Providing your own artwork
When providing your own artwork for printing, please follow our guidelines below.
Preparing your artwork to the correct specs will allow you to order your printing without any interruptions to the printing process. If you need a little help, then we can offer an artwork Check, Fix & Minor Edit from only $29, which gives you an email proof to check and approve before we print.
Layout
Need a little help?
If you need a small fix to your artwork, we offer an artwork Check, Fix & Minor Edit from only $29. This gives you one round of minor revisions and one email proof to check and approve before we print. We can easily edit the content, layout, colour format, resolution, and fonts if required. If your request needs more than a small fix, we will provide an upfront set price quote.
If your artwork needs a bit of a refresh, then talk to us about design and branding. Whether you need a small update or a brand overhaul, we provide a full in-house Australian service that will ensure your printing has the full effect.
General Artwork Guidelines
Artwork Guide
Get the best start on your artwork by downloading one of our artwork templates, and following these guidelines.
Don’ts
These are some tips on what NOT to do when preparing your artwork.
An important part of preparing artwork for printing boxes and packaging, is the cut and crease lines. Cut lines determine where the card will be cut, and crease lines determine where the card will be creased (scored) so it can be folded.
There should be one continuous cut line around the entire artwork, so that the box a clear outline. It’s important that there are no gaps in cut lines. Extra cut lines can be added for flaps, slits and voids in the box design.
Vector artwork is required to produce cut and crease lines, therefore programs like Adobe Illustrator are best suited.
To create a cut line in Illustrator, first create a custom spot colour named “Cut”. Use the spot colour named “Cut” as a stroke for the lines you want cut, and set the object to “Overprint” in the Attributes palette. Overprint enables us to use the cut line for cutting, and ignore it for printing.
To create a crease line in Illustrator, do the same and create a custom spot colour named “Crease”, and use it to stroke lines that require creasing. Don’t forget to set all of these special lines to “Overprint” so we won’t print it.
Artwork for Specific Products
Artwork for Presentation Folders
Artwork Layers
Checklist for Presentation Folders
Dieline
Both die-cut and digital-cut Presentation Folders require a dieline layer to be included in your PDF artwork. Ensure the dieline layer is set to overprint, and on the top-layer of your artwork.
Digital Cut & Crease Lines
If your printing includes Digital Cutting & Creasing, the artwork needs to include both “Cut” and “Crease” lines. Cut and Crease lines must be vector lines that use spot colors named “Cut” or “Crease” respectively. The stroke thickness in the artwork is not important, however using a 1mm thickness is helpful in simulating the average thickness of a crease line.
Spot UV and 3D-UV
3D-UV is not suitable for trimming, and should be kept clear from all cut and crease lines. Spot UV (Flat UV) is suitable for trimming, and should have a 3mm bleed when printed over a cut line.
Presentation Folder Templates
These dielines should be placed as the top-layer in your PDF artwork.
Spot Metallic Foil
Follow these artwork guidelines when setting up artwork for silver and gold metallic foil printing. These are the layers of printing to be aware of:
- Card Stock
- Prior to printing, metallic Silver Laminate.
- (Optional) Spot White Ink, to block out non-metallic areas.
- CMYK for colour, and tinting metallic areas.
- (Optional) Matte Celloglaze.
- (Optional) 3D-UV Spot Gloss to embellish metallic areas.
Die Cuts
Follow these special instructions for setting up artwork for custom die-cut products. Browse Premium Business Cards.
Digital Braille
Follow these special instructions for setting up artwork for Digital Braille.
3D-UV Spot Gloss
Follow these special instructions for setting up artwork that requires our 3D-UV spot gloss. Browse 3D-UV products.
Booklets & Magazines
Follow these special instructions for setting up artwork for multiple-page publications.
NCR Invoice Books
Follow these special instructions for setting up artwork for NCR (No Carbon Required) Invoice, Quote and Receipt Books. Browse NCR Products.