Set up correctly

Begin with the final dimensions and required bleed. Keep text and logos inside the safe area, use high-resolution images, embed or outline fonts and export a print-ready PDF without unintended printer marks or colour conversions.

Check before production

Screens emit light and cannot perfectly predict printed colour. Review overprint, transparency, page order and cut lines, and request a proof where colour or material is unfamiliar. Our preflight check identifies technical issues before the full run begins.

Advice for designers and first-time artwork creators

Accurate page dimensions, margins and bleed are the foundation of print-ready artwork. Software cannot always recognise that an apparently complete file will fail after trimming or binding. Work in CMYK from the start, embed or outline fonts where appropriate and use images with sufficient effective resolution—normally around 300 dpi at final size. A 72 dpi image prepared for a screen will usually be visibly soft in print.

Vector elements are preferable for logos, lettering and illustrations because they can be enlarged without losing quality. Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW are widely used for this work. For substantial multi-page publications, Adobe InDesign provides master pages, typography controls and dependable document management.

Seeing reliable colour

RGB can look bright on a monitor because it is produced by emitted red, green and blue light. Digital and offset presses use CMYK inks on a physical surface, so an RGB file may become duller or shift when converted. Paper shade, coated or uncoated surface and lamination also influence the final appearance.

Use a regularly calibrated display, prepare the document in CMYK, consider the paper’s base colour and allow for the slight darkening that some films can introduce. A physical proof remains the most reliable check when colour is critical, and our proof-print service is available before final production.

A short guide to colour associations

Red is energetic, urgent and appetite-stimulating. Blue suggests calm, continuity and reliability. Green is associated with nature, freshness, health and sustainability. Purple can imply knowledge, creativity and luxury. Orange and yellow feel optimistic and attract attention with less aggression than red.

Black communicates power and elegance but may become sombre when overused. Grey can feel practical and timeless, though too much creates monotony. White suggests cleanliness, safety and open space. These associations are not fixed rules, but they help explain why colour choices influence first impressions.

Contrast, tone and complementary colours

Why technically correct preparation matters

Many customers want to create their own files, while others commission a designer but still benefit from understanding the essentials. A first-time creator will often receive a prepress warning that the submitted file cannot yet be printed at the required quality. That is frustrating, but it also identifies the knowledge needed for the next successful project.

Exact dimensions, margins and bleed come first. Without them, even professional imposition software can produce a flawed result because it cannot always interpret a design decision as an error. CMYK colour follows in priority. Both digital and offset production build ordinary full-colour work from cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Files left in RGB therefore need correction.

Font handling and image resolution are equally important. A photograph downloaded or prepared for a screen may contain only 72 pixels per inch. At its intended print size this is far below the usual 300 dpi target and will lose detail. Logos and line illustrations should preferably remain vector based, allowing unlimited enlargement without visible pixels.

Choosing the appropriate design application

Adobe Illustrator is a strong tool for vector artwork and individual graphic pieces. CorelDRAW also works with vectors and remains popular in digital print production because of its drawing functions and broad print support. For longer multi-page documents, Adobe InDesign is designed specifically for publication layout. Master pages, extensive typography and close cooperation with other Adobe applications make it suitable for brochures, catalogues and books.

Why the monitor can mislead you

A new company often invests considerable effort in creating an identity that looks attractive, credible and professional. Colour is one of its strongest communication elements, but every medium reproduces colour differently. We regularly receive customer-created documents that require correction because they were prepared in RGB.

RGB can produce luminous colours on a digital display because it mixes red, green and blue light. A press interprets percentages of CMYK ink and places them on paper. Some screen colours simply cannot be reproduced with the same brightness in print. In addition, most consumer monitors were not designed as calibrated prepress displays, so two screens—and the final sheet—may all look different.

A practical colour checklist

Work on a regularly calibrated monitor whenever possible. Use CMYK from the start. Decide whether the job will be printed on uncoated or coated paper, consider the slight darkening introduced by some laminating films and include the paper’s own shade—warm white, ivory or another tint—in the judgement. When accurate brand colour matters, request a physical proof before the full run.

Using colour psychology consciously

Colour associations can influence emotion and behaviour, which is why marketing uses them deliberately. Designers should treat these associations as context rather than absolute rules. Red can suggest passion, power, danger and urgency, and is also associated with appetite. Blue recalls sky and water and is widely used to communicate calm, reliability and permanence. Green points towards nature, health, freshness and environmental responsibility; in some contexts it also represents money and prosperity.

Purple is linked with knowledge, respect, luxury and creativity. Orange and yellow attract attention while feeling less aggressive than red; they often communicate happiness, optimism and youthfulness. Black suggests power, stability, intelligence and elegance, but can become sombre in excess. Grey can feel practical, balanced and timeless, yet too much may communicate emptiness or monotony. White represents cleanliness, innocence, safety and the creative possibility of an empty canvas.

Contrast guides the eye and establishes hierarchy. Brighter colours carry more energy, while muted or darker tones can help readers stay with detailed information. Colours opposite one another on the colour wheel are complementary and create strong contrast. Mixed together they neutralise one another; placed side by side they attract attention. They should be used carefully, because excessive complementary contrast can make a design crowded or garish.

If you encounter a technical difficulty, our prepress and graphic-design team will be happy to review the file and explain the correction required.

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