# Print ready PDF: how to export files a printer accepts

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/pdf-for-print)

Printers reject files for the same handful of reasons, again and again. Get bleed, resolution, fonts and colour right once, and your flyers, cards and posters go straight to press.

## 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.

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.

| Zone | What it is | What goes there |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bleed | Extra area outside the finished size, cut off after printing | Background colour, gradients and photos that touch the edge |
| Trim | The finished size, where the blade cuts | Nothing should depend on landing exactly here |
| Safe margin | A band inside the trim | No text or logos; keep them further in |
| Live area | Everything inside the safe margin | Headlines, details, logos, QR codes |
| Crop marks | Short lines outside the bleed | Printed guides for the cutter, added on export |

From the outside in: crop marks, bleed, trim, safe margin, live area. [Bleed and margins](https://gradiently.design/guide/bleed-and-margins) covers each in depth.

## 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.

| Format | Finished size | Pixels at 300 dpi | With bleed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A4 poster | 210×297 mm | 2480×3508 | 216×303 mm, about 2551×3579 |
| A5 flyer | 148×210 mm | 1748×2480 | 154×216 mm, about 1819×2551 |
| A3 poster | 297×420 mm | 3508×4961 | 303×426 mm, about 3579×5031 |
| US Letter | 8.5×11 in | 2550×3300 | 8.75×11.25 in, 2625×3375 |
| Business card (US) | 3.5×2 in | 1050×600 | 3.75×2.25 in, 1125×675 |
| Postcard | 6×4 in | 1800×1200 | 6.25×4.25 in, 1875×1275 |

Bleed figures assume 3 mm per side for metric sizes and 0.125 inch per side for inch sizes. Your printer's template always wins.

- A4 poster 2480×3508: 2480 × 3508
- A5 flyer 1748×2480: 1748 × 2480
- Postcard 1800×1200: 1800 × 1200
- Business card 1050×600: 1050 × 600

Common print formats to scale, before bleed is added.

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](https://gradiently.design/guide/dpi-vs-ppi) and [image resolution for print](https://gradiently.design/guide/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](https://gradiently.design/guide/export-print-pdf) walks through it.

An A5 event flyer for a summer supper club, with the background reaching every edge and text set well in from the trim

An A5 flyer at 1748×2480: the gradient runs into the bleed, the words stay well inside.

A landscape business card for a ceramicist with name and email centred on a gradient

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](https://gradiently.design/guide/rgb-vs-cmyk) explains the gap.

- Neon: shifts in print: `linear-gradient(135deg, #00e5ff 0%, #7c3aed 50%, #ff2bd6 100%)`
- Muted dusk: prints close: `linear-gradient(135deg, #1e3a5f 0%, #8a4f7d 55%, #e9a17a 100%)`

Both look vivid on screen. The first relies on colours ink cannot reach; the second sits comfortably inside what presses print. For gradients on paper, see [printing gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/print-gradients).

> **Rich black and small text** Large black areas print deeper with a rich black, which your printer can specify. Small body text should stay plain black, because four layered inks slightly out of register make thin letters fuzzy.

## 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](https://gradiently.design/guide/flyer-design) and [poster size guide](https://gradiently.design/guide/poster-size-guide).

## FAQ

### 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.