If you are preparing your own art file for us to print read this…

PRODUCT SIZES & TEMPLATES: Because each of our products varies in size it is important to know the design specs. If our product pages do not have this information or a template download is not available please contact us before designing so that we can send you the proper template setup file. This template will include safety zones, trim marks, bleed requirements (if needed), resolution, and more.

FILE SIZE: Basically, your graphic file should look ready to print when viewed at 100% of the size. If you need to make the image at 50% because of artboard size constraints in Photoshop for example, then double the resolution to 600 DPI. At 25% size, you would have to double that again (1200 DPI). When we preflight your graphics for printing and we see a potential resolution problem, we will usually send you screenshots at 100% for you to decide if the image quality is acceptable to you or not.

RESOLUTION: Resolution should be set at least at 300 DPI at 100%. This depends on the product being printed and some will require higher resolutions, but this is a good standard practice. So, strive to create files at 300 DPI. (Anything higher will result in a nicer quality print.). We realize that due to upload constraints you may want to downsample your file, however, please do not downsample to a resolution lower than 300 dpi.

BLEED: Bleed refers to the area that will be printed in your graphics but may not be seen because of trimming. Bleed is not always needed on all products like our vinyl mats and banners but is used for things like postcards, posters, flyers, and other press-related media items. If in doubt, a good policy is to add at least 1/4″ (0.25″)  on all four sides and we will evaluate and consider this based upon the product. Typically though, for most of our product line, you do NOT need to add bleed to files.

VISIBLE AREA: This is the area of your graphic on the actual product that will show important text and images without being blocked by hardware, stitching, curves, or whatever would block the visibility of important content. For example, one display may have a section that curves around to the back of the unit and you would not want important information showing there.

COLOR: Most printing we do uses CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) as the color mode. If we receive files set up as RGB (Red, Green, Blue) then we have to change them to CMYK and this could result in a color shift. We also use the Pantone Matching System as a guide to help print certain colors correctly. If you have any critical colors in your art, please give us the (Solid) Pantone color for it if possible. Depending on the product we can print very close to these colors, but we do not guarantee a 100% match. A good rule of thumb if you have time, is to order a hard-copy proof, which is a print of a small piece of your graphics at 100% size using the printer that will do the final job. This allows you to accurately judge color in the final product.

GRAPHIC FILE TYPES: We accept Photoshop (PSD) & Adobe Illustrator (AI, EPS) graphic files are preferred, as they are the most suitable for large format printing. This depends on the product, but we also may be able to use PDF (editable PDFs), JPG, and TIFF files.

SUPPORT FILES: We need all the support files you used in creating your art. This means send native files used to create EPS files, Photoshop files, and embedded images. Don’t forget to include fonts.

FILES THAT WE CANNOT WORK WITH: We do NOT accept Quark, CorelDraw, .gif, .doc, .ppt, and .indd files. Publisher, PowerPoint. or Word documents — as they can only work as a layout guide. So, we cannot use them to print the final product. They would need to be redone in the proper file format (redesigned).

IMPORTANT TIPS: 

Proofread your art. Billy Diamond’s Branding For Entertainers is not responsible for typos, errors, flaws, or resolution problems contained in your art. Please check over your art before you send it to us and check over any proofs we send you. If something looks out of place, it is easier to fix it (and less expensive) before something is printed and shipped.

Do not include trimming or color guides in your file. We need clean graphic files that are ready to print.

Outline all of your text. We may not have the same font in our system that was used to create your art. This ensures your text will be rendered just like you designed it. In Adobe Illustrator, select the text, click TYPE in your menu bar, and select Create Outlines.

Provide Linked Files. When using images, provide those images as separate files. If the images are embedded, make sure the resolution is high enough at 100% and it’s still a good idea to send us the high-resolution images just in case we need them.

Provide Pantone (PMS) colors for any critical colors in your design. Also, talk to us about your colors and order a hard-copy proof if possible.

Use Flattened TIFF files for full-color designs that do not need Pantone color matching. Remember to use CMYK color mode and build the file to the full-size dimensions of the product’s respective size. You can also compress the TIFF file when flattened using LZW compression.