Signage, Printing & Artwork Knowledge Centre
JPG Design is a sign, print and graphic design business at Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, operating since 1989 and servicing Caloundra to Noosa and the hinterland to Montville.
This Knowledge Centre answers the questions we are actually asked at the counter and by email — what bleed is and why your file needs it, why an AI-generated image cannot be blown up to a billboard, how to export a print-ready PDF out of Canva, which signage needs Sunshine Coast Council approval, what resolution a 6-metre banner really needs, and what the difference is between digital and offset printing. Every answer is written for people who don’t work in print, and every specification is the one we apply in our own workshop.
Jump to a topic
The four guides
- Signage questionsShopfronts, illuminated signs, vehicle wraps, corflute, banners, safety signage, council approval, installation and how long signs last in the Queensland sun.
- Large format printing questionsBanners, pull-up banners, media walls, wall graphics, corflute and billboards — resolution at size, laminates, finishing, panelling and file setup.
- General printing questionsBusiness cards, brochures, flyers, booklets, stationery and folders — stocks, GSM, finishes, folds, sizes, proofs and turnaround.
- Artwork & graphic design questionsBleed, CMYK, resolution, vector files, fonts, Canva exports, AI-generated images and why some artwork has to be redrawn.
Quick answers to the most common questions
What is bleed and why does my artwork need it?
Bleed is extra artwork extending past the finished edge of the printed piece — usually 3 mm on every side for business cards, flyers and brochures. It exists because guillotines and plotters have a small tolerance. Without bleed, a 0.5 mm shift leaves a white sliver along the edge of your card. With bleed, the same shift simply trims into the extra artwork and nobody notices. Full explanation of bleed and safe areas →
Why can’t an AI-generated image be enlarged to signage size?
Because AI image generators output a fixed grid of pixels — commonly around 1024 × 1024 — and there is no additional detail hiding inside the file to reveal when you enlarge it. Scaled to a 3-metre sign, that image carries roughly 8 pixels per inch. On top of the softness, enlargement magnifies the artefacts AI images already contain: melted lettering, hands and hardware that don’t resolve, and texture that looks like plastic. Signage is viewed as a hard-edged graphic, so the fix is to redraw the concept as vector artwork. Why AI images need redrawing for signage →
Can I supply artwork made in Canva?
Yes, and we print Canva files every week — but Canva does not add bleed unless you switch it on, and its default export is RGB at screen resolution. Set your Canva document to the exact finished size before you start, turn on Show print bleed, then download as PDF Print with Crop marks and bleed ticked. Step-by-step Canva export instructions →
Do I need council approval for a sign on the Sunshine Coast?
Often, yes. Permanent advertising devices on the Sunshine Coast are assessed as operational work under the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, and signs that don’t meet the self-assessable criteria in the Advertising Devices Code need a development approval. Temporary signage — real estate boards, roadside banners, portable signs — is regulated under Council’s local law instead. What’s allowed varies by zone. Sunshine Coast signage approval explained →
What file should I send for printing?
A print-ready PDF is best: PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-4, CMYK, correct finished size, 3 mm bleed, fonts embedded or outlined, images at the right resolution for the job. If you don’t have that, send us the highest-quality file you do have and we’ll tell you what’s needed. Full artwork supply guide →
Artwork specifications at a glance
| Job type | Bleed | Safe margin inside trim | Image resolution at final size | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business cards, flyers, brochures, booklets | 3 mm all round | 3–5 mm | 300 dpi | CMYK |
| Posters up to A0 | 3–5 mm | 5 mm | 150–300 dpi | CMYK |
| Corflute signs, A-frames | 5 mm | 10 mm | 100–150 dpi | CMYK |
| Vinyl banners | 10 mm (more if hemmed) | 50 mm from edge | 72–100 dpi | CMYK |
| Pull-up banners | 10 mm plus base allowance | Keep key content above the base cassette | 100–150 dpi | CMYK |
| Vehicle wraps | Supply to template, plus bleed | Away from panel gaps and handles | 72–150 dpi, or vector | CMYK |
| Billboards and long-view signage | As advised | As advised | 25–72 dpi at size, or vector | CMYK |
Areas we service
JPG Design is based at 1 Glen Kyle Drive, Buderim QLD 4556, and supplies signage, printing and graphic design across the Sunshine Coast — Buderim, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Kawana, Caloundra, Sippy Downs, Nambour, Coolum, Peregian, Noosa and Noosaville — and through the hinterland to Palmwoods, Woombye, Eumundi, Maleny and Montville. Print and design work is regularly sent Australia-wide; signage installation is Sunshine Coast based.
Can’t find your question?
If your question isn’t answered here, ask us — the answer usually ends up on this page for the next person. We would rather spend five minutes on the phone before you start your artwork than fix it afterwards.
JPG Design — Print · Signs · Design
1 Glen Kyle Drive, Buderim QLD 4556 · (07) 5456 4499 · Send us your artwork or ask a question