Guidelines for delivering ready-made designs for printing

Print files should only be submitted in PDF format.

The PDF format is the optimal format for carrying any graphic design and publication. Thanks to internal compression, PDF ensures a small file size, and the internal structure ensures that the project will look the same on each computer, which is not standard for other formats.

Before you save the project in PDF format

make sure that the composition complies with the rules necessary for the correct printing of the work.

For color works, the color space : CMYK

please avoid delivering colorful designs in RGB format, it may have a negative impact on the quality and colors. The printing house is not responsible for the quality of printing from RGB files. We present the correct setting of the color space on the example of Adobe and Corel in the pictures on the left.

No special settings are required for black and white jobs .

Define PDF page fields

Trimbox: e.g. 297x210 mm
In graphic programs and editors, it is usually the format of the page on which we work, you should check whether its size corresponds to the size of the ordered product. The tolerance for the cutting process is approximately 1 mm. In PDF format, known as a trimbox is the expected format of the final product, e.g. 297x210 mm

The bleed box: 2 mm, and for catalogs 3 mm
In the PDF format, known as the bleedbox, it is the background of the page that should protrude beyond the page size by 2-3 mm. The page bleed during bookbinding is clipped. Cutting the bleed ensures that the background will finally reach the edge of the format, regardless of the production tolerances during cutting. The tolerance for the cutting process is approximately 1 mm.

Margin : 5 mm
When designing, all important design elements such as text, drawings, etc. should not be closer to the edge of the page than indicated by the margin. For this purpose, it is worth defining a safe margin in the application. Placing important items too close to the edge of the page may cause them to get clipped in the finished product. The tolerance for the cutting process is approximately 1 mm.

The page fields of a PDF document can be checked using Adobe Acrobat.

Export / save work to PDF

Each graphic program and text editor have the ability to save / export the project to PDF. When selecting the export / save to PDF option, the option to select advanced settings appears.

In graphic programs, there are usually predefined settings for exporting to PDF, in this case we choose according to availability:

  • PDF / X-4: 2008
  • PDF / X-3: 2002
  • PDF / X-1a: 2001
  • printing quality

The pictures opposite show the correct settings for popular programs.

Multilateral works, books, catalogs

We place all pages sequentially in 1 PDF document keeping the correct order.

If the spine of the cover is to contain text or have a color other than the first and last page of the cover, it must be provided in a separate PDF document.

You can also provide the entire pre-assembled cover in line with the cover mockup downloaded from the calculator page. Attention , the cover mockup is generated dynamically based on the parameters given in the calculator, so first set the number of pages and select the appropriate paper and binding.

The thickness of the spine is given in the product calculator and is also included in the cover mockup, which you can download in the calculator

Additional PDF settings for advanced users

  • Fonts used: included in the document
  • Bitmap optimization (downsampling):
    color and grayscale 350 DPI, monochrome 1200 DPI
  • Embedding a profile: none or compatible with Fogra39 or Coated_v2
  • For products in the field of visual advertising (banners, signs, etc.)
    deliver designs for printing in JPG format with a resolution not exceeding 100 DPI

Loading finished projects for printing

Loading projects is available only for logged in users.

The project for printing in PDF format can be loaded before placing the order for the previously saved valuation.

To load a PDF project

  • after placing the order, click the "load" button next to the order (in the list of my orders)
  • to be checked before printing, click the "upload" button next to the quote (in the list of saved quotes)

After uploading the PDF

select front, back or set from the list and specify whether you have loaded 1 PDF document containing a full page or separate documents for the front and back. It is necessary to define the document type to start the preview creation procedure.

After loading the project, within a dozen or so minutes you will receive an e-mail with a preview link with the lines superimposed:

  • red-gray is the cutting area (trimbox) corresponds to the format of the finished product
  • gray-and-white is the bleedbox - the page background must reach here
  • green and white is the recommended margin for text and important objects (artbox)
  • blue and white is where it is folded or creased

When the previews are not valid

You can delete the loaded file and then reload the corrected project.

Popular mistakes in PDF documents

  • document format different from the format of the ordered product
  • page orientation other than the ordered product
  • poorly defined page fields of a PDF document
  • no bleed
  • the text on the bend
  • text right on the edge of the cut
  • wrong colors

The method of preparing a work in PDF for printing on the example of a business card

Preparation of a project in PDF format for printing

PDF page fields

Adobe Acrobat allows you to check if the page fields of the finished project are correctly defined.

Defining page fields in Adobe Acrobat

Book export to PDF from Open Office

Save the book to PDFSaving the book to PDF with parameters

Export project to PDF from Adobe Photoshop

Save the project in PDF format for printingSave the project in PDF format for printingSave the project in PDF format for printing

Setting proper color management in Adobe applications

Color management in Adobe applicationsColor management in Adobe applications

Export your project to PDF with Corel DRAW

Click on the link to the COREL DRAW manual

Correct color management settings in Corel DRAW

Color management in COREL applications





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