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Supplying your own files (we assume that by supplying them that you have the rights or permissions to use them) is fine but please, please read all the information below. It helps to meet the following criteria to avoid wasting time, money & to ensure that you are pleased with the results.
First of all, DO NOT supply files that you have taken of the Internet. They are rarely of good enough quality. They are usually what are called thumbnails and will reproduce at about the size of a thumbnail!
If you are tempted, test print one on your own home printer at the size you hope to have reproduced. If you are happy with the quality/sharpness, fine, we can look at it, but we doubt you will be pleased....Trust us!
Vector (ai, eps pdf) and bitmaps (jpeg, eps pdf). Consider eps and pdf files as just a suitcase that you can pack with vector or bmp files!
MS doc, Word, XL or power point or CAD. these files may incur artwork charges. However, Microsoft files are usually fine for supplying copy etc.
A bitmap file is made up of millions of pixels and its quality is determined by the number of pixels (dots) per square inch, often referred to as dpi. The more dots the better the quality, however It is not necessary to supply files at more than 400 dpi, 300 dpi is ideal, any more is merely slowing the process down.
Sometimes, the only images or art files available are under 300 dpi. If your images or artwork are in the 200 dpi-300 dpi range, they will still look pretty good, although not quite as sharp as images at a full 300 dpi
Images from the web are usually around 75dpi and are waste of time...honest! Images at 75 dpi will ALWAYS look pixelated and low-resolution when printed.
It may seem like a good idea to open up your artwork in Photoshop and just change the resolution setting from 72 dpi to 300 dpi. However, this doesn't actually increase the resolution in your artwork, it just makes the pixels in the pixelated image larger. This is called upsampling, and while these images will technically read as 300 dpi once you expand them, they will still look just as pixelated / blurry on the printed page
It is worth noting that with bitmap files the quality degrades the more it is enlarged and its editability is pretty much limited to cropping, and sometimes cutting to shape. We cannot change colours etc. (Well we can but we doubt that you would want the Invoice).
BMP files come in many formats tiff, bmp however wherever possible please supply jpegs to avoid any art working charges.
These files are normally not much use for "cut" vinyl however if they are single solid colour we may be able to convert them to a vector formatted for cutting rather than printing. Please ask us.
We don't mind doing minor alterations or corrections but there does come a point where we do have to charge for our design monkeys art working time. £60.00 per hour or part of. A lot less than your average divorce lawyer. We do of course let you know before we beaver away on your artwork and will give you an estimate.
Unlike jpegs a vectored file is made up of outlines filled with colour. Its file size is much less and there is no issue with dpi and it can be enlarged as much as you want without loss of quality.
These files are usually supplied by designers etc and unless supplied in a pdf "suitcase" they cannot normally be viewed except with commercial design packages.
Businesses take note: If you have a load of files you can see and one that you can't open.... that is probably the one that is best.
If you are wanting Sponsors logos etc printing, make sure you get a vectored file from them. Often, they will just give you jpegs that will just do a letterhead! Pester them, their Marketing or their designer/agency for a vectored file. They WILL have one somewhere. It is in their interest to supply a file that gives THEM the best quality result for their brand. Sometimes they need reminding.
Colour is one of the most commonly misunderstood topics in printing. We've compiled a few guides based on our experience to help you understand various aspects of how printed colour works and why it might be different from what you'd expect.
The most common mistake we see during the printing process is creators who submit RGB files for printing.
The RGB colour profile combines red, green, and blue light to create colour. It is used by computer monitors, televisions, phones, LCDs, and any device that emits light to create colour. Importantly you need to note that because RGB uses light and not ink, you cannot reproduce RGB files in print without converting them to CMYK, which uses cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink instead of light.
There is no direct conversion between RGB and CMYK, and certain colours that can be created in RGB are physically impossible to recreate in CMYK, be wary if a company tells you they can print in RGB.If your files are currently in RGB, don’t fret! We can convert your colours to CMYK for you but gives you less control over your final colours. If absolute colour correctness is an issue you are encouraged to request a hard proof of your project to know exactly how your project will look when complete.
An A4 hard proof is available for £12.50 each plus £4.50 UK Post and Packing
You can look up approximate CMYK values online, which will get quite close, but CMYK printing will always exhibit some degree of variation. Unfortunately, we cannot match to RAL colours.
The harsh but honest truth. (Try to find another printer who will tell you this).
Before Digital Print we had Screenprint which used oil-based inks that lasted forever and you could abuse to your hearts content but, you had to have hundreds printed to be viable. With Digital print you can have just one or a hundred without the exorbitant set up charges...with one downside (yes there is always a downside. if you call it a downside) but we use Eco based inks. They are better for for us and the environment, but they do not last as long without fading and are not keen on being polished.
The manufacturers claim 5 years outside exposure but that is 5yrs on a North facing wall in normal Northern European conditions.
On the water, reflected light, uv, middle of the Med....2/3 years. For promotional or temporary material this isn't an issue but to last longer it needs UV protection.
We offer a spray varnish which gives UV protection and limited contact with polish (best not to in other words) or a UV laminate full UV and polishability. Which one is suitable is dependent on the type of image produced (a bit involved for this piece. Talk to us) and basically doubles the price.
To make an order or discuss your requirements in more detail, simply call us on 01590 671974.
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