# Print-ready files: what your printer needs from you

> Bleed, resolution, colour mode and fonts: a plain-language guide to preparing files that print exactly as designed.

Web page: https://oravol.com/insights/print-ready-files-guide

## About this article

- **Published:** 4 October 2026
- **Topic:** Branding & Design
- **Publisher:** ORAVOL

## Key takeaways

- Ask your printer for their specifications before you start designing.
- Add bleed, keep important content inside the safe area and use print colour values.
- Export a high-resolution PDF with fonts embedded, and always check a proof.

## Article

A design that looks perfect on screen can print with white edges, blurry photos or wrong colours if the file is not prepared correctly. These are the points printers ask about most.

### Start with the printer's specifications

Printers differ. Before designing, ask for their requirements: page size, bleed, colour profile, file format and any limits on ink coverage. Designing to the right specification from the start avoids rework.

### Bleed and safe area

Printed sheets are trimmed after printing, and the cut is never perfectly exact. To avoid white slivers at the edge:

- **Bleed:** extend backgrounds and images beyond the trim line, commonly by 3 mm.
- **Safe area:** keep text and logos a few millimetres inside the trim line so nothing important is cut off.

### Colour mode

Screens use RGB; most printing uses CMYK inks. Convert your file to CMYK using the profile your printer recommends, and check colours after converting, because some bright screen colours change noticeably. For exact brand colours on packaging or signage, use the Pantone references from your brand guidelines.

### Image resolution

Photos should be high enough resolution for their printed size; around 300 pixels per inch is a common target for close-viewed items like brochures. An image copied from a website will usually look blurry in print.

### Fonts and lines

- Embed fonts in the PDF, or convert text to outlines if the printer asks.
- Avoid very thin lines and very small text, especially in light colours or reversed out of dark backgrounds.

### Export settings

Most printers want a print-quality PDF (often a PDF/X standard) with bleed and crop marks included. Name files clearly, with version numbers.

### Always check a proof

Ask for a digital proof at least, and a physical proof for large runs or important colour work. Check spelling, numbers, colours and trim before approving. Corrections after printing are expensive.

Our [graphic design](https://oravol.com/services/graphic-design) service delivers print-ready files and can liaise with your printer directly.

## Questions

### What resolution do images need for print?

A common guideline is 300 pixels per inch at the final printed size. Large-format prints viewed from a distance can use less; ask your printer.

### Why do my blacks look grey in print?

Black made only from black ink can look flat on large areas. Printers often recommend a 'rich black' mix for big solid areas, but not for small text.