I've noticed a new type of graphic designer emerging from the depths of the internet the last two years. They're hard to spot at first, since they talk-the-talk, but when you see their files, you immediately know what they are... they're a Photo-Kiosk designer.
Etsy is FILLED with them. The Photo-Kiosk designer is someone with a computer and access to an image editing program (usually Photoshop), who decided to strike out and make a little side business for themselves designing invitations and party favors for people online. (It's ALWAYS invitations and party favors.)
As a graphic designer and digital printer who also sells on Etsy, I appreciate their work ethic and their effort to pull in extra income, and I'm all for people pursuing art and design, but...to put it simply...YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!
So I made this post to help and educate Photo-Kiosk printers on why commercial printers (like me) hate your files and how you can fix them.
Pros to photo-kiosk printing:
- Your image goes all the way to the edge (no need for a bleed)
- It's cheap
- It's fast
- It's easily found at any drug or convenience store (like Walmart, Target etc.)
Cons to photo-kiosk printing:
- You're limited in the type of paper you can choose (Photo only in most cases)
- The paper is glossy and thin (again, photo-only)
- It looks cheap
- Most kiosks print logos on the back of your print
- You're image gets stretched, and warped, to fit a certain paper size you've selected
Photo kiosk printing is like the fast food version of real printing. It's fast, and cheap, and easy, but it isn't going to look as good as a meal prepared by a chef.
If you are going to go the photo-printing route, here are the issues preventing your files from working for a print shop:
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| Link to my post about BLEEDS explaining what one is |
Your Files Do Not BLEED
(And you likely don't know what a bleed is)
When the Photo-Kiosk designer sets up their file, they usually set it up thinking it will be printed at a photo kiosk, like at the drug store, or Walmart. Places where people dump JPEG files off phones or USB drives and have them printed on 4"x6" photo paper with the ink automatically going all the way to the edge.
This is not an industry standard.
When your clients take these files to a REAL print shop, your design isn't going to work. Which leads to frustration for all parties, and more work for you with the back and forth emails on how to fix it with your irritated client.
YOU CAN FIX IT! Read THIS POST I created teaching you what a BLEED really is, and then simply Google the name of whatever program you are using and "How to add a bleed."
.
.
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You didn't do it, did you? I've sent tons of links, walk throughs and tutorials over the years...and for whatever reason they never help. It's a constant source of frustration for me, but I get it. You're tired too, and you're overwhelmed. You just want to make a quick buck with your work.
Even though it KILLS ME as a designer to say this...here's a simple cheat: keep all your text and images at LEAST .25" away from all edges!
When we cut your stuff. It is too close to the edges. That's why we wanted the bleed. Keep your important stuff away from the edge (at least .25") and we can enlarge your artwork slightly to make a bleed for you. It's not ideal, and your print shop may charge a fee to do it, but it works.
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| This image came from a FREE stock image site called Pixabay! |
Don't Just Take Images from Google
(Woo, Woo, Here come the Copyright Police! )
Simply put, Google isn't a free stock image site. Some print shops will turn you away because of this.
Most of the work I get from the Kiosk-Printer involves licensed characters (Disney 9 times out of 10) that are obviously not yours that came from somewhere online. Personal use is usually fine, but when you're using those characters to sell something...things get messy. The owners of those images aren't going to be happy to see you using it, without their permission, to profit.
Best case scenario, you'll get an email or a C&D, aka a Cease and Desist order, telling you to just plain stop what you're doing.
Worst case? You get sued, and possibly the original creator puts you on blast on their social media causing a flood of fans to tear apart your side business calling you a thief. (Which you kind of are.)
Print shops, like mine, don't want to get tied up in a legal battle, so we turn down obviously stolen work, so that is something you should keep in mind.
I know, I know, Etsy is filled with images that are straight-up stolen off the net, why should you be the one to stop? Slowly, those sellers are getting C&D letters, and some of them are getting shops reported, shut-down, and banned. Better to be on the up-and-up than to have your hobby turn into a court case.
Need images? Use PIXABAY! It's an awesome FREE stock image site.
Those are the two major reasons why we reject Photo-Kiosk jobs in my shop, and how you can avoid or fix those issues. I could get into preferred file format, crop marks, color modes and everything else a print ready file should have...but if you manage to fix these two issues, you'll save me and many other printers from having an aneurysm.
I wish you luck on your journey, and for the love of all that is CMYK, please keep your text and images away from the edges of your work!
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