Prints, Posters & Image File Requirements
File Requirements
For the best results please make sure your files meet the requirements below.
Filenames
Please use only numbers, letters, and dashes or underscores in your file names, and keep the total length of the filename under 45 characters.
While many other characters are ok, it is hard to list the ones that are not ok so we only recommend using a limited set of characters. Things that are known bad characters are curly quotes, letters with accents or other marks, and many of the special symbols.
File Type
Your images should be saved as standard jpg's. We can accept other types like Tiff but we prefer jpg files.
The jpg extension should be spelled 'jpg' not 'jpeg' and should be all lowercase.
Progressive jpg's are Bad!
When you save a jpg file there is usually an option to make it progressive - this is very bad and is our most frequent problem. Progressive jpg's are for the internet, and allow the browser to 'progressively' load the image starting with a really poor quality version and eventually loading the final full quality version.
Our printer software sometimes prints progressive files as one of the low quality versions rather than the actual correct version.
Mode
Mode refers to the color mode of an image, which can be RGB, CMYK or Grayscale.
We only print RGB images.
If your images are CMYK they will print with the wrong color, it is important that you do not send us CMYK files, we do not check to see if they are RGB, we assume that they are. If you send us images that are not RGB they may still get printed but they will not look right.
If your images are B&W they should still be RGB - not Grayscale color mode.
Color Profile or Color Space
Your images should be tagged with a default color space/profile such as sRGB or Adobe RGB 1998. If your image is untagged/uncalibrated we will assume they are sRGB, but this can lead to some variance in color consistency.
Depending on what software you use, there may be an option to strip the color profile tag, you should not do that.
When creating a graphic from scratch we recommend that you set the color space/profile to sRGB as that is what is closest to the gamut of our printing process. You can use something else if you want, but it will end up being converted to sRGB when we print it.
A missing color profile is not the end of the world, you may not ever notice there is something wrong, but it does lead to inconsistent colors in the print sometimes, and other times it can be a problem.
Resolution
The ideal resolution for our printing work flow is 300 pixels per inch (PPI). For an 8x10 print this is 2400x3000. For an 11x14 it is 3300x4200.
You don't have to be at exactly 300ppi, we think that 240ppi is perfectly ok - most people cannot really see the difference. You can see the difference when the resolution is below 200ppi, especially on text, that is usually the first thing that appears fuzzy. If you files are higher than 300 ppi it is just wasted data.
Borders and Don't Put Text or Other Important Things Near the Edge
If your image has a border around it, please make sure it is at least .25" thick. Anything thinner will likely appear uneven. When the machine makes a print it blows it up slightly so that there will not be any unexposed paper when the image is exposed. This makes the border slightly smaller. On top of that the paper path is not perfectly centered, so one side may show a few more millimeters of image than another. The two of things things combined will make any thin border uneven. If the border is thicker there is a lot less chance this will be noticeable.
The same thing applies to any thing that goes right to the edge of an image - it will likely get cut off. So do not put important text or details that go right to the edge, they must be in a little (5mm is probably safe) to avoid being cut off.
File Size
Please keep the file size below 50mb, this is hardly ever an issue.
Additional Charges
Additional charges may apply if we need to edit, adjust or change your file and we will send you a quote, along with detailed changes that would be required which you can accept or have the work completed by your own choice of independent party before submitting the file again.
Copyright
Please do not send us images unless it is your original work, or you have express permission from the rights holder. If your images contain a Copyright notice from Getty or another rights holder we will not print your order.
If you have your own info in the Copyright field that is fine.
PLEASE DO NOT ASK US TO PRINT IMAGES THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHTS TO.
If you have any questions about your files and their suitability for printing please send us an email and attach an image for us to look at.