Print File Prep Guide

PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 — The Standard For most print projects, PDF is the right answer. It packages your fonts, colors, images, and layout into a single, self-contained file that our equipment reads reliably.

We accept two PDF/X variants:

• PDF/X-1a — Maximum compatibility. Flattens transparency, embeds all fonts and images, and locks the color space. The safe default for any project.
  PDF/X-4 — Supports live transparency and is preferred for complex, layered artwork. Most current design software exports PDF/X-4 natively.

When in doubt, export PDF/X-1a.

AI (Adobe Illustrator) — Vector Artwork Submit AI files for logos, icons, and fully vector-based illustrations. Before sending, outline all fonts and embed any placed images. An AI file with linked images that aren’t embedded is an incomplete file.

EPS — Scalable Graphics EPS is a legacy vector format still widely used for logos and scalable elements. We accept vector-only EPS files. Do not submit EPS files with embedded raster images.

TIFF — High-Resolution Photography TIFF is the right format for image-heavy artwork and photography. Files must be 300 DPI at final print size and saved in CMYK color mode before submission.

What We Don’t Accept
These formats are built for screens, not presses. Submitting them creates production delays — and often means we need to come back to you before we can begin.

• Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Publisher
• JPEG or PNG
• PSD (Photoshop source files)
• INDD (InDesign source files)
• Google Docs or any web-exported format

Have a file outside these formats? [Contact us before uploading →] We’d rather solve it up front.

Resolution is how much image data is packed into your file. Screens look fine at 72 DPI. Print requires 300 DPI — at the exact size your piece will be produced.

This is the most common source of print quality problems we see. Images pulled from websites, email signatures, or screenshots are almost always 72 DPI. Scaling a low-resolution image up doesn’t add data — it just makes the problem larger.

How to check: In Photoshop, go to Image → Image Size. With “Resample” unchecked, set the resolution to 300. If the dimensions drop below your intended print size, the image isn’t high enough resolution to use.

The rule: If you can’t trace the image back to a high-resolution original, assume it isn’t print-ready.

Screens display color using RGB (Red, Green, Blue). Commercial printing uses CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) — the four ink colors that combine on press to reproduce your design.

When an RGB file hits our workflow, it gets converted. That conversion can shift colors in ways you won’t expect — especially with saturated blues, vibrant greens, and brand colors that rely on specific values.

The fix is simple: Convert your file to CMYK before you export. Do this in your source file, not just at export. Check every placed image too — embedded RGB photos inside a CMYK document will still cause color shifts.

Brand colors: If your brand uses Pantone (PMS) colors, note them in your job submission. We can match to PMS on applicable print processes.

When a font isn’t available on our system, your carefully set type either disappears or gets substituted — neither result is acceptable. There are two ways to prevent it.

Option 1 — Outline your fonts (vector files) In Adobe Illustrator: Select all → Type → Create Outlines. This converts your text into vector shapes. It can no longer be edited as text, so do this on a saved copy of your final file.

Option 2 — Embed fonts at export (PDF) When exporting a PDF from InDesign or Illustrator, select “Embed All Fonts.” PDF/X formats enforce this automatically — another reason they’re the preferred submission format.

Supplying a native file? If you’re submitting an AI or packaged InDesign file, include all fonts used. In InDesign, use File → Package to gather everything into one folder.

Bleed is the portion of your design that extends beyond the finished trim size. It exists for one reason: printing and cutting are never perfectly aligned, and without bleed, any slight variation leaves a thin white edge where your design should reach the border.

The standard: Add 0.125″ (⅛”) of bleed on all sides beyond your trim dimensions.

The safe zone: Keep all critical content — text, logos, key imagery — at least 0.125″ inside the trim line. Anything in this zone is safe from trimming variation.

Setting it up:

• In InDesign: Set bleed in File → Document Setup → Bleed and Slug
• In Illustrator: Add bleed in the Artboard settings or at PDF export
• In Photoshop: Build your canvas 0.25″ wider and taller than your trim size (0.125″ per side)

Full-bleed designs submitted without proper bleed are one of the most reliable causes of reprints. Build it in from the start.

Design software like Illustrator and InDesign can reference images as links rather than embedding them in the file. On your screen, the file looks complete. When it arrives on our end without those linked files, we see empty boxes.

Before you export:
In Illustrator: Open the Links panel (Window → Links). Any image with a chain-link icon is linked, not embedded. Select it and click Embed in the Links panel.
In InDesign: Use File → Package to gather all linked files into a single folder, or confirm “Embed All” is selected at PDF export.

The cleaner solution: Export as PDF/X. A properly exported PDF/X file packages everything — fonts, images, color data — into a single self-contained document with no linked dependencies.

Before you upload, confirm:

☐ File format is PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-4, AI, EPS, or TIFF
☐ Resolution is 300 DPI at final print dimensions
☐ Color mode is CMYK throughout (including placed images)
☐ Fonts are outlined (vector files) or fully embedded (PDF)
☐ Bleed extends 0.125″ beyond the trim edge on all sides
☐ All images are embedded, not linked