Linden Print - Print Like a Pro from Illustrator

Local Gauteng & National Delivery - First Class Quality & Service Since 2017

1. Standard South African Print Sizes & Dimensions

• • 1. STANDARD BUSINESS CARDS
       1. Trim Size (Final Card): 90 x 50 mm
       2. Canvas Size with Bleed: 96 x 56 mm
    2. POSTCARDS / A6:
       1. Trim Size: 105 x 148 mm
       2. Canvas Size with Bleed: 111 x 154 mm
    3. STANDARD 'A' PAPERS:
       1. A5: Trim: 148 x 210 mm | Canvas with Bleed: 154 x 216 mm
       2. A4: Trim: 210 x 297 mm | Canvas with Bleed: 216 x 303 mm
       3. A3: Trim: 297 x 420 mm | Canvas with Bleed: 303 x 426 mm
    4. SRA3 (DIGITAL PRESS STANDARD):
       1. Sheet Size: 320 x 450 mm
       2. (Ideal for multi-up layouts and custom large-format digital jobs).
          
          

2. Setting Up Your Illustrator Document Correctly

• CREATE A NEW DOCUMENT: Go to File > New. Set your width and height to your final trim size (e.g., 90 x 50 mm for a business card).
• SET BLEED: In the New Document dialog box, locate the Bleed section and set Top, Bottom, Left, and Right to 3 mm (this adds the red outer boundary to your artboard).
• COLOUR MODE & RASTER EFFECTS: Set Color Mode to CMYK and Raster Effects to High (300 ppi). (Note: Screen displays use RGB light, so bright neon screen colors may look slightly richer than final ink on paper).
• LAYOUT GOLDEN RULES:
  • The Bleed Zone (Outside the trim line to the red edge): Extend any background colors, patterns, or artwork all the way to the red bleed line to avoid white paper edges when trimmed.
  • The Safe Zone (Inside the trim line): Keep all important text, logos, and critical design elements at least 4mm to 5mm inside the trim edge so nothing accidentally gets clipped off.
    
    

3. How to Export a Print-Ready PDF from Illustrator 

1. Outline Your Fonts: Select all text (Ctrl + A or Cmd + A) and press Type > Create Outlines (Ctrl + Shift + O or Cmd + Shift + O) so your fonts don't shift or substitute on our systems.
2. Go to FILE > SAVE AS (or Save a Copy).
3. Under Format, select Adobe PDF (*.PDF).
4. In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, choose High Quality Print or PDF/X-1a:2001 from the Adobe PDF Preset dropdown.
5. MARKS & BLEEDS: Click on the Marks and Bleeds tab on the left.
   Check All Printer's Marks (or just Crop Marks).
   Under Bleed, check Use Document Bleed Settings to ensure the 3mm bleed is included.
6. Click the SAVE PDF button to save the file to your computer.
7. Click the UPLOAD TO LINDEN PRINT button to send your file for printing.