Creating artwork for your leaflet printing project

Creating artwork for a leaflet printing project used to mean employing the services of a graphic designer or advertising agency. Not any more! If you know your way around a word processing solution such as Microsoft Word, a desktop publishing package such as Microsoft Publisher or a photo editing application such as Photoshop then you can create your own artwork and upload it via the internet to a UK leaflet printing specialist.

Some leaflet printing companies will only accept artwork in PDF format. If you are able to export a press resolution PDF file using your software then this should not pose a problem. Other leaflet printing companies will accept most common file types so you dont have to go to the trouble of converting your artwork into PDF (although beware... some printing companies charge an extra fee to handle non-PDF files). Always check with your chosen printing company before you begin work to make sure they can accept your artwork.

If you intend to include photographs, illustrations or scanned graphics within your artwork you need to double check the resolution of your artwork. For an image to look crisp and sharp on a computer monitor it only requires a resolution of 72dpi (dots per inch). In contrast, all professional leaflet printing companies require artwork at 300dpi (dots per inch). So just because your artwork looks great on screen it doesnt mean that it will print correctly.

You can check the resolution of an image using your photo editing or scanner software. If the image you wish to use is less than 300dpi you cannot improve its resolution once it has been created. However, if you reduce the size of your image within your artwork then you effectively improve its resolution. So, if your original image is 150dpi, you would have to reduce its size by 50% to achieve a final resolution of 300dpi.


Sound confusing? Even the professionals get it wrong sometimes. That's why you should always ask your printing company for a printed proof before they print your leaflets. Many online leaflet printing companies only supply a PDF or on-screen proof. Whilst PDF proofs are adequate for checking the content of your artwork, it is difficult to tell how well your images or photographs will reproduce. Some online leaflet printing companies will supply a printed proof free of charge so you can see exactly how your leaflets will look before they are printed. Even professional designers will rarely place an order for leaflet printing without seeing a printed proof so follow their example! It may delay things by a day or two but it could save you a lot of time and money if your leaflets don't turn out the way you had hoped.