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Print-Ready File Checker

The seven questions a prepress operator asks before your job goes anywhere near a press, plus the resolution math for your exact size. Answer honestly and get a provider-preflight handoff or a fix list in plain language.
1. What is being printed?

The product decides the bleed, safe area and resolution conventions.

2. Final print size
3. Artwork pixels (raster files)

From your image file's properties. Leave empty for vector artwork (AI, EPS, vector PDF).

4. The prepress seven
1. Is the artwork built (or exported) in the colour mode your printer asked for, usually CMYK?

Screens mix light (RGB); presses mix ink (CMYK). Bright RGB colours that have no CMYK equivalent print duller than the screen promised.

2. Does the artwork extend past the trim line on every edge that prints to the edge?

Cutting is never pixel-perfect. Without bleed, a hairline of unprinted white can appear along trimmed edges.

3. Are all text and logos inside the safe area, away from the trim edge?

The same cutting tolerance that needs bleed can also clip content sitting too close to the edge.

4. Are fonts outlined (converted to curves) or embedded in the export?

If the printer opens a file without your fonts installed, text silently reflows or substitutes, and nobody notices until it is printed.

5. Are all placed images embedded (not linked) in the final file?

Linked images that stay on your computer show up as low-resolution previews or grey boxes on the printer's side.

6. Do large black areas use a rich black build rather than 100 percent K only?

On large areas, plain 100K prints as a washed-out dark grey on many presses; small text, however, should stay 100K to avoid registration fringing.

7. Are you delivering the format your printer asked for, ideally a print PDF (PDF/X)?

PDF/X flattens surprises: it embeds fonts, fixes colour handling and travels the same everywhere. Native working files invite version problems.

Your verdict will appear here

Answer the questions and choose Check my file.

Sources

  1. PDF/X family of standards for print exchange (ISO 15930) International Organization for StandardizationThe reason print PDFs embed fonts and fix colour handling.
  2. Visual acuity based resolution rule (about 1 arcminute, ppi = 3438 / viewing distance in inches) Standard optics convention used across prepress guidesThe basis of the 300 ppi close-viewing convention.

Last reviewed: 2026-07-16