An Illustrated Guide to Creating Print-Ready File
One of the most important services we supply to designers, from self-taught through to accomplished professionals, is file preparation or pre-press. Getting your files ready for print is vital to your overall print quality and final output.
Not all packages have the features required to create proper print-ready files. This blog highlights these limitations when preparing artwork for professional printing. We us the free version of Canva as a prime example to illustrate the pitfalls of file preparation for print.
Bleed, Safe Areas and Crop Marks in Print Design
For Canva users, we cover this in How to Design Your Own Artwork on Canva and Supply Print-Ready Files. Be sure to add bleed, watch the safe areas, and export PDFs with crop marks to ensure accurate trimming during printing.
RGB Graphics and Text in Print File Preparation
The absolute importance of this is covered in What is all this about RGB and CMYK?. Unfortunately, the source of many portions of designs is likely to be MS Office programmes, which will be full of RGB, and once one copies and pastes into Canva, the free version does not allow you to convert RGB to CMYK for professional print requirements.
For most, the print results will be perfectly acceptable, but in instances where one requires specific colour results, you will need the help of a printer who has all the tools to convert your file and adjust for the desired results accurately. The designer with the right print knowledge will:
- Convert artwork from RGB to CMYK
- Adjust colours where needed
- Offer proofs when colour accuracy is critical
Design Limitations in Free or Entry-Level Design Software
Aspects that are not covered in free or entry-level packages include things like:
- Correctly sizing and checking graphic resolutions for high-quality printing
- Deep etching to create a transparent background when you have a colour or image in the background
- Converting from “Internet Fonts” to generally available fonts and converting to curves to secure your brand look and feel
- Editing to create a non-template result and hence a more original brand appearance
- Exporting brand elements in a suitable format for branding vehicles or for corporate clothing and gifts
Bottom Line
You only get what you pay for in both design packages and in the designs themselves. Whichever way you choose to go, your printer has the knowledge to help you achieve your print goals and get the most out of your printing by ensuring your files are correctly prepared for print.
