Frequently Asked Print Questions

Question not covered here?

Just ask lynne@absolutecolour.com.au

How long does it take to get my printing order?

We promise a four to five day turnaround on all standard printing jobs. Customised printing may take a little longer. We will always give you a delivery date when you order. If no-one will be at the premises of delivery to accept the printing, we will need instructions as to where the goods must be left.

How will my printing be delivered?

Delivery is free to anywhere in Australia, except for remote areas, and will be carried out by our preferred couriers to ensure your printing arrives in excellent condition.

How do I get a quote on my printing?

All standard printing is fully priced on this site and an online quote is available. If your printing job is somewhat specialised you can make an online enquiry and we will get back to you with a quotation within a few hours.

What is a 'proof' and why do I need one?

We check every file thoroughly before printing to ensure you will get great print results. We then provide a soft proof (pdf) of your artwork via email, so that you can be sure you are fully satisfied with the general colour of your printing piece, and so that you can check your content is correct. Hard copy digital proofs can also be supplied at an additional cost of $30 per A4 or smaller page.

What is bleed?

The term bleed refers to extra space (usually 3mm) added to each side of your artwork. This area will be trimmed off after printing, so you should ensure that nothing important is in this area. Bleed is added to avoid any white edges appearing after trimming. Usually you would want colour all the way to the edge of the paper, say for example in a red brochure.

What is the cropline?

The cropline, also known as the trimline, shows the finished size of your printed material.

How can I make sure my text isn't cut off?

It is important to make sure all text is at least 3mm in from the cropline to avoid it getting cut off during finishing.

What format should I send my artwork in?

Press ready pdf files with 3mm bleed (if applicable) and croplines are preferred as they will give you optimum results. However, we also accept .jpg .bmp .doc .eps .ai .indd .qxz files. Please note that fonts may change on .doc .indd and .qxz files. If you need any help with files, please let us know. We specialise in personalised service and want to make this process as pleasant and pain free as possible for you.

How should I save my images?

It is optimum for images to be saved as CMYK or grayscale in a TIFF format as this will give you the truest colour. While you can use RGB (red, green, blue), the colour you get will not be as bright as it appears on your screen, and you may be dissapointed in the result. Word documents and Publisher documents are not designed for four colour process printing and although we will convert to CMYK mode colours, the results may not be to your liking. The colour change is usually minimal, but occasionally it may be pronounced.

Folding?

Scoring (creasing) should only be carried out on paper that weighs 170gsm or more, in order to minimise the ink cracking on the fold. Inked areas on the fold line will always crack slightly, so if this is an issue for you it is best to design your printing with minimal ink on the fold line. Dark colours should be avoided on the fold as the cracking will be more obvious.

What about ink saturation?

Full ink saturation is 100% Cyan, 100% Magenta, 100% Yellow and 100% Black, creating a colour that is 400%. This is NOT suitable for print as it is very difficult to dry and create problems with trimming, folding and binding. It may also look scuffed. Keeping colour combinations under 300% total ink saturation is ideal for your images. A fat black (also known as full or rich black) to use in solid areas is 60% Cyan, 50% Magenta, 50% Yellow and 100% Black. If in any doubt, just ask. That's what we're here for.

Envelopes?

The colour on envelopes may vary slightly from your business cards and letterheads as a slightly lighter ink is used on envelopes.This is because the paper used for envelopes is different and a lighter ink is required to avoid 'set off' (ink smudging onto the back of the next envelope during printing).

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