Getting your artwork ready for print helps us produce your order accurately and avoid unnecessary delays. This guide covers file preparation, colour, bleed and the checks to make before submitting your design.
Always follow the artwork specifications for your chosen product, as some sizes, materials and finishes require a different setup.
Preparing your files
Your artwork should be supplied at the correct size, with suitable image quality, the right colour settings and bleed where required.
A print-ready PDF is usually the best option. If you are supplying another format or need changes made to your design, contact us before submitting your files.
PDF files
Export your PDF using settings intended for professional printing. Make sure that:
Images are approximately 300dpi at their final printed size.
Fonts are embedded so that lettering displays correctly.
Colours are set to CMYK.
The required bleed is included in the export.
Compression does not noticeably reduce image quality.
Use the FOGRA39 colour profile unless the product specifications or our team advise otherwise.
Open the exported PDF and check it carefully. The finished file should look as intended, with no missing images, substituted fonts or changes to the layout.
Adobe Illustrator
Embed any linked images and convert text to outlines in the version you supply for printing. This helps prevent missing graphics or font substitutions when the file is opened elsewhere.
Save your artwork as a print-ready PDF or an EPS file, including the required bleed. Keep a separate editable version with live text in case you need to make changes later.
Adobe Photoshop
Set up your document at the required dimensions, including bleed, and use a resolution of 300dpi at the final print size.
Supply a high-quality JPEG or print-ready PDF. Avoid repeatedly saving JPEGs, as this can reduce image quality.
If your artwork needs editing, retain the original layered PSD file. A flattened file limits the changes that can be made to individual elements.
Adobe InDesign
Export your artwork as a print-ready PDF, with fonts embedded and the correct bleed settings applied.
If we need the editable document, use InDesign’s Package function to collect the document and linked images, together with any fonts you are permitted to share. Compress the folder into a ZIP file and include a reference PDF showing the intended layout.
Microsoft Office files
Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Publisher files need to be exported to PDF before being supplied for print.
Check the exported file closely, particularly page dimensions, fonts, image quality and positioning. Converting a document to PDF does not automatically correct low-resolution images, colour settings or missing bleed.
Image quality
An image can look clear on a phone or computer screen but appear blurred or pixelated in print.
For most standard printed products, use images with a resolution of 300dpi at the size they will appear in your design. Enlarging a small image or changing its resolution setting does not restore missing detail.
Requirements may differ for large-format products, so check the relevant specifications before preparing your artwork.
Colour settings
Prepare your artwork in CMYK, the colour system used for standard full-colour printing.
RGB is used for screens and can display colours that cannot be reproduced exactly in print. Converting RGB artwork to CMYK may therefore change its appearance.
If your design uses Pantone colours, speak to us before ordering. Unless a specific spot-colour print process has been agreed, these colours will need to be reproduced using CMYK.
Your screen should be treated as a guide rather than an exact preview of the finished colour. Screen settings, paper and finishes can all affect how colours appear.
Bleed and trimming
What is bleed?
Bleed is the part of your design that extends beyond the finished cutting edge. It allows for small variations during trimming and helps prevent unwanted white edges.
Unless your product specifications state otherwise, include 3mm bleed on every side.
For example, an A6 design with a finished size of 105 × 148mm needs an artwork area of 111 × 154mm, including bleed.
Background colours, photographs and any graphics intended to reach the edge must continue through the bleed area. Adding an empty border around your design does not provide usable bleed.
Keep important content away from the edge
Bleed sits outside the finished size. Your safe area sits inside it.
Keep text, logos and other essential information comfortably away from cutting and folding lines. Follow your product’s safe-area requirements, allowing additional space wherever binding or finishing could affect the design.
Crop marks
Crop marks indicate where the artwork should be trimmed.
If included, position them outside the bleed so they cannot appear on the finished product. Check the product specifications to see whether crop marks are required.
Booklets and other multi-page products
Supply multi-page artwork as one PDF containing individual pages in reading order. The front cover should appear first and the back cover last.
Do not rearrange pages into printing pairs or spreads unless specifically requested. We will arrange the pages for production.
If you need to supply separate files, number them clearly so their sequence is unambiguous, for example 01_FrontCover, 02_InsidePage and 03_InsidePage.
Check that your page count meets the requirements of the chosen binding method.
Wire-bound documents
Leave at least 10mm of clearance along the binding edge, unless the product specifications require a different allowance.
Keep text, logos and important image details clear of this area so they are not affected by punched holes or obscured by the wire.
Spot UV and foil finishes
Spot UV and foil printing require additional artwork showing precisely where the finish should be applied.
Supply the main printed design together with a separate finishing page or file. Both must use matching dimensions and alignment.
These finishes have specific preparation requirements. Contact us for the relevant instructions before exporting your final artwork.
Checking your artwork and proof
Before submitting your artwork, check spelling, dates, prices, contact details, image quality and page order. Test any QR codes and make sure all required content is present.
Where a proof is provided, review it carefully before approving production. Check the complete design, including both sides and every page.
Artwork checks do not replace your own review of the content. Raise any corrections before approving the proof, as changes may not be possible once printing has started.
Need help preparing your artwork?
If you are unsure about your file format, bleed or export settings, contact Good Print before submitting your artwork. We can help you identify the requirements for your chosen product.