Artwork Troubleshooting

The proportions of your uploaded image do not exactly match the proportions Connect expects for the selected card size. An image can be more than large enough and still fail this check.

Make sure you created the artwork using the correct Connect dimensions: Square 306 × 156mm, A6 216 × 154mm or A5 303 × 216mm.

If you work in pixels, preserve the exact aspect ratio of those physical dimensions. Avoid independently rounding a millimetre-to-pixel conversion, because even a small difference can alter the proportions enough to trigger an error.

The source artwork does not contain enough image detail for the size at which it is being used.

Prepare the document at the correct physical dimensions and 300 DPI, and use high-quality original images and illustrations. Avoid stretching a small image to fill a large area.

Simply changing a low-resolution file to “300 DPI” will not create the missing detail.

A background, photo or other edge-to-edge element stops at the finished trim line instead of extending into the bleed.

Connect artwork requires 3mm bleed around the outside edges. Any colour, image or pattern intended to reach the finished edge should continue fully through that bleed area.

There can be a small amount of normal movement when printed sheets are trimmed. Important content positioned too close to the finished edge is at greater risk of looking cramped or being affected by trimming.

Move text, logos, faces and other important details comfortably inside the trim edge. Bleed is for backgrounds and elements intended to run off the card, not for important content.

Thin borders close to the trim edge make tiny variations in trimming much more noticeable.

Where possible, avoid thin borders close to the outside edge. If a border is important to the design, keep it well inside the trim edge and make it wide enough that small production variations are not obvious.

Screens create colour using RGB light, while printed cards reproduce colour using ink on paper. Very bright or highly saturated screen colours cannot always be reproduced in exactly the same way in print.

Design with print reproduction in mind and export the finished Connect artwork as a high-quality RGB/sRGB JPG or PNG. Remember that screen brightness and display settings also affect what you see.

If a colour is especially important to your design or brand, order a physical sample to judge the finished printed result.

Your artwork is supplied as a flat card spread. Check that the front and back are positioned on the correct sides and that important elements do not accidentally cross the centre fold.

Use the Connect artwork preview before saving your design. Remember that the fold is not an outside trim edge, so you do not add bleed down the centre fold.

Open the actual JPG or PNG you intend to upload rather than relying only on the design application's preview. Check that fonts, images, transparency, positioning and cropping still look as expected after export.

For Connect, use a high-quality RGB/sRGB JPG or PNG at 300 DPI.