AI and print – are you really saving money?

AI has made it easier than ever to create designs, images, posters and leaflets. Whether you're putting together a marketing flyer, designing a poster for an event or creating a brochure for a new product, it's very tempting to use AI to save time and money.

For generating ideas or exploring different concepts, it can be a really useful tool. We've all seen just how quickly you can turn an idea into an image or a design. What might once have taken hours can now be done in minutes.

But when it comes to print, things aren't always quite so straightforward. What looks great on screen doesn't necessarily turn into a professional printed product. In fact trying to save money by using AI to create your artwork can often end up costing you more in the long run.

We’re increasingly seeing clients bring us AI-generated designs that need quite a bit of work before we can send them to print. So what can go wrong when using AI for design and how can you avoid the unnecessary costs?

AI is great for ideas but not always for finished artwork

There's no doubt that AI has the potential to help you with some brainstorming or to come up with some useful ideas.

The problem comes when you try to turn those AI-produced designs into finished artwork that you want to print. AI tools can create designs within minutes but they're not built with print production in mind. What looks like a finished design on screen can actually need considerable work before it's ready to print.

AI-generated images can be surprisingly complex (despite not taking very long to produce). The designs have intricate graphics, detailed backgrounds and unusual layouts which are difficult and time-consuming to recreate accurately. If the original design can't be edited easily, it may be necessary to rebuild much of it from scratch. What seemed like a quick and inexpensive solution can quickly become a much bigger design job with all the additional costs that come with it.

But you are probably asking why do AI designs need to be edited before they go to print?

The hidden costs of getting artwork wrong

Getting artwork ready for print involves more than simply creating a design. There are a number of things that need checking before it’s ready to hit that printing machine.

Here are some of the most common problems we come across:

• Low-resolution images: AI-generated images are very rarely suitable for print. For most printed materials, images need to be 300dpi at their intended print size (this basically means they need to be good enough quality to print at the size you want). Anything lower than that can appear blurred or pixelated, particularly on larger formats. A blurry flyer or poster isn't going to do your business any favours as it doesn’t look very professional.
• Spelling mistakes: AI can struggle with text particularly when it's incorporated directly into an image. Misspelt words, distorted lettering and incorrect wording can easily slip through if artwork isn't checked carefully. It's an easy mistake to miss but one that can be embarrassing once printed. Top tip here – AI isn’t always right!
• Colour inconsistencies: Colours on screen can look very different when printed. AI-generated designs may also use colours that don't match your brand, meaning your marketing materials don’t look the same and aren’t consistent.
• Incorrect page sizes: AI doesn't necessarily produce artwork at the dimensions required. Resizing artwork can also affect the layout and image quality, leaving you with a design that doesn't look as it should.
• Missing bleed and safe margins: Artwork needs to be set up correctly to allow for trimming. Without sufficient bleed or safe margins, text and images can end up too close to the edge or be cut off altogether.
• Image imperfections: We've all seen AI-generated images with six-fingered hands, distorted facial features, or even swapped faces. And if you haven't, trust us, we've seen plenty! Other common issues include awkward cropping, with heads or other important details being cut off.

On their own some of these issues might seem relatively minor. However, we regularly see several of them in the same design. Fixing them can take a surprising amount of time and sometimes the only option is to recreate the artwork completely. What started off as a quick, inexpensive design can quickly become a much bigger job.

AI designs can make your business look like everyone else's

There's another problem with AI that's worth considering. Many AI-generated designs have a very similar look and feel. The same layouts, generic business imagery, predictable colour combinations and the same styles of graphics appear again and again. It all becomes very familiar.

Don't believe us? Here are some examples.

While these designs might look perfectly acceptable on their own, they don't necessarily do anything to make your business stand out. If you're using the same AI tools and prompts as everyone else, there's a risk your marketing materials will look much like those of your competitors.

Your branding is a big part of what makes your business recognisable. From your colours and fonts to your imagery and overall style, consistency helps you build recognition and stand out in a crowded market. An AI-generated design that doesn't follow your brand guidelines or uses generic imagery can undermine all that work.

Your flyer, brochure or poster should reflect your business and give customers a reason to remember you. That's much harder to achieve if your design looks like everyone else's.

Why making changes can be expensive

Of course, we're going to say that professional design has its benefits - we’re designers as well as printers. But there are some very practical reasons why using AI for your artwork can end up costing you more.

Once an AI design has been created, making even relatively simple changes can be surprisingly difficult. With a professionally designed file, it's straightforward to update a headline, replace an image or change a colour. AI-generated images rarely offer that flexibility.

This can be particularly frustrating if you're producing a series of marketing materials or need to make regular updates to prices, dates or contact details. You ask it to make one change and suddenly other parts of the design look completely different. Sometimes AI does have a mind of its own!

What starts as a simple amend can turn into a much bigger job, taking additional design time and potentially increasing your costs. If you're regularly updating your printed materials, having properly prepared, editable artwork can make such a difference.

Is AI really the cheaper option?

It's easy to see why businesses are turning to AI. If you only need a flyer or a simple poster, creating it yourself can seem like an easy way to save money. But if your artwork then needs amending, has to be recreated or isn't suitable for printing, those savings can quickly disappear.

There's also the risk of getting the finished product wrong. Printing artwork that hasn't been checked properly can result in disappointing results and you may also end up needing to reprint them (again more costs for your business).

Investing in professional design from the start can help avoid these problems. It also means that practical considerations such as print specifications, materials and finishing options are taken into account right from the beginning.

If you're interested in the difference professional design can make, take a look at our blog: Why Your Print Deserves More Than a Template.

Why AI Isn't Always the Faster Option

AI-generated artwork may seem like a quick solution, but for print design it often becomes more time-consuming than expected. The extra effort needed to fix errors, improve resolution and prepare files for print can quickly outweigh any initial time savings. Designers frequently have to spend time correcting distorted details, adjusting colours, recreating missing elements and ensuring images meet the quality standards required for professional printing. In many cases, it can be faster and more cost-effective to create artwork correctly from the outset than to repair and refine an AI-generated image that wasn't designed with print production in mind.

Where does AI fit into the design process?

We're certainly not suggesting that businesses shouldn't use AI. It has its place and can be a really useful way to explore ideas, develop concepts and get a project started. It's great for a bit of brainstorming!

The important thing is knowing when to take things further. An AI-generated design might provide the inspiration you need but it doesn't necessarily mean the finished artwork is ready to print.

If you're creating your own artwork, our guides on designing for print using Canva and Adobe InDesign offer some useful advice on getting the technical details right.

Getting your print right from the start

Using AI can be a great way to get some ideas and explore different designs. But when it comes to producing something you'll actually print, it's worth making sure the artwork is right.

Whether you've used AI to get started, created your own design or already have finished artwork, we can help. At Prontaprint, we're always happy to take a look, offer advice and help you avoid costly mistakes before your artwork goes to print.

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