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Artwork Guidelines

After placing your order, you'll receive an email with a link to access our Instaproof Artwork Portal - you will need the link to access your order in Instaproof. From there you can upload artwork, communicate with our Graphics team, and approve your artwork. Once all peices of artwork within your order are approved, production begins! When approved by 11am Central, most products ship the next day.

For help preparing your artwork, read on!
The guidelines below will put you well on your way to large format design greatness! (Exciting, right?)

Large format graphic design concepts can differ from the norm - so please check the details carefully. If you already have artwork and are ready to upload, please visit our Upload and Approval Instructions page for details on the upload process. If you hit a snag at any point, please don't hesitate to email our Graphics & Prepress Department at [email protected].

Guidelines for Large Format Design:
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    Download the Latest Template File

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    File Size & Resolution

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    Color & Transparencies

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    Text

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    Visibility

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    File Format

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    Artwork Areas

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Download The Latest Template File

95% of artwork processing delays arise from templates not being used or followed. We update our templates from time to time so make sure to always start with our latest, greatest artwork templates. You can download the latest template from the product page (for the product you ordered) or from the link in your order confirmation email.

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File Size & Resolution

All of our templates are precision-built to achieve the best possible output. Nearly all of our templates are built at 50%. (Very large products are built at 25%.) We will output your file at the correct size, just make sure you include enough image resolution per the table below.

Take care when purchasing images to buy high resolution images with sufficient resolution – the more pixels the better. Usually, for large format output, you will want the highest resolution image available. That said, keep in mind that normal viewing distance for most of our products is 5 feet or more, so less than optimal image resolutions (if that's all you have) don't always look as bad as you might think.

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Color & Transparencies
  • Color Mode: All colors must be provided in CMYK color. Any other color spaces in your file will be converted to CMYK*.
  • Color Management Geeks: use the GRACoL CMYK profile for the most accurate results.
  • Rich Black: We advise C30 M20 Y20 K100 for a rich, neutral black. Black colors that use more ink than this, or where the K value is lower than the other values will not reproduce well!
  • Ink Density: Avoid using too much CMYK ink in your design. For more info, see our Ink Density page.
  • Transparencies: Be aware that transparencies can result in unpredictable color shifts. If you provide transparent (unflattened) artwork, we will flatten it prior to output.*
  • PMS Color Matching: We print with CMYK inks. When a PMS Color Match is purchased, we will do our best to match the CMYK equivalent of the PMS color specified. Photos & Gradients cannot be color matched.
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*Note: Ace Displays will not be liable for any color shifts that may result from flattening or color space conversion.

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Text

Text should always be vector (not pixels) for highest quality output. Fonts must be embedded or converted to outlines. Artwork with missing fonts will be rejected.

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Visibility

Only leave final artwork visible. If you don't want it to print, then it must be on a layer with visibility turned off.

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File Format

High resolution PDF files are strongly encouraged. JPG or TIF files are acceptable but discouraged (since vectors and text will be rasterized.) Files provided in other formats or with low resolution may be rejected.

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Artwork Areas
  • Bleed: The outermost edge. Any graphic element that touches trim should be extended all the way out to bleed to ensure a clean edge. The area between trim and bleed will be cut off.
  • Trim: Where the media is cut or trimmed prior to finishing.
  • Visible Edge: The final, visible edge of the product after finishing. The area between Trim and Visible Edge may be hidden or impacted by hemming, etc. Note: on some templates, Trim and Visible Edge are the same.
  • Safety: The safe area for critical text and graphics. All important text, logos, images, etc must be kept within this area. The area between Safety and Visible Edge may be impacted by curvature, stretching, stitching, etc.
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If you have any questions or if you would like a PDF-version of these guidelines, please do not hesitate to email our Graphics & Prepress Department at [email protected].