No artwork?
No problem.
If you do not have artwork we can design it for you, based on your brief. Note that artwork is charged at an hourly rate. Please contact us for a quote or to arrange an appointment.
File formats
We prefer artwork supplied in PDF or high-res JPEG format with the appropriate bleed applied. If we need to fix your files, there may be a charge involved but we will notify you first. All major design packages are also accepted, including Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.
We cannot accept Corel Draw, Quark, Freehand or Publisher files. We can open Word or Powerpoint files, but there may be a charge for us to convert the artwork to a printable format, and problems may occur.
Fonts
Please ensure that all fonts on your file have either been outlined, or that the font files have been included with your artwork.
Scale and resolution
Our general rule of thumb is that artwork containing bitmap images should be supplied at a minimum of 300dpi at quarter scale.
For really large artwork, where files are getting too large to work with, you may get away with a smaller scale or resolution.
Remember that large format print is generally viewed at a distance, so it doesn’t need to be as high quality as a printed brochure, for example. However, please avoid sending us artwork used on web-sites, as they are generally far too small for large format print.
Vector artwork is ideal where possible, as it can be scaled to any size and retain its sharpness.
When scaling artwork, please keep it to a round scale (eg 25% or 50%). Let us know the ratio and output size, too, so that we can scale it back up correctly when printing.
Also, be sure that your dimensions are in proportion. For example, A4 artwork can’t be scaled up to a 3 metre by 1 metre banner without us having to alter the layout of your artwork.
Bleed
Whether or not bleed is required can depend on the job. It’s easier for us to remove bleed from artwork than it is for us to add it, so if in doubt add at least 10mm bleed on all sides, or phone to check.
Visual proofs
It is advisable to include either a printed visual, or a low resolution JPEG or PDF with your artwork, so that we can check that what we are printing matches what you expect it to look like. If you would like us to e-mail a proof back to you before printing, please let us know.
Colour matching
Our digital printing systems cannot provide a 100% accurate Pantone colour match. When critical colour matching is required, we can run test swatches for you to choose the closest match from, though this is chargeable. You must request this before we print, otherwise we can’t accept responsibility for inaccuracy of colours.
Artwork for cut vinyl
When supplying artwork for cut vinyl graphics, it must be provided in vector format, so that our machine can read it, preferably outlined Adobe Illustrator or Acrobat PDF files.
Please ensure that all fonts and strokes have been outlined.
How to send your artwork
Files under 10MB can simply be e-mailed to us. Please send to artwork@bd-print.co.uk.
Files over 10MB can be sent via a file transfer site such as WeTransfer and MailBigFile.
Please make sure you have already placed your order separately with details of your requirements, so that our artwork department are expecting your artwork and will know what to do with it when it arrives.