Artwork resolution
To achieve the best results possible all artwork must be CMYK, 300dpi and of suitable print quality at the finished size. Low quality images will produce a blurred or pixelated result (please see examples below). If you are not sure if your artwork meets our criteria please email artwork@thepackagingexperts.co.uk.
Transparency
If your artwork has certain areas that you want to show up as transparent please let us know by email to artwork@thepackagingexperts.co.uk.
We will not assume any colours or artwork are transparent unless you inform us as requested above.
Converting fonts to outlines
If you are uploading artwork that includes text please convert all fonts to outlines. This avoids any font issues when your packaging is printed. If you require any help on how to convert fonts to outlines please email artwork@thepackagingexperts.co.uk.
If you supply artwork without converting fonts to outlines the packaging experts cannot guarantee the accuracy of the final product. In some cases orders may be significantly delayed or declined.
Trapping
Something that is normally overlooked but can make a big difference when used in the right context. Trapping in print is the compensation for misregistration, which causes unsightly gaps or white-space on the final printed work. Trapping involves creating overlaps (spreads) of objects during the print production process to eliminate misregistration on the printing press. Mainly used where coloured graphics such as text and images appear on a coloured background. Using trapping correctly greatly enhances the quality of the print and make the printers life a lot easier to produce quality work.
Bleed
Not a common term and not one that is always understood to those not in the graphics industry. As with most processes there is a small amount of movement when the final printed job is being cut to size, whether this is digital sheets cut on a guillotine or larger sheets being die cut. To avoid unsightly white edges we include ‘bleed’. This is the area beyond the artwork which is cut off after printing. If the graphics or background colour is right to the edge of artwork, a 3mm ‘bleed’ ensures that no white of paper is showing if the guillotine is slightly off.
Fonts
Also known as typefaces, they can be one of the biggest causes of problems when supplying incorrect artwork. Which is why we ask that artwork be supplied in a print ready pdf format, this avoids the need to have the font/typeface supplied.
Overprint
Similar to trapping, but refers to the process of printing one colour directly on top of another, in most cases this is black printing on a background colour. Other colours can be overprinted but be careful, combinations of colours can produce different results than otherwise planned. For example if you overprint Cyan on a Yellow background, the overprint will appear green.
Spell Check
Avoid embarrassing mistakes by thoroughly checking the text for grammatical and spelling errors. They always get noticed after the job has been printed and nearly always require reprinting.
Orientation
When confronted with one of our templates, getting the graphics to appear as you want can be sometimes be a little daunting. A good tip is to print it out and roughly cut and fold to shape to check you have the panels appearing the right way. Only when it is made up can you see how the graphics appear.
Acceptable file formats
The Packaging Experts only accept artwork supplied as high-res, print ready PDF files.
An example of how your artwork should be supplied can be provided upon request.
Supplying Artwork
When supplying artwork, we would like to avoid any last minute ‘hick ups’, so we always ask for the following print ready pdfs.
A) Artwork and Template
This will have the final artwork and the template combined in one pdf, this shows the relationship of the artwork to the template. Bullet marks and trims should be included to link the template layer to the artwork layer, this file can be low resolution and is only used as a guide. Always make sure your template is set to overprint, please see the Overprint section or if unclear call us for further information.
B) Artwork
This file needs to be high resolution and have bullet and trim marks included but no template.
C) Template only
This is, as the name suggest the template on its own, please include the bullet and trim marks so it can be matched against the artwork.
Any questions?
If you are not sure that your packaging design artwork meets our criteria or you have any questions regarding artwork please email artwork@thepackagingexperts.co.uk.