Preparing your print data correctly

A guide for everyone creating their own artwork. What makes a print-ready file, how to set it up and what the technical terms mean – explained step by step.

1What this is about

“Print data” is the technical term for the file we print your banner from. It is the template for the machine – and the print comes out exactly as the file looks. There is no correction loop as with an inkjet printer at home: whatever is in the file ends up 1:1 on the material.

That is why a little care pays off. The good news: only a handful of points really matter – the right size, sufficient resolution, the correct colour mode and a clean file format. This page explains each of these points in plain language and, at the end, shows the specific requirements for the individual banner types.

No graphics software of your own? Then send us your artwork as it is – ideally as large and sharp as possible. If in doubt, our team will help check or prepare it. A quick query in advance saves trouble later.

2The essentials at a glance

If you take away just one thing, let it be this checklist. The details on each point are in the sections below.

Checklist for print-ready data

Format: print-ready PDF (EPS only by arrangement)
Colour: create everything in CMYK (not RGB)
Size: at a scale of 1:1 or 1:10, based on the net size
Resolution: at 1:1 at least 35–70 ppi, maximum 120 ppi
Include the seam allowance all round (values depend on the product, see section 11)
Convert fonts to outlines
No spot colours (Pantone/RAL) – convert to CMYK
Several files can be uploaded bundled as a ZIP

3Raster or vector graphic?

Every graphic belongs to one of two families. The difference determines whether a design can be scaled up large without becoming blurry.

Vector graphic scales without loss

Built from lines, shapes and curves that are described mathematically. A vector file has no fixed size – it can be enlarged from business card to building facade and always stays perfectly sharp.

Typical for: logos, type, solid shapes, technical drawings.
Programs: Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Inkscape.
Files: .ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg

Raster graphic limited scalability

A grid of coloured image dots (pixels). The number of pixels is fixed. If the image is stretched beyond its size, the pixels become visible – the image turns blurry or “blocky”.

Typical for: photos, scanned images.
Programs: Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo.
Files: .jpg, .tif, .png, .psd

Rule of thumb Supply logos and lettering as vectors where possible – then they are sharp at any size. Photos are always raster graphics; here a sufficiently high resolution is what counts (next section). A small logo from the internet cannot be turned back into a sharp vector file afterwards.

4Resolution & pixels (ppi)

For photos and other raster graphics: the more pixels, the finer the print. This is measured in ppi – “pixels per inch”, the number of image dots per inch (2.54 cm). More pixels per inch mean more detail.

In large-format printing the resolution may be considerably lower than for a glossy flyer – simply because a banner is viewed from several metres away, not from 30 cm. Setting up a building wall at 300 ppi would be a waste; the file would be huge without any visible difference. These values have proven themselves – each based on the real final size (scale 1:1):

Print size	Minimum	Maximum sensible
Large format (larger than 5 m²)	35 ppi	120 ppi
Small format (smaller than 5 m²)	70 ppi	120 ppi

More than 120 ppi brings no visible gain but makes the file unnecessarily large and slow. Less than the minimum leads to visible blur.

Important at a reduced scale If you create the file at a scale of 1:10, the ppi figure must be ten times as high so that the same sharpness reaches the finished banner. “At least 35 ppi at 1:1” therefore becomes “at least 350 ppi at 1:10”. The reason: the file is ten times smaller but is scaled back up tenfold for printing.

ppi or dpi? In everyday use the terms are often treated as the same. Strictly speaking, ppi refers to the image dots in the file and dpi to the ink droplets of the printing machine. For preparing your data, only the ppi value is relevant.

5Scale 1:1 and 1:10

You may supply your data at two scales:

1:1 – the file is exactly as large as the finished banner. A banner measuring 3 × 2 metres is also 300 × 200 cm in the file. This is the simplest and safest option.
1:10 – the file is reduced to one tenth. 300 × 200 cm becomes 30 × 20 cm. Remember the tenfold resolution then (see above).

From 508 cm edge length Many graphics programs can only create or output documents up to about 508 cm edge length. If your banner is longer than 508 cm on one side, you can hardly avoid the 1:10 scale. Set the file up consistently reduced then – and at the higher resolution.

6Colour: RGB and CMYK

This is the point where most surprises arise – so a little more detail here. There are two ways to describe colour, and they work in fundamentally different ways.

RGB for screens

Red, green, blue. A monitor emits light and mixes colours from these three light colours. The more light, the brighter – all three together produce white. RGB can display very vivid, luminous colours.

Photos from cameras and smartphones, as well as graphics from the web, are almost always in RGB.

CMYK for printing

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (black). A printing machine applies ink and mixes from these four printing colours. The more ink, the darker. This is the system of every professional print.

Please create your data directly in CMYK – this is the mandatory requirement for all banners.

The catch: RGB can display colours that simply cannot be produced with printing inks – such as a vivid neon green or a luminous blue. If you send an RGB file to print, these colours have to be converted to CMYK, and in the process they inevitably become somewhat duller and darker. This is particularly noticeable with vivid orange, green and blue.

Recommendation Set your document to CMYK from the start – then you can already see on screen roughly what is printable, and there are no nasty surprises in the end. If you want to set a colour profile: for uncoated banner materials a standard profile such as ISO Coated v2 is a good starting point.

7Spot colours: Pantone & RAL

A spot colour (also special colour) is a precisely defined colour from a colour system – for example Pantone (widespread in advertising) or RAL (known from paints and window frames). Behind each number is a pre-mixed shade, for example the very specific red of a company logo.

The key point: in large-format digital printing we print with the four CMYK colours – not with pre-mixed special colours as from a tin of paint. A Pantone or RAL colour therefore has to be converted to the closest possible CMYK tone. This works well for most colours but cannot match every shade exactly – especially very saturated or metallic tones show a visible deviation.

How to avoid mistakes Convert spot colours to CMYK yourself before supplying the data – then you decide how the tone looks, not the automatic conversion. If you have a binding CMYK value for your brand colour, feel free to give it to us. If spot colours remain in the file, we convert them to the best of our knowledge – but 100 % colour identity to the swatch reference cannot then be guaranteed.

8Setting up black correctly

Black is not always just black. For a deep, saturated black on large areas, pure “K” (black only) is often not enough – it quickly looks somewhat grey. For large black areas, mix a rich black from several colours, for example C 40 / M 30 / Y 30 / K 100.

Conversely, for black text and fine lines: use pure black only (K 100, the other values at 0). That keeps thin lines crisp and prevents “flickering”.

9File format & fonts

Which file format?

Please supply your data as a print-ready PDF. This format keeps all elements – images, shapes, type – cleanly together and reproduces them true to scale. You create a print-ready PDF in your program via “Export” or “Save as”; make sure to use a print or PDF/X preset.

EPS only by arrangement As a rule we do not accept EPS files – please create a PDF. If your artwork only exists as EPS, get in touch with us beforehand.

Converting EPS to PDF – here's how

An EPS file can quickly be converted to a PDF with common programs:

Adobe Illustrator: open the EPS, then File → Save as or File → Export as and choose PDF (Adobe PDF) as the format.
CorelDRAW: open (import) the EPS, then File → Export and choose PDF.
Inkscape (free): open the EPS, then File → Save as and choose PDF as the type.
Preview (macOS): open the EPS, then File → Export as PDF.

Here too, remember to convert fonts to outlines first (see below) before creating the PDF.

Several files? If your order involves several print files, you can upload them bundled as a ZIP file. That keeps everything together and makes the assignment clear.

Converting fonts to outlines

Text in a file normally refers to a font installed on your computer. If we do not have that font, the text would be displayed incorrectly. So the rule is: convert all text to outlines (curves). Each letter becomes a fixed graphic shape – independent of the font. The text can no longer be edited afterwards, but it can also no longer “shift”.

What the function is called In Illustrator: Type → Create Outlines. In CorelDRAW: Convert to Curves. In InDesign you export a PDF with embedded fonts. Keep an editable copy before converting.

10Net size, seam & bleed

Three terms that are often confused – yet they are simple:

Net size (visible size): the finished, visible size of the banner. This is exactly the dimension you order in the shop – all size details refer to it.
Seam allowance: an additional border created all around the net size. The seam is made from it – the folded edge into which eyelets, keder or a pole pocket are worked. This border disappears during finishing and is no longer visible on the finished banner.
Bleed / overfill: your artwork should carry the background into the seam allowance (full bleed). That way no unprinted flashes appear if the cut shifts slightly. Important content – logos, text – should, by contrast, be kept a safe distance from the edge.

Inside is the ordered net size, around it the seam allowance. Carry the background up to the dashed line.

Split motifs

Very large areas are sometimes made from several widths. Each width must then have an overlap of 1.5 cm with the adjacent one so that no gap appears at the seam. If your order is a split motif, please let your project manager know – we will then agree the layout together.

11Specifications by product

Colour mode (CMYK), resolution, scale and file format are the same for all banners (see above). What differs is the seam allowance – depending on the type of edge finishing. Here are the data sheets:

Banner with flat keder

Colour	CMYK
Seam allowance	1.5 cm all round the net size (keder edge approx. 15 mm)
Image resolution	Large format > 5 m²: 35–120 ppi · Small format < 5 m²: 70–120 ppi (at 1:1)
Output size	Scale 1:1 or 1:10 (from 508 cm edge length 1:10)
File format	print-ready PDF (EPS only by arrangement)
Fonts	convert all text to outlines
Split motifs	1.5 cm overlap – please inform the project manager

Banner with pole pocket / round keder

Colour	CMYK
Seam allowance	1.5 cm on each side, 4 cm top and bottom relative to the net size (mind the scale). Side edge for round banners 80 mm.
Image resolution	Large format > 5 m²: 35–120 ppi · Small format < 5 m²: 70–120 ppi (at 1:1)
Output size	Scale 1:1 or 1:10 (from 508 cm edge length 1:10)
File format	print-ready PDF (EPS only by arrangement)
Fonts	convert all text to outlines
Split motifs	1.5 cm overlap – please inform the project manager

Why more at top/bottom? The larger 4 cm border is sewn into the pole pocket – the tunnel through which the pole or the round-keder rope later runs. That requires a corresponding amount of fabric.

Round banner (cylinder)

Colour	CMYK
Artwork size	Width = circumference of the cylinder · Height = as ordered
File format (setup)	Width = circumference + 20 cm · Height = ordered height + 10 cm
Motif distance from edge	recommended 5 cm
Repeating logos	Width of one segment = circumference ÷ number of repeats
Image resolution	Large format > 5 m²: 35–120 ppi · Small format < 5 m²: 70–120 ppi (at 1:1)
File format	print-ready PDF (EPS only by arrangement)
Fonts	convert all text to outlines

Understanding round banners A round banner wraps around a cylinder, so the circumference (not the diameter) counts as the width of the visible motif. We need the allowances of 20 cm in width and 10 cm in height for the seam and the edge finishing. If a logo is to repeat evenly all the way round, divide the circumference by the desired number – that gives the width per logo. Keep important content at least 5 cm from the edge.

12Common mistakes

Mistake	Result in print	How to avoid it
File in RGB	colours look duller/darker than on screen	create in CMYK from the start
Leaving Pantone/RAL	automatic conversion may miss the tone	convert to CMYK yourself
Image stretched too small	blurry, “pixelated” print	keep to the minimum resolution, logos as vectors
Fonts not outlined	wrong font or shifted text	convert text to outlines/curves
Size = final size without seam	motif gets cut off or edge stays white	include the seam allowance per product
Important content right at the edge	can disappear into the seam	keep a safe distance from the edge
Scale 1:10 without more ppi	blurry on the large banner	increase resolution tenfold

13Glossary of technical terms

Resolution: How finely an image is built from pixels, given in ppi. More pixels per inch = more detail. See section 4.
Bleed / full bleed: Carrying the background beyond the net size into the seam allowance, so that no unprinted areas appear at the edge.
Bitmap → see Raster graphic: Another word for a raster graphic built from pixels.
CMYK: The four printing inks Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black). Mandatory colour mode for all print data.
dpi: “Dots per inch” – the dots the printing machine places. In everyday use often equated with ppi.
EPS: An older file format for graphics (often vector). As a rule we do not accept it as a print file – please create a PDF, EPS only by arrangement.
Flat keder: A flat plastic profile worked into the folded edge of the banner. It slides into the groove of a frame and holds the fabric under tension all round. Seam allowance: 1.5 cm all round.
Pole pocket: An edge sewn into a tunnel through which a pole or rope is fed. This requires 4 cm of seam allowance top and bottom.
Keder: A plastic cord or profile sewn into the edge. It runs in the groove of a frame and tensions the fabric without wrinkles. There are flat keder and round keder.
Scale: Ratio of file size to print size. 1:1 = real size, 1:10 = reduced to one tenth (then ten times the resolution is needed).
Net size / visible size: The finished, visible banner size – exactly the dimension you order in the shop.
Groove: The guide channel in a frame profile into which the keder is inserted.
Eyelet: A metal ring set into the edge for fastening (e.g. with bungee ties or cable ties).
Pantone: A widespread spot-colour system (a swatch fan of precisely defined shades). Must be converted to CMYK for printing.
Outlines (convert to outlines / curves): Letters are turned from font characters into fixed graphic shapes, so the text prints correctly regardless of installed fonts.
Raster graphic (pixel): An image of coloured dots with a fixed pixel count – e.g. photos. Limited in enlargement, otherwise blurry.
ppi: “Pixels per inch” – image dots per inch. The measure of a file's resolution.
RAL: A colour system mainly for paints (e.g. window frames). Like Pantone, a spot colour that must be converted to CMYK.
RGB: Red, green, blue – the colour system of screens. Not suitable for printing; convert to CMYK first.
Round keder: A variant of the keder with a round cross-section, often used together with a pole pocket.
Hem: The folded, reinforced edge of a banner – the basis for eyelets, keder or a pole pocket.
Seam allowance: The additional border created beyond the net size and finished into the seam. Value depends on the product.
Spot colour (special colour): A precisely defined colour from a system (Pantone, RAL). Not directly printable in digital printing – converted to CMYK.
Rich black: A particularly deep black mixed from several CMYK colours for large areas, e.g. C40 M30 Y30 K100. For fine text, use pure K100 instead.
Circumference: For a round banner, the distance once around the cylinder – it determines the motif width.
Vector graphic: A graphic of mathematically described lines and shapes. Scalable to any size without loss – ideal for logos and type.