Please use the following guidelines when preparing digital files for Budgetcard:

Artwork must be to size

Download product templates on the product pages under "Assets."

Colors

Colors must be defined as Pantone® or CMYK. Art submitted as RGB will be converted to CMYK. Converting colors from RGB to CMYK may change their appearance.

Text

Text must be at least 6-point type. Small, bold, and/or condensed text should be kerned to avoid spaces filling in when printed.

Reverse Printing

We do not recommend printing logos with fine lines in reverse, as they will fill in during printing. Text printed in reverse must be bold and at least 6 point type.

Clearances & Bleeds

Clearances are the minimum space required between elements of art and the finished edge of the product. We require that Ad Copy be 1/8” in from all template edges, ruler scales, holes & slots. Bleed is the distance the ink extends past the finished edge of the product before final cutting. Our Standard bleed is 1/8” (.125”). Raster files must include the required bleed when submitted, as they are not editable like vector files.

Ruler Scales

Must bleed 1⁄8”, and the shortest increments on scales must be at least 1⁄8”. Customer agrees to a 1/32" tolerance on ruler scales. These are not precision instruments and should be used accordingly. Inches and cm’s on the front are standard. Architectural and Engineering scales are available at no additional charge, but must be noted on the order.

BUDGETCARD Stock Ruler Scales 

Badge Attachments: For the other badge attachments, contact the factory

For pricing, see the OPTIONS section under Badges. 

Please use the following guidelines when preparing digital files for Budgetcard:

Software/File Format

Only professional design software packages may be used to produce artwork. Programs such as Microsoft Word, Publisher, and PowerPoint are not capable of delivering high-quality art files for imprinting.

Budgetcard Preferred

Adobe Creative Suite CC

Illustrator® (.ai) is our graphics department’s preferred layout software. Colors must be defined as either spot or CMYK. To avoid font problems, all text must be converted to curves/outlines, or font file(s) must be included/attached via email. When a clipping path is needed, create it using the Pen tool and use the fewest possible control points. Complex clipping paths may lead to additional art charges.

Photoshop® (.psd) We use Photoshop to edit and correct all photographic images and complex illustrations. If raster artwork is the only art available, submit unflattened art files at 600 dpi for the best printing results. Changing an image's resolution from, for example, 72 ppi to 300 ppi will not change the file's appearance; it will instead cause a blown-out or low-resolution appearance. Images should be sized accordingly with all bleeds (if applicable) & clearances accounted for. 

InDesign® (.indd) As with all submitted work, images should be sized accordingly with all bleeds (if applicable), and clearances accounted for. All fonts and image files must be included and submitted.

Email Guidelines

Our e-mail address for submitting artwork is: art@budgetcard.com

E-mailed art files cannot exceed 5MB. Files larger than 5MB should be compressed with a program such as Stuffit, submitted on CD/DVD, or uploaded to our FTP site. Contact for FTP instructions and password.

Subject

Email messages should include Company Name, Quote Number, and the Purchase Order Number associated with the attached artwork. “artwork for Mark-Gold Promotions - PO#4822.” 

Art Charges/Billing

Any required work, such as typesetting, color separation, touch-up, creating bleeds, adding crop marks, etc., is subject to an art charge. Time spent pre-flighting/troubleshooting files (including correspondence with the client, searching for logos/typefaces, etc.) is also subject to an art charge. Please note that deliveries may take longer if Budgetcard prepares your art. Budgetcard charges $50 (v) per hour for artwork. We will advise the client if their art charge exceeds $40(v) and does not appear on the purchase order as a line item “estimated art charge”. Client will also be advised if their art charge exceeds the estimated art charge by more than $40 (v).

Variable Data

Data files should be supplied in Microsoft Excel, dBase, or delimited text format. Files will be produced in the order provided unless otherwise specified in your document. Programming Charge is $50 (v). Consecutive Numbering does not require a data file (and does not require a programming charge). Please specify the starting number and number of digits on the purchase order.

Stock PMS Colors (No Charge):

Plates or Screens

$25 (v) 1 color front. For 1/1 through 4/4: $50 (v). Reorder set-ups are 1⁄2 of the original set-up charge.

PMS Ink Matches

BUDGETCARD offers 27 standard PMS colors at no additional charge (see above). Any standard PMS color is available. PMS match on white stock is $30 (v). Due to extra time required, a PMS match on a colored stock is $120 (v). Budgetcard will make every effort to match the requested PMS color; however, we do not guarantee an exact PMS match. Ink matches can vary by up to one shade. (See stock PMS color chart above).

Colored Stock

Available upon request