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Print-ready PDF is our preferred format and the one we recommend for every job. It’s the most reliable way to lock in fonts, images and layout exactly as you intended them. We also accept native Adobe files — INDD (InDesign), AI (Illustrator), PSD (Photoshop) and EPS — along with high-resolution JPG. If you’ve created your artwork in CorelDRAW, SignLab or AutoCAD, please export to PDF before sending and double-check that all our requirements (bleed, CMYK, embedded fonts) have come through correctly.

Bleed is artwork that extends beyond the final cut edge of your printed piece — usually by 3mm on all sides. We trim a stack of printed sheets at once, and tiny variations between sheets are unavoidable. Without bleed, those variations can leave thin white lines along the edges where the ink doesn’t quite reach. With 3mm of bleed, the design colour runs past the cut line, so even if the trim shifts slightly there’s no white edge. If your artwork is supplied without bleed, we can sometimes scale or extend it to compensate, but the result is rarely as clean as starting with proper bleed in the original file.

Yes — please convert artwork to CMYK before sending. RGB is the colour mode screens use; CMYK is the colour mode our presses use. They’re different gamuts, which means some colours you can see on screen (especially vivid blues, greens and oranges) simply can’t be reproduced in print. If you send us RGB artwork, our prepress system will convert it automatically, but the colour shift will happen whether you’re there to see it or not. Converting it yourself in Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator means you can preview the conversion and adjust anything that looks wrong before it reaches us.

For sharp, professional results we ask for a minimum of 300dpi (dots per inch) at the final print size. That means a photo printed at A4 needs to be roughly 2480 × 3508 pixels. Images pulled from websites or social media are typically only 72dpi, which is why they tend to look pixelated when enlarged for print. If you’re not sure whether an image is print-ready, send it across and we’ll check it before going to press. For large-format work like banners and posters, the resolution requirement is lower (around 150dpi at full size) because they’re viewed from further away.

For most jobs you can email artwork directly to studio@fineprint-stockport.co.uk. For files larger than a typical email attachment, we use two free upload services. Hightail (spaces.hightail.com/uplink/fineprintsk) handles files up to 25GB and is our preferred option. WeTransfer (wetransfer.com) is also fine and supports files up to 3GB on the free tier. With either service, please add a short note telling us what the job is and the deadline so we can prioritise correctly. If you’re working from a managed file-transfer system at your end, we can usually receive from those too — just let us know.

Litho (short for lithographic) printing uses metal plates to transfer ink onto paper. It’s the traditional commercial method and remains the gold standard for medium and high-volume work — anything from a few thousand sheets upward. Quality is exceptional, unit costs drop sharply as quantities rise, and we can match Pantone spot colours precisely using our five-colour press. Digital printing skips the plates entirely and prints directly from the file, which makes it much faster to set up. That makes digital the right choice for shorter runs (from a single copy upward), personalised mailshots with variable names and addresses, and anything you need turned around quickly. Both methods produce sharp, professional results — the choice comes down to quantity, budget, and how much personalisation you need.

As a rough guide: anything under about 500 copies is usually cheaper digital; anything over 1,000 copies is usually cheaper litho. Between those two figures, it depends on the specifics of the job — paper choice, finish, ink coverage, and whether you need brand-perfect Pantone matching. If your project needs every piece to be slightly different (names, addresses, codes, sequential numbering) then digital is the only real option because litho needs fixed plates. If quality, colour accuracy and a wide choice of papers and finishes matter more than speed, litho wins. We’re happy to run the numbers both ways before you commit — just send us the brief and we’ll quote both options side by side.

Yes. Our litho press has five printing units, which means we can run up to five spot Pantone colours in a single pass — invaluable when corporate branding requires precise colour accuracy. For digital printing, we match Pantone colours as closely as possible using CMYK conversion, but there are some Pantone colours (particularly metallics, neons and certain corporate blues and greens) that fall outside the CMYK gamut and can’t be perfectly reproduced digitally. If exact Pantone matching is essential to your project, litho is the method to choose and we’ll talk you through it.

We offer four main binding methods. Saddle-stitched (also called wire-stitched) is the most common — pages are stapled through the spine, perfect for leaflets, brochures, magazines and programmes up to around 48 pages. PUR or perfect binding uses strong polyurethane adhesive to bond pages into a flat-spined book; the result lays flat when open, won’t crack with use, and looks more professional than older glue methods. Case-bound (hardcover) is the most premium option, used for hardback books, annual reports and high-end brochures. Wire-o (spiral) binding lets pages turn fully and lay completely flat — ideal for calendars, notebooks, training manuals and recipe books. If you’re not sure which is right for your project, send us the page count and intended use and we’ll recommend the best fit.

A great print finish is what takes a job from good to memorable. We offer lamination (gloss, silk or matt film) for both protection and a premium feel; machine seal for a glossy sheen at a lower cost than lamination; spot UV to make logos or specific elements pop with localised gloss; embossing to add raised, tactile texture; and foil blocking using metallic foils for a luxury, prestige finish. We can also combine finishes — for example, matt lamination with spot UV on the logo is a classic high-end business card finish.

Yes — all of those are standard finishing services we provide. Die-cutting creates custom shapes (think folder pockets, pop-up displays, presentation packs or any non-standard shape). Drilling produces clean, precise holes through thick stacks of paper — useful for ring binders, calendars, hanging displays and POS materials. Sequential numbering is essential for tickets, vouchers, invoices and any item that needs unique identification, and we can run numbers in any range and font style. Perforation creates tear-away sections for coupons, order forms, raffle tickets and the like. If you’ve got a tricky finishing requirement, ask — we’ve probably handled something similar before.

For digital printing there’s effectively no minimum — we can print a single business card or one greetings card if that’s what you need, though setup costs mean very small runs have a relatively higher unit cost. Most digital jobs start at quantities of 20–50 pieces. For litho printing, the economics favour quantities of 500 or more — at that point the cost per piece drops sharply and the quality and colour accuracy justify the slightly longer turnaround. If you’re not sure which side of the line your job falls on, tell us your quantity and we’ll quote both methods so you can see the trade-off.

Turnaround depends on the complexity of the job, the finishing involved, and how busy we are when you place the order. As a guide: simple digital jobs (business cards, leaflets, single-sided flyers) can often turn around within 1–3 working days. Standard litho jobs are typically 5–7 working days from artwork sign-off. Complex projects involving multiple components, custom finishing (foiling, die-cutting, embossing) or large quantities can take 1–2 weeks. Got a tight deadline? Ring us first on 0161 484 2244 — we can almost always work something out, and we’d rather know about it upfront than be surprised.

Yes — we deliver nationally across the UK and can arrange international shipping when needed. Local deliveries around Stockport and Greater Manchester (Hazel Grove, Bramhall, Cheadle, Wilmslow, Macclesfield, Manchester city centre, Trafford, Altrincham, and everywhere in between) are usually handled by our own vehicles. For elsewhere in the UK we use trusted courier partners. For our mail-fulfilment service we also handle direct postage, including bulk mailings, so your printed pieces go straight from our press into the postal system without you having to handle them.

Easiest way is to send us a quick brief — the quantity, the rough size, what it’s for, any specific paper or finish you have in mind, and your deadline. Email sales@fineprint-stockport.co.uk, call us on 0161 484 2244, or fill in the form on our Contact page. If you already have artwork ready, send that across too — we can give a much more accurate quote once we’ve seen the file. We aim to get all quotes back to you within one working day, and there’s no obligation to proceed once you’ve seen the price.

Yes — our in-house design studio handles everything from business card layouts to full brand identities and corporate brochures. Because the designers sit just down the corridor from the press, they understand exactly how their files will print, which avoids the back-and-forth that often happens when designers and printers are separate companies. Tell us what you’re trying to achieve and we’ll either turn it around for you from scratch or work with your existing branding to keep everything consistent. Design is quoted separately from print, but you’ll usually find it more cost-effective than going to a standalone agency.

Yes — we offer printing on partially and fully recycled papers, available in both coated and uncoated finishes. We also work with carbon-neutral paper stocks where the manufacturer has offset the production emissions through verified schemes. Eco-friendly paper choices don’t compromise on quality — modern recycled stocks produce results that are visually indistinguishable from virgin papers in most cases. If sustainability is important to your project, mention it when you brief the job and we’ll suggest the best stock for the finish and feel you’re after.

Where possible we use vegetable-based inks rather than traditional mineral-oil-based inks. Vegetable inks are derived from renewable plant oils, which makes them easier to remove during the paper recycling process and reduces the environmental impact at the end of a printed product’s life. We’ve also moved to computer-to-plate (CTP) technology, which has cut our overall chemical usage by over 95% compared to the older film-based plate-making process. The result is a cleaner production environment and significantly less hazardous waste.

Three main things, alongside the paper and ink choices above. First, we recycle all paper offcuts and waste from the production process — nothing goes to landfill that doesn’t need to. Second, we support carbon offsetting through tree-planting initiatives, helping restore forests and absorb CO₂ for each print project. Third, we’re continually investing in more efficient equipment that uses less power, water and consumables per job. Sustainability is an ongoing process rather than a fixed badge, and we’re always open to suggestions from customers and suppliers on how to do more.