The short version
- A print ready PDF is the finished size plus bleed on every edge, with crop marks, images at 300 dpi and fonts embedded.
- Bleed is usually 3 mm per side in the UK and Europe and 0.125 inch per side in the US; always check your printer's specification.
- Keep text and logos inside a safe margin of at least 3 to 5 mm from the trim, because cutting is never perfectly exact.
- Printers print in CMYK, so very bright screen colours such as electric blue and neon pink can print duller than they look.
- Order a proof or print one copy yourself before a large run, especially for gradients and dark backgrounds.
On this page
A print ready PDF is a file a printer can send straight to press without fixing anything. In practice that means five things: the page is the finished size plus bleed on every edge, crop marks show where to cut, every image is at least 300 dpi at its printed size, all fonts are embedded, and nothing important sits closer than a few millimetres to the trim. Most rejected files fail on bleed or resolution, so start there.
The anatomy of a print file
Paper is printed on larger sheets and cut down, and the blade can drift by a millimetre or so. Bleed and safe margins exist so that drift never shows: colour runs past the cut, and words stay well inside it.
What goes there
What goes there
What it is
What goes there
What it is
What goes there
What it is
What goes there
Bleed, margins and sizes at 300 dpi
Design at the finished size with bleed added to every side. The common figures are 3 mm per side in metric countries and 0.125 inch (about 3.2 mm) per side in the US. Some printers ask for 5 mm on large formats. At 300 dpi, 3 mm is roughly 35 pixels.
Finished size
Pixels at 300 dpi
With bleed
Pixels at 300 dpi
With bleed
Finished size
Pixels at 300 dpi
With bleed
Finished size
Pixels at 300 dpi
With bleed
Finished size
Pixels at 300 dpi
With bleed
Pixels at 300 dpi
With bleed
A4 poster 2480×3508
2480 × 3508
A5 flyer 1748×2480
1748 × 2480
Postcard 1800×1200
1800 × 1200
Business card 1050×600
1050 × 600
Resolution is about the printed size, not the pixel count alone. A 1080 pixel social image printed at A4 width comes out at roughly 130 dpi and looks soft. DPI vs PPI and image resolution for print explain the arithmetic.
How to export a print ready PDF
- 1
Get the printer's specification
Bleed, safe margin, colour profile and PDF standard vary. Most printers publish a sheet or a template for each product. Download it before you design.
- 2
Set up the document with bleed
Use the finished size and add bleed in the document settings, or design at the bleed size and mark the trim with guides.
- 3
Extend every edge element into the bleed
Backgrounds, photos and blocks of colour that touch the edge must run all the way to the outer bleed line, not stop at the trim.
- 4
Pull type inside the safe margin
Keep text, logos and QR codes at least 3 to 5 mm inside the trim; more on large posters.
- 5
Export as PDF with bleed and crop marks
Choose a print preset (often PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4), tick include bleed and add crop marks. Embed all fonts.
- 6
Check the PDF, not the design file
Open the exported file and zoom to 100%. Look at the edges, the small type and every photo.
In Gradiently, Pro exports include a print PDF with bleed and crop marks, and the print sizes above are built in at 300 dpi. Because a Mark renders at whatever size you design, the background fills the bleed with real detail instead of a stretched edge. Export a print PDF walks through it.
An A5 flyer at 1748×2480: the gradient runs into the bleed, the words stay well inside.
A business card at 1050×600. Small cards need generous margins, because a 1 mm drift is a large share of the edge.
RGB, CMYK and colour on paper
Screens mix light (RGB); presses mix ink (CMYK), and ink cannot reach the brightest screen colours. Electric blues, acid greens, neon pinks and vivid violets usually print duller. Most digital printers accept RGB PDFs and convert them, while some offset printers ask for CMYK with a specific profile. Ask, and follow what they say. RGB vs CMYK explains the gap.
Checklist before you send the file
Common rejections
- No bleed, or a background that stops at the trim
- Images below 300 dpi at printed size
- Fonts missing or substituted
- Text touching the trim
- A white hairline at one edge
- Wrong page size or orientation
Ready for press
- Bleed on all four sides, crop marks on
- Every image checked at 100% zoom
- All fonts embedded in the PDF
- A safe margin of at least 3 to 5 mm
- Backgrounds extend past every edge
- One page per side, in order
Then order a proof. A single printed copy shows colour shifts, banding in dark gradients and type that is too small, none of which a screen will reveal. For layout ideas once the file is right, see flyer design and poster size guide.
Questions people ask
What makes a PDF print ready?
The finished size plus bleed on every edge, crop marks, images at 300 dpi at their printed size, embedded fonts and a safe margin for text. Most printers also specify a PDF standard such as PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4.
How much bleed do I need?
Usually 3 mm per side in the UK and Europe and 0.125 inch per side in the US. Large formats sometimes need 5 mm, so check your printer's template.
Do I need to convert my PDF to CMYK?
Many digital printers accept RGB and convert it for you; some offset printers ask for CMYK with a named profile. Follow your printer's specification.
What resolution should a print PDF be?
300 dpi at the final printed size. An A4 page at 300 dpi is 2480×3508 pixels before bleed.
What are crop marks?
Short lines printed outside the bleed area that show the cutter exactly where the finished edge is. You add them when exporting the PDF.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
See our profile