Preparing your artwork for a custom print

A good custom print starts with a clean source file. You do not need to be a designer, but a few checks before upload will help the final piece look sharper and avoid awkward cropping.

Use the largest original you have

A screenshot or compressed social-media image may look fine on a phone, but it can soften when printed. Upload the original camera file, artwork export, scan, or highest-resolution version available.

Check effective resolution

For prints viewed close up, 300 DPI is a strong target. Larger posters can still look good at lower effective DPI because people stand farther away, but very small files will show softness. As a quick check, divide your image pixel width by the print width in inches to estimate DPI.

Match the shape to the product

Portrait images suit A4, A3 and A2 prints, which is what the the UK store sells. Very wide or panoramic files lose a lot of the paper to cropping once they are fitted to an A-series shape, so either crop tighter around the subject before uploading or accept the crop the preview shows.

Keep faces, text and signatures away from the edges: frames and mounts cover a few millimetres of the sheet, and the crop gives you no second chance after production.

Avoid important details at the border

Keep faces, text, signatures, and key artwork details away from the very edge. This gives the production team room to align and finish the print cleanly.

Export cleanly

Use JPG or PNG for most uploads. Keep quality high, avoid heavy filters after export, and use a normal RGB color profile such as sRGB for predictable screen-to-print review.

After upload, Lasting Details reviews your artwork before production. If something looks risky, we will contact you before printing.

Ordering from the UK

The UK range is unframed matte paper prints on 200gsm fine art paper, supplied without a mount or hanger, plus assembled Classic framed prints in A4, A3 and A2. Metal posters and desk mats are made in our Pakistan studio and are not sold in the UK.

Prints are A-series: A4 is 21 x 29.7 cm, A3 is 29.7 x 42 cm and A2 is 42 x 59.4 cm. Classic frames use the same sizes.

Prints are made to order and delivered in 5–10 business days. Delivery costs £5.95, or is free on orders of £55 and above. Pay by credit or debit card. Prices are in pounds.

Fixed-design prints can be cancelled for any reason within 14 days of delivery. Custom prints made from your own image cannot be cancelled. If an order arrives damaged, defective or incorrect, tell us within 30 days and we will replace or refund it.

Shop matte paper prints or Classic framed prints, or print your own artwork. Delivery and returns are set out in full on their own pages.