Print File Submission Guidelines

Welcome to our print production guidelines. Following these specifications ensures your designs print exactly as you envision them, with vibrant colors and crisp details. We've designed these guidelines to be straightforward while maintaining the highest quality standards.

Quick Reference Checklist

  • File Format: PDF/X-4
  • Color Profile: PSO Coated v3 (300% TAC)
  • Bleed: Minimum 3mm on all sides
  • Safety Margin: Minimum 3mm inside trim line for all text and important elements
  • Printer Marks: None (no crop marks, registration marks, or color bars)
  • Resolution: 300 DPI for bitmap images, 1200 DPI for vector/line art
Print File Safety Zones Your Important Content Text, logos, and critical elements belong in this safe area 3mm 3mm BLEED AREA TRIM LINE SAFETY ZONE Zone Purposes: Bleed Area Background colors and images extend here to prevent white edges Trim Line Final cut size of your printed piece Safety Zone Keep all important text, logos, and content within this area Best Practice: Standard margins are 3mm for both bleed and safety zones Example shows a typical business card or flyer layout All measurements shown are industry standard recommendations

Understanding the Requirements

Why These Standards Matter

Think of print standards as a recipe that ensures consistent results. Just as a recipe ensures your cake turns out perfectly every time, these standards ensure your printed materials match your digital designs. Each requirement serves a specific purpose in the printing process.

Color Profile: PSO Coated v3

What it is: PSO Coated v3 is a color management profile that defines how colors translate from your screen to our printing presses. It's specifically calibrated for modern coated paper stocks and contemporary printing conditions.

Why we use it: This profile provides the most accurate color reproduction on our presses, ensuring your blues stay blue and your company colors remain consistent across all printed materials.

Where to get it: You can find download it on the ECI download page.

How to install it:

On Windows
Just extract the zip file then right click the ICC file and select "Install Profile" from the context menu.

On MacOS
You need to copy the ICC file to /Library/ColorSync/Profiles.

  • Extract the ZIP.
  • In Finder, select Go menu, then hold down option key. The "Library" option will appear in the list.
  • Select Library. Then browse to ColorSync > Profiles folder
  • Copy the ICC file that you extracted to this folder.

How to apply it:
After installing, you need to first quit the application and start back up before it can detect the new ICC profile.

  • In Adobe Creative Cloud: Edit → Color Settings → Working Spaces → CMYK: PSO Coated v3 (ECI)
  • Convert all RGB images to CMYK using this profile before creating your PDF
  • Ensure all spot colors are properly defined or converted to process colors

PDF Standard: PDF/X-4

What it is: PDF/X-4 is a standardized format that preserves all your design elements (transparency effects, layers, and color information) exactly as you created them.

Why we require it: This format eliminates common printing problems while maintaining design integrity. Your drop shadows, transparencies, and gradients remain smooth and accurate.

How to create it:

  • When exporting from your design software, select PDF/X-4 from the PDF preset menu
  • This automatically configures most settings correctly
  • Always verify the output profile matches PSO Coated v3

Layout Specifications

Bleed Requirements: Minimum 3mm

What is bleed? Bleed is the area where your design extends beyond the final trim size. Imagine painting a wall you'd paint slightly past the edges to ensure complete coverage. Bleed works the same way in printing.

Setting up bleed correctly:

  • Extend all background colors, images, and design elements 3mm beyond the trim line on all sides
  • For a standard A4 document (210 × 297mm), your design canvas should be 216 × 303mm
  • Never place logos or important design elements in the bleed area, they may be trimmed off

Common mistake when not adding bleed:

  • White borders appearing on business cards
  • Inconsistent backgrounds on folded print jobs (magazines, brochures)
  • Half-cut text on edges of print jobs

Safety Margins: Minimum 3mm

What are safety margins? Safety margins create a buffer zone between your important content and the trim edge. This accounts for slight variations in cutting that occur during production.

Implementing safety margins:

  • Keep all text at least 3mm inside the trim line
  • Position logos, contact information, and critical graphics within this safe zone
  • For multi-page documents, increase inner margins to account for binding

Common mistake when not adding safety margin:

  • Half-cut text near the edges of print jobs

Why both bleed and margins? Think of bleed as insurance for what extends off the page, while margins protect what stays on the page. Together, they ensure professional-looking results regardless of minor production variations.

File Preparation Best Practices

Before Creating Your PDF

  • Image Resolution: Ensure all images are 300 DPI at final print size. Low-resolution images cannot be improved during printing.
  • Font Management: Either embed all fonts in your PDF or convert text to outlines. Missing fonts will delay production.
  • Color Mode: Work in CMYK from the start when possible. Converting from RGB at the last minute can cause color shifts.
  • Overprint Settings: Check that white elements aren't set to overprint (they'll disappear in printing).

Why No Printer Marks?

We ask you not to include crop marks, registration marks, or color bars because:

  • Our prepress system adds these automatically in the correct positions
  • Your marks might interfere with our imposition process
  • This prevents confusion between your marks and our production marks
  • It ensures clean files that work seamlessly with our workflow

Creating Your PDF

From Adobe InDesign:

  • File → Export → Adobe PDF
  • Select PDF/X-4 preset
  • In Output section, ensure Color Conversion is set to "Convert to Destination"
  • Destination: PSO Coated v3
  • Uncheck all printer's marks options

From Adobe Illustrator:

  • File → Save As → Adobe PDF
  • Choose PDF/X-4 preset
  • Ensure artboard includes 3mm bleed
  • Disable all marks and bleeds in the preset (we add our own)

From Canva:

Setting up your document correctly is crucial in Canva since you cannot adjust these settings after creation:

  • Start with the right size: Create a custom size that includes bleed
    • For A4 (210 × 297mm), set your canvas to 216 × 303mm
    • For business cards (85 × 55mm), set canvas to 91 × 61mm
    • Always add 6mm total (3mm each side) to your intended trim size
  • Design with bleed in mind:
    • Extend backgrounds and images to canvas edges
    • Use Canva's purple "margin" guides to keep text safe
    • Position important elements at least 3mm from these guides
  • Downloading your file:
    • Click "Share" → "Download"
    • Select "PDF Print" (not "PDF Standard")
    • Check "Crop marks and bleed" but remember to uncheck this for our submission
    • Color profile: Canva automatically uses sRGB; you'll need to convert
  • Important Canva limitations:
    • Canva doesn't support CMYK or PSO Coated v3 directly
    • For color-critical work, export and convert using Adobe Acrobat
    • Consider Canva Pro for better PDF export options
    • Always request a printed proof for color-sensitive projects

From other software:

  • Look for PDF/X-4 export options
  • Manually set color profile to PSO Coated v3
  • Ensure bleed is included in the page size

These guidelines reflect current industry best practices and our production capabilities. We review and update them regularly to incorporate new technologies and standards.

Last Updated: 2025-06-19