Sending us print ready artwork ensures that your designs look exactly how you intend when they come off the press. Below are guidelines on file formats, bleed, resolution, and more to guarantee a seamless printing process.

We will cover the different ways you can send your artwork with the team at Print Stafford.

We currently accept artwork by Email and the WeTransfer service.

How to Send Your Print Ready Artwork

We would never just print what you send us without checking your file first, should there be an issue, we would advise you of it straight away. All files sent to us will automatically get a free artwork check as we don’t want you to have any nasty surprises.

If your design doesn’t meet our print-ready artwork guidelines outlined below, we will let you know.

If you wish to supply your artwork for us to print, please ensure it complies with our artwork checklist before submission.

Send your artwork files to us at info@printstafford.com or via wetransfer.com – either click on the link below or visit wetransfer.com

If your files exceed 20 MB, we recommend using WeTransfer for fast, reliable uploading.

WeTransfer Steps

Open a new browser window and visit wetransfer.com

Click on the “+ Add files” button

Select the file(s) you wish to send (you can drag and drop also here)

Enter your own email address.

Enter the email address of the person you’re sending the files to: info@printstafford.com

Write a short message if required - we advice letting us know your print project name.

Click on the “Transfer” button

We transfer will send you a pin to enter to verify your a human (we know great ain’t it)

We will then be sent the files and you will be notified once we have downloaded them.

Before You Send!

It is always best to check your print ready file before sending.

Is your file saved in PDF or high-res JPEG?
Have you included 3 mm bleed?
Are fonts embedded or outlined?
Is the colour mode CMYK?

What is Print Ready Artwork?

‘Print ready artwork’ means that you provide us with a file which we will print directly from, this needs to be set up correctly.

This file will need to be in either a PDF format or a high resolution jpeg.

If you don’t have your artwork in a print-ready format to send us, we can create it for you. Our talented team of graphic designers will work with your ideas and preferences to give you a design that complements your business.

Artwork Guidelines

We understand that preparing your artwork can often be a little confusing. We’ve compiled a quick guide with some great tips below which will hopefully help with any queries you may have.

Before sending your file, you should open and check all your pages for any errors that may have occurred during the PDF conversion.

Print Ready Artwork Guidelines

1. File Formats and Resolution

Acceptable Formats: PDF (preferred), high-resolution JPEG.

Resolution: 300 dpi minimum for optimal print clarity; 100–150 dpi for large-format banners (mention this if relevant).

Flattened PDFs: When you develop your artwork, you create different aspects of the design separately. The basic framework of your artwork might be a formatting program like Adobe that you use to organize and present the text. As you add in details like chapter names, the program creates overlaid content to the basic framework with this new content.

Each additional contribution creates a new layer onto the file, and when you create a PDF of the file, you are essentially creating a stack of PDF layers that visually appear as a singular file. When a printer views this PDF file, without any changes, instead of viewing all of the stacked layers as a whole, the printer can only view the top or last layer added to the PDF file, completely skewing what the PDF was intended to look like.

When you flatten PDF files, each of the layers is bonded together so that the flattened PDF file integrates all of the layers into a single, readable PDF file.

2. Setup your Artwork at the Correct Size

Create artwork at the size you need, including bleed: E.g. Don’t supply a PDF with a business card set in the middle of an A4 page. All setup sizes for our finished products can be found within the product page.

3. Bleed and Safe Zone

Bleed: 3 mm on most jobs; 10 mm for large formats. You can read more about What is Bleed in Print, and How to Create a Bleed?

Safe Zone: Keep important text and graphics at least 3 mm inside the trim line.

4. Font Embedding and Outlining

If you’re using a PDF, ensure fonts are embedded or converted to outlines. This ensures the fonts you have used look the same when your print ready artwork comes to us. Don’t worry we will send you a screen proof of what we can see.

5. Colour Mode

CMYK Preferred: Avoid RGB or Pantone colours if the job is full colour.

If you want to understand why we work in CMYK and the differences from RGB, you can read our guide.

6. Multiple-Page Files (for Booklets, Leaflets, Etc.)

For leaflets and flat print work: Double-sided artwork should be supplied in a 2-page PDF – 1 file containing 2 pages. Page 1 will be considered the front, and page 2 the back.

For Books and Brochures: The number of pages in a booklet must always be a multiple of 4, e.g. 4 pages, 8 pages, etc.
Booklets should not be sent as spreads or ‘printer’s pairs’.

Pages must be in the intended order of the booklet, starting with the front cover as page 1 and the back of the cover as the last page.
e.g. 12pp booklet = 1 PDF containing 12 pages – not 12 separate PDFs.

FAQ's on How to Send Your Artwork

What if my file is larger than 20 MB?

Use WeTransfer or compress your file before sending.

Do you check the artwork for errors?

Yes, we do a free artwork check to make sure your file is suitable for print. This involves making sure the sizing is correct, it does not involve proofreading.

Can you fix my artwork if something is missing?

Sometimes this is very much dependent on the files we are sent. If we can, we will offer to help, please note additional design charges may apply.

Of course you are more than welcome to correct the issues yourself.

If you need any help feel free to get in touch.