File Guidelines

On a standard-timeline order, a file issue costs you a day of back-and-forth. Annoying, but survivable. On a rush order, that same file issue can cost your entire deadline. Your same-day production window closes. Your overnight shipping becomes two-day. The prints that were supposed to be in your hands Thursday morning arrive Friday afternoon — after the event.

Every specification on this page exists to prevent that scenario. Follow these guidelines and your file passes prepress in minutes. Skip them and you risk a hold that eats the time you paid a rush premium to save.

PDF is the fastest format to process and the one we strongly recommend for rush orders. It preserves fonts, colors, and layout without dependency on the software that created it. Our prepress workflow is optimized for PDF — it moves through the system faster than any other format.

We also accept AI, EPS, PSD, TIFF, and high-resolution JPG or PNG files. However, these formats sometimes require additional processing — font conflicts, missing linked files, layer flattening — that adds time. On a standard order, no big deal. On a rush order, stick with PDF.

If you designed in Canva, Google Slides, or PowerPoint, export as PDF at the highest quality setting. Avoid submitting screenshots, low-quality exports, or Word documents.

Every image in your file must be 300 DPI at the size it appears in the final print. Images below 300 DPI print blurry and pixelated. There is no software fix for a low-resolution image — it must be replaced with a higher-quality original.

Images from websites, social media, and email are typically 72 to 150 DPI. They look fine on screen but fail in print. Use original files from your camera, stock photo services, or your photographer.

Vector elements — logos, icons, text, and illustrations created in Illustrator — scale infinitely without quality loss. If your file is a mix of photos and vectors, only the photos need to meet the 300 DPI threshold.

Bleed is the extra artwork that extends beyond the trim line. When we cut your prints to final size, this extra area is trimmed away, leaving clean full-color coverage to the edge with no white borders.

Set your document to the final print size plus 0.25 inches total (0.125 inches on each side). For an 8.5 x 11 flyer, your document should be 8.75 x 11.25 inches. Extend all background colors, photos, and design elements that touch the edge into the bleed area.

Missing bleed is the single most common file issue on rush orders. It triggers a hold every time because printing without bleed produces visible white edges. Add bleed before you export and eliminate this risk entirely.

Keep all text, logos, phone numbers, dates, and other critical content at least 0.125 inches inside the trim line on all sides. This safety margin protects your content from being clipped during the cutting process.

On rush orders, we cannot hold production to verify whether a phone number near the trim line was intentional or accidental. If it is inside the safety margin, it is safe. If it is outside, it may be cut.

Set your document to CMYK color mode before you start designing. CMYK matches the ink system used in commercial printing. Files submitted in RGB require conversion, which can shift colors — particularly bright blues, vivid greens, and neon tones.

For the most accurate match, use the US Web Coated (SWOP) v2 color profile.

On a rush timeline, an RGB file that produces unexpected color results after conversion may require proof rejection and file resubmission. Designing in CMYK from the start prevents this entire loop.

Embed all fonts in your PDF or convert text to outlines. Missing fonts cause substitution that changes your layout and requires a file revision.

Minimum font sizes: 6pt for dark text on light backgrounds, 8pt for light text on dark backgrounds. For marketing materials, keep body text at 10pt or larger for comfortable readability.