracking and kerning of your text will enable you to create artwork that will not only make your design work unique but also stand out.
Make sure you save your file as a high-quality PDF format. PDF files are mostly used as printable file formats perfect for this purpose.
Select the paper
Selecting the right paper if you are printing out the project yourself, will make all the difference. Different types of paper are suitable for different projects and will not only have a different visual appeal but feel too.
Depending upon your budget you could go with a more professional heavier matte or a less expensive alternative in a semi-gloss paper. Think about your audience. Will they be touching the printed material, or will they be viewing it i.e., in a shop window? This will help you save both time and money.
