FAQ - Frequently asked questions about Printing

The lead time to print your graphics depends on the quantity and type of graphics you have ordered. For instance, flags typically take about 1 to 2 working days to print after your print proof confirmation. While for Zipper-Walls and Tent graphics, you can expect an average production time of 2 to 3 working days. For other dye sublimation prints, such as Counters, Pop-Up Walls, Brightboxes or Table Covers, the production time usually ranges from 3 to 4 working days, as several graphics await completion by our skilled confection team. Please keep in mind that special requirements or the current production workload in our printing centre can also influence the lead times. After printing, we prepare your graphics for shipping and delivery times vary depending on the delivery address. 

That’s actually easier than you think! Let us help you to get started in 7 simple steps. 

1. Visit our webshop
2. Look up the product you want to order
3. Choose if you only want the graphic, or combined with the product
4. Choose your preferred print material
5. Upload your print file
6. Place the order
7. Confirm print proof via email 

You can also find more information on how to order your graphic on our 'Print Services' webpage. 

Yes, for some products, like Roll-Banners, Windtalkers and Brightboxes, you can easily preview your design on our Online Reseller Platform after loggin in. You click on the yellow button 'preview your design,  upload your print file and it directly previews your design on the product picture. You can save the picture with design to show a quick preview to your customer. Please note that this feature is not yet accurate for all the products, this is in progress.

Next to this, we also offer a 'Graphic Visualisation Service'. You can send us your artwork and we will make a visualisation of your graphic on the product. With this service, you will get a clear idea on how the final product with the graphic will look like. Learn more  about the 'Graphic Visualisation Service' here. 

Yes, for sure! We offer a neutral drop shipment directly to your customers. We can do this for all products we offer, hardware or graphic. You can choose this option in the checkout process and attach your own delivery note or choose a delivery without logo. There is no sub charge for this service, you just pay the shipping costs. 

We offer an extensive range of high quality printing materials to bring your print to life. On our 'Print Services' webpage you can see an overview of all the print materials we use. Next to that, we’ve created a convenient ‘Printing overview sheet’ to help you easily navigate through the variety of printing materials and their corresponding products. You can view the ‘Printing overview sheet’ here. 

Of course! Seeing is believing, that’s why we have a ‘print sample box’, showcasing the variety and quality of our printing materials. All the print materials are in compact A6 format, with details about the weight and the name of the print material. The sample box features the Showdown logo, while the prints inside remain neutral. Are you interested in receiving a print sample box? You can request a Print Sample Box here. 

We have several printing machines in our production centre in Přestanov, Czech Republic, that make the printing magic happen. Each printer is suitable for a different type of material. We work with different printing techniques: Dye sublimation print, UV flatbed print and latex print. You can view all our printing machines and cutters here. 

Before the printing run begins, we offer a digital preview of the final printed product. This is to make sure the graphic will be printed correctly, according to the wishes of your customer. You will receive the print proof by email. We kindly ask you to confirm the print proof by clicking on the green button ‘CONFIRM’ that is shown in the email. Once the print proof is confirmed, the actual production of the graphics can begin. 

Once your print file is ready for printing, you will receive an email containing a PDF with a digital preview of your print. When you are satisfied with the digital preview, simply click on the green button labelled 'CONFIRM' in the email. This action let us know that you are ready to proceed with printing and we will start the production process. 

If the print proof isn’t quite what you envisioned, no worries! Our dedicated Customer Care team is just a call or email away, ready to assist you. They will work closely with you and our printing experts and together we will find the best solution to refine your artwork. You can just simply send a new print file to us. We are here to make your printing journey as smooth as possible. 

With all of the options, we understand it is sometimes hard to make a decision. So we try to help and guide you through the decision process.

Frame only
You order only the hardware without the print.

Frame + Graphic
You order the hardware including the print. If you order the 'frame + graphic', your order will be processed as 'KIT'. This means that your print will be placed together with the hardware. If you will order the hardware and graphic seperately, they will not be connected. For the graphic you upload the desired graphic.

Graphic only
Do you already have the hardware for the desired product? Than you can just order the print without the hardware at ‘graphic only’.

Some products can have a print on both sides. Those will have the option Frame + 2 Graphics. In this case you can upload even 2 different print files, to display a different message on each side.

We are here to guide you on preparing your print file. You can download the right template on the product page after login. The dimensions for the specific product will be shown on the template. The print data should be prepared as a PDF file and the data should ideally be created as a vector file (alternatively a raster file matching the exact print size). All texts in the print data have to be converted to outlines. For a good printing result the image should be 300 DPI. You can find detailed instructions on our webpage of 'Print Services'.

We do not offer a design service for the preparing the print file. We do check your file and send you a preview of the print. We wait for your approval before we start printing.

We understand that it can happen that your print data might not always be perfect. But don’t worry, our dedicated print centre team is there to help you. If there are any issues with your print data, we will do our best to make necessary corrections. For instance, in case bleed is missing in a single-colour background, we will adjust it. Or in case if the dimensions are incorrect and it falls within our capabilities, we will adjust it accordingly. In case we can’t make the needed corrections, your dedicated Customer Care contact person will reach out to you promptly.

For a smooth printing journey, we kindly request that you deliver your artwork to us in PDF format. Our in-house printing centre is all set up to work with PDF files. Preferably a PDF export of PDF/X-4:2008 or PDF/x-1a:2001.

Simply said, DPI stands for ‘Dots Per Inch’. It indicates how many dots are present in a printed image. When an image has a higher DPI, it means that there are more dots per inch, resulting in finer detail and smoother curves. Images with higher DPI values are generally sharper and more detailed when printed, especially when viewed up close. When you provide your print file to us with a resolution of 300 DPI, it ensures that the images and text will appear crisp and clear when printed. 

When you provide your print file to us with a resolution of 300 DPI, it ensures the images and text will appear crisp and clear when printed. This is particularly crucial for prints that you will view from close by, like posters for example. For extra large formats above size A1, we recommend using a minimum of 150 DPI. Larger prints are often viewed from a greater distance, so the slightly lower DPI is compensated by the increased viewing distance. 

Simply said, bleed is the extra space you add around the design. It’s an important concept in the print design, to ensure when the print will be cut to its final size, there are no white edges or gapes due to slight variations in the cutting process. 

The term ‘print size’ refers to the area within the template where the actual printed content should be placed. This area is marked with a pink line, also called ‘cutting line’, that indicates where the final trim will occur. It represents the usable space on the template where your design elements should be positioned. We kindly ask you to not keep any cutting lines on your artwork when you deliver your final design. 

The ‘safe area’ on a print template refers to the designated space within the template where you should place all the important elements, such as logos, text and images. It’s a space that is kept free from the edges of the file, ensuring that vital information remains well within the visible and readable portion of the final printed piece. 

‘Finished’ size on a print template refers to the exact dimensions that the printed product will have after it has been cut according to the template’s guidelines. In the context of your flag or banner, it means that the banner will be cropped to match the specified ‘finished size’ indicated on the template. 

Simply said, converting text fonts to outlines means that you turn text into an object. It can happen that the used fonts in the print file are not available in our system. By using outlines you ensure that your text remains consistent and retains the appearance of the choosen font. The process of converting text characters into vector shapes can be done in popular design softwares, such as Adobe illustrator, CorelDRAW or InDesign. 

Once the final print file is fully prepared, all the template lines should be taken out. In this way, the print centre receives a clean and ready-to-print file and we can ensure there won't be any unwanted lines on the final print. All for a smooth and accurate printing process.

It might of course happen that the print file does not meet the required specifications and some adjustments are needed. In case the print file is not correct, our Customer Care team will receive a notification from the print centre. Of course our dedicated Customer Care team will proactively reach out to you to request a new and corrected print file. In this way, it prevents errors from proceeding to the printing stage. All to ensure you will have the best possible printing product! 

CMYK and RGB are both colour models. Simply said, RGB is the primary colour model for digital designs, like on the web, television or phone. CMYK colour mode is used for printing and is an industry standard because it will produce the most consistent-looking prints.

When your print file is in RGB (Red, Green, Blue), it means that the colours in your design are defined using the RGB colour model. This is commonly used for digital screens, such as computer monitors and cameras. Our printers are printing in CMYK colours and the program will automatically convert the colours to CMYK. Colour change may happen when converting it. So we advise to design your print template in CMYK mode, in order to have a better control over colour accuracy.