What is the best file type to send for printing?
Our choice is always a PDF file. Please save your file as a PDF for Printing.  This gives us high resolution electronic file that we can use in many of our software formats.  The most common is Adobe Acrobat which is the program we print from most often.  PDF files are flexible, cross-platform, cross-application file format, that we can use on a Windows or Apple/Mac computer for printing.  Always choose the Commercial Printer option if it is available, and always include “Crop Marks and Bleeds”, especially if your pictures or color area goes all the way to the edge of your document page. I will discuss this more under BLEEDS and Crop Marks.  
If using Microsoft Word or PowerPoint to create your document, be sure to check your page size, as they are not always 8.5″ x 11″. Choose the Save As dialog, then choose PDF in the drop down menu. Choose “Standard” for high-quality printing.  This also helps with font issues, as every computer does not have the same version of fonts and they can change drastically with MS Word or PowerPoint documents. This file will not include cropmarks or bleeds. 
Creating an online file in Canva or other similar online art programs allow you save the file correctly for printing.  PNG or JPG files usually are not high resolution images. Please share or export your artwork as Print Ready PDF files, see bleeds and cropmarks below for more information, or call us!
Please note that we cannot remove a proof watermark from another companies design proofs.
If creating an online AI/GPT image for a logo or business card, and especially for any large size printing projects, signs or banners, please understand that these are usually created for website/social media use at 72 dpi and not intended for high-resolution 150 to 300 dpi for printing. You must tell the AI description that you need a high resolution image for printing and the actual size you need, and hopefully it understands what you need.  It is usually capable of creating good images for printing, but cannot do VECTOR artwork, that can be changed easily. Most files created with AI are not able to be changed in any way by another computer. It will never look exactly the same twice!
VECTOR art files are created using lines and shapes and can be resized almost any size before looking resolution. These are the files professional designers use to create logos for companies. They can be used for small business cards as well as vehicle artwork, and large signs and banners for company advertising.
If in doubt, please give our design team a call with any questions you may have.  

What is a Margin?  Why are they important?
Margins are safety areas around inside the edge of your design; a business card, letter, postcard, brochure or any other piece you wish to have printed.  The margins are very important in the printing industry. It allows for safe trimming to the actual document size. Any item that you don’t want to be cut off must be 1/8″ or .125″ from the edge of the paper.  Please keep all important text and image content 1/8″ from the edge.  For example: and business card is designed at 3.5″ x 2″.  The important text or images should be designed 1/8″ from the edge, or actual size of 3.25″ x 1.75″.  Your image or picture or design elements can go over the edge and create a bleed. 

What is a Bleed?
Bleed is one of most misunderstood terms for printing.  The bleed is the area that will be cut off your artwork that is created when your image, picture or design element goes up to and over the edge of the cut size.  If you insert a photo into your design to go to the edge of your paper size, be sure it goes at lease 1/16″ or .0625″ over the edge of the document.  This keeps any white edges from showing when your document is cut to actual size. Quiet asks for a 1/8″ or .125″ bleed for safety in cutting your project. When designing your business card the cut size will be 3.5″ x 2″ but your bleed area makes the file size 3.75″ x 2.25″.  Most design software will build these into the PDF file when you save, by clicking the bleed and crop mark check boxes. If you are not using traditional page layout software, set your document size large enough to include the bleed, and remember that we need at least 1/16″ margin inside the cut size.  Do not put a bounding box or outline around your artwork, this WILL SHOW on your final printed piece. (Call us if you have questions about this.)

Why do I need Crop marks?
Crop marks tell us where to cut your document. They are little lines at the corners of the artwork, but not on the artwork.  They are especially needed when your file has bleeds as discussed in the previous item.  Crop marks (also called cut marks or trim marks) are thin, perpendicular lines printed at all corners of a document, indicating exactly where commercial printers should cut the paper to achieve the final, intended size. They are essential when design elements, such as colors or images, extend to the edge (bleed), ensuring a clean, borderless finish without white edges.

CMYK vs RGB vs PMS SPOT COLORS
RGB (red, green blue) is for digital backlit computer screens or phones.  CMYK is for standard four-color printing using Cysn, Magenta, Yellow and Black inks.  Spot colors or numbered PMS® – Pantone Matching System® – colors are for precise, consistent color matching across multiple printed pieces. These are canned inks in specific colors.  Not every printing method can use Spot Colors. The printing industry has gotten away from PMS® color with the use of digital printing techniques, especially as Adobe software no longer has access to the Pantone® colors.
RGB produces vibrant colors via back-lit (computer) screens, while CMYK use inks or toner, often resulting in slightly muted tones on paper or other substrates. It is important to know that your printed piece will never be a bright as looking at it on your computer screen. Spot colors use pre-mixed inks, perfect for exact branding (e.g., logos) or vibrant colors outside the CMYK gamut. 
If possible, files should be converted to CMYK before sending to Quiet Graphics.  Microsoft programs and most on-line design apps  create files in RGB and saves logos, images and photos as 72 dpi. Always save these at Standard for Printing to get the best printed resolution.  It is best to come in for a test print if color is critical.

As every type of printed piece has it’s own restrictions and limitations, please contact us with any questions when you are preparing your documents for printing. Our team is here to help to get the best possible printed piece.