artwork

If you’re not accustomed to producing artwork ready for print, this can be the most challenging part of the process. In order to provide the highest quality results artwork has to be supplied following some basic but important guidelines.

resolution

Any images/artwork supplied need to be at a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch).

Images taken from the web or clip art tend to be at a resolution of only 72dpi. This means that when the image is reproduced it can have jagged edges and won’t produce the highest quality print.

When you Download the relevant templates for your project these are set at 300dpi and when opened directly in a graphics package they should automatically be at the correct resolution.

don’t panic

We know it can be tricky if you are unaccustomed to producing artwork. Please call us if you have any queries ‘before starting’ your artwork. We’re  happy to give you any advice you need, especially if it’ll save you time and us rejecting your hard work!

got your artwork already?

If you already have your artwork, please check that it conforms to our templates or send through a piece and we’ll let you know if it’s ok.

templates

To use the templates choose the template link that you need for your DVD or CD duplication project. Once downloaded unzip it (double clicking should do the job on most PC’s) and you see your template files ready for use.

Open the templates in your graphic design software of choice – ideally Photoshop or similar. If you don’t have Photoshop you can download a 30 day trial here or you could try Gimpwhich is an open source product (free!) that is getting a great reputation for producing this kind of work.

Using the templates is relatively straightforward but you must follow a couple of simple rules:

Ensure your background images/colour stretch to the VERY outer guide. this is slightly larger than the size of the final booklet/disc to allow for the trimming process.

don’t

• Cut out the hole in the middle of your disc! Allow your background to cover the whole area.
• With booklet templates remember that the front cover is on the right hand side, the back on the left…doh!
• Don’t have any text or logos in the thick light blue ‘no text’ area towards the edges or these could be cropped.

flat as a pancake please

When designing using layers you must ‘flatten’ the image and then save it. If you don’t all your lovely fonts may not be on our system and we won’t be able to obtain them for you.

formats

When you’re done save your artwork as either a  .pdf  .tiff or high resolution jpeg all files must be 300 dpi.