Artwork & Printing Guidelines

Last updated: 1 October 2026

Good artwork is essential to achieving a good finished print. These guidelines explain how artwork should be prepared and supplied to Limegreen (Pty) Ltd for online print orders.

Please read these guidelines before uploading artwork or approving a proof.

1. Accepted Artwork Formats

Our online product calculators accept the following artwork formats:

• PDF
• AI (Adobe Illustrator)
• EPS
• JPG / JPEG
• PNG

The maximum online upload size is 100 MB per permitted upload, subject to the upload facility available for the relevant product.

Where possible, PDF, AI or EPS files are preferred for artwork containing vector logos, text, cut lines or other elements that need to remain sharp when enlarged.

2. Artwork Size

Artwork should preferably be supplied at the correct finished size.

Before uploading your artwork, check that its dimensions and proportions correspond with the product size selected in the Limegreen calculator.

Scaling artwork significantly beyond its original size may reduce print quality, particularly where photographs or other raster images are used.

3. Image Resolution

For products viewed at close range, raster artwork should preferably be supplied at approximately 300 DPI at final print size.

Large-format products intended to be viewed from greater distances may sometimes be produced successfully at lower effective resolutions, depending on the product, finished size and viewing distance.

Low-resolution artwork can result in:

• pixelation;
• blurred photographs;
• jagged edges;
• poorly defined logos; or
• soft or unclear text.

Simply changing the DPI value of a low-resolution image does not recreate image detail that was not present in the original file.

If you are unsure whether your artwork is suitable, contact Limegreen before approving it for production.

4. Vector Artwork

Vector artwork is recommended for logos, lettering, line graphics and custom cutting paths wherever possible.

Vector graphics can normally be enlarged without losing edge quality, making them particularly suitable for large-format printing and contour cutting.

Common vector formats include AI, EPS and appropriately created vector PDF files.

Please note that placing a low-resolution JPG or PNG inside an AI, EPS or PDF file does not automatically convert the image into vector artwork.

5. Colour Mode

CMYK artwork is preferred for commercial printing.

Computer monitors, mobile phones and many digital devices display colour using RGB, while commercial printing generally uses CMYK or other print-production colour processes.

RGB artwork may therefore require conversion before printing and some colours may change in appearance during this conversion.

6. Screen Colour vs Printed Colour

A screen produces colour using illuminated pixels, while printed products reproduce colour using inks or toners on physical materials.

For this reason, the appearance of a colour on a monitor or mobile phone cannot be used as an exact representation of the final printed colour.

Colour appearance can also vary between different screens and devices.

Reasonable screen-to-print colour variation is therefore not necessarily a printing defect.

If accurate colour reproduction is particularly important, please discuss your colour requirements with Limegreen before production.

7. Pantone and Specific Brand Colours

If your brand requires a specific Pantone, CMYK or other defined colour reference, please advise Limegreen before production.

Depending on the printing process, material and product, exact spot-colour matching may not always be possible.

Where a specific colour match has not been expressly agreed, normal commercial print variation may occur.

8. Bleed

Artwork that extends to the edge of a finished product should include sufficient bleed beyond the final trim or cutting line.

As a general guideline:

• smaller paper-based products should normally include approximately 3 mm bleed; and
• large-format artwork should normally include approximately 5 mm bleed, unless Limegreen specifies otherwise for the particular product.

Bleed allows for normal movement during printing, trimming and cutting and helps prevent unwanted white edges.

9. Safe Area

Important information should not be positioned directly against a trim or cutting line.

Keep critical elements such as:

• text;
• telephone numbers;
• website addresses;
• logos;
• QR codes; and
• important design elements

a reasonable distance inside the finished edge.

This provides a safe area for normal trimming and cutting tolerances.

10. Fonts

Fonts should preferably be converted to outlines or curves before artwork is supplied in formats such as AI or EPS.

Alternatively, fonts must be correctly embedded where the file format supports embedding.

If a font is unavailable, not embedded and has not been converted to outlines, it may be substituted when the artwork is opened on another system, potentially changing the appearance or layout.

11. Custom-Shaped Stickers

Artwork for custom or contour-cut stickers should include a clearly defined vector cut line.

The printed artwork should extend beyond the cut line sufficiently to provide bleed.

Important text, logos and design elements should remain safely inside the cut line.

If the supplied cutting path cannot be reliably used for production, Limegreen may request corrected artwork before production begins.

12. Custom-Shaped Vehicle Magnets

Custom-shaped vehicle magnet artwork must include a clearly indicated vector cut line.

The print artwork must extend beyond the cut line to provide sufficient bleed.

Important information should remain inside the safe area and should not run directly against the cutting line.

13. QR Codes, Barcodes and Fine Detail

QR codes, barcodes and other machine-readable graphics should be supplied at sufficient size and resolution for their intended application.

Customers should ensure that the destination encoded in a supplied QR code is correct before artwork approval.

Machine-readable elements should have adequate contrast and clear space around them and should not be distorted, excessively reduced or positioned too close to trim or cutting lines.

Where scanning is important, customers should test the final approved proof or supplied code before production where reasonably possible.

14. Customer-Supplied Artwork

When selecting Own Artwork, the customer is supplying artwork intended for production.

Limegreen may identify obvious technical issues where reasonably practical, but accepting an uploaded file does not mean that Limegreen has independently proofread or verified every part of the artwork.

The customer remains responsible for the accuracy of customer-supplied artwork.

15. Limegreen Design Service

Where the customer selects Limegreen’s design or artwork service, Limegreen will prepare artwork based on the information and material supplied by the customer.

An artwork proof will be supplied for customer approval before production.

Production begins after final artwork approval.

Changes requested during the artwork process may delay the production start date.

16. Artwork Proofs

An artwork proof is provided so that the customer can check the design before production.

A proof should be treated as the final opportunity to identify content or layout errors before manufacturing begins.

Before approving a proof, please check:

• spelling;
• grammar;
• names;
• dates;
• telephone numbers;
• email addresses;
• website addresses;
• prices or other figures;
• dimensions;
• quantities;
• orientation;
• positioning;
• logos;
• photographs;
• colours;
• cutting shapes;
• QR codes or barcodes where applicable; and
• all other content.

17. Artwork Approval

Approval of an artwork proof authorises Limegreen to proceed with production using the approved artwork.

If the finished product correctly reproduces customer-approved artwork, Limegreen will generally not be responsible for content errors that were clearly visible in that approved artwork.

This includes customer-approved errors such as an incorrect telephone number, spelling mistake, incorrect date or incorrect wording.

This does not apply where Limegreen introduces an error after approval or where the finished product materially differs from the approved artwork because of a production error attributable to Limegreen.

18. Print, Trim and Cutting Tolerances

Commercial printing, trimming, laminating and cutting are mechanical production processes.

Minor variation can occur between individual items and between separate production runs.

This may include small variations in:

• trim position;
• cutting position;
• colour;
• finishing;
• material appearance; and
• finished dimensions.

Reasonable manufacturing variation that does not materially impair the appearance or intended use of the product is not necessarily a defect.

19. Repeat Orders

Although Limegreen aims for consistency, separate production runs may show reasonable differences in colour, material appearance or finishing.

If matching a previous order is particularly important, please advise Limegreen before production and provide the previous order number where available.

20. Customer Responsibility for Content

Customers are responsible for ensuring that artwork supplied to Limegreen does not unlawfully infringe copyright, trademark, privacy or other third-party rights.

By supplying artwork, the customer confirms that they own the material or have the necessary authority or permission to reproduce it.

21. Artwork We Cannot Reliably Produce

Limegreen may request replacement or corrected artwork where a supplied file cannot reasonably produce an acceptable result.

Examples may include:

• severely pixelated images;
• corrupt files;
• missing fonts;
• incorrect dimensions;
• unusable cutting paths;
• insufficient bleed;
• unsupported file formats; or
• artwork otherwise unsuitable for the selected production process.

Production may be delayed until suitable artwork is received and approved.

22. Need Help With Your Artwork?

If you are unsure whether your artwork is suitable for printing, contact Limegreen before approving the artwork for production.

Artwork & Order Enquiries: orders@limegreen.za.net
Telephone: 082 455 5013

23. Related Policies

These Artwork & Printing Guidelines should be read together with Limegreen’s:

• Terms & Conditions;
• Returns, Refunds & Cancellations Policy;
• Delivery & Collection Policy; and
• Privacy Policy.

Last updated: 1 October 2026.