How to Set Up Your Files for Professional Printing
Preparing your files properly is the most important step to ensuring your prints look exactly as you envision. To guarantee consistency, accuracy, and quality, please follow the guidelines below. These instructions apply to all fine art and photographic printing orders placed through our [Print Order Form]
File Specifications We Accept
- Color Profile: Adobe RGB (1998)
- Bit Depth: 8-bit only (Files over 8-bit are discouraged and may be rejected).
- File Format: JPEG (no compression recommended) or TIFF
- No Layers or Alpha Channels: Only flattened artwork will be accepted
Setting Up Your File for Print
Your files must be submitted at exactly the final size you wish to print including any borders and at 300 PPI resolution. PPI and DPI are used somewhat interchangeably in this context ensure your file setup reflects the true print dimensions at this resolution.
Resolution and Sizing Best Practices:
- Your artwork should be cropped and sized at the final print dimensions, and set to 300 PPI/DPI.
- When resampling or rescaling your artwork after cropping it can cause resolution mismatches so be sure to check it. We print all images at 300 DPI. If, for example, your image is set to 8x10 inches at 298 DPI accidentally, it will be resized to approximately 8.05 x 10.1 inches when converted to 300 DPI resulting in an unexpected size difference that may affect framing or layout.
- Always check that both length and width are accurate in inches, with 300 PPI resolution displayed in your design software.
Example Scenario
Let’s say you have one image of a horse painting and you want three different print sizes:
- 8x10
- 16x20
- 24x30
You must provide three separate files, each set to those exact dimensions at 300 PPI. We will print directly from the files you send.
Borders, Bleeds, and Trim Lines
If you want your print to include a border, it must be built into your file. For example:
You’ll be able to choose from the following scan options within the form:
If your print is ordered as a “Print What I Sent”, we will:
- Print your file as is, untrimmed, and assume no liability for formatting issues.
- Add a trim line approximately 3 pixels wide on all four sides.
- Deliver your work on full, untrimmed sheets, with trim lines included to guide your finishing process.
The trim line will result in approximately 1/16″ loss on each edge, totaling about 1/8″ overall. If you need exact paper dimensions, you must design and include a custom bleed in your file.
Important Notes About Billing and Sizing
- You will be billed based on the total file dimensions, including any added border or extra space.
- Most framing setups tolerate slight size variation, so we recommend building in your own borders rather than relying on us to trim to final size.
- If we are preparing your file for you under the “I want you to set up my files for me” option, our team will handle these details.
Need More Help? A Tutorial Is On the Way
We are in the process of creating a step by step video tutorial showing exactly how to prepare your files in Photoshop. A link to that tutorial will be embedded here soon. For now, please refer to the guidelines above to ensure your files are properly set up. Or feel free to send us an email or Contact us.
Get in Touch
Share your questions, special requests, or details about your needs, and our experienced team will get back to you quickly with helpful answers. Or e-mail us directly at service@artscanandprint.com