A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR
Having spent over 25 years in the print business, we have seen changes in the market, the equipment and the consumeables used. The industry has evolved from hand painting and simple letter-cut graphics to full colour printing. Whilst these advancements have provided customers with choice and design flexibility, ultimately the hardware along with materials and inks, signifiantly impact the appearance of the final product and its longevity.
We provide a professional buying service which gets you the best products, printed on state of the art equipment at the lowest possible price, and often for less than going direct. Better still, whether you provide a ready file or something you made yourself, we make sure your file is print ready so you get optimal results.
I invite you to request a quote and see why so many businesses are turning to us for their brand visual displays.
GREAT OUTCOMES - FOR YOU.
It's all about your image.
Every time you place your brand on any surface, we understand its about strengthening, building brand loyalty, brand recognition and brand awareness. We understand the need for a clean, crisp and sharp visual impact at every opportunity. We use products manufactured by leading brands including Avery™, 3M™ and other quality industry material manufacturers. In the end, we are all about your image!
Below is a link to future updates on type of work we produce.
Coming Soon!
"The team at Amara are always reliable, good quality, fast quoting, and are constantly ahead of the delivery times. What more can you ask for".
Professional files
Submit your print-ready .pdf file to production. If you have a profesionally prepared file, we can provide you with a quote and a soft proof for approval. Please see our key requirements here. If the file was prepared for you, we will check and report any issues.
Made it yourself
Made it yourself? We will review your file for common issues such as crop marks, bleed, color and image quality. Our pre-press desk will do a complete health check of your file and advise if changes are needed at no cost to you when you purchase through us. Learn how to get a great result.
Provide a draft in any format
If you've seen something you like or have a rough idea, we’ll provide a quote for file preparation and printing. If you're unsure how to put your idea together, send us a file or sketch, and we’ll quote for both design and print.
Obligation free, audit & report
A regular print buyer? Whether its your image on paper, stickers, banners or signage on vehicles and site, over time these purchases become fragmanted costing you more and often at the expense of your brand appearance. Contact us for an obligation free proposal and see how we can help you.
High Tack Materials
Some surfaces like plastics tend to outgas throughout their life, much the same as odour omitted after painting a room and this outgassing will normally push the graphic of the surface. Our high-tack and blockout material is designed for difficult surfaces because of its aggresive adhesive. It has an inital high tack which strengthens within days. It can be used on any smooth surface and will provide excellent durability with a maximum of 5 year warranty on materials and inks.
3 & 5 year self adhesive films
Materials and inks are warranted for up to five years. There's a lot of talk about getting seven and ten year life from printed graphics which is simply untrue. There are two fundamentals that impact the longevity of a graphic, (1) The material and (2) inks. Whilst lamination does provide some protection, it doesn't provide exceptional protection from UV, which is what deteriorates your image. The lifespan of large stickers or for that matter any sticker, is conditional on sunlight exposure. A north facing sign will wear considerable faster.
Backlit images
We print to a clear adhesive film which is perfect to apply over opal acrylic. This film is intened where a light source from behind flows through the image, giving you a bright image at night. Like all graphics used in an external setting, these have a expected life-span of 4 years.
Letter-cut graphics
We still supply simple letter-cut graphics which give you a clean look without borders and the materials used are warranted for at least seven years. We recommend these be applied by a professional signwriter. Pricing availabe as a custom quote.
TRUST
Servicing Customers Australia Wide
With over 35 years of combined experience, our team
understands the importance of delivering value, quality, and
timely service. Our clients include sole traders, small
businesses, and national companies.
We have a strong Sales and Marketing background and understand that your image and its presentation is a reflection of you and your business. We welcome you to join the many businesses that depend on us regulary for quality products and service.
More than 70% of work we undertake is for DIY'ers, and some people like to be more involved than others, but it does carry inherent risks. Still, done properly it allows you to have control and experiment until you find something that works for you and if you work with us, we'll make sure your file will give you the best possible outcome. Below we outline some key areas that will help you get off to a good start or to correct with existing artwork. Unfortunately online programs are great for basic artwork but won't carry the same level of power for file and art manipulations you get from programs such as Illustrator™, Corel™, Photoshop™, and InDesign™.
Image Resolution
Typically, print shops will say "we require a minimum 300dpi for images", but what does that mean?
Consider the two images above, both are 300dpi and both pass many online testing software that may evaluate your file prior to production. Clearly, one is not the same as the other and it leads to unwanted results. We check all artwork prior to production by eye, giving you the confidence that errors will be identified before you receive your printed product.
Crop Marks And Bleed
There are several steps that take place before and after your job has been printed. Trimming will remove excess material and ensure your product doesn’t have unwanted white borders, and its finished size matches your order.
Bleed is deliberate printing to the area that will be trimmed out. The trim/crop marks indicate to production where you want your file trimmed. Having no bleed, insufficient bleed, or improperly set trim marks will result in your job being trimmed inaccurately. Our pre-press desk will check your file carefully prior to print.
Colour Models
Digital and offset printers use the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) colour model. Too often we see files that have been found or generated on the web. Web files use the RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) model, which creates stunning colours but won’t print the same way.
In the above example, the blue on the left is RGB and looks great on all screens. But, converted and printed in CMYK, you can expect the image on the right. If your file contains any RGB, we will tell you, and we will provide you with a file converted to CMYK so you can make an informed decision.
Linework & Colour Percentages
How thick should I make my lines, and is using percentages of colours possible?
Whilst using percentages can give you some great contrasts, a colour percentage, i.e., 50% black, means the machine will put down fewer dots per square inch (DPI), which leads your brain to see it as grey. But, too low a percentage will look washed out. The real danger in linework, for example, is when a line that works well at 0.1mm using 100% black will appear washed out using 50% black. The same is true for many colours.
Whether you are a seasoned designer or competent in graphic design software, your file will still be reviewed prior to production at no cost to you so you get exactly what you need. For reference, the following is a guide for press-ready/print-ready artwork.
Specifications
- If you are presenting double-sided artwork, the file must be two separate .pdf files (i.e., side 1 / side 2).
- If you elect for our RIP to interpret your non-CMYK colours, you understand these can sometimes vary greatly from printer to printer.
- All files under A1 should have at least 3mm bleeds, and five is preferred. Files larger than A1 should have a 10mm bleed.
- Your files must be presented as a .pdf and:
- All text to Curves/lines.
- All images 300dpi.
- .psd files must be flattened.
- Please ensure small text is not in CMYK as slight movements may blur your print.
- Linework: Unlike offset, very thin lines may not work well on products such as Mesh Banners. Please speak to us directly if unsure.
- Registration marks are not required.
- All artwork must be 1up. Multiple designs should be presented separately for our press to impose in-house.
- All print merge files must be 1up. We will impose your files and, if you elect, a soft proof can be provided.
- Magazine covers, front and back should be in spreads with inner pages presented in singles. For perfect binding, please check with us for gutter sizes which may vary depending on stock.
