Stewart Signs Wholesale

Artwork Requirements

You may submit a graphics source file to be used for any digital print sign face. Providing this print-ready file will reduce the cost of the sign face, as labor is not required to create and revise the final artwork. Source files may be provided in the following ways.

Vector Source Files

Vector source files are original artwork files created using graphics software such as CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop. These files store their graphics data as coordinates, and can be scaled to any size. Files must be saved with the original program's file extension. Acceptable formats are:

  • CorelDraw - File extension is .cdr
  • Illustrator - File extension is .ai
  • Photoshop - File extension is .psd

Please do not simply rename another type of file. Changing the file extension only corrupts the file, such as with changing graphic.doc to graphic.cdr. Common but unacceptable file formats are Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx), Microsoft Publisher (.pub) or other Office-based programs.

If the submitted file does not meet the above requirements, we may need to adjust or recreate the artwork. This may be performed at additional cost and will result in a graphic that is not an exact duplicate of the original.

Raster (Bitmap) Source Files

Raster source files store their graphics data as a series of pixels, and cannot be scaled without losing information. You may provide a raster file if the following conditions are met:

  • File extensions: .jpg, .png, .pdf or .eps
  • Size: The same dimensional size or larger than the graphic will be on the sign
  • Resolution: 150 dpi or greater

Please note: the file provided must be full scale. For example, if the decoratable portion of the sign face will be 18" x 93", then the graphic file you provide must be 18" x 93" at 150 dpi or greater. Using a 2" x 3" file and enlarging it to 18" x 93" is not acceptable, and most images obtained from the Internet fall into this category.

Color Modes

The color mode of any source file submitted should follow these rules:

  • RGB color format is required.
  • CMYK color format is not acceptable.
  • Although a close representation may be achievable, matching Pantone colors to the CYMK printing process is not possible.

Fonts

Fonts are collections of letters with certain shapes. We maintain a library of thousands of fonts to use on our sign faces. If a specific font is requested that we do not have, one of the following options is required:

  • Email the font(s) as an attachment to your sales representative. Acceptable font files have extensions of .ttf or .otf.
  • If submitting a source file, convert all fonts to curves or paths before submitting.

If one of these options is not provided, a substitute font may be required. This substitute may not exactly match the requested font.