Artwork guidelines for your roll-up banner
Supply your file as a PDF, set up in CMYK, at 300 DPI at full size, with at least 3 mm of clear space around text and logos. Embed your fonts or convert them to outlines, and leave out crop marks. Below you'll find every requirement with an explanation. Not sure? We check every file ourselves before it goes to print — that check is free and comes with every order.
The short version
- PDF, set up in CMYK
- 300 DPI at full size
- To size, including 3 mm bleed on every side — see the sizes below
- Fonts embedded or converted to outlines
- Keep the bottom 60 mm clear: it sits inside the base
- No crop marks, no security settings
What we catch before anything is printed
A real person looks at every file. If something isn't right, we email you before anything is printed — you send a new file at no extra cost and your order stays in place.
Sharp on your screen, grainy at two metres tall. We spot it in the file; you'd only spot it on the banner.
Supply your artwork with 3 mm bleed on every side. If the size is off, your design gets stretched or the sides are cut off.
The bottom 60 mm is attached to the roller and the top 10 mm sits under the top rail. Anything you put there will never be seen.
The file
What we need from you to print your banner.
- File type
- Supply your print file as a PDF. We also accept PNG or JPG, but a PDF keeps text sharp and colours accurate — with the other two, that isn't guaranteed.
- Maximum size
- 250 MB per file. That's plenty for a full-size banner.
- Security
- Save the file without a password or any restrictions. Our printer can't process a protected PDF.
- Crop marks
- Leave out crop marks and printer's marks. Remove anything that shouldn't be printed before you export.
- Bleed
- 3 mm on every side. Extend your background 3 mm beyond the finished size on each edge, so no white line is left after trimming.
Resolution
People see a banner up close. Low resolution shows straight away.
- Recommended
- 300 DPI for the images in your design, at the actual banner size.
- Minimum
- We advise against anything below 150 DPI. We'll still accept the file, but it will show in the print.
- Watch out when scaling
- A 300 DPI image that you enlarge to twice its size is only 150 DPI. Always work out the resolution at the final size.
Colour
Print uses different colours from your screen.
- Colour mode
- Set up your file in CMYK. If you supply RGB or PANTONE, it will be converted to CMYK, and that conversion can shift colours slightly.
- Ink coverage
- Cyan, magenta, yellow and black added together should not exceed 280%. Above that, the ink can smudge.
- Light tints
- Use at least 10% coverage. Below that, a tint all but disappears in print.
- White
- White isn't a printing colour. White areas aren't printed — on white material you see the banner itself, which is exactly what you want.
Text and lines
On a banner two metres tall, small mistakes stand out.
- Fonts
- Embed all fonts in full, or convert them to outlines. Otherwise your text will be replaced with a different font.
- Smallest type size
- 6 pt is the minimum. For a banner people read from a few metres away, you'll want it much larger in practice.
- Safe area
- Keep text, logos and borders that mustn't be cut off at least 3 mm from the trim line.
- Line weight
- Lines at least 0.25 pt. Lines knocked out of a coloured area at least 0.5 pt — thinner ones fill in.
What size should your artwork be?
Always work at full size. The "artwork size" column includes 3 mm bleed on every side — that's the size to set up your file at.
| Size | Artwork size | Finished banner | Visible area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard · 85 × 200 cm | 856 × 2066 mm | 850 × 2060 mm | 850 × 1990 mm |
| Wide · 100 × 200 cm | 1006 × 2066 mm | 1000 × 2060 mm | 1000 × 1990 mm |
| XL · 120 × 200 cm | 1206 × 2066 mm | 1200 × 2060 mm | 1200 × 1990 mm |
Mind the difference between finished and visible. The bottom 60 mm of the banner is attached to the roller inside the base and is never seen; at the top, about 10 mm sits under the top rail. Your background can run through those areas, but don't put text or logos there. And keep anything that really needs to be read in the top half — the lower part disappears behind tables and people.
Download the artwork template
For each size, a zip file with an Illustrator file and a PDF, both at full size. The guides are on separate layers: place your design on the layer called “Ontwerp” (Dutch for “design”), delete the other layers and send us only your own design.
How to go about it
Four steps that prevent most problems.
Work at full size
Create your design at the size of the banner you're ordering, not to scale. That way you know the resolution is right.
Keep the edges clear
The bottom 60 mm of the banner is attached to the roller inside the base, and the top 10 mm sits under the top rail. Don't put text or logos there.
Put the message at eye level
Anything you really want people to read belongs in the top half. The lower part disappears behind tables, people and stands.
Export as a PDF
In CMYK, without crop marks and without security settings. Then check one last time that the size is right.
Rather not figure it out yourself?
We'll make your banner design fully print-ready, with rounds of revisions and your approval before production. Or just send in your file — we'll check it and let you know if anything needs changing.
Not sure about your file? Email it to info@bannerkoning.nl and we'll take a look with you.