Insights
Print artwork: what to check before sending it
A convincing screen preview is only part of a print approval. Check the format, bleed, copy and finishing requirements before handing artwork to the printer.
Define the product before choosing export settings
Write down what you are ordering: a business card, leaflet, folded brochure or catalogue. Confirm the finished size, page count, quantity, material and finishing. For folded products, include the fold layout. These decisions determine the artwork requirements.
Ask the printer for the current specification for that product. Settings from another A5 job may be unsuitable for a different process, binding or stock. If a production parameter is unclear, leave it open for discussion rather than guessing.
Separate bleed from the safe area
Background artwork that reaches the edge needs to extend beyond the trim line; this is the bleed. Important text and logos belong inside a safe area. Confirm both measurements with the printer instead of applying one universal value to every product.
Selecting a bleed option when exporting does not extend a photograph that stops at the page edge. Inspect where the actual artwork ends and whether trimming could leave an unintended white edge.
Review copy and imagery at their final size
A zoomed-in preview can conceal very small type. Check readability near actual size, spelling, prices, telephone numbers and addresses. Test the QR code. Run a separate copy review after the design has settled, when changes are less likely to distract from the wording.
Judge photographs at the size they will be placed. Pixel dimensions and reproduction scale matter more than a filename containing “high quality”. Supply the original vector logo where available. Renaming a poor image as a PDF will not restore missing detail.
Treat export and approval as their own stage
Confirm the required PDF standard, colour handling, fonts and crop-mark requirements. Supply varnish, embossing or cutting information in the layers or separate files specified by the producer. Keep the editable source alongside the final export.
Send one clearly named production version. A change made after approval, even to a price, needs a fresh export check and a new version label. When brand colour matters, ask how to assess a suitable proof: a phone display is not a print-colour reference.
Before you send the file
- Identify the product, finished size, quantity and finishing.
- Match bleed and safe spacing to the specification.
- Check copy, prices, contact details and the QR code.
- Confirm imagery, fonts and special production elements.
- Name the version clearly and agree what is being approved.
If a file is uncertain
Send the source and explain what needs to be produced. A pre-production artwork review is a better starting point than repeated speculative exports. Set the final requirements for the actual order.
Further reading
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Have a specific task? Describe the need and the material available so we can agree the next step.
Good to know
A few useful answers.
Planning the scope or preparing your materials? These answers will help you get started.
Ask usIs a preview file a production file?
Not necessarily. Requirements depend on dimensions and production method. Agreed technical checks and approval of the final file are needed before manufacture.
Can bleed be added to any file?
Not always without changing the design. Edge-to-edge artwork needs extra image beyond the trimmed size. What can be repaired depends on the source material.