On this page 8 sections
These artwork guidelines are the difference between a card that sails through and one that bounces back with questions. Every upload is checked for size and resolution before it prints, and with File Check (£4.99) a person looks it over too, but getting it right first saves you a day.
The 60-second check
- Right size: the finished size you ordered, for example 85 × 55 mm for a standard business card.
- Bleed: 3 mm extra on every edge, so a standard card file is 91 × 61 mm.
- Safe area: keep words and logos at least 3 mm inside the trim line.
- Sharp enough: photos at 300 dpi at the finished size; logos and text as vectors where you can.
- Colour: CMYK, with Pantone numbers for brand colours.
- Fonts: outlined or embedded, one side per PDF page (page 1 front, page 2 back).
Which file to send
A PDF is best, with the fonts embedded or turned into outlines. AI, EPS and SVG are fine, and so are high-resolution JPG, PNG and TIFF files. Made it in Word, PowerPoint or Canva? That is a fine place to start: export a full-quality print PDF with bleed rather than sending the original.
Document sizes for the usual jobs
| Product | Finished size | File size with 3 mm bleed |
|---|---|---|
| Standard business card | 85 × 55 mm | 91 × 61 mm |
| Square business card | 55 × 55 mm | 61 × 61 mm |
| Compliment slip | 210 × 99 mm | 216 × 105 mm |
| Letterhead (A4) | 210 × 297 mm | 216 × 303 mm |
| A6 postcard or invitation | 105 × 148 mm | 111 × 154 mm |
| A5 postcard, invitation or menu | 148 × 210 mm | 154 × 216 mm |
| DL card | 99 × 210 mm | 105 × 216 mm |
Each product page states its own sizes. When in doubt, use the free artwork template on the product page, which shows the bleed, trim and safe lines.
Premium finishes: foil and spot UV
Foil and spot UV need a second layer that shows where the finish goes. Supply it as an extra page (or a separate file) in solid 100% black on white, at exactly the same size and position as your artwork. Keep foil and spot UV shapes bold rather than hair-thin and away from the trim, because very fine detail and tiny text can fill in. Not sure? Choose a design option at checkout and we prepare the finish layer for you.
Resolution: how sharp is sharp enough?
A business card is read at arm’s length, so photos need 300 dpi at full size. A logo copied off a website is usually too small: 200 pixels wide becomes a blur on an 85 mm card. Logos and text are best as vector artwork, which stays sharp at any size. If your only logo is a small picture, our logo redraw rebuilds it as a clean vector.
Getting colours right
Printers use CMYK inks, screens use RGB light. RGB files are converted for print, and very bright greens, blues and oranges can come out a little flatter. Uncoated, kraft and textured papers soak up more ink, so colours look softer than on silk. If a brand colour matters, give us the Pantone reference and it will be matched as closely as the stock allows.
Words people can actually read
Small text is the usual problem on a card: keep phone numbers and addresses large enough to read at arm’s length, and avoid hairline rules. Check every spelling, phone number, email and web address twice, because we print the file you send.
No artwork? Three ways round it
Every product has an Artwork choice. Upload your own file (checked automatically, or by a person with File Check at £4.99), design it yourself in the free online designer, or pick a fixed-price design option: typesetting, design from your brief, a logo redraw or a new logo. The fee appears as its own line in your basket and covers the whole quantity of that item. The Artwork & Design Service can also be booked on its own, and includes 1 design and 2 rounds of changes.