What programs can I use to create my artwork?
The artwork needs to be set out as per our specification dimensions. Each product has it's own specification sheet and your account manager will provide you with the specification sheet(s) for your products when you place your order. You can use any layout software as long as the end result that you submit to us is a 'Press Ready' PDF (highest quality).

Professional layout software:
Recommended: Adobe Indesign, Quark, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Others (not ideal): Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Powerpoint

Why am I charged to create artwork, don’t you just press a button?
Any artwork that we use needs to meet strict criteria (size, resolution, bleed, cropping, positioning, product details etc.) There are a multitude of aspects that can cause problems in the design/artworking process which is why we have highly skilled and experienced staff utilising the latest professional design software to achieve the best results possible. Unfortunately there is no magic button that will sort everything out, it takes time and expertise, which in turn has a cost.

Are there any special instructions I should be aware of when setting up artwork?

When creating artwork for a popup display, be aware that the artwork on the end 'D' panel may not be fully visible. For more info click the image.		When creating artwork for a roller banner, be aware that there is a non-visible area at the bottom of the design that needs to be included in your artwork.
In both instances, the specification sheets that you receive will give you more detailed instructions.

What is a digital print?
Digital print is printing produced on a specialist digital press which does not use any form of printing plates as with offset litho printing. The main benefit is that there is very little setup cost so print runs can be from a single copy upwards. The other main benefit of digital printing is that multiple design variations are possible as there are no plates required.

Which file formats do you accept?
Adobe Acrobat PDF format files are our preferred choice for fast turnaround work - this is also the best method. However it is imperative that you create PDF’s as ‘Press Optimised’, without bleed, or crop marks with fonts embedded. Any images used need to be of sufficient quality when viewed at full size, as faults in PDF’s cannot be easily ‘fixed’ later in production if you get it wrong. Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint need to be converted to PDF format.

Can I use Pantones
Pantone colours will be automatically converted to CMYK and the result is generally good. Most of these CMYK conversions are very similar, but some, notably very bright colours like lime greens, bright oranges or reds, are less so. If you have access to a Pantone Process Colour book, check these shades first to see if you'll be happy with the result or request a copy of our swatch chart.
Other Pantone colours such as fluorescents or metallic’s can't be reproduced at all. This is true of any CMYK output, either digital or conventional 4 colour printing.

How do I submit my files for printing?
In the first instance please use our upload facility on our website. The Upload artwork page can be found here - http://www.total-displays.com/about-us/artwork.html - please make sure you read the information on this page completely before submitting your artwork.

What is a vector image?
This is an image which can be enlarged or reduced indefinitely with no reduction in quality. It is mainly used for logos and illustration. It is usually created in drawing packages such as Adobe Illustrator and the fiole formats are .ai and .eps

What are .psd, .tif, .eps,.jpeg, .gif,.png?
These are all rasterised (converted into pixels) image formats, as they are made up of pixels there is a finite point at which they can be printed or viewed before losing quality, these are the most common that are used:
.ai and .psd are native files of Adobe software (ai – illustrator and psd - Photoshop)
.tif , (illustrator-vector).eps, (photoshop-bitmap) .eps, are used for printing and
are generally high quality
.jpeg, .gif, .png are generally used for web, email and media and they tend to be low quality

Do images need to be in RGB or CMYK colour?
All images and artwork needs to be CMYK where possible.

How do I know if my artwork will be good enough quality to print?
The easiest, quickest way is when supplying any image or artwork you need to view the file at full size. e.g. This means that if you set up the artwork at a quarter size you must view the the file at 400% or 200% if half size. It depends on the size you have set it up originally as to the percentage needed to view at full size.

Will the print colours be like what I see on my computer screen?
No... The image you see on your screen is made up of RGB colours and your screen is in effect a big light bulb so what you see is called additive colour. As paper cannot be lit up, the ink colours do not have the benefit of light enhancing them and making them brighter, this is commonly called subtractive colour. We calibrate our printers so we get the best colour range possible. if in doubt please order a proof. If you do not order a proof you will be agreeing to accept any final prints unchecked.

What does ‘rasterised’ and ‘resolution’ mean?
When an image contains or is converted into pixels/dots. How many dots used to make that image is called ‘resolution’ and is expressed in ‘dpi’-dots per inch or ‘ppi’-pixels per inch, the higher the resolution the greater the amount of pixels/dots and therefore higher quality. Print images are generally set to resolutions 300dpi and web images 72dpi

Photos
Photographic images should be supplied as 300dpi (400dpi if they contain text) CMYK .TIF files with LZW off, and placed into your document at 100%. Web images or low resolution phone images are not acceptable.

I’ve got a Digital Camera is it ok to use?
Unless your images conform to our 'photos' standard ie they can be placed in a quarter size document at 300dpi then they will not be good enough quality for large format prints. Do not enlarge image resolutions beyond their original size - you cannot put in what was not there in the first place!. A professional camera utilises resolutions of 20 megapixels+ and has high performance lenses which allow it to capture more detail. If in any doubt please request a 'colour proof'. Web images or low resolution phone images are not acceptable.

What about images created with photo editing software?
Please provide images created at at least 300 pixels per inch or 300dpi. If you have incorporated any text we suggest 400-600dpi. Web images or low resolution phone images are not acceptable.