PREPRESS SPECIFICATIONS
File Preparation Guidelines
Follow these technical instructions to ensure your artwork prints sharp, color-accurate, and trimmed to perfection.
01
Bleed & Safe Margins
Industrial cutters trim thousands of sheets at high speed. To avoid unwanted white hairline borders around your design, extend your background colors and graphics 2mm to 3mm past the final cut line on all sides.
Safe Zone Rule: Keep all important logos, text, phone numbers, and badges at least 3mm inside the cut line.
02
Color Mode: CMYK Only
Digital screens emit RGB light, whereas commercial print presses mix Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) inks. Convert all artwork files to CMYK before saving.
Recommended ICC Profile: ISO Coated v2 (ECI) or Coated FOGRA39. For rich black backgrounds, use C=40, M=30, Y=30, K=100.
03
Resolution: 300 DPI Minimum
All images, photos, and raster graphics must be saved at a minimum resolution of 300 DPI at 100% print scale. Web images (72 DPI) will appear pixelated and blurry in print. For large format banners (3×6 ft and above), 150 DPI at actual size is sufficient.
04
Font Outlines / Curves
Always convert all fonts to outlines (Illustrator: Type → Create Outlines / Ctrl+Shift+O; CorelDraw: Convert to Curves / Ctrl+Q) before generating your final print PDF. This prevents missing font substitution errors during plate setting.
05
Spot UV & Foil Mask Setup
If your product includes Spot UV, Gold/Silver Foil or Embossing, provide the effect mask on a separate vector layer or second artboard in 100% Solid Black (K=100). The mask shape must align exactly with the CMYK artwork below.