General Artwork Specifications

"Trim/crop" is the border of your artwork specifying where it is to be cut. It defines the final size of the piece. “Trim” and “Crop” are interchangeable terms. Trim lines are represented by a vertical and horizontal hairlines marked on each corner of the page (see example to the left). In layout programs such as Adobe InDesign, when you export your artwork to PDF, a dialogue box asks if you want to include Crop and Bleed marks. Tick both of these then specify how much bleed. We recommend 3mm as a minimum.

"Bleed" is a printed area that extends beyond the trim. Allowing 3mm bleed guarantees that you won’t see a thin white line if the piece is cut fractionally to the left or right. It is basically and extra 3mm of artwork on all edges to safeguard against shifts when trimming.

"The Safe Text Zone" is a 3mm buffer zone within the trim line that ensures important text or graphics are not cut off when the document is trimmed down (see example on the left). Our print registration and finishing equipment is extremely accurate however it is best practice to include 3mm bleed and a 3mm safe text buffer.

Trim, Bleed, and The Safe Text Zone

Bitmap (Raster) vs Vector

A bitmap (or raster) image (e.g. JPG, PNG, GIF) is made up of thousands of tiny set-size square pixels that cannot be enlarged without stretching/scaling each tiny square. This makes the image look blurry or "pixelated" at bigger sizes. The number of pixels within an image is the “resolution”. The more pixels within the image, the smoother and sharper it looks. Bitmap images need to be supplied at a minimum resolution of 300dpi (dots per inch).

Vector graphics (e.g. PDF, AI, EPS, SVG) are comprised of paths, which are defined by a start and end point, along with other points, curves, and angles along the way. A path can be a line, a square, a triangle, or a curvy shape. These paths can be used to create simple drawings or complex diagrams. Each point has a defined position on the X and Y axis meaning the file information can be exported and scaled to any size without distortion. When text is converted to outlines, it then goes from bitmap to vector and can be scaled to any size, remaining crisp and smooth. This is why we recommend outlining all text when supplying artwork.

Some Information About Colour

While computer screens and digital devices display colours in RGB format (Red, Green, Blue), the 4-colour printing process uses CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black). The range of RGB colour combinations available to view on a screen is much greater than the range that can be printed on paper. As such, if artwork is supplied in RGB format, the printed result will look “duller” and with less contrast than you intended. We always recommend you preview your artwork in CMYK format, then adjust the colour palette as close to your intended output as possible.

If your design has medium to large areas of solid black, we strongly recommend you use "Rich Black" to ensure a nice solid result. Rich black is an ink mixture of solid black over one or more of the other CMYK colours, resulting in a darker tone than 100% black ink alone generates in the printing process. A good mixture for Rich Black on heavier stock weights is: 50/50/50/100. For lighter stock weights use 30/0/0/100. It is safe to use Rich Black for text 7pt and above.

Do you deliver to anywhere in Australia?
Yes, we deliver anywhere in Australia. For urgent deliveries, we recommend you contact us before placing your order.

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How much does postage & handling cost?
Nada! Zilch! Zip! Zero! All our standard orders are delivered free of charge. There are no additional or hidden costs. If you require urgent delivery for a special event or have simply forgotten to place your usual order on time, there may be an additional urgency fee (discussed up front). We recommend you contact us before placing your order so that we can arrange to meet your deadline.

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What payment methods do you accept?
At this moment in time, Mint Printing Australia only accepts direct debit (bank transfer). We provide you these details in your invoice when you have confirmed you are happy to proceed with the job. We can also provide a PayPal address if necessary.

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Do you store any information about me?
Yes, some. We keep your name/business name, delivery address, email address, and best contact number on file. We also keep a list of your previous orders, to make future repeat orders or interactions run smoothly. We do not share any of your personal information with third parties and we never will.

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Can I cancel my order?
It depends! Once an order is placed and confirmed, it is immediately/automatically scheduled in our print queue and can not be cancelled. If you need to cancel within minutes, there is a good chance we can remove it from the queue. This can be different for specialty items and varies on a job to job basis. We hope you understand, as our priority is to keep turnaround times fast for our customers.

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What if my order arrives damaged or the printing isn’t up to scratch?
Please contact us right away! We guarantee the quality of our printing and we want to know right away if there’s been a quality control lapse. Contact us by phone 1300 020 288 or email here and one of our customer service staff will respond to you personally to fix the problem. It’s extremely rare, but if we can’t fix the problem, we will refund your money!

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Are you environmentally friendly?

Absolutely, we have a strict focus on minimising our impact on the planet and printing in a more sustainable way. This includes using recycled or plantation sourced papers, petroleum free inks, and the careful management of the recycling of waste.

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Do you do installations?
Yes, Mint Printing Australia can help you with your installation needs. Just let us know what you need help with and we can assist you until it's done!

Frequently Asked Questions