Picture this:
You're about to learn everything about "10 Commandments of Printing" — without the jargon, without the fluff, and with at least one dad joke that'll make you groan. Grab your coffee. Let's go.
Key Takeaways
6 min read
- 1What you need to know before printing
- 2Common mistakes to avoid
- 3How to get the best results
Follow these 10 commandments of printing and you'll avoid the most common production headaches. These fundamental rules combine essential design elements with production requirements that'll save you time, money, and frustration.#
Thou shalt not stretch#
Stretching your artwork is just lazy — there, I said it! You've got so many better alternatives to fix slight sizing issues.
Got the open file? Just extend the background image and elements.
Only have a JPEG or PNG? Use Photoshop's autofill feature to save the day.
How to autofill in Photoshop:
- Open your image in Photoshop
- Adjust your canvas size to the correct size (Image > Canvas Size)
- Select the "grey" areas with the Rectangular Marquee Tool
- Right-click in the selection
- Go to fill
- Ensure it says: Contents: Content Aware
- Click on OK and watch the magic happen
- If your fill wasn't fantastic, you can always fix it with the Patch Tool
Alternatively, create a new artboard in whatever application you're using and add a background colour that blends seamlessly.
<AcademyProTip>Design your booklets as a facing pages document for accurate visual flow. Before saving for print, deselect the facing pages option and adjust the bleed. Most designers export as facing pages, but your bleed uses the adjacent page — when a book gets assembled, the page layout differs completely from your end result.</AcademyProTip>
Thou shalt not create a border#
Most production houses cry a little when they see any form of border. This is one of the most crucial rules — whether it's white space or a line border.
Here's why: When machines cut <a href="https://www.printulu.co.za/product/flyers" class="internal-link text-[#007756] hover:text-[#005d42] underline font-medium">flyers</a>, they don't cut them one by one. The machine takes hundreds of pages and cuts them simultaneously. If that stack isn't perfectly aligned (and the chances of 100% alignment are slim), your cutting will be off-centre. You'll end up with crooked borders or uneven spacing.
Thou shalt not incorporate low-resolution images#
This goes without saying, but everyone makes this mistake. Unless you've got severe OCD and check each image before placing it, you'll slip up eventually. The general rule? View your artwork at 100% in Adobe — that gives you a pretty good idea of print quality.
Print houses recommend 300dpi for all images. Simple principle: the bigger you drag an image, the lower your dpi goes. Set it up to the size used in your artwork and adjust to 300dpi.
You can increase your dpi online with the Adobe Free Image Resizer.
A recent study found that buyers in marketplaces trust sellers more when they use high-quality photos. Higher-quality images directly translate to more sales.
Thou shalt not design to the edges#
Like the border rule, designing to the page edge creates similar problems. When we say "design to the edge," we mean text and crucial elements finishing right on the paper's edge. Always keep text and vital images 3mm in from the outer edge. Your background visuals must extend beyond the edge into the bleed area.
If your crucial elements sit too close to the edge and the cutter's alignment is off, you'll get cut-off words.
Most agencies don't have access to software with precise rulers, so here's my advice: keep about a centimetre of your edge clear of crucial information. How do you measure that? Use your index finger when your artwork's at 100% view. This gives you enough space — try it next time and see what happens.
<AcademyQuote>Think of any print order system as a puppy — basic instructions get the job done. Give me one artwork for one quantity, otherwise we'll never get our treat!</AcademyQuote>
Thou shalt not supply as spreads#
Print production houses have programmes that automatically plan <a href="https://www.printulu.co.za/product/brochures" class="internal-link text-[#007756] hover:text-[#005d42] underline font-medium">brochure</a> and booklet layouts. These programmes can't differentiate between spreads and pages. Supply a spread instead of two single pages, and the programme thinks your artwork's missing pages — probably throwing out your orientation too. Booklets and brochures must be supplied as one PDF document with single pages.
Thou shalt not provide a folded leaflet as single pages#
Opposite to point 5, any folded brochure must be supplied as flat size because programmes can distinguish folds. Ordered a 6-page DL folded pamphlet? Your artwork should be 210 x 297mm flat size with two folds indicated using spot colour. These programmes can't collate folded leaflets.
Thou shalt not supply more pages than products ordered#
If I had a penny for each order where page count and ordered product don't match... I'd be a millionaire!
Thou shalt not supply artwork as RGB#
This is the most crucial of the 10 commandments. <a href="/blog/clusters/artwork-prep" class="internal-link text-[#007756] hover:text-[#005d42] underline font-medium">CMYK</a> artwork gives you the most accurate onscreen representation possible. Your artwork will always get reported if it's in RGB because colour display varies greatly from CMYK. Any colours produced in RGB colour mode on digital won't create the same colours on physical print. Designing in CMYK gives you a more accurate representation of final print colour.
Here's how to change your RGB artwork to CMYK colour mode:
Thou shalt not supply a password-protected PDF#
Print houses understand you want your artwork printed exactly as supplied, but limiting what we can do delays your product. When you supply <a href="/blog/print-ready-file-guide" class="internal-link text-[#007756] hover:text-[#005d42] underline font-medium">print-ready</a> PDFs as password protected or with restrictions, we'll need to request an unprotected version — inevitably delaying your print run. Passwords limit us in preparing your document for printing.
<AcademyDadJoke>Why don't printers ever get locked out? Because they always have the right KEY... CMYK that is!</AcademyDadJoke>
Thou shalt not supply an incorrect file format#
Just because you can print a Word document on your end doesn't mean it'll look the same when we receive it. Documents alter their appearance depending on factors like available fonts. Industry standard requires print material in one of these file formats: JPEG / PNG / TIFF / PDF
Formats that'll be rejected include PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Illustrator, CorelDraw, InDesign, and Photoshop.
Files that can alter their appearance will always be reported because we don't know if what we're seeing matches what you're seeing.
These 10 commandments of printing might not be what you expected, but they address the most common challenges in the printing industry. Use these as your guide and you'll be a cut above the rest.#
facebooktwitteryoutube