A business card that looks perfect on screen can still print with a white edge, blurry logo or unexpected colour shift. Knowing how to prepare artwork for commercial printing avoids those expensive surprises, keeps production moving and helps your flyers, brochures, stickers, banners and branded materials look professional from the first batch.
Commercial print files need more than an attractive design. They need the correct document size, print-safe margins, suitable images and clear instructions for finishes. A few minutes of checking before approval can save a reprint, a delayed launch or wasted promotional stock.
Start with the finished size
Set up your artwork at the final trimmed size from the start. If you are ordering A5 flyers, make the finished document A5. If you are ordering 85 x 55 mm business cards, use that exact size rather than placing the design on a larger page and hoping it will be cropped correctly.
This matters because commercial printers trim stacks of printed sheets, not one sheet at a time. Minor movement during cutting is normal. Artwork built to the final size, with bleed and safe margins included, gives the production team what they need to deliver a neat result.
For folded brochures, menus, presentation folders or packaging, ask for the required template before designing. Fold panels are not always equal. A tri-fold brochure, for example, often needs one panel slightly narrower so it folds neatly inside the other two.
Add bleed and keep key details safe
Bleed is the extra artwork printed beyond the final cut line. It prevents thin white edges appearing when a background colour, photograph or pattern runs to the edge of the page.
A standard bleed allowance is usually 3 mm on every side, unless your printer provides a different specification. An A5 flyer with a finished size of 148 x 210 mm should therefore normally be supplied at 154 x 216 mm, including bleed. Extend backgrounds, images and colour blocks fully into this outer area.
At the same time, keep essential content inside a safe area. Logos, phone numbers, QR codes, headings and fine borders should sit at least 3 to 5 mm inside the trim edge. For banners, large-format signs and items with eyelets or hems, the safe area may need to be much larger.
Do not place a thin border close to the edge unless you are comfortable with a slightly uneven width after trimming. Even well-produced print can show tiny cutting variations, and a close border makes them more visible.
Use CMYK colours, not screen-only RGB
Screens create colour with light and use RGB - red, green and blue. Commercial presses print with ink, generally CMYK - cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Bright screen colours, particularly electric blue, neon green and vivid orange, may look less intense once printed.
Build the artwork in CMYK where possible, especially for brochures, leaflets, catalogues and branded stationery. If your logo has specific corporate colours, provide the correct CMYK or Pantone references. Pantone spot colours can be useful when exact brand matching matters, although they may affect cost, print method and turnaround.
Black needs attention too. Small text should normally use 100% black only. Using a rich black mix for small letters can cause soft-looking edges if the colour plates move slightly. Rich black is more suitable for large black backgrounds where a deeper appearance is required.
Printed colour also depends on paper. Uncoated letterheads absorb ink differently from glossy flyers, while textured stock can soften fine details. If colour is critical for a brand campaign, request a proof or discuss the stock before placing a large order.
Check images before you prepare artwork for commercial printing
A photograph copied from a website or social media post may look acceptable on a mobile screen but often lacks the resolution for print. For most commercial printing, images should be 300 dpi at the size they will appear in the final artwork.
The key phrase is at the final size. A 300 dpi image can become low resolution if it is enlarged significantly in the layout. Enlarging a small image does not create new detail. It simply makes pixels more obvious, resulting in soft, blocky or blurred printing.
Use original high-resolution photographs, quality product images and vector logos whenever available. Vector artwork is ideal for logos, icons and line drawings because it can scale up without losing sharpness. Common vector formats include AI, EPS and editable PDF files.
Avoid screenshots for logos, scans of printed cards, or images lifted from messaging apps. They are often compressed and may carry coloured backgrounds, rough edges or poor-quality text. If you only have an old logo, a designer may need to redraw it before it is used on banners, uniforms or corporate print materials.
Choose readable fonts and supply them correctly
Typography affects both appearance and production. Use a font size that suits the item and audience. Fine 5 pt text may be technically printable, but it is rarely practical on a menu, label or appointment card. Small reversed text - white letters on a dark background - needs extra care, as thin strokes can fill in on certain stocks.
Before exporting, convert fonts to outlines if your workflow requires it, or embed the fonts in the PDF. This prevents substitutions if the printing computer does not have the same typeface installed. Keep an editable copy of the artwork before outlining text, because outlined type is no longer easy to edit.
Be cautious with very thin lines. Lines below 0.25 pt may disappear or print inconsistently, particularly on textured paper, labels and large solid-colour areas. A slightly heavier line usually provides a cleaner result without changing the design.
Export a print-ready PDF
A high-quality PDF is the most practical file format for many commercial jobs. It keeps layouts together, supports fonts and images, and is easier to check than a collection of separate files. When exporting, select a print-quality setting rather than a web or small-file option.
Where available, use a PDF/X setting requested by your printer, such as PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4. These standards are designed for print production, but the best choice depends on the workflow. PDF/X-1a is commonly used for flattened CMYK output, while PDF/X-4 can retain live transparency and colour-management information for modern workflows.
Make sure crop marks are only included when requested. More importantly, ensure the PDF includes the correct bleed. A file with crop marks but no extended background still has no usable bleed.
For simple office prints or one-off documents, an editable file may be accepted. For a professional brochure, business card pack or bulk promotional order, supplying a properly exported PDF reduces the risk of missing fonts, shifted images and unexpected page changes.
Match the file to the product and finish
Every product has its own production considerations. Stickers need a cut line or clear shape instruction. Roll-up banners need a bottom allowance that disappears into the stand. T-shirt artwork may need a transparent background rather than a white rectangle. Mug printing requires space near the handle and may need a wrap template.
Special finishes also change how artwork should be supplied. Spot UV, foil, embossing and white ink usually need a separate vector layer or page that clearly marks the finished area. Do not rely on a note saying “add foil to logo”. The finishing area must be exact, especially for small details.
Lamination protects business cards, menus and folders, but it can affect the final look. Matt lamination feels refined and reduces glare, while gloss makes colours appear brighter. Velvet lamination gives a premium soft-touch feel, but it may show marks more easily than standard matt options. Choose the finish based on how the item will be handled, not only how it looks in a digital mock-up.
Run a final pre-print check
Before sending files, inspect the PDF at 100% zoom and check every page. Read contact details slowly. Confirm website addresses, telephone numbers, dates, prices, QR codes and social handles. These are the details most likely to make a printed item unusable when they are wrong.
Use this quick approval check:
- Finished size, orientation and page count are correct.
- Bleed is included and important content sits inside the safe area.
- Images are sharp at their printed size and logos are high quality.
- Colours are set for print, with black text built correctly.
- Fonts are embedded or outlined, and no text has reflowed.
- Quantities, paper stock, lamination and special finishes match the order.
Good print starts before the press. Prepare the file carefully, choose materials that fit the job and give yourself time for a final proof. Your customers may never notice the bleed, colour profile or embedded font behind the result - but they will notice a sharp, well-finished piece of print worth keeping.