1 File Formats & Resolution

Best formats: JPEG (preferred for upload) or TIFF (for your own archive). If you start from a TIFF master, exporting a high-quality JPEG is normally indistinguishable in print at 300 dpi.

• Resolution: Aim for 300 dpi at the final print size.
• Upsizing: In practice, we can enlarge images up to around 4× the original size with minimal visible quality loss, provided there are no extremely fine lines or very small text.

2 Colour Spaces & Profiles

For artwork and photography, we recommend working in Adobe RGB (1998). It offers a wider, print-friendly colour range than sRGB without the complexity of very large spaces like ProPhoto RGB.

• If possible, capture and edit in Adobe RGB.
• Always embed the colour profile when saving the final file.
• Do not convert everything to sRGB “just in case” — we can handle Adobe RGB and other standard spaces safely.

If you’d like a deeper explanation, see Understanding Colour Profiles.

3 File Naming & Upload

Use short, clear filenames such as artistname_title_edition01.jpg. Avoid spaces at the start and any special characters such as / ? * #.

Files can be uploaded through our secure system. Your artwork is used only to produce your prints. On request we can keep files on our system to make repeat orders easy, or remove them once the job is complete.

4 Photographing Originals

If you capture the artwork yourself, try to ensure:

• Even, soft lighting, ideally from both sides to reduce shadows and glare,
• The camera is square to the artwork (to avoid keystone distortion), and
• You use the highest quality setting your camera allows (RAW or high-quality JPEG).

If you notice distortion or the artwork looks slightly “trapezoid”, we can usually correct and square up the image digitally before printing.

Reflective and metallic paints can be particularly tricky to photograph; proof-strips are often the best way to fine-tune colour and vibrancy for these pieces.

5 Checking & Proofing

For colour-critical or high-value work, we recommend a thumbnail proof or proof-strip before committing to a full-size print or edition.

• Thumbnail proofs let you check overall colour and paper choice.
• Proof-strips let you compare several small variations of colour/contrast in one critical area of the image.

6 Related Topics

• Paper Guide
• Printer & Ink Technology
• Understanding Colour Profiles
• Proof-Strips & Thumbnail Proofs
• Back to FAQs