Print-Ready Artwork: A Checklist for Bleed, Colour and Resolution
Most delays in a print job do not start on the press. They start when a file arrives with no bleed, RGB colours, or a logo pulled off a website. Each of these is easy to avoid if you know what to check before you hit send. This checklist is the one we run through when a new artwork file lands with us, written so that your designer or office team can run it first.
Bleed and safe margin
Paper is cut after printing, and the blade never lands in exactly the same place twice. Bleed is the extra band of colour or image that runs past the trim edge so a tiny cutting shift does not leave a white sliver.
- Bleed: extend backgrounds and images 3mm beyond the trim edge on every side.
- Safe margin: keep text, logos and phone numbers at least 3 to 5mm inside the trim edge.
- Trim size: set the document to the finished size, then add bleed. A business card that finishes at 90 × 54mm is built at 96 × 60mm with bleed.
Thin borders printed close to the edge are the usual casualty. A 2mm border looks fine on screen and uneven once cut. Either move the border well inside the safe margin or make it thick enough to forgive a small shift.
Colour: work in CMYK, know what RGB does
Screens mix light (RGB). Presses mix ink (CMYK). Bright screen blues, greens and oranges often look duller on paper because the ink range is smaller. Converting at the last minute is where colour surprises come from.
- Set the document to CMYK from the start, or convert early so you see the shift while there is still time to adjust.
- For brand colours, give us the Pantone reference, the CMYK values and, if you have it, an old printed sample. We work toward the reference as far as the process and the paper allow.
- Avoid building small text from four colours. Use a single black for body text so the colour plates cannot drift out of register.
- Large solid black areas look richer with a rich black build, but the exact values depend on the press. Ask before you invent your own.
Paper changes colour too. The same artwork looks warmer on uncoated stock and sharper on coated stock. If colour matters, say so when you ask for the quotation.
Image resolution
A photo that looks sharp on a laptop can print soft. Print needs far more pixels per inch than a screen.
- Standard print: 300 pixels per inch at the final printed size.
- Large format: banners and posters are viewed from a distance, so lower resolution at full size can work. Tell us the viewing distance and we will advise.
- Do not enlarge in a design tool. Stretching a small image adds no detail. It only adds blur.
- Website logos: images saved for the web are usually too small. Send the vector logo (AI, EPS, SVG or a PDF) instead.
Fonts, text and overprint
- Embed the fonts in the PDF, or convert text to outlines. If a font is missing on our machine, it is swapped for another and the line breaks change.
- Keep the editable source file too. If a typo is found at the proof stage, outlines cannot be edited.
- Check that no layer is hidden, no stray object sits outside the page and nothing is set to overprint by accident.
- Proofread phone numbers, email addresses, GST numbers and dates twice. These are the errors that cost a reprint.
Exporting the PDF
A print-ready PDF is the safest hand-over. In most design tools, choose a high quality print preset, include bleed, and add crop marks only if your printer asks for them. Some printers prefer PDF/X-1a, which locks colour and fonts. If you are unsure, send what you have and ask. A short check before production is cheaper than finding out afterwards.
Multi-page work such as brochures, books and diaries should go as one file in reading order, with page 1 as the cover. Say clearly whether pages are single or spread, since this changes how the file is laid out on the press sheet.
The one-minute checklist
- ☐ Finished size set correctly, 3mm bleed added
- ☐ Text and logos inside the safe margin
- ☐ CMYK colour mode, brand colours noted
- ☐ Images at 300 ppi at final size
- ☐ Fonts embedded or outlined
- ☐ Phone numbers, email, GST and dates proofread
- ☐ PDF exported, source file saved
Talk to Us
We check every file before it goes to the press and tell you if something needs fixing. Read more about how we handle this on our artwork and prepress page, or see what to include in an order in How to Brief a Printer for Business Stationery.
Send details to +91 99101 48075 on WhatsApp or use the quote form on our homepage. Timelines depend on the product, quantity and finishing, and are confirmed when we quote.
Related products: Business cards · Brochures · Labels
Related reads: Paper GSM Explained · Offset vs Digital Printing