Banner design help

[mwb88189338]

I have a client that needs a 4x6 foot banners designed. Needs to be done for tomorrow. He did not specify anything else besides the dimensions. I need urgent help with what dimensions I should be using for this. I have zero experience with banner printing. Pls Help!

Thanks

-Matt

[John T Smith]

The Lounge Forum is not for technical help, please provide the name of the program you are using so your message may be moved to the correct program forum... A program would be Photoshop or InDesign or Illustrator or ???

[mwb88189338]

Sorry im new here, not sure where to put this question. Im using photoshop

[Moved from the non-technical Lounge Forum to the specific Program forum... Mod]

[Here is the list of all Adobe forums... https://forums.adobe.com/welcome]

[cmgap]

Hi Matt,

Do you know who will be printing the banner? You may be able to contact them and ask them for the dimensions they need to accommodate the type of banner you are creating. If you are using grommets for example you may need extra width and height to wrap, fold and stitch. They may be able to lay it our for you as well if you give them a mock up. Good luck!

[Dynamic Office]

More specification is needed, luckily it seems the client has given you full control over the project.

So, first you need to determine what it is you want to print onto, this will then let you know what bleed and margin your project will need.

All these questions should be given to you from whatever printing company you're working with. They'll also let you know if they can cut the material to 4x6 foot but may offer a better alternative for you. since you're on a short lead time, it may be a case of "whatever they've got" as they'll not have time to order anything.

Once you've got all the information above, you're good to go - However it might be worth letting your client know that such a short deadline will probably increase production costs and the printers may not even be able to accommodate on time.

Remember you've got to design the banner, proof it, get approval from the client, send to print, they will then send you a proof for approval, begin printing, allow time for the ink to dry and deliver to the client all before tomorrow... best get a move on!

[Derek Cross]

If you haven't time to undertake cmgap's excellent advice, and you're using Photoshop, create a document in RGB color mode, that's 7224 x 4824 pixels and place your images and text on this canvas. This size should print at 100ppi, which should be fine for a banner to be viewed from a distance (plus 12pixels on each edge for bleed).

[ahmed_waheib]

Open a Photoshop file Width 121.92 cm & Hight 182.88cm and make the resolution 72 dpi / CMYK not RGB then work and save the file as TIFF so you can print.

Another solution is to make the size smaller but scale the size for smaller one it can be like ex (100cmX100cm) will be (20cmX20cm) but this time make the resolution 300dpi and above and after you finish all the work save it as TIFF and then when you print to give them the correct size and they will scale it and print which is how huge billboards works.

Thanks,

Ahmed

[Derek Cross]

I'm afraid I don't agree with Ahmed's  Color Mode advice. It's almost always best to work in RGB Color Mode. This will give you the user the most flexible way of working.

Images can be saved in RGB as JPGs or PNGs for use in digital outputs such as websites and ebooks.

For printing, they be placed as native PSD files in desktop publishing applications such as InDesign and they can be saved as PDFs – using the Photoshop/InDesign presets (unless you are given a different spec by your printer): High Quality Print for inkjet printers (this allows the printer's software to undertake the conversion to CMYK or for wide gamut printers CMYK+), and PDFX-4 for commercial litho printing.

[ahmed_waheib]

Don't be afraid Derek, As of my experience with printing houses, they accept CMYK and when you have RGB they convert it to CMYK because Colors are changing from RGB to CMYK.

And for the resolution size, I use 72 dpi because printers will not do 300 dpi for large sizes.

[cmgap]

Better to ask whoever is printing the banner for their output specifications than debate it here. The level of sophistication and versions of software vary widely. Make a phone call and ask how they want the file prepared.

[ahmed_waheib]

Yeah, that's a good idea but we gave the user what to ask about and how he will manage to do it.

[Derek Cross]

This might help you understand why it's recommended to work in RGB color mode:

https://indesignsecrets.com/import-rgb-images-indesign-convert-cmyk-export.php

[@mj]

I design at between 10 and 20% with a res of 300dpi.

The printer will then interpolate up to the final size.

Check with your printer whether they can handle 10 or 20% final size

HTH

[D Fosse]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/master+mo  wrote

I design at between 10 and 20% with a res of 300dpi.

There is no reason to do this. It just adds confusion. Work at 100% and real dimensions.

All said and done, Photoshop is the wrong tool for this. This should be done in InDesign. And now I actually have to contradict myself immediately, because InDesign does have a size limit of 5.5 meters (Photoshop doesn't).

[Derek Cross]

The OP mentioned 4 x 6 foot.

We don't know if he has access to InDesign. If he does then optimising the image(s) in Photoshop and then placing them in an InDesign document and there adding any text would be the professional way to go. And then use the InDesign Adobe PDF Presets for supplying the artwork to the printer.

As I mentioned earlier, 100PPI would be fine for the Effective Resolution for a banner like this.

[cmgap]

I would recommend Illustrator if the op has access to it. Since he needed this the next day and we haven't heard back from him this may be a closed question at this point.

[@mj]

Oh, one more thing,

You'll wan to supply a PDF/X file for printing.

If your printer can handle PDF/x-4 choose that option.

If not, PDF/x-1a is a safe specification.

Good luck

[Derek Cross]

PDF/X-1 is obsolete PDF/X-4 is the latest version and allows for transparency and is the choice for litho printing, but for Inkjet printers you need to allow the printer's software to undertake the conversion, so select "High Quality Print" PDF which will leave the image in RGB so the conversion is correct particularly if you're using a CMYK+ printer which might have nine colors.

[JonathanArias]

I recommend for you to make this on adobe indesign. print document at 4 BY 6 document with a .125 bleed.

You should work in Adobe indesign or photoshop so you work with crisp art.