How to Prepare Print-Ready Artwork (and Avoid Costly Reprints)
Bleed, resolution, color mode and fonts — the five file checks that make the difference between crisp prints and costly reprints.
Nothing is more frustrating than receiving a box of business cards with a white sliver along the edge or a blurry logo. The good news: most print problems come down to a handful of file-setup mistakes that are easy to avoid.
1. Add bleed
Printers print on larger sheets and trim them to size. If your background color or image stops exactly at the edge, slight shifts during cutting leave white lines. Extend backgrounds 0.125" (1/8") beyond the trim on every side for offset products, and 0.5" for banners.
2. Keep important content inside the safe zone
Text and logos too close to the edge risk being trimmed off. Keep them at least 0.125" inside the trim line — more for booklets, where pages also creep toward the spine.
3. Use high-resolution images
Images that look fine on screen at 72 dpi will print blurry. Use 300 dpi at the final print size for offset products like business cards, flyers and brochures. Large format banners viewed from a distance can be 100–150 dpi.
4. Convert to CMYK
Screens display color in RGB; presses print in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). Bright RGB greens and blues can look duller in print. Convert your file to CMYK before submitting so there are no surprises, and specify Pantone colors if exact brand matching is critical.
5. Outline or embed fonts
If the printer doesn't have your font, it will be substituted. Export a PDF with fonts embedded, or convert text to outlines.
Bonus: export a press-quality PDF
A PDF/X file preserves your layout, fonts and images exactly. It's the safest format to send.
- Bleed: 0.125" for print, 0.5" for banners
- Safe zone: 0.125" inside trim
- Resolution: 300 dpi (print), 100–150 dpi (large format)
- Color mode: CMYK
- Fonts: embedded or outlined
Every ClickEx order includes a free digital proof and a prepress check by our team, so we will flag any issues before printing. Ready? Upload your artwork or browse our print products.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us about your project — we reply within one business day. Or call 888-808-8212.