Posters and prints are designed for impact. They are to be noticed in passing or even from far away.
The purpose of the each (e.g., advertising, art print, event promotion) often dictates the best paper and size, so people need to consider this when making their choices.
What different paper options are available? Most people want to know about the weight and finish, like is it an uncoated papery feel or a slick glossy surface? Does it need to be UV-resistant, or maybe tear-proof in a high traffic area? Or is it going in a durable matted frame and well-protected for the future?
Paper Sizes
While can print custom-sized posters and prints, most people choose from the standard paper sizes here, since it is always easier and economical to design to the Standard sizes. There is also less paper waste!
A4 is probably the most common size that people are used to seeing.
Each size doubles in size as it gets larger.
We can actually print larger than A0, but most people usually decide that this is big enough for them. Don’t let this stop you though… we can print wallpaper and can cover that wall you’ve been thinking about!
Posters and prints can be made using various software. When supplying finished print-ready files, a pdf file is preferred.
In most cases, objects in the artwork, like type, will print crisper from a pdf. Posters, and obviously photographic prints, can also be exported as a pdf from photo software, such as Photoshop.
Keep in mind that photo art or elements should be at least 300dpi at full size. This a minimum resolution and there is a slight improvement in quality (especially if there are photographic text elements) if you can supply this at a higher specification. (450-600 dpi at full size would be the top end and files higher than this would be unnecessarily large.)
Very large posters do have the advantage of being viewed from a distance. While we still recommend putting your best foot forward and supplied a top-end file, the reality is that depending on the usage, and a customer’s expectation, printing larger at a lower resolution may still produce an acceptable result.
Working with large files at this higher resolution may be a problem for some users or projects. If you are having trouble or have some concerns about quality, get in touch with one of our staff and we can advise a solution on an individual basis.
Like most print jobs, artwork should be supplied at the correct size with 3mm bleed add to each edge. (See our page about bleed if you would like to know more.)
Files should be supplied as pdfs with a reasonable quality. Pixel artwork can be pdf, jpg, or psd. Again, if you are having trouble deciding, just get in touch with us. It’s our job to help you get things printed!