Few things are more frustrating than collecting a box of business cards or brochures and finding the colours dull, the text too close to the edge or the photos blurry. Almost every one of these problems can be caught before the file leaves your computer. Here is the checklist I run through on every print job.
1. Use CMYK colour mode
Screens display colour in RGB. Printers use CMYK inks. Bright RGB colours, especially vivid blues, greens and oranges, often cannot be reproduced exactly in CMYK and come out duller than expected. Set up print documents in CMYK from the start so you see a realistic preview. For colours that must match exactly, such as a brand colour on packaging, ask your printer about Pantone spot colours.
2. Add bleed
Printers cut sheets after printing, and the blade can shift slightly. If your design has colour or images reaching the edge, extend them beyond the final trim line. Three millimetres of bleed on every side is the most common requirement, but always confirm with your printer, as some ask for more.
3. Keep important content inside the safe zone
Just as the cut can drift outward, it can also drift inward. Keep text, logos and important details at least three to five millimetres inside the trim line. Anything closer risks being trimmed off or looking cramped against the edge.
4. Check image resolution
Images for print should be 300 pixels per inch at the size they will be printed. A photo that looks sharp on screen at 72 pixels per inch will look soft or pixelated on paper. Never enlarge a small image to fix this, because it only spreads the same pixels further apart. Ask for the original file or choose a different image.
5. Handle fonts properly
If the printer does not have your fonts, the text may be replaced with something else entirely. Either embed fonts when exporting your PDF or convert text to outlines. Keep an unconverted copy of the file too, so you can still edit the text later.
6. Watch rich black and thin lines
Large black areas printed with black ink alone can look slightly grey. Printers often recommend a rich black mix for large areas, but small body text should stay pure black so it prints crisp. Very thin lines, below roughly 0.25 points, may disappear or break up when printed.
7. Export a print PDF
Most printers prefer a high quality PDF, often to the PDF/X standard, with crop marks and bleed included. Ask for their exact specifications before exporting. Every print house has small differences.
8. Proofread one final time
Check phone numbers, email addresses, websites, prices and spelling. Then ask someone else to check them too. A typo in a phone number on a thousand flyers is an expensive mistake.
Ask for a proof
For larger runs or important pieces, request a printed proof before the full job runs. Colours on paper are never exactly the same as on screen, and a proof is the only reliable way to see the final result. A small delay now is better than a reprint later.
If you would rather hand this part over completely, I prepare every print project as a press ready file, checked against your printer’s specifications before delivery.
