Image requirements for card designs 3 minutes read

Using the right Colour Space – CMYK

The two main colour spaces you will find in most design software are RGB & CMYK. RGB is the colour profile normally used for computer screen and when saving graphics for web applications. The colour space we want is CMYK as these are the colours that combine to create a vibrant full colour print.

If we receive your artwork with a RGB colour profile we will convert it to CMYK, but please remember that colour variations may occur when this conversion is carried out. We would always recommend your artwork being created in CMYK format from the outset, rather than being converted later in the process.

Do you need to change your colour space?

Fortunately it is easy to change colour spaces, but keep an eye out for any colours that change in the process.

How to change colour space in Illustrator

HOW TO CHANGE COLOUR SPACE IN ILLUSTRATOR

If you’re starting from scratch, select the “Advanced” tab in the New Document window, and select Colour Mode > CMYK.If you need to change the colour mode after beginning your artwork, simply select from the “File” menu at the top of the screen File > Document Colour Mode > CMYK Your document is now in CMYK.

How to change colour space in Photoshop

HOW TO CHANGE COLOUR SPACE IN PHOTOSHOP

If you’re starting from scratch, select Colour Mode > CMYK in the New Document window.If you have already created your document and you would like to check/change your colour mode, simply select the “Image” Menu at the top of the screen: Image > Mode > CMYK Color.

How to change colour space in Indesign

HOW TO CHANGE COLOUR SPACE IN INDESIGN

The colour mode is defined when you output a PDF or EPS. If exporting a PDF, Select File > Export. Then select PDF from the drop down menu and name your file.When you click save, you will be directed to the “Export Adobe PDF” menu. Select “Output” on the left hand menu and set the destination as “Document CMYK – U.S. Web Coated (SWOP)”.

How to change colour space in Quark

HOW TO CHANGE COLOUR SPACE IN QUARK

The colour mode is defined when you output a PDF or EPS. If exporting an EPS, select File > Save page as EPS. Click “Options” in the Save page as EPS window. Select “Colour” on the left hand menu and then select “Composite CMYK” in the “Setup” drop down menu.If exporting a PDF, select File > Export > Layout as PDF. You will be directed to the “Export as PDF” window. Select “Colour” on the left hand menu and then select “composite CMYK” in the “Setup” drop down menu. Your document is now in CMYK.

Setting up at the right Image resolution

We would always recommend that your files are prepared at 300dpi. Be careful when using graphics from the web, as they are usually much lower quality (72 dpi).

If you are using Photoshop to create your artwork, it is imperative that you select the correct resolution before beginning the design.

Using the correct Artwork Bleed

Bleed is an essential. There can be slight movement during the final cutting process of production and the bleed area prevents any unwanted white borders around the edges of your Plastic Cards. We recommend a minimum of 1.5mm bleed (3mm recommended) on all sides to ensure that your Plastic Cards does not suffer from any border issues during the cutting process.

Our recommended File Format

PDFs are the best way to provide artwork to us. You can export PDFs from most design software (try File>Save or File>Export) or you can use software called a PDF Printer to create a PDF from the print menu of ANY other software (if you have Acrobat Professional installed, you should already have ‘Adobe PDF’ in your list of printers, otherwise click here for a free PDF printer).

Any images within the file should have an original resolution of 300 dpi. Please ensure that the file has a 3mm bleed and crop marks (lines around the edges identifying where the bleed ends and the actual artwork begins).

When creating the PDF, the PDF options dialogue should appear. In this window you may have to specify the CMYK colour space. To do this, click on Output on the left hand side, under Conversion select Convert to Destination and under Destination select any option that includes CMYK.