Everything you need to send print-ready files and get the best possible result — first time, every time.
Why Good Artwork Matters
The quality of your printed banner depends directly on the quality of the artwork you supply. Our print team reviews every file before going to press — but getting your artwork right from the start avoids delays and ensures your banner looks exactly as you intend. If you’re ever unsure, contact us before placing your order and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Accepted File Formats
We accept the following file types. Vector formats are always preferred as they scale to any size without any loss of sharpness.
PDF — Preferred Print-ready PDF is the ideal format for most customers. Embed all fonts and include bleed. Works for both vector and raster artwork. Export using the “Press Quality” preset in Illustrator or InDesign, or use “PDF Print – Bleed” in Canva.
AI (Adobe Illustrator) — Preferred Illustrator files with text converted to outlines and images embedded. Scales perfectly regardless of banner size.
EPS — Preferred Fully supported vector format. Ideal for logos and artwork created in Illustrator or CorelDRAW.
PNG — Acceptable High-resolution PNG files at a minimum of 150 dpi at your actual print size. PNG supports transparency, making it useful for logo files placed on a coloured background.
JPG — Acceptable High-quality JPEG at a minimum of 150 dpi at actual print size. Save at maximum quality (Quality 12 in Photoshop) to avoid compression artefacts.
DOC / DOCX / PPTX — Not Suitable Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files are not suitable for professional print. Please export your document to PDF first, then supply the PDF.
Image Resolution
Resolution determines how sharp your banner looks when printed. The larger the banner, the lower the minimum dpi required — because the viewing distance increases with size.
| Banner Size | Minimum Resolution | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Small (up to 3ft × 2ft) | 150 dpi at actual size | 200–300 dpi |
| Medium (up to 6ft wide) | 100 dpi at actual size | 150 dpi |
| Large (up to 10ft wide) | 72 dpi at actual size | 100 dpi |
| Extra Large (10ft+) | 50 dpi at actual size | 72 dpi |
| Web / social media images | Not suitable | Replace with hi-res source |
Important: Always set your document canvas to the actual finished banner size first, then apply the correct dpi. Never scale up a small low-resolution image to fill a large canvas — this results in a blurred, pixelated print.
Quick check in Photoshop: Go to Image → Image Size. Untick “Resample”, then change the resolution. If your dimensions drop below your banner size, the image is not high enough resolution for print.
Bleed, Trim & Safe Zone
Adding bleed prevents white edges appearing along the edges of your banner after cutting. Keeping important content inside the safe zone prevents anything being accidentally trimmed off.
Bleed — 5mm on all four sides Extend all background colours and images 5mm beyond the trim line on every side. Do not leave any white or empty space at the edges of your canvas.
Trim Line This is the finished edge of your banner — the point at which cutting occurs. Your finished banner size is the trim size.
Safe Zone — 10mm from the trim edge All text, logos, phone numbers, website addresses, and any other important information must sit at least 10mm inside the trim line. Content placed too close to the edge risks being trimmed off.
Eyelets and pole pockets If your order includes eyelet or pole pocket finishing, keep all critical content at least 30mm from the edges where the finishing hardware will be applied.
Worked example: A 6ft × 2ft banner is 1828mm × 610mm at trim size. Your canvas with bleed should be set to 1838mm × 620mm. All background art fills the full canvas. Text and logos sit at least 10mm inside the 1828mm × 610mm boundary.
Colour Mode
How you set up colour in your file directly affects how accurate the printed colours will be.
Use CMYK — always CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is the standard colour model used in commercial printing. Design in CMYK and the printed result will closely match what you see on screen. Convert all artwork to CMYK before exporting your final file. Recommended colour profile: ISO Coated v2 (ECI) or Fogra39.
Avoid RGB for final artwork RGB is designed for screens, not printers. Vivid screen colours — electric blues, neon oranges, and bright greens — often cannot be reproduced accurately in CMYK and will shift during conversion. If you supply an RGB file we will convert it, but some colour change may occur.
Black text and solid black areas For large solid black backgrounds and bold headlines, use Rich Black: C60 M40 Y40 K100. For small text, fine lines, and thin type, use pure black only: K100. Applying Rich Black to small text causes colour fringing and blurred edges at fine sizes.
Fonts & Text
Font issues are one of the most common causes of artwork problems. Follow these steps to ensure your text prints exactly as intended.
Step 1 — Outline all fonts In Adobe Illustrator, select all text and go to Type → Create Outlines. This converts your text to vector shapes, removing any dependency on the font file being installed on our system. Your text will appear exactly as designed.
Step 2 — Embed fonts in your PDF If you are supplying a PDF rather than an AI or EPS file, ensure all fonts are embedded. In Adobe Acrobat, check via File → Properties → Fonts. Every font listed should show “(Embedded)” next to its name. This happens automatically when using the Press Quality PDF preset.
Step 3 — Use readable text sizes For outdoor banners, use a minimum of 36pt for body copy and 72pt or larger for headlines. Text under 8pt is unlikely to be legible from a normal viewing distance. The larger the banner and the further the viewing distance, the larger your text should be.
Step 4 — Take care with white text on dark backgrounds Avoid white text thinner than 1pt. Fine reversed text can close up slightly during the print process. Use bold or medium weight fonts for white text on dark backgrounds.
Step 5 — Proofread everything Check every phone number, web address, opening time, price, and promotional message carefully before submitting. Once your artwork is approved and sent to press, reprints required due to text errors in customer-supplied artwork are chargeable.
Pre-Flight Checklist
Run through this checklist before sending your file. Every box ticked means your job goes straight to press with no delays.
- All images and photos are at least 150 dpi at the actual finished banner size
- No images sourced from websites, Google Image Search, or social media profiles
- Artwork document is set to CMYK colour mode, not RGB
- Large solid black areas use Rich Black (C60 M40 Y40 K100); small text uses K100 only
- 5mm bleed has been added on all four sides of the canvas
- No important content sits within 10mm of the trim edge
- All fonts are either outlined (converted to paths) or fully embedded in the PDF
- File is supplied as PDF, AI, EPS, PNG, or JPG — not Word or PowerPoint
- Canvas size matches the banner dimensions ordered, plus bleed
- All text has been proofread — phone numbers, URLs, prices, dates, and names confirmed correct
- Eyelet and pole pocket areas are clear of critical content (if applicable)
How to Send Your Artwork
Option A — Upload during checkout (quickest) On the product page, select “Upload Files” under the Design section and attach your artwork file. Maximum upload size is 150MB. Accepted formats: PDF, AI, EPS, PNG, JPG.
Option B — Email after ordering Email your artwork to us with your order number in the subject line. For files up to 25MB, a standard email attachment is fine. For larger files, use a free transfer service such as WeTransfer (wetransfer.com) and email us the download link.
Option C — Use the online designer No artwork ready? Click “Personalize” on any product page to open our free built-in design tool. Build your banner with custom text, images, and layouts and submit directly — no separate file needed.
Option D — Professional design service (+£14.99) Select “Pro Design” on the product page and our design team will create your artwork. Provide your logo, brand colours, and the text you need included. We’ll send a proof for your approval before going to press.
Frequently Asked Questions
My image looks good on screen — will it print poorly? Screens display at 72–96 dpi and produce their own light, which makes images appear sharper and more vibrant than they may actually be. A photo from a website or social media is almost always too low resolution for large-format print. Always check the actual dpi of your image at the finished banner size, not just how it appears on your monitor.
Can you fix my artwork if there are issues? Yes. Our team reviews all files before printing and will contact you if we spot something that may affect quality. Minor adjustments — such as converting colours or adding bleed — may be possible at no extra charge. Significant redesign work is available through our Pro Design service. We will never print a file we believe will produce a poor result without first contacting you.
What size should I set my canvas in Canva? Set your custom canvas dimensions to match your banner size. Canva works in pixels, so multiply your size in inches by 150 to get the minimum pixel count. For example, a 6ft × 2ft banner is 72in × 24in, giving a canvas of 10,800 × 3,600 pixels. When exporting, select PDF Print and enable the bleed option.
I only have my logo as a JPG — is that okay? It depends on the resolution. A logo saved from a website is typically 72 dpi and will appear soft or pixelated on a large banner. If possible, ask your original designer for the vector file (.AI or .EPS). If you only have a JPG, send it to us and we will advise whether it is suitable for your chosen banner size before printing.
Will printed colours exactly match my screen? Screens and printers use different colour systems (RGB and CMYK respectively), so a perfect match is not always achievable. Supplying artwork in CMYK gives the closest result. For brand-critical colours, provide Pantone references and our team will match as closely as the printing process allows.
Can I send a Word or PowerPoint file? Word and PowerPoint files are not suitable for professional print as they are low resolution and do not support bleed or CMYK colour. However, you can export either as a PDF via File → Save As → PDF. Supply us the PDF and the quality will be significantly better, though vector-based formats remain the best option.
What happens if something prints incorrectly? Our team runs a pre-press check on every file and will contact you if we spot a clear issue before printing. However, if artwork is approved by you and printed as supplied, we cannot accept liability for issues arising from customer-supplied artwork. This is why we strongly recommend working through the pre-flight checklist above and proofreading thoroughly before giving your approval.
Still Have Questions?
Contact our team before you order and we’ll make sure your artwork is set up correctly. We’d rather answer a question upfront than cause you a delay.
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