Preparing digital illustrations for high-quality prints requires more than just creativity because it also demands technical precision. Whether you’re working on intricate details or vibrant colour palettes, ensuring your digital files are optimised for print is key to preserving the integrity of your work. At Beyond Print, we use advanced scanning equipment, including our state-of-the-art Cruse scanner, to ensure that even the most delicate textures and fine lines are captured with impeccable detail. In this guide, we’ll explore the essential factors illustrators should know about to prepare their digital artwork for flawless, high-resolution prints.
Resolution and Image Size
When preparing your digital illustrations for print, resolution is paramount. For the highest quality prints, a resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) is required. At Beyond Print, our advanced scanning equipment captures every minute detail, ensuring that your digital files meet this resolution standard. This precision allows artwork to be printed in large formats without losing clarity or sharpness. When setting up your file, ensure the image size matches the intended print dimensions, as resizing can lead to pixelation. Working at a high resolution from the start ensures your artwork will look its best at any size, from fine art prints to posters.
Remember, maintaining a balance between resolution and file size is crucial for optimal print results. This is because, while it might seem like larger files are always better, it’s not necessarily always the case. Larger file sizes can cause slow processing times and strain on printers, especially if they exceed what’s necessary for the resolution of the print.
Colour Mode: RGB to CMYK Conversion
For digital illustrations intended for print, the colour mode should be set to CMYK, which is the standard for printed materials. While digital screens display colours in RGB, converting your files to CMYK ensures accurate colour reproduction during printing. Our precision scanners capture true-to-life colours, making it essential that your file is converted correctly to avoid colour shifts. Our Cruse scanner is designed to handle subtle tonal changes and wide colour ranges, meaning it’s perfectly suited for handling the conversion from RGB to CMYK without loss of quality. Always check your colours on a print preview before finalising your file to ensure they match your original vision.
File Formats and Compression
Choosing the right file format is crucial when preparing digital print illustrations for high-quality results. We recommend using formats like TIFF or PDF for optimal print quality. These formats preserve the full resolution and colour depth of your artwork without compression, ensuring that no details are lost in the process. While JPEGs might seem convenient, they use lossy compression, which can degrade the quality of your illustration.
The Cruse scanner we use produces high-resolution TIFF files that maintain the sharpness and vibrancy of your work, making them ideal for professional printing. When exporting your files, avoid any compression settings, because they will typically reduce the quality of the final print from what would have otherwise been possible.
Bleed and Safe Zones
To ensure your digital illustrations are printed without important details being cut off, adding a bleed is essential. A bleed of 3-5mm around the edges of your artwork ensures that any slight shifts during trimming won’t affect the final product. Note that our high-end equipment is calibrated to print with incredible precision, but adding a bleed guarantees that your design will look perfect even with these margins in mind. Similarly, it’s important to define safe zones – areas of your design that should be kept free from key elements, as they might be affected by trimming. Maintaining these safe zones will prevent any unwanted cropping of vital parts of your artwork.
Proofing and Final Checks
Before sending your digital illustration off to print, conducting thorough proofing is highly advisable. Proofing allows you to check for any issues related to colours, alignment and resolution that may not be visible on-screen. Beyond Print’s high-precision scanning equipment ensures that the finest details of your artwork are captured, making this stage something that shouldn’t be overlooked if the preservation of quality with your printed illustrations is important to you.
Summary
By following these guidelines, you can ensure your digital illustrations are ready for high-quality print reproduction. At Beyond Print, we’re committed to helping artists bring their work to life with precision and care. Why not take your artwork a step further by exploring our professional framing services, designed to complement your prints perfectly? Contact us today to learn more about our printing and framing solutions.
