How to Supply Artwork for Printing (A Simple Guide for Non-Designers)

Clear, print-ready artwork means sharper logos, better colours, and faster production. But we know terms like vector, AI files, and resolution can feel like a foreign language — so here’s the calm, human explanation your customers will actually understand.

1. Vector vs Raster — What’s the Difference?

Vector artwork Think of it as mathematically perfect. It can scale from a business card to a billboard without losing quality. Used for: logos, icons, line drawings, text.

Common vector file types:

Raster artwork Made of pixels. When enlarged, it becomes blurry or “blocky.” Used for: photos, textures, gradients.

Common raster file types:

Simple rule: Logos must be vector. Photos must be high-resolution raster.

2. Resolution: What “High-Res” Actually Means

For print, artwork must be 300 dpi (dots per inch). Anything lower — especially screenshots or images saved from websites — will print soft or pixelated.

Examples of low-res files customers often send:

A logo copied from a website

A photo taken from WhatsApp

A tiny .jpg stretched to fit a large print area

A Photoshop file saved at 72 dpi (screen resolution)

What we need instead:

Original high-resolution photos

Vector logo files

Print-ready PDFs exported at 300 dpi

File Types: What’s Accepted (and What Isn’t)

Best for printing

.ai — ideal for logos and line art

.eps — universal vector format

.pdf — excellent if exported correctly

.tif — high?quality photo format

High-res .jpg — acceptable for photos

Not suitable:

Screenshots

Low-res .jpg

Images pulled from Google

Word documents

PowerPoint files

Low-res Photoshop files (.psd)

4. Colours: CMYK, RGB & Pantone

CMYK — required for printing

RGB — for screens only (will shift when printed)

Pantone (PMS) — solid, consistent spot colours used for brand accuracy

If your artwork is in RGB, we’ll convert it — but colours may change. Pantone colours give the most reliable brand consistency.

5. Bleed, Safe Area & Trim

To avoid white edges:

Bleed: add 3mm extra around the artwork

Safe area: keep text at least 5mm away from the edge

Trim line: where the product is cut

If you’re unsure, we can add bleed for you — just send the highest-quality file you have.

6. How to Send Your Artwork

Email for small files

WeTransfer / Dropbox / Google Drive for larger files

Avoid sending images through WhatsApp or Messenger (they compress heavily)

7. If You Don’t Have the Right File

Don’t worry — this happens all the time.

We can often:

Recreate your logo in vector format

Clean up low-res artwork

Adjust colours for print

Add bleed and trim marks

Prepare a fully print-ready PDF

Just send us what you have, and we’ll guide you from there.