All you need to know about artwork specifications

These are the specifications we print to. In short: send a high-resolution PDF, set up at 100% of finished size (or in proportion), with 10 mm bleed on every edge unless the product template says otherwise. Images should be at least 150 ppi at finished size, and 75 ppi is the lowest we accept. Supply everything in CMYK, with fonts outlined or embedded and transparencies flattened.

Production lead times start once your order is confirmed and print-ready artwork is with us, so the artwork date sets the delivery date.

File type

A high-resolution PDF is our preferred format, because it is the least likely to cause a problem. We also accept TIFF, JPEG, Illustrator and EPS files, with a $75 conversion fee for anything that isn't a PDF.

Artwork size

Set the PDF up at 100% of the finished size, or at a proportional size, with bleed included. Working in proportion keeps large wall graphics manageable, but resolution and bleed scale too.

Bleed

Bleed is the extra image that runs past the trim line, so there is no white sliver at the edge after cutting or tensioning. Unless a template says otherwise, allow 10 mm of bleed on every edge. So a 1000 × 2000 mm panel needs a 1020 × 2020 mm file.

Templates and safe zones

A product template always overrides the 10 mm default. Templates are listed on the product pages (or ask us for the one that suits your product), and they show where the graphic folds or sits in a frame.

• Banner stands: Quickscreen templates are set by width and height, from 600 mm × 1.5 m up to 1200 mm × 2.1 m.
• Shell scheme wall graphics: Graphics 2 Go panels are finished at 2.35 m high to suit 2.4 m Australian exhibition walls, unless you specify otherwise.
• Custom frames: Brandframe is built to your specification. There are templates for the most popular sizes; for anything else, we confirm the artwork size once the stand specification is agreed.

Keep logos and key copy well inside the trim. Fabric edges sit in a frame groove and panel joins fall in fixed places, so check the template before placing anything near an edge or join.

Resolution

For best results, images should be at least 150 ppi at 100% of the finished size. The lowest we can accept is 75 ppi at 100% of the finished size. Below that, an image can't be printed well whatever we do at our end.

If you work at a proportional scale, multiply the resolution to match. At 10% scale, an image needs 1,500 ppi in the file to print at 150 ppi at full size (150 × 10 = 1,500).

Graphics read at arm's length, such as a counter front, show every soft edge, so aim above the minimum. Header graphics seen from across a hall are more forgiving, but still need 75 ppi.

Colour mode

Supply all artwork in CMYK mode. Convert any spot colours to CMYK process colours before you send the file. If spot colours are left in, they are converted during printing, and the result is unreliable. Our guide to converting spot colours to CMYK shows how to check and change them.

Rich black

For an extra-dense black, set a rich black of C 50, M 50, Y 50, K 100.

Colour matching

Where a brand colour must be matched closely, tell us when you order and give the PMS colour reference. We create a four-colour process colour to match it as closely as possible, and a printed proof is worth ordering too.

Fonts

Outline or embed all text and fonts, so nothing reflows on our machines and there are no unexpected print results.

Flattening

If the file contains gradients, layers or transparencies, flatten it before export. Unflattened files may not print the way they look on screen.

Large files

Wide-format files can be slow to transfer. If you save the PDF from Illustrator, untick "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" in the General panel of the Save Adobe PDF window. That can cut the file size significantly.

Sending artwork

Email files to artwork@displays2go.com.au with the order or job number in the subject line, if you have one. If a file is too big to email, contact us and we will arrange another way. More detail is on the sending artwork page.

Proofs

Digital proofs are available on request: ask for one when you order. Printed A3 proofs are $45 each, which is worth it for brand colours and photography.

Preflighting

For a fuller check, our optional artwork preflighting service costs $45 ex-GST per job, not per piece of artwork. Designers who know our templates and finished products check the files and send digital proofs back for approval before anything prints. The issues we find most often in preflighting are:

1. Document size not matching the template
2. Image resolution too low
3. Fonts not outlined
4. Colours not set up in CMYK
5. Artwork not flattened

If you'd rather not prepare files yourself, our in-house graphic design team can produce print-ready artwork. Send a brief of what you need and we will estimate the cost.

Fabric, rigid and backlit graphics

The specifications above apply to every format. What changes is how each graphic is made.

Fabric (SEG, dye-sublimated). Water-based dye-sublimation inks are heat-infused into knitted polyester fabric. A silicone edge (SEG) is pushed into an aluminium frame groove; no tools are needed. Keep key content clear of the frame edge. The fabric is machine washable on a cold cycle. Replace the fabric skin when the message changes.

Rigid and folding panels. Printed digitally and mounted on a flexible or rigid backing, then sealed under a non-glare, scratch-resistant laminate. Panels fit with industrial-strength VELCRO-brand fasteners on carpeted shell scheme walls, and mounting blocks for smooth walls. Check where 1 m panel joins and fold cuts fall. Panels are reusable over several shows, and single replacement panels can be printed.

Backlit fabric. A fabric graphic in a frame with LED lighting inside, such as Brandframe Glow, for a lightbox effect. It fits with a silicone edge in the frame, as for standard fabric. Don't supply artwork prepared only for front lighting. Check colour and density with the lights on. Care and reuse are as for fabric.

We can print a custom graphic up to 3.2 m wide in one piece, depending on the material.

Artwork deadlines

Production lead times are counted from order confirmation and, where the job needs it, receipt of print-ready artwork. Late artwork means a later delivery. Standard production times on the product pages include:

• Quickscreen exhibition banners: 1 week
• Graphics 2 Go wall-mounted graphics: 1.5 weeks
• Exhibition Brandframe: 2 weeks

Delivery is extra and depends on the postcode, so ask us for freight timing. Then work back from the day you need the graphics on site:

1. Bump-in date at the venue
2. Less freight time to the venue's postcode
3. Less the production lead time for each product
4. Less time for proofing and any changes

The result is your artwork deadline, before your own internal sign-off. At standard lead times, for example, a Brandframe needs approved artwork with us 2 weeks plus freight time before bump-in. If your date is tighter, ask.

Check your files against these specifications and email them to artwork@displays2go.com.au. If you want a second pair of eyes before anything prints, book artwork preflighting, or browse our exhibition wall graphics to find the template for your stand.