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Preparing Your Print File
Preparing your print file
A press-ready file is the difference between a sharp print and a delayed order. The short version is simple: send a PDF, add at least one eighth of an inch of bleed on every side, include crop marks, and build everything in CMYK. This page shows you how to do exactly that in the tools most people use.
Bleed is extra background that extends past the final trim line, so that when the cutter trims your piece there is no thin white sliver at the edge. Crop marks are the small corner lines that tell us where to cut. Keep important text and logos at least an eighth of an inch inside the trim line so nothing is shaved off.
The golden rule
Every file should be a PDF, in CMYK, with at least 0.125 inch (one eighth inch) of bleed on all four sides and crop marks turned on. Aim for 300 dpi at final size for flat print, or 100 to 150 dpi at full size for large-format signage. If your design prints on both sides, send a single PDF with two pages: page one is the front and page two is the back.
Two shortcuts
Prefer to design it here? The personalization option in the upload section lets you build your artwork right on the product page before you order, with the bleed and trim already set up for you, no design software required.
Only have a flat image, or two separate files? You can turn them into a single press-ready PDF, or merge two pages into one file, for free with Adobe Acrobat online at acrobat.adobe.com. Quick checklist before you upload: PDF format, CMYK colour, 0.125 inch bleed all around, crop marks on, fonts embedded or outlined, and one file with two pages if you are printing double-sided.
How to export, by platform
Canva
Open Share, then Download, and choose PDF Print as the file type. Tick the box for Crop marks and bleed, then download. Note that Canva's free plan exports in RGB rather than CMYK; if exact colour matters, build a little extra background past the edges and let our prepress team handle the conversion, or export from a CMYK-capable tool.
Adobe Illustrator
Use File, then Save As or Export, and pick Adobe PDF. In the dialog set Bleed to 0.125 inch on all four sides, or tick Use Document Bleed Settings, and under Marks and Bleeds turn on Trim Marks. Keep the document in CMYK colour mode before you export.
Adobe Photoshop
Set up your document in CMYK at 300 dpi, sized to your final trim plus a quarter inch total, an eighth of an inch on each side. Flatten the image, then use Save As and choose Photoshop PDF. Photoshop does not add crop marks itself, so either let us add them or place the PDF into Illustrator or InDesign to add the marks.
Adobe InDesign
Use File, then Export, and choose Adobe PDF (Print). Under Marks and Bleeds, tick Crop Marks and set Bleed to 0.125 inch on all sides, or tick Use Document Bleed Settings. Export with a high-quality print preset and the colours in CMYK.
Microsoft Word or Publisher
These are not built for bleed, so design with a small margin of background colour around the edges and keep important text away from the edge. Save or export as PDF, and let our prepress team add the bleed and crop marks for you. For anything that prints right to the edge, a proper design tool gives a cleaner result.
What are bleed and crop marks, exactly?
Bleed is background colour or image extended past the cut line, usually an eighth of an inch, so trimming never leaves a white edge. Crop marks are thin corner lines that show where the trim happens. Together they let us cut your piece cleanly to the right size.
How do I send a double-sided file?
Upload a single PDF with two pages: page one is the front and page two is the back, both the same size with bleed and crop marks. Please avoid sending two separate files. If your design is in two pieces, merge them into one two-page PDF for free with Adobe Acrobat online before uploading.
