So, after spending time perfecting a design until it's just right, how do we make sure that it will print exactly how you want?

When ordering silk business cards from Vermillion Silk the process is simple, and we'll let you know if your files require adjustment. Here's a more detailed checklist for everything you'll want to take note of while preparing a silk business card design for printing.

• All colors are CMYK, no RBG or Pantone (spot) colors.
• Files have adequate bleed (3.625"x2.125") and document is exactly the correct dimensions with no extra art or printer marks outside the artwork.
• Check that all text is inside the safety line (inner blue guideline on our template).
• Check that all text was converted to outlines/curves/shapes.
• Check that file is correct resolution and colorspace (300dpi and CMYK).
• Review any spot uv and/or foil mask files to ensure they are prepared correctly (solid black C0 M0 Y0 K100 used for where UV/foil goes, rest of file is solid white).
• Remember to use our values for "rich black" if you want the deepest black we offer (C60 M40 Y40 K100).
• Don't use transparencies in your files.
• Maintain a 30% difference between cyan and magenta for and blue areas to ensure they don't come out more purple than expected. For example (C100 M70 Y0 K0) has a 30% difference between C and M. The magenta value can be lower than 70 if cyan is 100, but it shouldn't be higher than 70.

Additional points to keep in mind when designing your business cards for print:

1. Be careful with very subtle dark gradients.( ie: A black to a very dark grey) Because CMYK is a subtractive process and printed materials do not look as bright as a lit screen very subtle dark gradients and colors will sometimes appear darker than expected.
2. Be careful with very small text - Although we can print this small text nice and crisp, it may be a bit hard for some people to read. We would recommend placing an actual 3.5”x2” business card against your screen and setting the zoom level in your graphics program so that your document is shown at actual size. This can give you a good idea of if your text would be too small or not.
3. Designs on your screen are backlit and will appear brighter than a printed product. Take care to consider brightness levels as well as how the use of effects may impact the contrast of your printed silk business cards. Silver foil and spot uv are bold effects and will stand out in comparison to ink in a design.

Last but not least, remember if you ever have a question about preparing your file, or even simply want an opinion on what might look best - send an email to support@vermillionsilk.com and we'll help you out!

Order Unique Silk Business Cards of Your Own Today!