Artwork guidelines for branded USB sticks

Vector Graphics Vs Raster Graphics

About Vector Graphics

A vector graphic uses mathematics to draw shapes using points, lines and curves. Computers use the mathematical information within vector files to effectively connect the dots and ‘draw’ the artwork. Vector graphics typically include logos, fonts and illustrations. Vector graphics can be infinitely scaled, meaning that they can be resized to any dimension without any loss of quality. They can also be infinitely edited. Whilst they can’t display as high a level of rich detail as raster graphics, modern software means that vector artwork continually becomes increasingly more detailed and sophisticated.

Vector graphic files are the preferred artwork formats so please supply these where possible. Not only are they easier to work with but they will always deliver optimal print finish quality. Please note we require vector artwork when printing a logo onto a black background.

About Raster Graphics

A raster (also known as a bitmap) graphic is an image that is made up of hundreds (or thousands) of tiny coloured squares called pixels. ‘Resolution’ is the name used to express the density of the pixels. E.g. an image with a resolution of 300dpi will contain 300 pixels within one square inch of that image. Raster graphics include all photographs as well as almost all images used on the internet. These types of image formats are great for displaying high levels of rich detail but they do also have a downside.

Raster graphics become blurry or ‘pixelated’ when enlarged resulting in a poor quality print finish. So if a raster graphic must be supplied it is better to supply one of a high resolution (i.e. send the largest, highest quality file possible). Most raster graphic formats are also typically more limited in their abilities to be edited. Again a larger / higher resolution file is better for editing than a smaller / low resolution file.

Identifying Your Pantone Colours

Many of our printing methods require a Pantone colour to be identified for true colours. Here you can download the Pantone Chart

Pantone Solid-Coated Colors

We require Pantone solid coated colours for colour and multi coloured printing to match. For the best results, we highly recommend that you use a Pantone Colour Guide to choose the correct/matching color. If you wish, we will choose colours that match your given colors as closely as possible.

Black And White Pantone colours

Black and white do not require Pantone matching. However, all shades of grey do. For more information on logo colour matching, please visit the Pantone Matching section of the website.

Imprint Areas

When you browse through our products you will able to see the imprint areas clearly stated within the product specifications. Imprint areas are the printable dimensions where your company logo is placed. These dimensions are rough guides only to give you an indication of how much space you are able to play with. You can discuss your possibilities with us so we can get our design department to mock up your requests.

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