Welcome to B&D Print Services Limited - Print that doesn't cost the Earth

Artwork Guidelines

Below are some things to consider when setting up artwork for print.

Please make sure all images are CMYK not RGB

Bleed: Remember all jobs with a solid colour or image that should go to the edge of the page need 3mm of extra image past the actual edges of the document, on all sides. For example, if you are creating artwork for an A4 page (210mm by 297mm) you should create your document at 216mm by 303mm. This is known as 'bleed' and is needed because printers use larger paper sizes to allow for the printing press to grip onto the paper, also to have space for colour bars and registration marks. When the job is printed, then your larger artwork (3mm on all sides) will be trimmed off at finishing stage to the correct size. The 3mm bleed will ensure there are no white areas left at the sides of your design.

Make sure that any text or important graphic is not in the bleed area! Better still, you should leave a minimum of 5mm space between the edge of the final trimmed size and any important content as shown below, to prevent any of this content getting trimmed into.

Most professional design packages allow for the inclusion of bleed at document setup stage. In addition, most programs will allow for the document size to be altered at any stage. If you need some extra guidance you can download our step by step guide or call us on 01772 435050 and we'll be happy to help.

If you require a standard cutting forme to work to for a folder, please see the downloads menu at the bottom of this page to download our standard cutting formes in eps format.

File Formats

PDF is our preferred file format, saved to PDF /X4:2008, with crop marks and bleed included. To download our PDF settings see below. We also accept artwork in the following formats:
• Adobe InDesign
• Quark Xpress
• Illustrator
• Corel Draw
• Microsoft Publisher
• Microsoft Word

Please ensure you have included all the necessary images and fonts contained in your job to avoid a delay in your order. Remember, to save you time, any file size below 10mb can usually be emailed to us - if you have packaged/collected your files just zip them and email away!

To view some short video tutorials to help you ensure your design prints perfectly, click here.

Extra Information

Bleed and Safety Zone guide
It's important to consider these when setting up your artwork for print, in order to get the finish you require. Click on the image to enlarge.
To obtain the best results from your PDF they need to be saved as PDF/X-4:2008. This ensures everything in the file is saved properly for print. Download our PDF settings here.