Preparing artwork for a backlit fabric
Supply a CMYK PDF/X-4 file at full size or clearly marked at 1:10 scale, with 120 to 150 dpi at full size, 10 mm bleed all round and profile Coated FOGRA39. Keep text and logos at least 8 cm from the edge, with fonts embedded or outlined and logos as vectors.
Everything your designer needs to deliver a print-ready file first time. If you would rather this were not your problem: filling in our template is included in the price of every wall, and a designer who thinks along with you costs €195.
The hard specifications
Size: at full size, or at 1:10 scale clearly marked as such. A resolution of 120 to 150 dpi at full size is plenty; higher makes no visible difference and makes the file unworkable.
Bleed: 10 mm all round. That sounds a lot, but the fabric is tensioned with an edge strip pressed into the frame and the outer centimetres disappear into the profile.
Colour: CMYK, profile Coated FOGRA39. Do not supply RGB; we would then do the conversion, and the choices would be ours rather than yours.
File type: PDF/X-4, fonts embedded or converted to outlines. No open Illustrator or InDesign files.
The safe area
Keep all text and your logo at least 8 cm from the edge. Inside that margin is the zone where the fabric turns into the profile; your text is still there, but it reads at an angle.
On walls wider than 300 cm there is a seam between the modules every 200 cm. Do not put text or a face across it.
Every product page has a template to download for exactly that size, with bleed, safe area and seams drawn in. We always check your file before it goes to print.
What backlighting changes
Black turns dark grey. If your design relies on deep black, expect it to look greyer on the stand. A dark colour with some saturation works better than pure black.
White text on a dark background glows and looks bolder. Set white text a touch lighter in weight than you normally would, and keep it above 40 pt.
Gradients running over more than a metre show visible banding. Add 1 to 2% noise to large gradients.
The three most common mistakes
A logo supplied as an 800-pixel-wide JPG, which turns into a block puzzle at 250 cm high. Always supply logos as vectors.
No bleed, which leaves a white edge or forces the image to be scaled up and distorted.
A design made on a 27-inch screen without anyone thinking about how it looks from ten metres away. The practical test: put your design on your phone and hold it at arm's length. If you cannot read the key message then, nobody will on the show floor.