The Advantages of Digital Prints

Rainbow Wall Art Printable from Etsy

Purchasing a digital print has many advantages. The cost of a digital print is usually cheaper than purchasing a finished print. In most cases, purchasing the digital file allows you to make as many prints as you want and print on different types of products such as poster, canvas, mugs, bottles, shirts, bags and more. Also, you can determine the size you need and choose the printer or online service that fits your budget.

Here are some things to look at when purchasing a digital art file:

What is the difference between a digital file and a printable (or digital print file)?

A digital file is the method in which a file is sent or downloaded. They come in many different formats and can be used many ways. Some digital files are audio or video files.

The format called “printable” (or digital print file) are files that are meant to be printed and come in various formats such as PDF, JPEG, SVG and PNG.

What format is the file?

The most popular are PDF, JPEG, SVG and PNG.

• PDF: Is a multiple page format. That is typically used for planners, cards, flyer and sometimes allows for personalization with form fields in Adobe Acrobat. These files work best in Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded here: https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/pdf-reader.html

• JPEG: Is an image file in either RGB or CMYK format. These files are great for poster prints. The white areas are opaque, so backgrounds will not be transparent on whatever you are printing on.

• PNG: Is an RGB image file format with a transparent background. Apparel and textile printers usually prefer a PNG file for transparency and is RGB. So this option would be good for printing on shirts and bags.

• SVG: Is a file that is a vector format. Because it is based on lines and not pixels images in this format can be scaled infinitely without losing quality. SVG files work best on flat colors and work great cut out shape machines like Cricut.

What is a .ZIP file?

When sending a group of large digital files, it is common to create a folder and compress it. Such as a .ZIP file. These are best opened on a laptop or desktop computer versus a phone or tablet.

What format is best for printing, RGB or CMYK?

It really depends on the printer. Without getting into all technical aspects of the two, this is what it really comes down to: RGB is a standard format best viewed on screens, while CMYK is typically used in traditional offset printing.

However most home printers and commercial printers use a digital press with print profiles that accept or prefer RGB files. Apparel and textile printers usually prefer a PNG or SVG file that has transparency and is RGB. Offset printing is for large print runs and use CYMK profiles to create printer plates.

Most printable files will be in an RGB file format, as it provides the most flexibility. Plus a printer can adjust color to it’s profiles even if they are CMYK.

Why does the color look different?

RGB is generally brighter, while CMYK is less saturated. A home printer or commercial printer have print profiles built into their printers that convert files that are not native to print. Color will vary slightly from printer to printer. Contact your print shops and online services to find the best color format for their printer.

What you cannot do with a digital print file.

• You cannot use the file to create products and sell those products without a license agreement from the original seller.

• You cannot give the file to someone else with consent.

• You cannot return file to get reimbursed. Typically, all sales are final. Contact the seller if you have any questions or concerns before purchasing

 Any questions about purchasing a digital print?  Let me know in the comments below.