Artwork Submission Guidelines
Preferred Files
Adobe Illustrator/Vector Files
Vector files created in Adobe Illustrator or other similar, vector-based, design programs are great!
Unlike jpegs and other raster images created using pixels, vector designs are rendered using mathematical algorithms, allowing your logo or design to be scaled or modified without loss of image quality.
Please make sure to outline all fonts and embed any linked files before submitting your artwork.
Acceptable files formats:
- .ai (preferred)
- .eps
- .svg
Adobe Photoshop Files
Unlike vector based art files, the elements used in Adobe Photoshop files are typically raster based – created using pixels – and do not scale up very well. If you set up your Adobe Photoshop files correctly though, preparing your art for printing can usually be accomplished fairly easily, and is sometimes the preferred file format.
When possible, please make sure you submit your Adobe Photoshop files at full scale, and at least 150 PPI (300 PPI preferred). Increasing the resolution of an existing low-resolution file will have no effect. Also, do not merge your layers.
Acceptable files formats:
- .psd (preferred and with layers intact)
- .tiff
Acceptable Files
Flattened Raster Files/JPG/PNG/Etc.
Flattened raster files are files created using pixels and typically do not scale up very well. Additionally, it is more difficult to make changes to raster files such as changing colors, reducing colors, modifying text, etc.
When possible, please submit raster files designed at full scale, and at least 150 PPI (300 PPI preferred). Increasing the resolution of an existing low-resolution file will have no effect.
Acceptable files formats:
- .png (preferred with trasparent background)
- .jpg/.jpeg
- .gif
- .bmp
- .tiff
Inadequate Files
Low-resolution images, MS Office documents, Etc.
Although we will attempt to use files submitted to us as Microsoft Office documents, low-resolution images, and other unpreferred files, these types of files pose us the most difficulty.
Whenever possible, please avoid submitting these types of files, but we understand if these are the only files types you have access to.
Acceptable files formats:
When possible, export your file as a .pdf when submitting unpreferred files from Microsoft Office documents or other similar programs. Otherwise, we will make every attempt to open, convert, or find similar alternatives to your supplied art.
Intellectual Property
Copyright imagery and other intellectual property.
We value the time and hard work it takes to come up with unique designs and other creative works. With this being said, we are unable to print or reproduce copyright, trademarked, or similar intellectual property without written consent from the owner or original creator.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” If you love a design or other creative work but lack permission to reproduce it, don’t fret. We would be more than happy to create a unique design for you inspired by a submitted design.
Large Format Production
Reducing file sizes for large format production
For large format products such as banners and road signs that may be viewed from a distance, high-resolution files are often not required. If you’re working with dimensionally large files, we recommend working at 100% scale and at a resolution based off of our Viewing Distance and PPI Chart.
| Viewing Distance | Min Resolution |
|---|---|
| 3m / 10ft | 60 PPI |
| 5m / 16ft | 35 PPI |
| 10m / 33ft | 18 PPI |
| 15m / 50ft | 12 PPI |
| 50m / 160ft | 4 PPI |
| 60m / 200ft | 3 PPI |
| 200m / 650ft | 1 PPI |
A Note On Resolution.
What is Resolution?
Resolution is the number of Pixels Per Inch (PPI), or sometimes referred to as Dots Per Inch (DPI). The more pixels per inch, or PPI an image has, the better it will print and vice versa.
Setting up your files
It is always easy to reduce the size of a raster file, but increasing the size will typically reduce the quality. So it is good practice when working with raster files to design at full scale and at a resolution of 300 PPI when possible.
Larger files such as banners and large signs may be designed at a lower resolution, but since large prints are typically meant to be viewed from a distance, this is okay!
Changing a file’s PPI/Size
If you do choose not to design your print piece at 100% scale, please note that increasing the dimensions, later on, will reduce the PPI.
For example: If you printed a 10 ft. by 10 ft. banner using a 10 in. x 10 in. file saved at 300 DPI, you’d need to increase the file size by 1200% which would, in turn, reduce the DPI by 1200% leaving your file at 25 DPI.
Submitting your art
Submitting your design ideas, logos, or final artwork is easy. Once you’ve gone over our artwork submission guidelines, choose one of the following options below.
Email:
Prepare your files and then e-mail them to your customer representative. If you do not have a customer representative, get in contact with us today to get your order started!
Website Submission:
Navigate to the product or a similar product you are interested in and then choose “quote”. Here you will be able to upload your artwork and submit it directly to us. If you need to upload multiple files, add them to a compressed zip folder before uploading.
Dropbox or Other File-sharing Service:
If your files are too large, use a file-sharing service such as Dropbox (free) to host your files. Once hosted on your file-sharing service, share the hosted files with your customer representative.
