Artwork Guidelines

Artwork Guidelines

Creating great printed products starts with great artwork. Whether you’re supplying professionally designed files or creating artwork yourself, following these guidelines will help ensure your order is produced accurately and to the highest possible quality.

If you’re unsure about any aspect of your artwork, don’t worry—our team is always happy to help before your order goes into production.

Preferred File Format

For the best printing results, we recommend supplying your artwork as a:

  • High-quality PDF (Preferred)

We also accept a range of other file formats where appropriate, including:

  • AI (Adobe Illustrator)
  • EPS
  • SVG (Vector artwork)
  • PSD (Adobe Photoshop)
  • PNG (High-resolution)
  • JPEG (High-resolution)

Please note that some file formats may require additional checks or adjustments before production.

Colour

For professionally printed products, artwork should be supplied in CMYK colour mode.

Artwork supplied in RGB may be converted during production, which can result in slight colour differences.

Please be aware that colours displayed on computer monitors, tablets and mobile phones may differ from the final printed product due to screen calibration and printing processes.

Where colour accuracy is critical, please contact us before placing your order.

Resolution

Raster images should be supplied at:

300 dpi (dots per inch) at the final print size.

Lower resolution images may appear blurred, pixelated or lacking in detail when printed.

Bleed

Where artwork extends to the edge of the finished product, please include:

  • 3 mm bleed on all sides

This allows for minor manufacturing tolerances during trimming and helps prevent unwanted white edges.

Safe Area

Keep important content such as:

  • Text
  • Logos
  • QR codes
  • Contact information
  • Borders

At least 3 mm inside the finished trim edge.

This helps ensure nothing important is trimmed during production.

Fonts

To avoid font substitution, please either:

  • Outline all fonts before exporting your artwork, or
  • Embed fonts within your PDF.

If fonts are missing, they may be substituted with alternatives, affecting the appearance of your design.

Images

Please ensure that:

  • Images are high resolution
  • Images are embedded within the artwork
  • Linked images are included where applicable
  • Copyright permissions have been obtained for any third-party images used

Forge 29 cannot accept responsibility for copyrighted material supplied without the appropriate permissions.

Transparency & Effects

Where possible:

  • Flatten complex transparencies
  • Embed all graphics
  • Expand appearance where appropriate
  • Check overprint settings

This helps avoid unexpected printing results.

Spot Colours

If your artwork uses spot colours (including Pantone® references), please contact us before ordering to confirm whether they are supported for your chosen product.

Unless specifically requested, artwork will generally be printed using standard CMYK process colours.

Black Text

For the sharpest results:

  • Small black text should use 100% Black (K) only.
  • Large solid black areas may benefit from using a rich black mix where appropriate.

QR Codes & Barcodes

If your design includes QR codes or barcodes:

  • Supply them as vector artwork where possible.
  • Ensure there is sufficient contrast.
  • Leave adequate clear space around the code.
  • Test all QR codes before submitting your artwork.

Forge 29 cannot accept responsibility for incorrect or untested codes supplied by customers.

Personalised Products

For personalised gifts, engraved products and custom items:

Please carefully check:

  • Spelling
  • Grammar
  • Dates
  • Names
  • Telephone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • Personalisation details

Your submitted personalisation will normally be reproduced exactly as provided.

Proofreading

Before submitting your artwork, we recommend checking:

  • Spelling
  • Grammar
  • Contact details
  • Dimensions
  • Colours
  • Alignment
  • Image quality

Taking a few extra minutes to review your artwork can help avoid unnecessary delays and reprints.

Artwork Checks

Every order receives a basic artwork review before production.

We’ll check for obvious issues such as:

  • Incorrect page size
  • Missing bleed
  • Low-resolution images
  • Missing fonts (where detectable)
  • Potential production concerns

Our artwork check is intended to identify obvious technical issues. It does not include a full design review, proof-reading or correction of customer-supplied artwork unless this forms part of a separately purchased design service.

If we identify a significant issue that may affect the final product, we’ll contact you wherever reasonably possible before production begins.

Need Help?

Not everyone is a graphic designer—and that’s absolutely fine.

If you’re unsure whether your artwork is ready to print, or if you’d like us to review your files before ordering, please get in touch. We’re always happy to offer advice and help you achieve the best possible results.

Our aim is to make ordering print simple, straightforward and stress-free, whether you’re ordering business stationery, signage, personalised gifts or bespoke products.