Top Tips: Preparing Artwork for Festive Hospitality Print
Christmas in hospitality isn’t just busy – it’s a battleground, where your menus, signage, vouchers, and event print must command attention, survive through festive chaos, and never let your brand slip, even when you’re serving tables two-deep at the bar. But here’s the no-fuss truth: even the most spectacular Christmas print campaign can fall flat if the artwork isn’t up to scratch. At Print Lord, our role is simple: defend your brand, guard your deadlines, and make your print the crown jewel of the season – but it all begins with the files you send in.
Ready to side-step those artwork disasters that hold up print jobs and ruin reputations? These are Print Lord’s no-nonsense, straight-talking tips for not just getting files print-ready, but owning the festive battlefield from the artwork stage onwards.
- 1. Pick the Right File Type – Always
Printers aren’t mind readers, and they definitely aren’t fans of jumbled-up file types. The gold standard remains a high-resolution, print-ready PDF. Always check that fonts are embedded, images are 300dpi or higher, and all layout elements remain locked in place. Exporting from Canva? Choose “PDF Print” and make sure ‘Crop marks and bleed’ is ticked. Please, for the love of hospitality, steer clear of Word docs, PNGs, or (worst of all) blurry screenshots snapped on a phone. If you’re out of your depth, flag it for Print Lord – artwork rescue is very much within our royal remit.
- 2. Bleed Like a Pro
Bleed isn’t just a technical term – it’s non-negotiable for any print job that needs colour or graphics running to the edges. For hospitality print (think: festive menus, flyers, tent cards), add 3mm of bleed on every side of your artwork. It’s your insurance policy, ensuring there’s no unsightly white edge or accidental truncation of design elements. Inside the trim, keep all important text and logos at least 5mm in from the edge. In Canva, turn on bleed in the download options and double check that nothing vital is sliding off the edge.
- 3. Convert Colour (No Surprises)
RGB is for screens, CMYK is for print – it’s as simple as that. If you don’t convert your artwork to CMYK colour mode ahead of sending, your rich festive reds and bold golds could end up looking dreary or off-brand. This is especially crucial for hospitality print, where matching décor, uniform, and Christmas styling is part of the experience. Include any critical Pantone or CMYK references with your brief – Print Lord’s duty as brand guardian means we’ll cross-check for accuracy before the presses roll.
- 4. Fonts: Lock Them Down
The ancient enemy of Christmas print deadlines? Missing or mangled fonts. Always embed or outline all fonts in your PDF before submission. If you’re using Canva or any online platform, scan each page at 100% before downloading – make sure nothing’s dropped out or defaulted to Arial just as your menu was looking regal. Elegant scripts and quirky typefaces are fine for headings, but keep body text clear and readable. At Print Lord, we’ll flag anything that risks readability in print – no one wants a call from the chef at midnight, squinting at the font list.
- 5. Proof, Print, Repeat
Never, ever, skip the proofing stage. Before sending artwork across for print, check the file at actual size on your screen and, if possible, print a draft in-house. Look for typos, dodgy line breaks, fuzzy images, or misplaced crests. In the festive rush, details can get missed – Print Lord’s proofing service is not just box-ticking, it’s brand protection. We’re happy to review files, offer honest fixes, or suggest pre-press tweaks that keep your results worthy of the season.
- 6. Canva Users: Beware of Pitfalls
Canva is brilliant for speed, but notorious for shifting margins or quirky exports. For Christmas print, always use ‘PDF Print’ with bleed, and preview each page. Avoid locking text within images, as this can create blurry results. And never hesitate to ping Print Lord for a ‘Canva rescue’ – we’ve helped countless hospitality heroes salvage last-minute artwork from disaster.
- 7. Brand Guardians Are at Your Service
December is no time for on-the-job learning. Whether you’re prepping menus, event signage, or loyalty cards, lean on Print Lord’s decades of experience to flag issues long before they turn into festive fails. If your artwork is already in shape, we’ll fast-track it. If not, consider us your backstop: honest advice, hands-on fixes, and a refusal to let your brand down at the busiest time of year.
Checklist for Flawless Festive Print
– Export as PDF (with bleed and embedded fonts)
– Use only CMYK colours, not RGB
– Keep vital text/images within safe zones (5mm from trim)
– Double check all spellings, line breaks, and graphics resolution
– Let Print Lord proof and advise – before the presses roll
This season, don’t just survive the Christmas chaos – own it. With the right artwork prep and Print Lord’s proactive guardianship, your festive print will arrive on brand, on time, and ready to win loyalty all the way to January and beyond.
Print Lord. At your service. On brand. On time.
printlord.co.uk