How to create
print-ready artworks
So, you’ve poured your heart into a brilliant design and now you’re ready to see it come to life in print.
But before hitting send on that order, it’s vital to make sure your artwork is truly print-ready. This guide will walk you through the essentials — saving you time, money, and a potential headache.
Print-ready artwork is a file that’s been correctly prepared to ensure it prints as expected — crisp, clean, and colour-accurate. That means it meets the printer’s specifications for size, resolution, colour format, bleed, and file type.
- Let’s break that down.
Designs for print should always be set in CMYK, not RGB. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is for screens, while CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is used by printers. If you send a file in RGB, the colours might shift — and not in a good way.
✅ Tip: Convert your artwork to CMYK before exporting your final file.
1. Use the right colour mode
Designs for print should always be set in CMYK, not RGB. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is for screens, while CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is used by printers. If you send a file in RGB, the colours might shift — and not in a good way.
✅ Tip: Convert your artwork to CMYK before exporting your final file.
2. Set the Correct Resolution
For sharp, professional results, your artwork should be at 300 DPI (dots per inch). Anything lower might look pixelated or blurry in print.
✅ Tip: Avoid upscaling low-resolution images — always start with high-quality assets.
3. Include Bleed and Safe Zones
A bleed is the area that extends beyond the trim line, usually by 3mm. It ensures there are no white edges if the trimming is slightly off. A safe zone is a margin inside your artwork where you keep important elements like text and logos — to avoid them being cut off.
✅ Tip: Most design software lets you set bleed guides when you create your document.
4. Use the Right File Format
Printers typically prefer PDFs for print jobs, as they preserve quality and are easy to check.
Make sure your fonts are embedded or converted to outlines to avoid missing characters.
✅ Tip: Avoid JPEGs for text-heavy designs — they can compress and blur sharp details.
5. Check Your Fonts and Images
If you're using custom fonts, embed them in your PDF or convert them to outlines to prevent font substitution. Also, double-check that all your linked images are included and high-resolution.
✅ Tip: In Adobe Illustrator or InDesign, use the "Package" function to gather all assets.
✅ Tip on Adobe Illustrator: Select vector graphics and use hotkeys – Shift + Command + O to convert, or select then go to the menu and select Menu > Object > Convert to Shape
✅ Tip on Adobe Photoshop: Select text layer graphics then go to the menu and select Menu > Type > Convert to Shape
6. Proof Before You Print
Final Thoughts
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