Your Ultimate Guide to Printing- 10 Steps to Success

By Jake Fischer |

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Do you ever feel like this world is way too complicated? We do too. We’re on a mission to make the world an easier place to print, smile, and spread color. Are you in? Keep reading!

Here are our ‘10 Steps to Success’ for every custom print! Of course, we’re always here to help, just give Fidelity a call! Our team of experts can easily guide you through each step of the printing process to ensure printing perfection. Plus, even if you don’t have a graphic designer on hand, our team is ready to help design the perfect print for you. Need some help with those Business Cards? New Brochures? Custom Banners? Our team of local printers is here for you.

Okay but really, here are the tips for your next local print:

  1. Know Your Goal-

Although it sounds simple in theory, knowing your goal is without a doubt the most crucial step in your entire printing process. When you choose to print with us, we’re always here to help. From pre-press to proof, we’ve got you covered. Yet, only you know your dream. Only you know the exact destination you want your next print to take you. Once you have your dream in mind, we’re ready to help take you there! Whether it’s brochures or business cards- remember your goal in every detail!

  1. Crop and Bleed?

Print design is significantly different than digital design. When designing for print, it’s essential to remember to add crop and bleed to your design. This minor detail makes all the difference in the world for our team of craftsmen. Why? Because, in commercial printing, our printers generally don’t print to the edge of the paper. Most of the time, your designs are actually on a sheet with multiple other copies! Therefore, our local experts need to know where to hand-cut each design. Because commercial printing is largely crafted by humans, our team carefully inspects each design after cutting to ensure the edges were cut exactly where you placed your crop lines. Need some help adding crop and bleed? Click here!

  1. DPI check

Something seems a little fuzzy here. *Checks DPI*.

If you’re ready to print for your business, odds are you’re looking for premier quality. You want your prints to reflect the best your business has to offer! Well, to be the best, you have to use the best file quality. In your design, ensure that your DPI settings are set to 300! While it may not be as big of a deal for smaller designs like the business cards for your new Nashville location, the DPI setting will be abundantly clear next time you print a large format poster. To learn how to set your DPI at 300, click here!

  1. CMYK vs RGB?

We promise you these are more than just meaningless letters. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is the color pallet we use to print all of your brilliant designs! While you may not see a huge difference on your screen, CMYK is essential to ensuring the best quality print. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) on the other hand, is your go-to option for all things digital. From your social media marketing to email curation, RGB is perfect! Transitioning your design from RGB to CMYK is incredibly easy, though, so have no fear if your design was already created using one or the other. Click here to learn how to get your print design into CMYK format!

  1. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread

Trust us on this, you want to proofread your design at least three times. It’s never a bad idea to have a set of fresh eyes take a look at your design whenever you’re about to print. While we can always alter designs, it’s significantly easier to catch a misprint before it happens! Take a breath and take a second and third look at your creation before printing- you won’t regret it!

  1. Paper Quality

Already know what kind of paper you’re wanting to print on? Let us know! If you’re unsure of how you want your business card printed, or your next brochure bonded, check out this video to discover all of your options! Or, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to get you printing in the right direction.

  1. PDF It

Wondering what type of file is best to send to Fidelity? Easy! Always send your local commercial printer a PDF of your design. A good ole PDF is not only easier for our team to get your print moving down the line, but it also prevents any sort of file loss during the transfer. As if that wasn’t enough, sending us a PDF allows our team to alter aspects of your design to ensure it’s ready for print! Sure, it’s extra work, but it’s just another way we ensure premier quality in every step of printing.

  1. Copyright?

The last thing you want in your print design is a copyright problem. Lawyers from massive corporations knocking on your door? No thanks. In your design, ensure that all of the images, drawings, and styles are copyright-free!

  1. Talk to the Experts

We do this every day. Just let us know how we can help! Since 1999, Fidelity has assisted countless companies, big and small, bring wild ideas to ink. We believe that printing should be a fun and easy process aimed at bringing your brand to life through color. Click here to contact our team

  1. Get Proofs

A ‘Proof’, as we say in printing, is the first time you get to see your design on paper! A proof is essential to ensuring perfection in your design. Once you receive your proof, take a deep dive into every detail.

Are the images and designs angled and scaled correctly? Is your DPI set correctly? Are the bleeds and folds positioned where you want them? Is the trim the correct size? Are the colors exactly as you expected?

After receiving your proof and exploring every detail within your design, we’ll be sure to have every print looking exactly as you had imagined!

 

Printing is all about the details! Through careful attention to every inch of every design, our Nashville print team is confident in our ability to bring perfection to every design. Next time your marketing team is ready to print, reach out to us so that we can walk you through each simple step. To get the ink rolling, give us a call! Or, click here to download our capability guide to learn more about our skills as Nashville’s Premier Commercial Printer!

Hey! Thanks for taking the time to read our commercial printing blog. Yeah, we’re local to Nashville, but we’re also everywhere you are. From brochures and banners to business cards and decals, our commercial printers are ready to take your team to the next level. Since 1999, Fidelity has offered streamlined purchasing through outstanding customer service and online ordering. When you’re ready to grow your brand through quality marketing materials, we’re here to help make sure things go right.

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