Great printing starts with a great file.
This page covers everything our production team needs from your artwork — file formats, resolution, colour, bleed, and safe zones. Read it before you send files and your job moves straight into production. Skip it, and we'll likely come back with questions that cost you days you may not have.
Not a designer? That's fine.
You don't need to read any of this. Call us, tell us what your booth is for, and our in-house design team will build print-ready artwork from whatever you have — even just a logo and a rough idea.
Accepted file formats
We can work with most common design files, but not all of them behave the same way at booth scale. Vector formats are always the safest choice because they stay sharp at any size. Here's how each format ranks for large-format printing.
| Format | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PDF (print-ready, PDF/X-4) | Preferred | Our first choice. Keeps vector data, embedded images, and colour profiles in one portable file. |
| AI (Adobe Illustrator) | Preferred | Fully editable if adjustments are needed. Save with PDF compatibility enabled. |
| EPS | Accepted | Reliable vector format. Make sure linked images are embedded before export. |
| TIFF / PSD | Accepted | Good for photographic designs. Flatten layers and confirm resolution at full print size. |
| PNG / JPG | Accepted | Workable if resolution is high enough. JPG compression can create visible artefacts on large prints — send the highest quality export you have. |
| SVG | Accepted | Fine for logos and flat graphics. Convert text to outlines before sending. |
| Canva (share link) | Send us the link |
Please share the Canva link rather than exporting a PDF. Opening the design directly lets us inspect what it's actually built from, and we'll come straight back to you with one of two answers: it prints as-is, or it needs rebuilding professionally. As a rule of thumb, Canva work holds up well on displays under 10 ft when it's made from vector elements and good-quality images. Larger than that, or built on low-resolution images, and it usually needs to be recreated. Send it over and we'll tell you which it is — the check takes minutes and costs nothing. |
| DOCX / PPTX / PUB / CDR | Not accepted | Office and Corel files don't carry reliable print data. Export to PDF first, or send us what you have and our design team will rebuild it properly. |
Keep individual files under 500 MB. Name them with plain letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores — no spaces, slashes, or special characters. A name like acme-10x10-backwall-v2.pdf tells us everything we need; Final FINAL (2)!.pdf tells us nothing and can break automated processing.
Resolution and scale
Large-format printing follows different rules than a business card. Booth graphics are viewed from several feet away, so they don't need the 300 DPI you'd use for a brochure — but they do need enough real pixel data at the actual printed size. The most common mistake we see is a file that looks perfect on screen at 10% zoom and falls apart when it's ten feet wide.
| If you build your file at… | Set resolution to… | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 100% of final size (full scale) | 150 DPI recommended · 100 DPI minimum | Banners, backdrops, and most booth graphics |
| 50% of final size (half scale) | 300 DPI | Large backwalls where a full-scale file gets unwieldy |
| 25% of final size (quarter scale) | 600 DPI | 20×20 booths and very large hanging signs |
| Any size — vector artwork | Resolution doesn't apply | Logos, type, flat shapes, illustrations |
A file built at half scale with 300 DPI holds exactly the same pixel data as a full-scale file at 150 DPI. Scaling down keeps file sizes manageable without losing quality — just tell us the scale you used so we don't have to guess.
One thing worth knowing: enlarging a small image in Photoshop doesn't add detail. Upscaling a 72 DPI web graphic to 150 DPI simply spreads the same pixels across more space, and the result is soft or blocky at print size. If the original file is small, the honest fix is a higher-resolution source or a vector rebuild — our design team can handle the latter.
Colour and matching
We print in CMYK. Your screen displays in RGB. Those two colour spaces don't overlap perfectly, which is why a design that glows on a monitor can look flatter in print — particularly bright blues, vivid greens, and neons, which sit outside what CMYK ink can physically reproduce.
- Convert your file to CMYK before sending it to us
- Give us Pantone (PMS) numbers for any brand-critical colours — logo colours especially
- Build rich blacks as C40 M30 Y30 K100 for large solid areas
- Request a printed sample if exact colour match is business-critical
- Sending RGB files and expecting screen-identical output
- Using flat K100 black across large areas — it prints as washed-out charcoal
- Leaving spot colours undeclared in an otherwise CMYK file
- Colour-matching against an uncalibrated monitor or phone screen
We convert Pantone references to their closest achievable CMYK equivalent and match as tightly as the process allows. Fabric printing adds a further variable: dye-sublimation ink bonds into the weave rather than sitting on the surface, so the same file can read slightly differently across fabric, vinyl, and rigid substrates. We'll get close, and we'll tell you honestly if a specific shade is going to be difficult before we print it.
If your brand has strict colour standards, say so when you submit artwork. We'll flag any colours we expect to shift and, where it matters enough, produce a physical proof before the full run.
Fonts, lines, and vector artwork
Fonts are the single most common cause of unexpected output. If a typeface isn't installed on our system, the file may substitute something else — and you won't know until the proof comes back looking wrong.
| Element | What we need |
|---|---|
| Text and type | Convert to outlines (Illustrator: Type → Create Outlines) or embed all fonts on PDF export. Keep an editable copy for yourself before you outline — outlined text can't be edited afterwards. |
| Minimum text size | 14 pt at full print scale. Smaller type is technically printable but won't be readable from normal booth viewing distance, which defeats the purpose. |
| Line weights | 0.5 pt minimum at full scale. Hairlines and very fine rules can drop out entirely or print inconsistently, so we may thicken them slightly to keep them visible. |
| Linked images | Embed everything. A linked file that isn't packaged with the artwork will appear as a blank box or a low-resolution preview. |
| Transparency & effects | Flatten drop shadows, glows, and blend modes before export. Live transparency can render unpredictably across RIP software. |
| Logos | Always supply vector where possible. A logo pulled from a website will be far too low-resolution for booth scale. |
Bleed, safe zones, and templates
This is the part that matters most for trade show displays, and the part most often misunderstood. Tension fabric graphics wrap around the frame edge — meaning several inches of your design physically disappear around the back of the structure. Roll-up banners lose material into the cassette at the base. If your logo sits too close to an edge, it can end up wrapped out of sight.
- Background colours and images must run to the full bleed line
- Never leave white gaps at the trim edge
- Tension fabric typically needs 2–3″ of bleed for the wrap
- Roll-ups need extra material at the base for the cassette
- Logos, headlines, and contact details stay well inside
- Allow at least 2″ clearance from any trim edge
- Nothing important near corners — these curve on rounded frames
- Assume anything outside the safe zone may not be visible
Every product we sell has a matching artwork template with correct dimensions, bleed, and safe zones already marked. Building on the template removes almost all the guesswork. Email hello@printmyexpo.com with your product and size and we'll send the right file the same day.
When you use a template, please don't move or resize the guide layers, and delete them before final export so they don't print. Keep the document at the exact ordered dimensions.
Double-sided products need artwork supplied as separate files for each side, clearly labelled — front and back works fine. For multi-panel booths, label each panel to match the layout diagram we provide, so nothing gets assembled in the wrong order.
How to send artwork — and what happens next
Once your files arrive, our design team reviews them against everything on this page before anything goes to print. Nothing is produced without your written approval.
Send Your Files
Email them to us, or share a Google Drive, Dropbox, or WeTransfer link. Large files are easier as links.
Technical Review
We check resolution, colour mode, fonts, bleed, and safe zones — usually within one business day.
Digital Proof
You receive a PDF proof showing exactly how the finished graphic will look, including the wrap.
Approve & Print
Production starts only after you approve. Typical turnaround is 5–7 business days from approval.
Our 5–7 business day turnaround runs from approved artwork, not from when you place the order. If your files need revisions, that time is added on top. For shows less than two weeks out, send artwork as early as you can and call us at +1 (307) 381-9192 so we can flag your job as priority.
Sending files and image rights
Where to send artwork
Email files or a shared link to hello@printmyexpo.com. Include your order number or company name in the subject line so we can match files to your job quickly.
Haven't ordered yet? Start with a quote request — there's a field for your artwork link right in the form.
Copyright and permissions
By sending artwork you confirm you own it or hold the rights to have it reproduced. That includes logos, photography, illustrations, licensed fonts, and stock imagery.
We aren't able to verify rights on your behalf, and we can't accept responsibility for infringement claims arising from supplied files. If you're unsure about a stock licence, check it covers commercial print before sending.
Not a designer? That's fine.
Our in-house design team builds print-ready artwork from whatever you have — a logo and a rough idea is enough to start. Most exhibitors aren't designers, and you shouldn't have to become one to launch a booth.
Talk to Our Design Team → Request a Template
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