How to Set Up Print-Ready Artwork

Why print-ready artwork matters

Sending artwork that is not set up correctly is the number one cause of printing delays. Files that arrive in the wrong colour mode, without bleed, or at low resolution will either need to be returned for correction or risk a poor quality result. Taking a few minutes to check your files before uploading can save days of back-and-forth.

Use CMYK, not RGB

Screens display colour using RGB (red, green, blue), but printers use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, key/black). If you supply artwork in RGB, the colours will shift when converted to CMYK during printing. Bright greens, vivid blues, and neon colours are the most affected.

To avoid surprises, convert your document to CMYK before you start designing. In Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, set your colour mode under File > Document Color Mode. In Photoshop, use Image > Mode > CMYK Color.

Set your resolution to 300dpi

DPI (dots per inch) determines how sharp your print will look. For standard commercial print, 300dpi is the minimum. Anything below 200dpi will appear noticeably blurry, particularly on text and fine detail.

Web images are typically 72dpi, so dragging images from a website into your artwork is almost guaranteed to produce poor results. Always use high-resolution source images.

Add 3mm bleed on all sides

Bleed is the area of your design that extends beyond the trim line. When paper is cut after printing, there is a small tolerance of around 1mm. Without bleed, you risk a thin white strip appearing along one or more edges.

Set your document size to the finished size plus 3mm on each side. For example, a standard business card (85mm x 55mm) should be set up as 91mm x 61mm with 3mm bleed marks.

Keep text within the safe zone

Just as you need bleed outside the trim line, you need a safety margin inside it. Keep all important text and logos at least 3mm away from the trim edge. This ensures nothing critical is cut off even if the trim shifts slightly.

Choose the right file format

For best results, supply a print-ready PDF. This preserves fonts, colours, and layout exactly as you intended. When exporting, use the PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 preset, which ensures CMYK compatibility and embeds all fonts.

We also accept high-resolution JPEG and PNG files, though PDF remains the gold standard for multi-page documents and designs with text.

Quick checklist

• Colour mode set to CMYK
• Resolution at 300dpi
• 3mm bleed on all sides
• Important content 3mm from trim edge
• Fonts embedded or outlined
• Exported as PDF/X-1a or high-res JPEG

If you are unsure about anything, our pre-press team checks every order before printing. Upload your files and we will flag any issues before going to press. For more detail on specifications by product, see our artwork guidelines.