FAQ

THINGS TO CHECK BEFORE SENDING YOUR FILES

At Mallow Printing Works we aim to help you the customer to get exactly what you want from your printing job. The quality of the job depends crucially on the artwork you send to us.

We have listed below some useful tips to ensure your artwork is ready for print.

How do I prepare my file for printing?

When you prepare a job for printing, first of all, make sure it is the proper size. Browse through our product’s selector to find out what’s the right size for your job.

If you’re using images make sure they’re at 300dpi resolution (600 dpi for lineart). Images with resolution lower than this will print jaggy, even though they looked OK on your screen.

Most of the applications used by designers will let you ‘overprint’ any object inside artwork. By default, each object ‘knocks out’ background below, but when set to overprint it prints on top. While with blacks you won’t notice any difference, anything lighter will blend with background, producing unexpected results. Please refer to your software manual for details. Always check an overprint preview of your artwork before sending it.

Why should I avoid RGB, spot colours?

RGB refers to the primary colours of light, Red, Green and Blue, that are used in monitors, television screens, digital cameras and scanners. CMYK refers to the primary colours of pigment: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. These are the inks used on the press in “4-colour process printing”, commonly referred to as “full colour printing”.

The combination of RGB light creates white, while the combination of CMYK inks creates black. Therefore, it is physically impossible for the printing press to exactly reproduce colours as we see them on our monitors. For this reason, we request that you convert your colours from RGB to CMYK if your tools allow you to. By doing it yourself, you have maximum control over the results since you can do adjustments if a difference in colour occurs during the conversion.

As with RGB, spot colours were not intended for the process (four colour: CMYK) environment. Although we can use spot colour, if required, it’s not a standard job so contact us for pricing and availability.

Bleed, crop, folds - as clear as possible

If the coloured background of a layout extends to the edge of the sheet it is necessary to have the colour extend or bleed over the intended trim marks or line. This produces a far more finished result on the edges of the page.

Crop marks indicate where a page will be cut (or trimmed) after printing.

If your job involves folding mark it outside the cut line of your artwork before you start the design process, keep the text in a safe distance from the fold line.

My artwork is finished - what’s next?

Your next step is to send the job to us. We accept most popular file formats, such as: tiff, jpg, eps, ai, pdf, but pdf is the most preferable as it carries all the information (colour profiles, bitmaps, fonts) in highest resolution. Simply fill out the form and attached your files.

If you decide to send us the artwork by post, please use this address: Mallow Printing Works, O’Brien Street, Mallow, Co. Cork, P51 VK71, Ireland

If you’re using Quark or Adobe Indesign and you’re sending qxp or indd files make sure all images and fonts used are included.

I’ve sent you the file today, when can I have the job?

Unlike our competitors, the usual turnaround for a job printed in Mallow Printing Works is 3-5 days. The courier service will deliver the finished job the following day.

My job looks different on my computer and on paper, what’s wrong?

Although we are trying to match the colours as closely as possible, the colours of the final piece might differ from the colours you see on your screen or a printout from an inkjet or laser jet. Because of the wide differences in monitor calibration and the different technologies used, some printed colours may not exactly match the colours on your specific monitor. Unless your screen is calibrated by a professional, what you see on screen is not what you get in print.

If you are really concerned about colour matching please order a proof printout from us before we start printing. In case of a job being re-printed, we would require a sample from a customer to match previous colours.

DELIVERY INFORMATION

No matter where you are based in Ireland, Mallow Printing Works will deliver on time every time. We pride ourselves on being flexible and meet our customers’ expectations at all stages.

Our delivery record is impeccable, providing businesses all over Ireland with the knowledge that their printing job will meet with their deadlines every time.

When can I expect my delivery?

Our normal turnaround times are 3-4 days, however we do offer next day delivery on express jobs.

Can I change or cancel my order?

Should you need to change or cancel an order, just let us know. Provided the job has not yet been printed this won’t be a problem.

Can I track my order?

Our courier partner  who pride themselves on quality of service and their flexibility and response to their customers’ needs. Should you need to track your order just let us know and we can update you right away.

PAYMENT INFORMATION

How do I pay?

We require full payment prior to dispatch. We accept all major credit/debit cards and bank orders. You may also do a bank transfer. Details available on request.All customers will be supplied with a VAT invoice.