Artwork File Types

Thank you for choosing Signarama Troy / Metro Detroit for your signage project! We are very excited to work with you on making your purchase an experience to remember. To provide you with the highest level of quality on your finished project, we will need your artwork files in the best format type for your custom signage project. Below are a few guidelines outlining the best file types that we can work with.

Vector Artwork

Vector images are files that are made up of points from mathematical equations. Vector files can be scaled to any size without any quality being lost.

Vector files are created in vector based software such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. Files that are vector typically have a file extension .EPS, .AI or can be exported into a PDF file.

What makes a bad vector file?

A raster image cannot be converted to a vector image without some type of recreation. Our team of creative graphic designers are trained to recreate your image node by node if needed!
Missing fonts are one of the worst parts about vector files. Please make sure when exporting your file that the fonts are converted to outlines. If this step is missed & your file contains a unique font, we get a big error message & are unfortunately stuck as the text will appear differently. If you prefer, you can also submit the font file itself to us so that we don’t have any issues in the future!
Unembedded links can also cause an issue for the production process of your project. When submitting an artwork file to Signarama of Troy, please make sure that all of the links to any images used in the file are embedded into the file itself. If the file is sent over with links that were not embedded, our system will try to locate a file that we do not have & the image will not be included in the final print.

Raster Artwork

Raster artwork is an image made up of small squares known as pixels. A raster image is typically optimized to be used at a specific size. If a raster image is enlarged, much of the image quality is lost making the image appear blurry or show the pixels within the artwork.

Most raster images are created in Adobe PhotoShop or Microsoft paint. Photos taken on any type of camera are raster files as well & the quality of those images can vary. The most common file types for a raster artwork file are .JPEG, .PNG, .TIFF or .BMP

So what is the best file to send over for your signage project? Depending on what type of project that you are working with, the file type required can vary. Our team can usually work the best with a vector file of your logo for most signage, but if your project is a wall wrap, vehicle wrap, or any other project that has an image used in it, a raster file may work the best.

What size raster file do we need?

If you are saving your .jpg, .tiff file for us, please follow these specifications to ensure your image prints with high quality!

150dpi @ full scale
300dpi if the file needs to be enlarged
CMYK color profile

Unsure if the file is exported correctly? No problem! Our team here at Signarama Metro Detroit will ALWAYS check your artwork files for any obvious errors such as a low resolution.

If you have any file setup or artwork specific questions, please contact us today!