Design, Design, Outdoor
How to Set-up a File for a Large Banner
Banner marketing is a simple, and eye-catching strategy to raise awareness for your brand. We, at Helloprint, want to ensure that your banner printing process is super easy, which is why we are going to help you with the first step, setting up your file. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to use a different file set-up than you would with small products. Although some aspects may be similar, the size, location, and distance from the viewer make a banner set-up very different.
Proper file set-up makes designing large banners so much easier. Not only does it prevent slow computer processing, but also a correct file set-up means you will not be left with a huge file, making banner printing a piece of cake.
Follow these quick and easy steps to help you set-up large files for print:
1. Set up your dimensions
The first step to setting up your file for print is selecting the dimensions. Make sure to put in the exact measurements of your desired size. Don’t panic, if the file is larger, it can easily be brought down by decreasing the resolution.
2. Define the resolution
A common misconception is that files for printable banners need to have a higher resolution than normal. That is simply not the case. Not only will your computer have a hard time processing your work, but you will also be stuck with a huge file.
Banners and other large print products don’t need a resolution of 300dpi, typically used for print products, meant for up close viewing like brochures, booklets and posters. A banner is supposed to be seen from a meter or two away, so we recommended that your file is close to 200dpi. For bigger distances, keep it around 75dpi to 150dpi.
3. Use CMYK colour mode
The required colour mode for all print products is CMYK. If your banner files are set to RGB colour mode, your design colours will come out completely different than how they looked on the screen.
4. Define the bleed
No matter how large your print product is, it always needs a bleed. For large banner printing, we suggest you add a bleed around all edges of your design of 5 mm. Creating a bleed will ensure that if the cutting machine goes beyond the cutting line, your banner will not have a thin white line at the edge.
5. Set the margin
A margin is essential for all print products to make sure that when a guillotine machine cuts within the trim line, necessary information will not be snipped.
In the case of banners, bigger margins need to be put in place, we recommend to make sure that your texts and images are at least 50 mm away from the edge of the complete size. For roll-up banners, it’s best to have a margin of 10 mm from the top, 4 mm from the left and 150 mm from the bottom. In this way, your design will not be cut off and you will have space to finish off your banner printing with rings or tunnels.
6. Save your file
Printers accept most types of file formats, but the most acceptable is usually PDF, PSD, or JPG. You also need to flatten your final artwork to a single layer for fast and easy printing.
If you choose to submit an Illustrator file with your design, make sure that you have converted all fonts to outlines. This ensures that the fonts used will be kept during printing. It is also important to convert all strokes to outlines and to embed all the images you used in your banner design.
Now you’re ready to set up your own design file for your banner’s artwork. Make sure to keep these tips in mind the next time you’re designing large banners.