Preparing artwork: the five minutes that save a reprint

Outline the text before you send the file. A font you own is not a font we own, and a substituted typeface is the single most common reason a proof comes back looking wrong.

Drop shadows, gradients and soft glows do not survive engraving — the laser has one depth per pass, so anything that relies on a fade will read as a solid block. Flatten the artwork to the shapes you actually want cut.

Then look at the thinnest line in the design at final size. Under about 0.3 mm it will either disappear on wood or bleed into its neighbours on acrylic. Thickening a hairline rule takes a minute and saves a remake.

Send the file even if you are unsure. We will open it, tell you what will happen and, for simple marks, redraw it for a small fee rather than let it run badly.