Print-ready files: bleed, CMYK and resolution explained

Print files have a few rules that screen designs do not. None of them are hard, but each one matters. This guide goes through them in the order you would meet them while building a file, then finishes with a checklist you can run through before you hit send. For a shorter overview, see our file setup guide.

Bleed: extend your design past the edge

Paper is cut after printing, and cutting is never perfectly exact. If your background colour stops right at the edge of the page, a hairline of white can show on some pieces. To avoid that, extend backgrounds and images past the trim line. That extra area is the bleed, and a typical amount is 0.125 inch (one eighth of an inch) on every side.

Your document size should be the finished size plus bleed. A card that is 3.5 x 2 inches finished becomes 3.75 x 2.25 inches with bleed on all four sides. If you are not sure how much your product needs, ask us when you request a quote for business cards or flyers.

Safe margin: keep important things inside

The opposite problem is text sitting too close to the edge. Keep logos, phone numbers and text at least 0.125 to 0.25 inch inside the trim line. This is the safe margin. Products that are folded, drilled, rounded or mounted may need more room, so ask before you commit to a layout.

CMYK vs RGB

Screens build colour from red, green and blue light (RGB). Printers lay down cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink (CMYK). The two systems cover different ranges, so very bright screen colours, such as neon greens and electric blues, usually print duller.

• Design in CMYK if your software allows it, or convert before exporting.
• If you must work in RGB, expect small shifts and check the converted version.
• Pure black text is best set as a single black, not a mix of four inks.
• Colours that must match a brand standard are worth discussing with us before printing.

Resolution: pixels at final size

Photos and raster images need enough pixels to look sharp. The usual target is 300 dpi at the final printed size. A photo that is 1200 pixels wide will print sharply at about 4 inches wide, but not at 12 inches.

Large-format work follows a different rule. A banner or poster is read from several feet away, so an effective resolution of 100 to 150 dpi at full size can look fine. The bigger the piece and the further away the viewer, the lower the resolution you can get away with. Check images at 100 percent zoom, and never stretch a small image. For a photograph on a wall piece, our canvas photo guide shows how to count pixels.

Logos and text should be vector artwork whenever possible, because vector shapes stay sharp at any size.

Fonts, outlines and effects

If a font is missing on our end, your text can be swapped for another one without warning. Fix this either by embedding fonts when you export a PDF or by converting text to outlines before you save. Keep a working copy with live text so you can still edit it.

Flattening matters when you use transparency, shadows or glows. Placing a PDF that was exported from a design tool is usually safer than sending the native working file.

Export a PDF

For most jobs, a print-quality PDF is the safest delivery format. Look for settings that include fonts, keep the full document size with bleed and use the CMYK colour mode. Add crop marks only if the printer asks for them. If you do not have design software, send what you have and we can tell you what needs fixing.

Quick checklist before you send

1. Document size equals finished size plus 0.125 inch bleed
2. Backgrounds and images extend into the bleed
3. Text and logos sit inside the safe margin
4. Images are sharp at the final printed size
5. Colours are CMYK, or checked after converting
6. Fonts are embedded or outlined
7. Two-sided jobs have both sides in the right order and orientation
8. Spelling, phone numbers and web addresses are correct

Common mistakes

Typical issues include screenshots used as artwork, low-resolution logos pulled from websites, text set too close to the trim, missing bleed and files sent in a smaller size than the printed piece. Fixing these before submitting also helps with timing, because a clean file moves through approval faster. See how long does printing take for what else affects the schedule.

Need a hand?

We work with customers in Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington and across Canada, and we are happy to look at a file before you commit. Send it with a quote request and tell us what the piece is for.