Guide · artwork & materials
What file format should I send to a printer?
A print-ready PDF, every time. Everything else is either a compromise we can work with or a file we will have to ask you to replace.
Why PDF
A PDF carries the fonts, the images, the colour information and the page geometry in a single file that renders identically wherever it is opened. Send a native design file and it depends on the recipient having your fonts, your linked images and the same version of the software. Send a PDF and what you see is what runs.
What we print for this
Proofed before they run
What "print-ready" means
- 3mm bleed on every edge, with crop marks. See bleed and trim.
- CMYK colour, not RGB. See CMYK against RGB.
- Fonts embedded or outlined. See fonts and outlining.
- Images at 300dpi at their placed size.
- Flattened transparency, if you are exporting from older software.
- Single pages, not spreads, unless we have agreed otherwise.
If your software offers a PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 preset, use it. Those presets exist precisely to enforce the list above.
Formats, ranked honestly
| Format | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Send this | Print-ready, with bleed and embedded fonts | |
| AI / EPS | Fine | Package the links and fonts, or outline the type |
| INDD | Only packaged | Use File → Package so links and fonts travel with it |
| TIFF / PSD | Workable | Flatten it, 300dpi, CMYK |
| PNG | Workable | RGB only and no bleed — fine for simple jobs |
| JPG | Acceptable | Save at maximum quality; every resave loses detail |
| DOCX / PPTX | Ask us first | Reflows on any other machine; usually needs rebuilding |
| Canva share link | No | Export a PDF for print from Canva instead |
We check every file before you pay, not after. The upload step runs bleed, resolution and safe-area checks in your browser and tells you precisely what is wrong — in millimetres and dpi, not "your file has a problem". That is the single behaviour that prevents most of the back-and-forth in this industry.
What we can and cannot rescue
- Can: missing bleed on a simple layout, RGB to CMYK conversion, flattening, adding crop marks, minor scaling.
- Cannot, without redesigning: text sitting on the trim line, a logo that only exists at 200 pixels wide, a design built at the wrong aspect ratio.
If it needs redesigning we will say so and quote it — our studio does this work daily, and it is priced per job rather than per hour.
Common questions
What file format should I send to a printer?
Send a print-ready PDF — it is the format every printer asks for. A PDF carries the fonts, the images, the colour information and the page geometry in one file that renders identically wherever it is opened. A native design file depends on the recipient having your fonts, your linked images and the same version of the software.
What does print-ready actually mean?
A print-ready PDF has 3mm bleed on every edge with crop marks, CMYK colour, fonts embedded or outlined, images at 300dpi at their placed size, flattened transparency and single pages rather than spreads. If your software offers a PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 export preset, use it — those presets exist precisely to enforce that list.
Can I send a Canva design to a printer?
Export a print PDF from Canva and send that file; a Canva share link is not a print file and cannot be printed from. Canva's print export handles bleed and CMYK if you turn those options on, so check them before you export rather than sending the default.
Can you print from a Word or PowerPoint file?
Ask us first — DOCX and PPTX reflow on any machine other than the one they were made on, so they usually need rebuilding before they can be printed. Fonts substitute, images move, and page geometry is approximate. If a Word document is genuinely all you have, send it and we will tell you what it needs.
Do I have to outline my fonts?
Embed them or outline them — either works, and a PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 export preset embeds them for you. The failure this prevents is a headline silently substituting to a different typeface on a machine that does not have yours. See fonts and outlining for which to choose.
Can you fix my artwork if the file is wrong?
Missing bleed on a simple layout, RGB colour, unflattened transparency, missing crop marks and minor scaling can all be fixed. Text sitting on the trim line, a logo that only exists at 200 pixels wide, and a design built at the wrong aspect ratio cannot be, without redesigning. If it needs redesigning we say so and quote it before anything is charged — and the file check runs in your browser before you pay, not after.
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