Artwork mistakes that cost you a reprint

The reprint list: seven mistakes to catch before print

We receive print files every day from brand teams, agencies and freelance designers. Not all of them arrive ready to print, and the ones that don't usually fail for the same reasons. These are the top five issues our preflighting turns up, in order:

1. Document size not matching the design template
2. Image resolution too low
3. Fonts not outlined
4. Colours set up incorrectly, most often not in CMYK
5. Artwork not flattened, so the print doesn't match the screen

Two more round out the list: missing bleed, and copy errors such as a wrong phone number or an old logo, which no technical check will catch. Most of these are easy to fix at artwork stage. Found on a printed graphic, the same mistake means a reprint and, close to an event, possibly a missed deadline.

Wrong size or template

Our preflighting list puts this one first. A file built at A4, or at a "standard" banner size taken from another job, will not fit a display made to a different size. Stretching it to fit distorts logos and images.

• Start from our template for the exact product. Our templates already contain the bleed within the page size. Where a template's instructions differ from our general specifications, the template wins.
• Set up at 100% of finished size, or in exact proportion. Proportional files are fine as long as the ratio is right and the resolution is scaled to match (see below).
• Check the finished height. Our Graphics 2 Go wall graphics, for example, finish at 2.35m high unless you specify otherwise, so they sit neatly on a 2.4m Australian exhibition wall. A file set up at 2.4m would not match the product.
• Die-cut shapes need a dieline. If the graphic is cut to a custom shape or folded, place the cut and fold lines on their own named layers, set to a spot colour so they don't print. Use one colour for the full cut and another for folds.

Low-resolution images and logos

A photo that looks sharp on a laptop can turn soft and blocky printed 2m high. Our specification asks for at least 150 ppi at 100% of finished size for best results. The lowest we can accept is 75 ppi at finished size.

If you set the file up at 10% of finished size, the images inside it need ten times the resolution, so 1,500 ppi at that scale.

Logos are where this bites most often. A logo saved for a website is made for screens, so it is usually low resolution: one 300 pixels wide will only print about 51mm wide at 150 ppi. Ask the brand owner for a vector logo (AI, EPS or a vector PDF), which prints sharply at any size. If no high-resolution version exists, the logo will probably need to be rebuilt by a designer. Enlarging a small image in Photoshop doesn't help: you get more pixels but no more detail.

Missing bleed and text in the safe zone

Large-format graphics are trimmed after printing, and no trim is perfectly exact. Bleed is extra background that runs past the trim line, so no white sliver shows.

• Allow 10mm bleed on all edges unless the product template specifies something different.
• Extend backgrounds into the bleed, not just the colour box at the edge of the page.
• Keep text and logos well inside the trim, and inside any safe area the template marks. Words that run to the edge can be cut off, or wrap around the edge of a frame or panel.
• If you are using our template, don't add printer's marks. The bleed is already built into the page size.

RGB or spot colours left in the file

Screens show colour in RGB. Digital presses print in CMYK: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Ordinary colours should use only those four separations.

• Why it matters: any spot colour or RGB element left in the file gets converted to CMYK during printing, and the result can be unpredictable. Bright, saturated screen colours are the ones most likely to shift.
• The fix: set the document to CMYK and convert colours to CMYK before you export. The only spot colours that should remain are dielines, set to spot so they don’t print, and an agreed white-ink layer named White.
• Rich black: for an extra-dense black, set it to C 50, M 50, Y 50, K 100 rather than black alone.
• Brand colours: if a colour must be matched closely, tell us when you order and give us the PMS reference. We build a CMYK mix that matches it as closely as possible.

Fonts not outlined and transparency not flattened

Fonts. When another computer opens your file, it looks for the fonts you used. If it can't find them, it substitutes another font, and even a font with the same name can differ slightly, so line breaks and spacing move. Outline text to turn letters into shapes, or embed all fonts in the PDF. Proofread first, because outlined text can't be edited, and save the outlined version under a new name so your master file keeps live text.

Flattening. Part of printing converts the file into "printer language", and some printing software interprets gradients, layers, drop shadows and transparency differently from your screen. Overlapping effects in mixed colour modes, such as an RGB photo under CMYK graphics, are the classic trap. Flattening the file before you send it reduces that risk. Our flattening guide recommends Acrobat Pro for this, then a check that nothing dropped out.

File too big to send

Wide-format files can get very large and slow to send. In Illustrator, untick "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" when you save the PDF. Our guide reports this one setting can cut file size by up to 95%. If your file is set up at 100% of finished size, setting colour and greyscale image compression to 150 ppi helps further, and 150 ppi is plenty for large-format print. If you work at a reduced scale, skip this step, because at 10% scale images need 1,500 ppi. If a file is still too big to email, tell us and we'll sort out another way to transfer it.

Spelling, legal lines and the wrong version

A file can pass every technical check and still need reprinting because the words are wrong. No file check can tell that a phone number is out of date, so this one belongs to whoever approves the artwork.

• Read every word aloud, including the small print in footers.
• Test every phone number, URL and QR code from the proof, not from memory.
• Check legal and regulated lines: trade promotion permit numbers, terms and conditions references, pricing, offer end dates and any wording your legal team has approved.
• Confirm the logo and product shots are current, and that the campaign dates match the event.
• Confirm the file is the final version. Name files with a version number and date, and send only the approved one.

A five-minute check before you approve

For colour-critical work, ask for a proof when you order. Digital proofs are available on request, and printed A3 proofs cost $45 ex-GST each.

Get the file checked before it prints

Problems cost least when they are caught early. Our full artwork specifications set out every requirement above, and sending artwork explains where to email your files.

If you'd rather not carry the risk yourself, add artwork preflighting to your order. It costs $45 ex-GST per job, not per file. It is worth it even when a designer has checked the file, because not every designer knows the details of a product template or the print process. One of our experienced designers checks your file against the product template and how the finished display goes together, then sends you digital proofs to sign off before printing starts. For wall graphics on a stand, the Graphics 2 Go printed graphics page lists artwork templates, and our in-house design team can prepare print-ready artwork if you prefer. Otherwise, call 1300 240 250 to talk the file through.