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Artwork Guide

A good file prints well. A bad file cannot be rescued by any press, and we would rather tell you before we print than after. Here is what we need.

Formats we accept

  • PDF, our first choice, print ready with fonts embedded
  • AI and EPS, native vector files
  • PNG at high resolution, when a vector version does not exist
  • JPG and TIFF at 300 dpi

Please avoid Word, PowerPoint, screenshots, and images pulled from a website or a social profile. They are almost always too low in resolution and in the wrong color mode.

Resolution: 300 dpi at final size

The part most people skip is at final size. An image that looks sharp at 2 inches falls apart at 20. Check the resolution at the dimensions you actually ordered.

Large format is the exception. A banner read from 10 feet away is fine at 100 to 150 dpi at full size. Ask us if you are not sure.

Bleed: 0.125 inch on every side

If your design has a background color or an image that reaches the edge, extend it 0.125 inch past the trim on all four sides.

Then keep text and logos at least 0.125 inch inside the trim line. Cutting moves slightly. Anything sitting on the edge will look off center on some pieces.

Color: send CMYK

Convert to CMYK before sending. RGB files get converted anyway, and bright blues, greens and neons shift when they do. Converting yourself means you see the shift before we print it.

For large solid black areas, use a rich black of C60 M40 Y40 K100 instead of plain K100.

We match Pantone colors as closely as CMYK allows. True spot color is quoted on request and is not available on every product.

Fonts: outline them

Convert text to outlines, or embed the fonts in your PDF. A font that does not travel with the file gets substituted, and the layout breaks in ways nobody notices until it is printed.

Small things that save a reprint

  • One page per printed side, in reading order
  • Build the file at the size you ordered
  • Flatten transparency and live effects
  • Avoid thin borders near the trim, they show every millimeter of movement
  • Proofread the phone number, the web address and the hours. We print exactly what you send.

Sending your file

After your order is placed we email you an upload link. Name the file with your order reference. If it is large, a Drive or Dropbox link works just as well.

We check before we print

Every file goes through a preflight: size, resolution, bleed, color mode and fonts. If something is going to hurt the result, we stop and tell you.

That check is technical, not editorial. The content, the spelling and the rights to the images stay with you.

No artwork? We design it.

DAOX is an agency before it is a print shop. Design is listed in the shop at a fixed price, with a proof, two rounds of revisions and print ready files at the end.

We also repair or rebuild files you already have: vectorize a logo, clean up a low resolution image, adapt one design across several sizes.