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Artwork Setup Guidelines

Follow these guidelines to ensure your artwork prints perfectly. All specifications below help us deliver the best quality output for your designs.

Accepted File Formats

4Colourss accepts print-ready files in the following formats:

Print Type Accepted Formats
Large Format (Banners, SAV) PDF, CorelDraw (strongly preferred), PNG, JPG (up to 15MB+)
Posters, Flyers & Small Print CorelDraw, PDF, PNG, JPG (up to 10MB+)
Brochure, Books & Booklets Multi-page PDF, CorelDraw

Colour Mode Requirements

Different print products have different colour mode requirements. Please follow the table below:

Product Required Colour Mode Why It Matters
Banners (Flex/Vinyl) CMYK Ensures vibrant, accurate colour on large substrates
A2 Posters CMYK Better output in colour separation
SAV (Self-Adhesive Vinyl) CMYK RGB Consistent output across large-format machines
Flyers (A5, A6, A4) CMYK RGB Small prints tolerate RGB, especially DI machines
Business Cards & Small Print RGB or CMYK preferred Sharper text and fine detail reproduction

Dimensions & Measurement

All artwork sizes at 4Colourss are measured in INCHES. Please set up your document in inches to avoid scaling errors.

Size Inches (use this) Equivalent (reference only)
A55.83" × 8.27"148 × 210 mm
A48.27" × 11.69"210 × 297 mm
A311.69" × 16.54"297 × 420 mm
A216.54" × 23.39"420 × 594 mm
DL3.94" × 8.27"100 × 210 mm
CustomState Width × Height in inches or feet

Bleed & Safe Area

  • Bleed: Extend all background colours and images at least 0.125 inches (approx. 3 mm) beyond the trim edge on all sides.
  • Safe area / margin: Keep all important text and graphics at least 0.2 inches (5 mm) in from the trim edge to prevent accidental cropping.
  • For books and booklets, a safe printing margin of 0.2 inches (5 mm) is recommended on all sides.
  • Crop marks must be added to all sides. Bleed marks can be included but are not mandatory.

Resolution

  • Images and photographs must be a minimum of 300 dpi at the intended print size for flyers and small format.
  • For large format (banners, wide-format posters), a minimum of 150 dpi at actual print size is acceptable.
  • Low-resolution files will produce blurry or pixelated results and may be rejected.

Ink Coverage

  • Keep total CMYK ink coverage below 300% (e.g. do not use C100 M100 Y100 K100 — that equals 400% ink).
  • For a rich, deep black, use: C35 M35 Y35 K100 (recommended by 4Colourss for large solid black areas).
  • Overly heavy ink coverage can cause drying issues, scuffing, and poor adhesion on coated substrates.

Fonts & Text

  • All fonts must be embedded in your PDF or converted to outlines/curves before supplying.
  • Failure to embed or curve fonts may result in font substitution and unexpected text changes in the final print.

Double-Sided Artwork

  • Supply front and back as separate pages within a single PDF or CorelDraw file — page 1 = front, page 2 = back.
  • For books and booklets: Supply as a multi-page PDF with pages in correct printing order (e.g. a 12-page booklet = 12-page PDF).
  • Do NOT supply double-page spreads unless specifically requested.

Dielines, Special Inks & Varnishes

If your artwork includes die-cuts, opaque white ink, or spot UV varnish, these must be set up as named spot colour swatches on a separate page (or as a separate PDF). Do not overlay as a transparency.

Swatch Name CMYK Values Colour Guide
DIELINE C10 M100 Y0 K0 Magenta-dominant pink
OPAQUE WHITE C75 M5 Y100 K0 Green — for white ink layer
SPOT UV VARNISH C100 M20 Y0 K0 Cyan-dominant blue

Large Format Price Calculator

Use this section to calculate the price of any large format print job — banners (flex), vinyl, or SAV. All measurements are in inches or feet.

Step-by-Step Calculation Guide

Step What To Do Worked Example
1 Measure the WIDTH of your print in inches Width = 72 inches (6 ft)
2 Measure the HEIGHT of your print in inches Height = 36 inches (3 ft)
3 Multiply Width × Height (in feet) to get size in square feet 6ft × 3ft = 18 sq ft
4 Multiply your result by your vendor's price per sq ft 18 × ₦250 = ₦4,500

Quick Reference Price Table

Example prices at a sample rate of ₦250 per square foot. Replace the rate with your actual quoted price.

Banner Size Width × Height Area (sq ft) Example @ ₦250/sq ft
2ft × 4ft24" × 48"8 sq ft₦2,000
3ft × 6ft36" × 72"18 sq ft₦4,500
4ft × 8ft48" × 96"32 sq ft₦8,000
5ft × 10ft60" × 120"50 sq ft₦12,000
6ft × 12ft72" × 144"72 sq ft₦18,000
Custom size Your W" × Your H" W × H / 144 Area × your rate

Note: The rate per square foot varies by material type. Flex/PVC banners, SAV vinyl, and mesh banners each have different rates. Always confirm the price per square foot for your chosen material.

Artwork Setup Tips

Before You Send

  • Always export your design to PDF and review it at 100% zoom before submitting — what you see on screen is what we will print.
  • Check that your document size in the PDF matches the final print size you want (including bleed).
  • Use the preflight check in Adobe Acrobat, Enfocus PitStop, or similar to catch hidden issues before submission.

Colour Tips

  • Always work in CMYK from the start of your design if submitting large format work — do not convert from RGB at the end.
  • Avoid very light tints (below 10%) as these can appear washed out or invisible in print.
  • Bright neon or fluorescent colours cannot be reproduced accurately in CMYK — discuss with 4Colourss if your design requires these.

Images & Photos

  • Embed all images in your PDF — do not link to external files.
  • Use actual high-resolution images, not images upscaled in Photoshop. Enlarging a low-res image does not improve its print quality.

Fast Turnaround

Receive your orders in 3 working days depending on the complexity.

100% Top Quality

We guarantee only the finest materials, ensuring your prints maintain vibrant colors and durability for years to come.

Affordable Services

We promise premium quality at the best affordable prices—ensuring your prints are both exceptional and economical.

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