Get your artwork right the first time.
Every specification we print to, in one place. Set your file up from these guides and your job runs without a phone call.
Set it up like we would.
Bleed & trim marks
If it touches the edge, it needs bleed. Two millimetres, every time.
Read the guide →Start herePrint-ready file checklist
Seven quick checks before you upload — the things that hold up most jobs.
Read the guide →Design toolsSetting up in Canva
Canva works well for straightforward jobs — with a few settings you must turn on.
Read the guide →FinishesEmbellishing: foil & raised varnish
Build the finish as a spot colour named Varnish, overprinted, on its own layer.
Read the guide →FinishesWhite toner on Colorplan
White becomes ink rather than paper. Two of the three options need no special file setup at all.
Read the guide →Cutting & shapingFuture Cutter (laser cutting)
Finishing lines go on their own page at the end, 0.5pt, coloured by what each line does.
Read the guide →Product guidesLabels on rolls
Finished size plus 2mm bleed, a K100 die line on its own layer, and “AL230” on the end of the file name.
Read the guide →Product guidesFolded flyers & brochures
Set up the flat sheet, size the panels for the fold, and keep folds marked outside the trim.
Read the guide →Product guidesBooks, covers & spines
Inside pages as single pages in reading order, and the cover as one spread with the spine in the middle.
Read the guide →Product guidesPosters & pull-up banners
Print ready at full size, images sharp at the size they print, and nothing important at the bottom of a banner.
Read the guide →Product guidesFolders, envelopes & letterheads
Folders go on the folder template, envelopes stay clear of edges and windows, letterheads leave room to write.
Read the guide →Product guidesCoasters & stubby holders
Coasters at 96mm with bleed, stubby holders on the 190 × 95mm print area — clear of the stitching.
Read the guide →Start from the correct size and shape.
Free PDF templates with the trim and shape already drawn.
The questions we get asked most.
How long will my job take?
Is freight included?
Do I get a proof?
When do I pay?
Can I get payment terms?
How can I pay?
Can you help with design or fix my artwork?
My file is bigger than 3 MB — how do I send it?
Can someone show me how to order online?
“We don’t sell, we educate. Selling is old school.”
Leon Wilson · Excerpt from an article in Sprinter magazine