THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRINT TEMPLATE

The yard signs are printed through the UV process. Because of this, it is important to understand/use the print templates provided within the app to ensure the final product is created to your expectations. If you do not follow the template correctly, we cannot guarantee certain aspects of your design will show up on the final product.

When using the template to create your artwork, pay close attention to the Safe Zone. The safe zone is denoted by the green box. The most important aspects of your design should remain within the safe zone to ensure they are printed on the final product. Anything outside of the safe zone runs the risk of getting trimmed off.

The red Bleed Area represents the edge of the product and then some. Since the yard signs are UV printed, it is important to extend your artwork all the way through the bleed area. The bleed area will likely not show on the final product but if you do not have any artwork/color/texture you run the risk of having blank (white) portions that appear on the towel. Bleed areas within print templates are in place as a preventative measure in case of errors that can occur in the printing and cutting process.

Yard Sign Template

Yard Sign Template on Mockup

UV PROCESS

This product is printed using the UV (Ultraviolet) printing process which is different than the usual sublimation process. Ink is applied to the surface and UV light instantly drys the ink. Because the UV lights cure any printed ink immediately, the dots of wet ink have no chance to spread once printed, resulting in much finer detail. Typically sublimation prints sink into the product, but UV printing allows for the print to sit on top of the product - this can cause some subtle texture to occur. Your UV printed product will likely have some slight texture to it, but this actually adds to the appeal of this particular printing process. The subtle texture has an added dimension which brings your artwork to life.

DESIGN TIPS

Knowing the print process helps with creating your designs. Typically UV printing reproduces prints quite accurate to the file you submit to our app. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your design prints to your satisfaction.

1) Drop-Shadows, Low Opacity Elements, Glows & Blending Modes: It is highly recommended to avoid using drop shadows and glows when creating designs for products that are UV printed. This effect is generally a useful technique in adding dimension to your artwork but will not turn out ideally on this product. The gradient effect of a drop shadow/glow when printed gives the artwork a lower quality look and often times makes the graphic appear blurry. If your design calls for one of these effects and you are unwilling to compromise, we suggest using a solid shadow/glow with sharp edges that do not softly fade out. This will add depth and help your artwork stand out while remaining clear to the viewer.

2) RGB vs CMYK: Knowing your color codes may be the most important practice when using Print on Demand. RGB (Red, Green & Blue) is the color code for web applications. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black) is the color code for print applications.

We ask that our users upload artwork in RGB because they are uploading a graphic to the web. We strongly recommend checking the files in CMYK prior to upload because the graphic uploaded in RGB will be converted to CMYK at the print facility. DO NOT upload artwork to the app in CMYK – this will cause issues with how your design colors are represented on the mockup images. Upload your artwork in RGB, but check your file in CMYK first and adjust accordingly.

Some colors are created specifically for your screen using RGB. We call these backlit colors as they are using light from your computer monitor to add more intense vibrancy that cannot be reproduced in the printing process. This is why we always recommend checking your files in CMYK before uploading because there can be drastic shifts in color that completely change what is shown on your mockup image versus the final product. Please see the example below.

RGB – Backlit Color

CMYK – How Green Will Reproduce in Print