When someone needs a sign now, one of the easiest ways to get your sign produced quickly is to provide us with the completed artwork. Many times, this works without an issue, but there have been a few instances where the artwork simply won’t work because we haven’t received good sign artwork.
Vector Artwork is Always Better
The most preferred type of artwork is vector artwork. Vector artwork consists of lines and points that can be scaled to any size without distortion. Because we can scale these files to any size, we can almost always make your sign work. There is one reason I say almost; all fonts must be converted to outlines before we get them. If you have a font on your artwork we don’t have, there is a chance the type will be messed up.
Generally vector artwork is used for logos or illustrations. If you need a photo printed, then a high resolution image is the way to go.
Common Vector File Types: AI, EPS, PDF, FS, SVG
High Resolution Images Will Work
The next best option is a high resolution image. What is considered high-resolution you ask? High resolution is 300 dpi at the size of what you need. We are willing to print as low as 100 dpifor larger signs, but the quality loss will be noticeable.
There have been times we have received a file that was originally small, and then someone increased the dpi to 300. Please note: This does not work! When you resize an image larger, the software resizing the image will calculate what can be used as filler in the data that originally wasn’t there. The key to remember is that images can be scaled down without a noticeable difference, but they can’t be scaled up.
Common High Resolution Image File Types: JPG, PNG, EPS
Low Resolution Images Will Not Work
The best way to describe a low resolution image is one that is too small, whether that be inches or dpi. Usually, these are images that have been lifted off Google Images. First of all, just because you found it on Google Images, doesn’t mean it’s free, nor of a good quality. Most of those images are licensed and you can’t legally use them anyway.
Usually, when we are provided with low resolution images, they are logos that have been pulled from a website or Facebook page. When we receive this, 99 times out of 100, the logo will not work for the sign. When this happens, we have to charge a design fee to recreate your logo, so the best way to avoid that is to provide us with the correct file format.
Common Low Resolution Image File Types: GIF, JPG, PNG
So if you are ever providing artwork for your sign, always make sure you’ve provided us with a good sign artwork. We will be let you know if we notice something before we print, but you can save yourself a lot of headaches by providing the best file type for your project.
