Advert Specs & Templates
In a hurry, new to graphic design, or just want to be precise in your advert creations for The Skinny? We've created a suite of design templates for our print, digital and newsletter platforms, all to spec (dimensions, resolution and colour profile) and (where appropriate) with guides on bleeds and safe areas. We have provided PSD (Adobe Photoshop) and JPEG files for each ad type, compressed into a .ZIP folder.
If you have any questions about your advert design, drop us a line on sales@theskinny.co.uk or call us on 0131 467 4630.
TABLOID PRINT (The Skinny main magazine) (Full specs list) - 300dpi, CMYK
- 1/8 ("eighth") page - 117.5mm W * 73mm H
- 1/4 ("quarter") page box - 117.5mm W * 150mm H
- 1/4 ("quarter") page vertical - 57mm W * 304mm H
- 1/2 ("half") page horizontal - 239mm W * 150mm H
- 1/2 ("half") page vertical - 117.5mm W * 304mm H
- Full page (inc. guidelines on bleed, trim and type safe - what does this mean?)
- Please also avoid putting crop marks and printer registration info on full page adverts - these aren't posters or flyers!
A5 PRINT (Fest Magazine, The Skinny Guides) (Full specs list) - 300dpi, CMYK
- A5 1/8 ("eighth") page - 60mm W * 45mm H
- A5 1/4 ("quarter") page box - 60mm W * 93mm H
- A5 1/2 ("half") page horizontal - 123mm W * 93mm H
- A5 1/2 ("half") page vertical - 60mm W * 188mm H
- A5 Full page (inc. guidelines on bleed, trim and type safe - what does this mean?)
- A5 DPS ("double page spread") (inc. guidelines on bleed, trim and type safe - what does this mean?)
- Please also avoid putting crop marks and printer registration info on full page adverts - these aren't posters or flyers!
DIGITAL (Full specs list) - 72dpi, RGB, under 1mb**
- MPU - 300px W * 250px H
- Billboard (desktop & mobile) - 970px W * 250px H (desktop), 320px W * 50px H
- Reskin - for an explanation of how this advert should be designed, please click here.
**Please note, our ad server is very particular about filesizes, so ensure your final export is under 1mb (1000kb exactly, in fact!), including the reskin (we realise the PSD template file is over 1mb - just use the 'save for web' function when you're done).
ZAP (Full specs list) - 72dpi, RGB
- Box - 300px W * 250px H
- Banner / Advertorial image - 600px W * 250px H
Any full page advert must be supplied with a bleed included. (No bleed needed on smaller sizes.)
A bleed is a border, or gutter, where the design extends beyond the edges of the page to then be trimmed off by the printer. Most modern printers are pretty accurate in their trimming process but it is still best practice to allow for a margin of error, to ensure clean page edges.
The trim is the actual size of our pages. Don't put anything important in between the bleed and trim sizes; it'll be lopped off.
The type safe area is where key information, like text, should be contained. This is more a guide than a hard-and-fast rule, again due to the accuracy of modern printers, but it is still best practice to not put e.g. social handles right up to the edge of the trim.
The reskin is our most impactful digital unit, but the design can be a little fiddly.
The total area of your document should be 2560px W * 1440px H, and your design should fill this space so it can be seen on even the biggest screens.
However, this image will stay fixed behind our website content - it will not move as you scroll. Therefore you must ensure that your key information (e.g. dates, venues, social handles, phone numbers, etc) is:
a) kept out of the mandatory blank central area - a column in the middle where our website sits (970px W * 1440px H)
b) kept within the safe areas - two smaller columns either side of the central area, measured from the top of the image (150px W * 600px H per column). These should still be visible on smaller screens.
This should all be submitted as one flattened image - the different areas and zones are design guidelines only, not separate files.