Your first print sample: what to check before you sell

A sample is most useful when you know what you are trying to learn from it. Instead of deciding only whether the print looks good, compare it with a short record of the product and artwork you ordered. That gives you something reliable to refer to when you build the listing or expand the range.

Start with an order record

Save the design name, exact artwork filename and version, product, size, frame finish and order reference. Keep the final export, not just the editable design file. If you change the artwork later, you will be able to tell which version the sample represents.

Choose a sample that reflects the work you intend to sell. A design with fine lines, darker areas and your typical colours can be more informative than a simple test block. If you use small type, include it at its intended finished size.

Look at the parcel before unpacking

Photograph the outer packaging and note any visible damage. Open it carefully and keep the protective materials until you have checked the product. This helps you understand how the print arrives and gives the support team useful context if something has gone wrong.

Packaging can vary with product size and destination. Describe the arrangement agreed for your own range rather than assuming one sample represents every shipment.

Check the printed artwork

View the print in even light and from both a normal viewing distance and close up. Look for missing elements, unexpected cropping, orientation, visible banding, damaged edges and the clarity of details that matter in your work. Compare against the exact uploaded file.

Do not expect a backlit screen and a paper print to look identical. Screen brightness, ambient light and the paper surface affect the comparison. If a particular colour relationship is critical, discuss it with the team and use an agreed physical reference.

Check any intended border. A white margin in the supplied artwork will print as part of that design; it is not the same as a separate mount. Avoid adding a mount in your listing mockup when the product does not include one.

Check the frame as a product

For a framed sample, look at the selected finish, corner joins, visible surface condition and the position of the artwork. Check the backing and hanging fittings against the agreed specification. Measure the print and outside frame separately if you need both figures in a listing.

Do not infer a wood species from a finish name. Keep your description aligned with the actual product specification. For example, an Oak or Walnut finish does not by itself mean a solid oak or solid walnut frame.

Make the result useful to someone else

Keep a short record with four headings: what was ordered, what was checked, any questions, and the approved version. Add photographs of the full product and the details you intend to show customers. Include a date so the record can be revisited when a material or design changes.

If there is a problem, send the order reference and clear photographs to the team. Describe what you expected and what arrived. Avoid making another artwork change before preserving the file used for the sample; otherwise it becomes harder to compare like with like.

Use the sample to improve the listing

Take a clear full-product photograph, a close-up and a view that explains scale. Use these alongside any accurate mockups. Update the description with the details you can substantiate, such as the selected finish and whether the frame is included.

Agree any unresolved question before treating the sample as approved. A repeatable check is more useful than a vague “looks fine”, particularly when another person will manage future orders.

Discuss a sample with PrintPost or review the standard products.