SeedPrint Artwork guidelines
We want your print to look its best, so feel free to send us any burning artwork questions prior to ordering: contact@seedprint.co.uk
But let us preempt some of the bits you might like to know and print like a pro:
Get these three right and your file should sail through easy breezy.
Not inches. Not "roughly A6". The exact finished size in mm, before bleed. Every product page lists it, and our templates have it done for you.
Two measurements pulling opposite ways. Backgrounds run out past the trim. Text and logos stay in. So your artboard is 6mm bigger both ways:
A6 at 105 x 148mm needs a 111 x 154mm file.
Heavy ink coverage can smother the seeds and may hamper germination. Plus it takes longer to dry on a stock this thirsty, which could effect your delivery date. Borders very tricky for them to sit evenly on handmade paper.
Let's cover the file basics
What files do we work with? 

PDF, JPEG & TIFF.
CMYK for print. RGB for screen. 

Everything we print is in CMYK – in fact, everything everyone prints is CMYK. So before you save your file make sure you’ve converted it to CMYK so you have a truer indication of what it will look like when printed.
What resolution?

300dpi at final size. Anything pulled from a website will be 72dpi and will print fuzzy, however good it looks on screen.
Fonts and links

Export as a print-ready PDF and this handles itself. Your fonts and linked images get embedded automatically, so nothing goes missing and no font quietly substitutes itself for something you didn’t choose.
The right printing marks
What are trim marks?

Trim marks show where the product gets cut down to size. They mark the end of the paper, or the finished size of your product.
What should I know about the bleed?

Bleed is the area of print outside your document where your colour or design carries on. It gets chopped off when we trim your print to size, and it’s what guarantees no unprinted white edges on the finished piece. There should be 3mm bleed as the minimum on every edge.
What is the safe area?

A snuggly, safe zone 3mm inside the trim. Anything you can’t afford to lose goes in here. If the cutter strays inwards by its maximum margin, everything in the safe area still survives.
The background needs to carry on all the way to the edge of the bleed area, otherwise you get white slivers.
Anything within 5mm of the trim is at risk of being cut off or being uncomfortably close to the edges.
Pull it all in.
This one catches people out. Because the cut can move by a fraction, a border starting near the edge can end up thicker on one side. If you want a border, give it room to breathe.
let’s talk about colour
CMYK for print. RGB for screen.

Everything we print is CMYK. In fact, everything everyone prints is CMYK.
RGB has a broader range of colours and lives on a backlit screen, which makes everything zing. Convert your file to CMYK before you save it, and you’ll get a truer idea of how it will actually print.
Will it match exactly what’s on my screen?

No, and we’d rather tell you now than after it’s printed.
Can you colour match my brand colours?

We’ll get as close as CMYK allows, but we can’t promise an exact match, and here’s why.
Our inks are water-based, and our paper is unbleached, handmade and often full of seeds. Our luscious seed paper takes ink differently to a smooth, bright white paper. Colours usually land softer and a little more muted than on screen.
You can get a closer look by ordering a sample pack or contacting us to chat about a printed proof before you commit to a full run. Better to see it in your hand first.
What about Pantone or spot colours?

We’d steer you away from both. Spot colours add real cost to a run, and they behave unpredictably on a stock as absorbent, textured and natural as ours.
Build your file in CMYK and we’ll get you as close as the material allows.
Bespoke shapes and cutter guides
If your print isn’t a standard rectangle, we need a cutter guide alongside your artwork. It’s the line that tells our cutter what shape to make.
One layered PDF does the job. We need two layers:
Your artwork
On its own layer, with bleed and no cut lines drawn on it.
Your cutter guide
On a separate labelled layer, drawn as a single continuous vector line at 1pt in either 100% cyan or 100% magenta. A named colour means it can’t be mistaken for part of the design.
Two things worth knowing. Your background still needs to bleed 3mm past the cutter line, and anything you care about still needs to sit 5mm inside it.
And keep the shape simple: our paper is thick, textured and handmade, so fine points and narrow slivers won’t hold a crisp edge the way they would on coated card.
Some extra special pointers
What’s the maximum ink coverage?
Our paper is no ordinary material. We recommend an ink coverage of 30 – 40% so as not to hinder your seeds, if growing wildflowers is your highest priority,
Of course, any coverage is possible. However, some of the seeds may not grow as expected.
Names, names and more names!
If you have varying data you’d like to use in your artwork, such as names for personalised event lanyards, please supply it in a CSV file. You will find this option under Personalisation on any relevant products.
Please give us a tinkle if you are unsure of anything to do with this process.
Can I get a sneak preview?
In the ‘biz’ we like to call it proofing. If you’d like to see a proof of your design before we print, please email us at contact@seedprint.co.uk and our team will be happy to help.
A last once-over. Six things:
â–¡ Document is the exact finished size in mm
â–¡ 3mm bleed added on all four edges
â–¡ Everything important sits 3mm inside the trim
â–¡ Artwork coverage is under 40%, with no thin borders
â–¡ File is CMYK, 300dpi, exported as a print-ready PDF
â–¡ Cutter guide on its own layer if your shape isn't a rectangle
All ticked? Upload it and we'll get growing.
if you have any questions at all
Now it's time to get printing
-
From £125.00 (ex. VAT) -
From £72.50 (ex. VAT) -
From £72.50 (ex. VAT) -
From £72.50 -
From £132.50 -
From £75.00 (ex. VAT) -
From £175.00 (ex. VAT) -
From £140.00 (ex. VAT)
