How to send large artwork files
Upload limits on the product page and quote form, how to make big files smaller without losing quality, naming files, uploading after you order and what not to send.
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To send large artwork files to us, upload them on the product page (up to 3 files, 25 MB each) or on the quote form (up to 5 files, 25 MB each); if a file is bigger, first make it smaller in a way that keeps the print quality, and if it still will not fit, contact us before you order and we will tell you how to send it. You can also order first and upload later: we email you after you order. This guide covers each route, how to cut file size safely and what to leave out.
Where to upload and the limits #
There are two places to send large artwork files online, and both take files of up to 25 MB each:
| Where | Files | Size limit | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product page, under Artwork: “I will upload print-ready artwork” | Up to 3 | 25 MB each | Standard orders with your own artwork |
| Get a quote form | Up to 5 | 25 MB each | Custom jobs, unusual sizes or several designs |
Both upload boxes take PDF, AI, EPS, SVG, PNG, JPG, TIF, PSD, DOCX and ZIP files. If you have more files than the box allows, put them in one ZIP. A ZIP counts as one file but still has to be 25 MB or less, and zipping a PDF or JPG barely shrinks it, so a ZIP is for grouping files, not for making them smaller.
How to send large artwork files, step by step #
- Check the size first. Right-click the file and look at its properties (Get Info on a Mac). Under 25 MB? Upload it as it is.
- Check the resolution is not too high. Many large files are big because images are far above what the print needs. Large banners need 100 to 150 dpi at full size and small items 300 dpi; our guide to dpi for printing has the sums.
- Tidy the source file. Delete hidden layers, unused artboards, spare copies of photos parked off the page and old versions pasted outside the design.
- Export again with sensible settings. Use a print quality PDF preset rather than the smallest file size option, which can shrink images too far. Our guide to a print-ready PDF lists the settings.
- Name each file clearly. Include the product, the size and the side, for example “6×3-banner-front.pdf”. If you are sending after ordering, add your order number from the confirmation email.
- Upload, or ask us. Upload on the product page or the quote form. If a file is still over 25 MB, call 0161 315 1151 or message us before you order and we will tell you the best way to send it.
Making files smaller without losing quality #
Photos and flattened artwork
A photo sized for a 6 ft × 3 ft (1829 × 914 mm) banner needs about 7200 × 3600 pixels at 100 dpi, or about 10800 × 5400 at 150 dpi. Anything much larger than that adds megabytes, not quality. Resize the image to the pixel size the print needs, then save it as a high quality JPG (the top quality setting keeps compression marks out of view). A layered PSD can be many times the size of the same artwork flattened, so send a flattened copy and keep the layers for yourself.
PDFs
A PDF grows when it carries images at many times the resolution they print at, or the same photo placed several times. Re-exporting with a print preset that reduces images above about 300 dpi often shrinks it a lot. Leave fonts embedded; they add very little.
Very large banners and backdrops
Our artwork guidelines allow large banners to be set up at an exact scale such as 1:10, which helps when a program will not make a page as wide as the banner. It does not reduce the number of pixels a photo needs, though: at 1:10 the photo needs ten times the dpi on the smaller page. Our guide to large banner artwork at scale explains the sums for items like backdrop banners and PVC banners.
Sending large artwork files after you order #
If your file is not ready, you do not need to wait to order. Choose the upload option, leave the box empty and complete your order; we email you afterwards to collect the artwork. Keep your order number in the file names and in anything you send, so it is matched to the right item. The turnaround clock starts when both the order and the artwork are confirmed, so the sooner the file arrives, the sooner it is made. Our guide to what happens after you order covers the rest.
When you send large artwork files, a person gives each one a free file check for resolution, size and bleed, and tells you if anything needs fixing before it prints.
File-sharing links #
If a file genuinely cannot be made smaller than 25 MB, for example a large photographic backdrop, speak to us before you send anything. If you already use a file-sharing service, ask us first whether a download link from it is fine for your job. Send links only in reply to our own emails or messages, and be wary of any unexpected message asking you to download or upload files; the National Cyber Security Centre has plain advice on spotting fake links.
What not to send #
A lot of the effort to send large artwork files is wasted on files that will not print well anyway. Leave these out:
- Screenshots of your artwork or logo. They capture screen pixels only and print soft.
- Images saved from websites or social media. They are small and compressed, fine for a label but not a banner.
- Several versions of the same design. Send the one to print, not “final”, “final2” and “final-new”.
- Files squeezed by a messaging app. Many chat apps shrink photos when you send them. Send the original from your phone or computer instead.
- Anything you do not want printed. Remove notes, colour swatches and crop instructions from the artwork itself and put them in a message instead.
The complete file requirements are on our artwork guidelines page.
