This support article provides general guidance on supplying artwork for promotional calendars and fundraising calendars. These products often include custom artwork, so you may need to send files to us during the order process.
Don’t worry if you are unsure about any of this. Nothing will go to press without you approving a proof first. If any of this is confusing, just reach out to your order representative directly, or get in touch if you haven’t ordered yet, and we can give you specific guidance.
A rule of thumb: if you are unsure what to send, send the highest-quality original files you have. We will check them before production.
Guidelines for when we are designing your artwork
In this case, you do not need to worry about supplying print-ready artwork. After placing your order, a member of the team will discuss what you would like your advert or product to look like.
For calendar adverts, you will typically send over your company, charity, or school name, along with your email address, phone number, address, and logo files, alongside anything else you would like included in your advert. For bespoke products with custom imagery, you may also send over any images you would like included in the design.
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Supplying your logo
Our presses work best with artwork supplied at 300ppi (pixels per inch), so images and logos should be provided at this resolution at their final printed size. You may also see this referred to as 300dpi (dots per inch). While the terms are not technically identical, they are often used interchangeably in print, and for artwork purposes you can treat them as the same thing.
If your logo is supplied as an image file, such as a JPEG or PNG, it needs to contain enough detail to stay sharp at the size it will appear on the final product.
For example, if your logo will appear at 5cm wide on a printed calendar advert, the file should still be high resolution when displayed at 5cm wide. If the original image is too small and needs enlarging, it may appear blurry or pixelated when printed.
Vector formats such as AI, EPS, SVG, or vector PDF are ideal for logos because they scale cleanly to any size without losing quality. If you are unsure which version of your logo to send, please send the best quality version you have and we can check it for you.
Supplying your images
Most bespoke products have a template showing the required image area in mm. For example, our bespoke promotional calendars list an ‘image area’ size in mm.
Images should ideally be 300ppi at the size they will appear in print. If an image is too small, heavily cropped, or compressed, it may appear blurry or pixelated when printed.
Original photos from modern mobile phones are often suitable for print, especially if they have not been cropped too much or sent through apps that reduce image quality. As a rough guide, a 12MP camera or higher is usually suitable for many printed images, depending on the final print size. Most modern phones exceed this easily.
Avoid using images downloaded from social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook, as these are often compressed and may not print clearly. Where possible, send the original image file.
Guidelines for when you are supplying print-ready artwork
Where possible, print-ready artwork should be supplied as a high-resolution PDF at the correct final size. Any images used within the artwork should ideally be 300ppi at the size they will appear in print.
If you are supplying a pre-designed calendar advert, please make sure it is set up to the 'advert size’ specified in mm. This measurement will be listed on the product page. If you are supplying completely custom artwork for a calendar, notebook or diary, please ensure the file is set up to the final page size.
Please embed fonts where possible, or outline them if appropriate, as this helps avoid font compatibility issues during production.
Artwork should ideally be supplied in CMYK colour mode, as this is better suited for commercial printing. RGB artwork may appear slightly different once printed, although we will do our best to match colours where possible. Please also note that very low tint values of 1 - 5% may not show up in print.
If your design reaches the edge of the page, it will usually need bleed. Bleed is an extra area around the edge of the design that is trimmed off during production to help prevent unwanted white edges after cutting.
Before sending print-ready artwork, it is best to discuss the required format, page size, bleed, and any product-specific specifications with your order representative.
Important to note: There are several technical details we will check for you that are not covered here, such as black setup, minimum line weights, small text, safe zones, Pantone matching, transparency effects, and file preparation. We have not listed these in detail because this is a practical customer guide, not a full technical print specification. Our team will review your artwork before production and let you know if anything needs attention.
Sending your files to us
In most cases, we will send you an artwork request email. This will include a secure link where you can upload your files.
In rare cases, files may be sent to us via WeTransfer. A member of the team will provide a secure upload link if this is needed.
For very small files, email can be used.
Intellectual property
By sending artwork, images, logos, or other materials to us, you confirm that you either own them or have permission to use them for the purpose of producing your order.
Any artwork you supply remains yours. We may make reasonable technical adjustments where needed for production, such as resizing, file preparation, adding bleed, or adjusting colours for print. These adjustments are made only to fulfil your order and do not transfer ownership of your original artwork to us.
Designs created by our team remain our intellectual property unless agreed otherwise in writing. You may use the finished design for the product or order it was created for, but editable source files are not included as standard. These may be supplied on request, depending on the project and any agreed terms.
Please make sure you have the appropriate rights, licences, or permissions for any artwork, images, logos, fonts, or other materials you send to us.
Learn how to track your Think Promote order online, view production updates, check dispatch status, and find courier tracking details after your order leaves the factory.
If something has gone wrong with your order, this guide explains what to do next, what we may ask you for, and how we work out the right way to put things right.
