A PDF can look perfectly fine on your screen and still need work before it can be printed. If you’re searching for how to supply print-ready artwork, the most useful starting point is the printer’s specification for the actual job.
The required size, bleed, colour settings and PDF format can vary. A business card, a folded leaflet and a large sign don’t all need the same setup.
My background is in pre-press, so I look at artwork as something that has to survive printing, cutting and finishing as well as look good. Here are the checks worth making before you press send.
1. Confirm the finished size before designing
The finished size is the size of the item after it has been trimmed. Set up the document at that size unless your printer gives you a different instruction.
For example, if you have ordered an 85 × 55 mm business card, that is the trim size. If the printer asks for 3 mm bleed on every edge, the artwork extends across 91 × 61 mm including that bleed. The card itself is still 85 × 55 mm.
For folded work, check the flat size, the folded size and the fold positions. Some folds need unequal panel widths. Use the printer’s template where one is supplied rather than dividing the page into equal panels and hoping it will close neatly.
If you are having artwork designed, pass those details on at the beginning. They are part of the brief for print and graphic design, not a finishing touch to add after approval.
2. Add bleed, and keep important content inside the edge
Bleed is the extra image or background that extends beyond the trim line. It allows for small cutting variations without leaving an unwanted white strip at the edge.
Adding a bleed value in the document settings is only half the job. The background or photograph needs to extend into that area too. If the image stops at the trim line, the extra area is just empty space.
Text, logos and other important details need a safe margin inside the trim. That margin is separate from bleed. The right clearance depends on the product and finishing, so follow the supplier’s guidance, particularly around folds, drill holes and binding.
A 3 mm bleed is common for small-format print, but it isn’t a universal rule. Ask for the actual requirement, and include crop marks only if the printer requests them.
3. Check images at the size they will be printed
A photograph that looks sharp as a small phone thumbnail may look soft across an A4 page. What matters is the amount of image detail available at the placed size.
For photographs in close-viewed brochures and flyers, around 300 pixels per inch at the final size is a common target. Large-format work may use different requirements because it is viewed from further away. Your supplier can advise on the job in front of you.
As a rough example, a 1,200-pixel-wide photo provides 300 pixels per inch when printed four inches wide. Double the printed width and the effective resolution drops to 150 pixels per inch. Enlarging the file or changing its resolution label doesn’t automatically recover missing detail.
Use original photos where possible. For logos, vector artwork is usually the better choice because it can scale without becoming pixelated. If the only version you have is a small screenshot, it may need recreating; a proper set of logo files saves repeating that problem.
4. Check colour against the intended print process
Screen colour and printed colour are different. A bright display uses light; print depends on inks, the material and the production process. A colour that looks vivid on a phone may be less intense on paper.
Many print workflows use CMYK, but don’t blindly convert everything using whichever profile happens to be selected. Ask the printer which colour setup or export preset they want. Some workflows accept colour-managed RGB images and handle the conversion later.
Tell the printer if the job relies on a specific spot colour or finish. Foil, white ink and cutting paths may need separately named artwork elements. They should be set up to that supplier’s instructions.
If colour matching is especially important, discuss the proofing options before production. A screen preview on its own cannot confirm the exact colour of the finished print.
5. Export the PDF to the printer’s requirements
A PDF is a container, not a guarantee that the artwork is ready. It can still contain low-resolution images, the wrong page size or missing bleed.
Use the preset your printer recommends. That might be a PDF/X preset, but there is no single setting that is right for every supplier and process. Check the page range, bleed, font handling and colour settings before exporting.
For a booklet, printers commonly want individual pages in reading order rather than spreads arranged for folding. Don’t impose the pages yourself unless you have been asked to. Send all pages, including intentional blanks, in the agreed format.
Fonts should be embedded where the font licence and output format allow it, or handled in the way your printer specifies. Outlining text is not automatically necessary for every PDF. Adobe’s guide to PDF export options explains the settings if you are working in InDesign.
6. Open the exported file and check the actual content
Review the file you are sending, not just the design document. Look for missing images, unexpected line breaks, clipping and anything that has changed during export.
Then read it as a customer would. Check phone numbers, email addresses, prices, dates, web addresses and spelling. A preflight tool can detect some technical issues; it won’t know that the offer ended last month.
If there is a QR code, test it from a printout at the intended size. Check where it leads and whether there is enough clear space around it. Testing an enlarged version on screen doesn’t tell you how well the printed version will scan.
Use a clear filename and tell the printer which file is approved. Sending three attachments called “final” creates avoidable uncertainty.
A quick checklist before you send the artwork
- The finished size, page count and orientation match the order.
- Bleed is included where required, with artwork extending into it.
- Text and logos sit safely inside trim and finishing areas.
- Photographs have enough detail at their final printed size.
- Colour, spot inks and special finishes follow the supplier’s specification.
- The PDF uses the agreed settings and page order.
- Contact details, prices, links and QR codes have been checked.
- The approved file is clearly identified.
If you are unsure whether your file is ready, send me the artwork and the printer’s specification. I can help establish what needs attention, whether that is a small correction or a more substantial piece of artwork preparation.