Artwork guidelines

• PDF (best), PNG or JPG.
• Up to 25 MB per file.
• For a product with a front and a back, upload one file for each side.
• You can also order now and send your files later from the link in your confirmation email.

A picture that looks fine on a screen can print blurry if it is too small. Use the largest, original file you have, not a screenshot or a picture saved from a website or a message.

• 300 DPI at the printed size for things you hold or read up close: business cards, flyers, stickers, posters and shirts.
• 150 DPI is enough for large prints seen from further away, such as banners and signs over 2 feet on the long side.
• For example, a 4 × 6 in flyer at 300 DPI needs a picture of at least 1200 × 1800 pixels.
• When you upload a PNG or JPG, we check its size and warn you if it may print blurry.

Make your design the same shape as the size you choose. A square design on a long banner leaves empty space or gets cut. If you change the size on the product page, check your file still fits.

Prints are cut to size, and the cut can move a little. To keep it clean:

• Bleed: stretch any background color or picture 1/8 inch (0.125 in) past each edge, so no white line shows after cutting.
• Safe area: keep text, logos and anything important at least 1/8 inch (0.125 in) inside the edge, so nothing gets cut off.

Screens light up colors, and ink on paper or fabric does not, so printed colors can look a little different, often slightly darker. Very bright screen colors, such as neon green, can print less bright. If an exact color matters, such as a school color, tell us in the notes when you order.

• Check the spelling, names, dates and phone numbers. We print what you send.
• Make text large enough to read: at least 8 pt on small prints, and much bigger on banners and signs read from a distance.
• In a PDF, keep the fonts in the file (embedded), or turn text into outlines, so it prints as you see it.
• Light text on a light background, or dark on dark, is hard to read once printed.

We look at every file before we print. If something looks wrong, for example blurry, cut off or the wrong size, we contact you before printing, so you can send a new file.

When you choose design help, and for some products, we send you a proof first: a picture of how your print will look. Nothing is printed until you approve it.

To send or change your files after ordering, use the link in your confirmation email. Questions about your artwork? Email us at madstudiosprints@gmail.com.