Guide

Supplying your logo for printing: how to keep it sharp

Most printing problems don't start at the printer's but at the file-supply stage. This article explains which file you need and why a logo taken from your website usually isn't good enough.

Why a vector file almost always wins

A vector file (PDF, AI or EPS) describes your logo as shapes and lines, not as a grid of pixels. That means it stays sharp at any size: the same file can be used on a {0} by {1} centimetre bag and on an A3 poster. A JPG or PNG has a fixed number of pixels; enlarge it and you enlarge the pixels too, making the edges look jagged. On screen you barely notice, but on paper it's obvious straight away. If you've ever had a logo designed, ask the designer for the vector version — it almost always exists, even if you've only ever used a PNG yourself.

Only got a JPG or PNG?

That doesn't have to be a dealbreaker, but the size is what matters. Rule of thumb: the file needs to be around 300 pixels per inch at actual size. A logo you want to print at 4 centimetres wide therefore needs roughly 470 pixels of width — and that's just the logo itself, not the whole image it sits in. A logo pulled from your own website is usually only a few hundred pixels wide and meant for screens; on printed material that's often just not enough. If you're not sure, send it over anyway: we check every file before production and let you know if there's an issue.

Colour: your screen fibs a little

Een beeldscherm maakt kleur met licht (RGB), een drukpers met inkt (CMYK). Sommige schermkleuren — felle blauwen, neongroen, knalorranje — bestaan simpelweg niet in inkt en komen er iets doffer uit. Dat is geen fout, dat is natuurkunde. Werk je met een huisstijlkleur die exact moet kloppen, geef dan de kleurcode door (bijvoorbeeld een PMS- of CMYK-waarde) in plaats van te vertrouwen op wat je op je scherm ziet. En bedenk dat papier meespeelt: dezelfde inkt oogt anders op ongestreken grease-proof paper dan op gestreken flyerpapier.

White isn't ink

A classic surprise: the white part of your logo isn't printed — it's simply the colour of the paper showing through. On white paper you won't notice. But if your logo has a white letter on a coloured background, that coloured background really does need to be printed — otherwise the letter disappears. So supply your logo exactly as it should be printed, including the background area, rather than as a separate white shape on a transparent background.

Work to the right size: use the template

For most products there's a ready-made template: a layout with the exact dimensions, the cut lines and the clear space you need to leave. Design within it and you can be sure nothing gets cut off and that key elements aren't placed too close to the edge. If your design runs right to the edge, allow a few millimetres of bleed — that's the margin the cutting process needs. You'll find the templates per product and per size on the Templates page.

The proof is your final check

After you place your order, we create a digital proof: exactly as it will be printed, at the size you've chosen. You approve this online, and only then does it go into production. Take this moment seriously — it's the cheapest place to catch a typo, a wrong phone number or a logo that's too small. Pay particular attention to the things your design software doesn't check for you: are the details correct, is everything positioned properly, and is even the smallest text still legible?

The five most common mistakes

One: using a logo from the website that doesn't have enough pixels. Two: setting text so small that it becomes illegible on paper. Three: placing key elements right up against the cutting edge. Four: assuming the screen colour will be exactly the printed colour. Five: approving the proof too quickly just because it's already been ordered. All five can be fixed beforehand, and all five otherwise lead to a reprint.