Artwork Guidelines

Start With the Best File Available

Better source artwork produces better printed results. Whenever possible, send the original design file, vector logo or highest-resolution artwork available rather than a screenshot, social-media image or image copied from a website.

Vector vs. Raster Artwork

Vector

Vector artwork is constructed mathematically rather than from individual pixels. It can generally be enlarged without becoming blurry or pixelated, making it ideal for logos, text, illustrations, signs, banners, vehicle graphics and large-format printing.

Raster

Raster images are made from pixels. Common examples include photographs and JPEG/PNG images. Enlarging a raster image beyond its available resolution can cause visible pixelation or softness.

A high-resolution photograph can be excellent artwork. A small image copied from a website usually isn't.

Resolution

For small-format products viewed up close, 300 DPI at finished size is a good target when practical.

Large-format printing is different. Banners, signs and displays are typically viewed from farther away, so they may not require 300 DPI at full finished dimensions. Appropriate effective resolution depends on finished size, viewing distance, image content and printing method.

Design at the Correct Size

Whenever practical, artwork should be created at the product's finished proportions. For example, artwork intended for a 24 × 36-inch sign should use the same 2:3 proportion.

For extremely large graphics, artwork may sometimes be prepared at a reduced scale such as 1:2 or 1:10. The scale should be clearly communicated when files are submitted.

Bleed, Trim & Safe Areas

Some products require artwork to extend beyond the finished trim edge. This extra artwork is called bleed. Bleed allows the product to be trimmed without leaving an unintended white edge.

Important text, logos and other critical elements should remain inside the safe area, away from trim edges, hems, grommets or other finishing locations. Bleed requirements vary by product. When a Premier Print House LLC template is provided, use the dimensions and guides contained in that template.

Fonts

To avoid missing or substituted fonts, finished print files should have fonts properly embedded or converted to outlines when appropriate. If Premier Print House LLC needs to edit your artwork, supplying the original fonts or editable design files may be necessary.

Color

Professional printing commonly uses CMYK color, while screens typically display RGB. Artwork supplied in RGB may need to be converted for production, which can change the appearance of some colors—particularly very bright blues, greens and other highly saturated screen colors.

Printed output can also vary based on material, ink, printer, finish, lighting and viewing environment. If matching a specific brand color is critical, tell us before production.

Black

Large areas of black and small black text may require different color builds for the best printed result. If you're preparing professional production artwork and are unsure how black should be constructed for a particular product, contact us rather than guessing.

Transparency, Shadows & Effects

Modern PDF workflows support many transparency and design effects, but complex artwork can occasionally behave differently when processed for large-format printing. For complicated designs, submit a high-quality PDF and retain your original editable artwork. Premier Print House LLC may request an alternate file if a production issue is identified.

Photographs & Logos

Photographs

For the best photographic reproduction, use the original image whenever possible. Avoid screenshots, images saved from social media, images copied from websites, heavily compressed JPEG files and images that have already been repeatedly resized.

A photograph that looks acceptable on a phone may not contain enough information to print several feet wide.

Logos

The best logo files are generally original vector files. If you have several versions of your logo and aren't sure which one is best, send us the available versions and we'll determine which is most suitable for production. Avoid rebuilding a logo from a screenshot whenever the original artwork exists.

Linked Images

If submitting editable production files, make sure linked images and supporting assets are included. A design file that references an image stored only on your computer may open with that image missing on another system. A properly prepared print-ready PDF often avoids this problem.

Spelling, Content & QR Codes

Before submitting finished artwork, carefully check names, phone numbers, addresses, websites, dates, prices, QR codes, event information, spelling and grammar. Premier Print House LLC may notice obvious issues during production review, but customer-supplied artwork should be considered customer-approved content.

QR Codes

QR codes should be large enough for their intended viewing distance and have sufficient contrast and clear space around the code. Always test the final QR code before submitting artwork. For important applications, test it from approximately the distance at which customers will actually scan it.

Artwork Review

Submitting artwork does not necessarily mean the file is immediately ready for production. Premier Print House LLC may identify insufficient resolution, incorrect dimensions, missing bleed, missing fonts or linked images, unexpected transparency, artwork outside the printable area or file corruption.

If an issue could materially affect production, we may contact you before proceeding.

Artwork Corrections

Minor production preparation may sometimes be possible without redesigning the artwork. Files requiring substantial reconstruction, logo recreation, layout changes or other design work may need to move to Design Services. We will communicate with you when submitted artwork requires work beyond normal production preparation.

Proof Approval

When Premier Print House LLC provides a proof, review everything, not just the overall appearance. Check dimensions, spelling, contact information, dates, images, colors, placement and other important content. Production may begin once required approval is received.