Avoid artwork aggravation: Five quick tips

FollowMolly, Mar 28, 2010

There's no question that good-looking artwork is the foundation for a good-looking promotional product. Yet all too often, art takes a backseat to other issues during the ordering process. That's why we've complied this short list addressing some of the most common artwork-related issues we see here at Leaderpromos.

1. Does your art fit your product?
Make sure your art fits the proportions of the imprint area. If your logo is tall and narrow, for example, it may not work on a product like a pen with a long, wide imprint area. The available imprint size for the standard imprint method is listed on our product pages, or just ask your rep for guidance.

2. Font sizing: At least 8 points, please.
Watch your font sizes! If you want your text to look good (and be legible!), try to keep all fonts in your art above 8 points. In some cases, laser engraved text can work down to 6 points, ask your rep for guidance.

3. It's not blue, it's azure.
Most of our manufacturers will match your logo colors as closely as possible for no additional charge. If an exact match is needed, be sure to specify the Pantone color you want. If your specific pantone color ink is not normally stocked, a small mixing charge may apply.

4. Use the right file format.
Think vector, not bitmap. Vectored graphics file formats like .eps and .ai (or a .pdf saved from a vectored file) are scalable and work well on almost any product. Jpeg, .gif and bitmap files, like those used on most websites, very rarely contain the right information to make a good-looking imprint.

5. Is it too big to e-mail?
Complex multi-color logos saved in vectored file formats can often be too large to successfully send via e-mail. If your artwork file is larger than 5MB, talk to your Leaderpromos sales rep and ask about sending via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) instead of e-mail.

Don't worry, we've got your back!
If all this still sounds a little Greek to you, don't worry! Our in-house art department can usually help clean up your art files for little or no cost. We can even help you create a logo or design from scratch.