Print-ready files
Print-ready files keep your price lower.
When your file is truly print-ready, we can send it straight to production. If we have to fix, prepare, or rebuild your artwork, it can add cost and time. A few simple checks make the difference. Not sure about your file? Send it anyway and we’ll tell you exactly what’s needed.
What should I send?
Pick your project. Send the best file for it.
If you have the best format, send that. If you only have an acceptable one, send the highest-quality original you have.
Business cards, postcards, door hangers, envelopes, name badges
Best: A print-ready PDF
Also OK: EPS, TIFF, or high-res JPG for some projects
Avoid: Screenshots, Word or PowerPoint files, web graphics
Banners, flags, yard signs, displays
Best: The product template plus a vector PDF
Also OK: EPS or AI. High-res TIFF, PNG, or JPG when it fits
Avoid: Small web or social media images
Signage bleed and safe zones differ from paper, so always start from the template.
Screen print, embroidery, DTF
Best: Vector art: PDF, EPS, SVG, or AI
Also OK: A transparent PNG, 300 DPI at final print size
Avoid: Screenshots, low-res PNG or JPG, flattened web art
Any part of a design that isn’t vector can pixelate if it’s enlarged.
A file extension doesn’t change what’s inside. Saving a low-resolution JPG as a PDF doesn’t make it print-ready. What matters is the quality of the artwork in the file.
The checklist
Six checks before you send.
Send a flattened, print-quality PDF
Export for print, not “smallest file size,” web, or email. Keep it vector wherever you can. (Apparel artwork is the one exception: send vector, or a transparent PNG at final size, and keep the transparency.)
Outline your fonts
Convert text to outlines so nothing shifts or goes missing when we open your file.
Set the file to CMYK
Screens use RGB. Printing uses CMYK. RGB colors can shift, especially bright blues, greens, and oranges.
Use high-resolution images at final size
Photos and raster images should be 300 DPI at the size they’ll actually print. No screenshots, and nothing saved from a website.
Add 1/8” bleed and keep a safe margin
Run background art 1/8” past the trim line. Keep text, logos, and borders at least 1/8” inside it.
Start from the template when there is one
Signage and specialty items use their own bleed and safe zones, so build inside the template and don’t resize it.
Common mistakes
These look print-ready. They aren’t.
- A low-resolution image placed inside a PDF
- Renaming logo.jpg to logo.pdf
- A screenshot, because it looks sharp on a phone
- A Canva, Word, or PowerPoint design that wasn’t exported as a proper print file with bleed
- A file where we have to guess the size, placement, colors, or crop
Not sure what you have? Send it anyway.
We’d rather look at your original before you spend time converting or rebuilding it. If it isn’t production-ready, we’ll tell you what’s missing. Artwork prep can add cost and production time, so it’s always worth checking first.
Text usEmail your fileTemplates
Some items need a specific template.
Each ordering form links to the right template for your product and size. You can also browse the full library and download before you start designing. A beautiful design on the wrong template isn’t print-ready.
These products require a template:
Door Hangers Giving & Mailing Envelopes Name Badges & Lanyards Notepads A-Frame Signs & Inserts Retractable Banners Tension & Fabric Displays Feather Flags Event Tents Table Covers
Ready to design?
Download the exact template for your product and size from our template library, then follow the checklist above.
Browse design templatesNot sure about something?
Ask before you design. We’re happy to guide you so everything turns out perfectly.