How to prepare print-ready artwork (the 6-point checklist)

Most reprints happen for one reason: the file was never print-ready. Here is the exact checklist our pre-press team runs on every job, so you can catch problems before you upload.

1. Add 3mm bleed on every edge

Printers cannot print right to the edge of the paper. We print oversize, then trim. Bleed is the extra 3mm of your design that runs past the trim line so the blade never leaves a white sliver. An A5 flyer (148x210mm) should be supplied at 154x216mm with the background extending to the very edge.

2. Keep text inside the safe zone

The opposite of bleed: keep anything important, like text, logos and phone numbers, at least 3mm inside the trim line. Trimming has a tolerance of about 1mm, and text that hugs the edge always looks like a mistake even when it survives the blade.

3. Supply 300 DPI at final size

Resolution only counts at the size you print. A photo that looks sharp on screen at 1000px wide is only 85mm at print quality. For flyers, cards and menus aim for 300 DPI at final dimensions. Large-format jobs like roller banners are viewed from further away, so 150 DPI at full size is fine.

4. Design in CMYK, or expect a shift

Screens mix light (RGB); presses mix ink (CMYK). Bright RGB greens, oranges and electric blues cannot be reproduced in ink and will dull down when converted. If your software supports it, design in CMYK from the start. If you send RGB we convert carefully, but very vivid colours will shift.

5. Outline or embed your fonts

If we do not have your font, the file falls back to a default and the layout breaks. Exporting as PDF embeds fonts automatically in most tools. In Illustrator you can also convert text to outlines before export. Never send a layout file that references fonts we cannot open.

6. Export as PDF/X when you can

PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 is the print industry standard: it embeds fonts, flattens problem transparency and locks the colour profile. From Canva, Figma or Affinity, "PDF for print" with crop marks and bleed does the job. We also accept high-resolution PNG and JPG for simple jobs.

Upload your file to our artwork checker and it will flag resolution, shape and colour issues automatically before you spend a penny.