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The print handover checklist

Twelve checks before a file goes to a printer, and the note to send with it. The things printers reject files for, in the order they check them.

Beginner2 min readUpdated 27 September 2026Studio · Print PDF

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The checklist

  • Trim size matches the order exactly (A5 is 148 × 210 mm, not "about A5").
  • Bleed on every side where colour or image touches the edge: 3 mm unless the printer says otherwise.
  • Text and logos at least 5 mm inside the trim.
  • Photos at 300 dpi at their printed size (150 is fine for posters seen from a distance).
  • Colour mode stated. RGB files: ask the printer to convert with their profile.
  • Fonts safe: an image-based PDF has none to go missing; a vector PDF needs them embedded.
  • Black text is 100 per cent black, not a four-colour mix; large black areas discussed.
  • Crop marks added if the printer asked, outside the bleed.
  • One PDF per item, named client_job_format_version.pdf.
  • A proof requested for anything colour-critical or large.
  • Paper, finish, quantity and delivery date confirmed in writing.
  • A JPG of the final artwork kept for your records and for the client.

The note to send

“A5 flyer, 148 × 210 mm trim, 3 mm bleed included, crop marks outside the bleed. 300 dpi. RGB: please convert with your profile. 350 gsm silk, 500 copies, needed by Friday 10 October. Please send a PDF proof before printing. File: lekki-nights_launch_a5-flyer_v3.pdf”

In Voidcanvas

A Studio print PDF covers most of the list for you: trim size in mm, 3 mm bleed, crop marks, TrimBox and BleedBox, the file named with the version, and a slug line stating RGB. The Editor's own PDF is at the design size with no bleed or marks; add bleed with Canvas size and say so in the note. Both are image-based at 300 dpi, so fonts cannot go missing.

What file format do printers want?

A PDF at the trim size plus bleed, one per item. Many also accept high-resolution PNG or TIFF; ask. PDF is the safe default.

Do I need to outline fonts?

Not with an image-based PDF, which has no live text. With a vector PDF, embed the fonts or outline them if the printer asks.

Open Studio

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How much bleed a print job needs3 mm on every side in the UK and Europe, 0.125 in (about 3.2 mm) in the US, and 5 mm or more for large-format work if the printer asks. You only need bleed when something touches the edge of the page: a background colour, a photo, a stripe. At 300 dpi, 3 mm is 36 px per side, so an A5 flyer at 1748 × 2480 becomes 1820 × 2552. Keep text and logos 5 mm inside the trim as well, because the cut that needs bleed on one side can take a bite out of the other.Beginner3 min read